Any home beer brewers?

[glypnirsgirl]

While on vacation last week, we ate at a restaurant that offered MANY specialty beers. Things that I had never heard of like a chocolate porter, Belgian Tripei, cream ale. http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/monthly-releases.htm

Ian became enamored with the idea of brewing his own beer.

He came across a "Mr. Beer" home brewing kit. Is this any good? Where do you buy your supplies?

Does the beer end up palatable?

Any particular favorites?

Any information, insights, appreciated.

elaine

 

[artringwald]

I brewed my own for many years, until I got too lazy to mess with it. It does take quit a bit of time, mostly cleaning, sterilizing, filling and capping the bottles. I would not recommend Mr. Beer to anyone. To do it properly, drink two cases of store bought beer in returnable bottles, then go to a beer/wine supply store (they're everywhere), buy a 5 gallon glass car boy, an air trap, a bottle capping tool, and tubing for siphoning. For each batch, you'll need malt extract, yeast, hop pellets, and corn sugar. The store should have plenty of recipes.

If you like Bud, Miller, Coors, etc, it's not worth the trouble. If you love full flavored ales, stouts, and specialty beers, you'll be able to make some really good ones of your own. It takes about 3-4 weeks from starting a batch until the beer is ready to drink.

Another option if available, some small breweries let you brew your own using their ingredients, recipes, and equipment. It's more expensive, but takes much less of your time.

 

[artringwald]

While on vacation last week, we ate at a restaurant that offered MANY specialty beers. Things that I had never heard of like a chocolate porter, Belgian Tripei, cream ale. http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/monthly-releases.htm

Which restaurant did you eat at? We both grew up in Wilmington, DE.

 

[slip]

I agree with Art. I did it for about three years and made some pretty good stuff
But It takes a lot of time. It should be one of your only hobbies if your going to
Do it. I wouldn't reccommend Mr. Beer either. You can get a basic kit with a
Plastic car boy for about $50.00. I never had a batch I couldn't drink and most
Were really good but Art is correct, if you light the light beers, you probably
Won't be happy.

 

[ricoba]

Like the others, a friend and I used to do home brew and we did some great batches.

But I think there are better alternatives than the Mr Beer kit. Just search Amazon or online for home brewing kits. You may even have a home brewing or wine making store in your town that sells locally.

It is kind of a fun hobby, so enjoy.

 

[glypnirsgirl]

The restaurant that we ate at is a fairly new one on the river by the children's museum. It is called Iron Hill Brewery. I was the designated driver so I did not imbibe. Every one else was raving about the beers.

The food was excellent. I had the pepper crusted sirloin strip with gorgonzola sauce and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes --- it was fabulous. We had shared appetizers and I had a salad. It was one of the best meals that I have had in a long time.

Ian's favorite commercially available brew is Guinness stout. He likes really full flavored brews. He cannot stand thin brews.

Tonight Ian ordered a Sam Adams Summer Ale and he felt that it was too thin. Better than Coors or Bud, but not up to his standard of full flavor.

Is the reason that you do not recommend the Mr. Beer because of the expense, because the materials don't hold up???

Until you mentioned it, I had forgotten that two blocks from my office is a beer supply store.

Ian does not like cleaning. I can't imagine that he will want to do this for very long. So, it helps to have the explanation be that why you stopped is the constant cleaning and sterilizing.

Thanks!
elaine

 

[ricoba]

Oh, if he doesn't like cleaning, that may be a problem. Everything in the process needs to be sterile so it won't muck up the fermentation.

It's not that hard to be clean, but it can be a pain if you really don't like doing it.

Maybe finding a good local micro-brewery pub will suffice.

 

[Elan]

I also used to brew my own way back when. Then when micro brews started to flourish, I gave it up. It just became way too easy to buy consistently high quality beer at the store.

I would agree that if one isn't into cleaning and sterilizing that home brewing might not be the best hobby.

 

[wackymother]

We had looked into this for DH because it seems fun and interesting. We had a friend in college who did a bit of microbrewing, using Grolsch bottles because of the caps with the clamps. (His results were mixed, to say the least!)

Anyway, same conclusion that everyone else reached--it's a surprisingly time-consuming hobby for someone who doesn't have a lot of time. And the price of good beer has really come down relative to other things, hasn't it? You can get some great beer at really great prices now.

If your DH wants an experimenting-type hobby, making bread is fun and rewarding and doesn't require nearly as much cleaning! Or as much waiting. He could make his own sourdough starter and see how it developed over time.

 

[pacodemountainside]

I am with other posters. While retired and have some time, just takes too long and too much mess. And, be sure yeast is very fresh like in making bread which I do enjoy.

I suggest going to a large liquor store where they have a "make your own 6 Pack". The big ones here have tons(didn't count) of individual bottles of speciality beers and you choose 6 and pay $7.95. Beats paying $4.00 at a bar for a bottle to check out!.

In Colorado we are blessed(unless a WCTU type) with many brew pubs.

When I lived in Summit County would take drinking buddies to Dam Brewery or Back County Brewery and order a sampler of six of their brews (6 oz) on tap for $5.95. Dam Brewery had great food and good place to meet ski bunnies.

I lean to Fat Tire, but to each his own!

 

[glypnirsgirl]

If your DH wants an experimenting-type hobby, making bread is fun and rewarding and doesn't require nearly as much cleaning! Or as much waiting. He could make his own sourdough starter and see how it developed over time.

He bakes bread now. And has for many years.

I think that he sees the process as similar, but with a different result.

He makes very simple whole wheat bread and does not experiment much with it. I bought a really highly rated Peter Rheinhart that I thought that he would like --- nope, hasn't even opened up.

I encouraged him to go to the beer making store with me to look at things instead of just buying Mr. Beer online and he wasn't interested in doing that either.

Every time someone has mentioned the cleaning and sterilizing, I have mentioned that to him. He goes on spurts with cleaning. Sometimes he is great, usually not. I can't see home-brewing being something that he sticks with for very long.

We live in a dry district --- Texas has arcane liquour laws. So we don't have any liquour stores close to us. The "make your own six pack" seems like a great way to assuage some of his curiousity.

One of the men with us at the Iron Hill Brew Pub purchased one of the beer flights. It was part of what got Ian so interested.

A BJ's Brew Pub opened fairly close to us. We haven't been in to try it. Hmmm... I like that idea. Less mess and less investment, too.

elaine

 

[csxjohn]

We brew our own but not at home.

http://www.thebrewkettle.com/bop/how_it_works.php

If you can find a place like this near you, you'll end up with some great brews.

The water is boiling when you get there. You choose your recipe, gather the ingredients and have at it.

It takes about 2 hours then we come back in 2, 3, or 4 weeks, depending on the beer chosen and take our keg home. Most people bottle theirs, so you need another appointment to do that.

They add the yeast and let it ferment. No muss, no fuss, and great beer. Our favorite is a knock off of Rouge Dead Guy Ale. We looked up their ingredients, made some changes to what the Brew Kettle had available and came up with a great tasting ale.

 

[ScoopKona]

It's all about expectation vs. realistic outcome.

People don't homebrew for savings. They do so because they like to brew. Considering what a total stick-in-the-mud Ian is when it comes to food, I'd say let him get as much homebrewing equipment as he wants. Maybe he'll learn to appreciate food that isn't chicken fingers and Papa John's.

And let me mention that it seems REALLY FREAKING WEIRD that the man who has grade-school taste in food has an advanced palate when it comes to beer. Based on your posts about his food choices, I would have thought he'd be a Coors Light drinker.

Some things to consider:

1) In order to make anything approaching Guinness, you'll need to buy (or make -- preferably make) a considerable amount of equipment. It's easy to make decent beer. It's harder to make good beer. It's VERY hard indeed to replicate Guinness or Pilsner Urquell. Temperature control is EVERYTHING. Once the yeast is pitched, you want the beer to sit at EXACTLY the right temperature for a long time. Many homebrewers use temperature control devices attached to a spare refrigerator to duplicate a commercial fermentor.

2) Homebrewing is messy. Do it outside.

3) It is less expensive to simply BUY a keg of Guinness than it is to recreate it.

So, many brewers brew for the love of making beer. And there's nothing wrong with that. But don't get into it thinking you'll save money. You cannot compete with the economy of scale of a commercial brewery. And without a REALLY good mentor, it's going to take months, perhaps years, to get the quality beer you crave.

But if you can somehow wrangle a way to use this hobby as a stepping stone to get Ian to try food that doesn't have "Mc" in front of it -- McNuggets, McPizza, McBurger, McPizza -- then maybe it'll be worth it.

 

[glypnirsgirl]

We brew our own but not at home.

http://www.thebrewkettle.com/bop/how_it_works.php

If you can find a place like this near you, you'll end up with some great brews.

The water is boiling when you get there. You choose your recipe, gather the ingredients and have at it.

It takes about 2 hours then we come back in 2, 3, or 4 weeks, depending on the beer chosen and take our keg home. Most people bottle theirs, so you need another appointment to do that.

They add the yeast and let it ferment. No muss, no fuss, and great beer. Our favorite is a knock off of Rouge Dead Guy Ale. We looked up their ingredients, made some changes to what the Brew Kettle had available and came up with a great tasting ale.

This is a great idea. No investment in equipment. No space taken up at home.

Love this alternative. Thanks for the suggestion.

elaine

 

[glypnirsgirl]

It's all about expectation vs. realistic outcome.

People don't homebrew for savings. They do so because they like to brew. Considering what a total stick-in-the-mud Ian is when it comes to food, I'd say let him get as much homebrewing equipment as he wants. Maybe he'll learn to appreciate food that isn't chicken fingers and Papa John's.

And let me mention that it seems REALLY FREAKING WEIRD that the man who has grade-school taste in food has an advanced palate when it comes to beer. Based on your posts about his food choices, I would have thought he'd be a Coors Light drinker.

Some things to consider:

1) In order to make anything approaching Guinness, you'll need to buy (or make -- preferably make) a considerable amount of equipment. It's easy to make decent beer. It's harder to make good beer. It's VERY hard indeed to replicate Guinness or Pilsner Urquell. Temperature control is EVERYTHING. Once the yeast is pitched, you want the beer to sit at EXACTLY the right temperature for a long time. Many homebrewers use temperature control devices attached to a spare refrigerator to duplicate a commercial fermentor.

2) Homebrewing is messy. Do it outside.

3) It is less expensive to simply BUY a keg of Guinness than it is to recreate it.

So, many brewers brew for the love of making beer. And there's nothing wrong with that. But don't get into it thinking you'll save money. You cannot compete with the economy of scale of a commercial brewery. And without a REALLY good mentor, it's going to take months, perhaps years, to get the quality beer you crave.

But if you can somehow wrangle a way to use this hobby as a stepping stone to get Ian to try food that doesn't have "Mc" in front of it -- McNuggets, McPizza, McBurger, McPizza -- then maybe it'll be worth it.

I share your thought that "... it seems REALLY FREAKING WEIRD that the man who has grade-school taste in food has an advanced palate when it comes to beer." One of the reasons that I did not know of his grade school tastes in food prior to marrying him is that when he is eating out, he has a much more sophisticated palate.

While we were dating, he made the best lemon chicken that I have ever had. And I watched him make it so I know he didn't have a ringer make it for him. Full mise en place. Excellent results.

Ian does what he wants. There is no "let" to it. If I am fortunate, I will have some influence over what he does.

I find that I have more influence with third party validation, which is one of the reasons that soliciting responses from TUG is helpful to me. To have 3 or 4 posters all mention the cleaning and sterilizing is a greater influence than me saying, "it isn't realistic for you to do this. You won't like all the cleaning and sterilizing." And, I would not have known to mention the cleaning and sterilizing because I have never brewed anything except for tea.

He has gone off on a weird diet so i am no longer cooking for him. Just for John and I. And John and I have similar tastes so that is going well. Also, i am making much simpler meals. Usually grilled chicken or fish and green vegetables and a salad with a home made dressing. I bought an excellent balsamic vinegar and I add parsley, basil, olive oil, a dollop of dijon mustard and blend. It is great and lasts about 3 or 4 days. John supplements his meal with a nuked sweet potato.

Thanks for your help.

elaine

 

[Elan]

I think you should buy him a smoker. Now there's a hobby where nobody will ever know (or care) how clean the equipment isn't!

 

[glypnirsgirl]

I think you should buy him a smoker. Now there's a hobby where nobody will ever know (or care) how clean the equipment isn't!

LOL --- He has a smoker. And he uses it occasionally. When his daughter visits, he makes tea smoked tofu for her (she is a vegan). I can't think of anything else that he has used it for in the last 5 years!

 

[wackymother]

LOL --- He has a smoker. And he uses it occasionally. When his daughter visits, he makes tea smoked tofu for her (she is a vegan). I can't think of anything else that he has used it for in the last 5 years!

Is it a pain to use? It's an item I've toyed with over the years, but it just seemed like such a mess....

We got a rotisserie for our grill a couple of years ago, and that's surprisingly rewarding! DH likes it. But only uses it a couple of times a year. Still, the rotisserie meat is really good. I don't think it would work for tofu, unfortunately.

 

[Passepartout]

Is it a pain to use? It's an item I've toyed with over the years, but it just seemed like such a mess....

A wood pellet smoker is as easy to use as an oven. Put pellets in the hopper, flip a switch, set the desired temp, load your meat, cheese, fish, pizza, whole turkey, racks of ribs, jerky, whatever, in it and walk away. After you are done, there can be some ash to vacuum out and the racks go in the dishwasher. Here are a couple of choices: http://greenmountaingrills.com/ and http://www.traegergrills.com/ There are others. Mine is a Louisiana Grill, made in that great Cajun city of Edmonton Alberta. Who knew.

Jim

 

[Elan]

Is it a pain to use? It's an item I've toyed with over the years, but it just seemed like such a mess....

We got a rotisserie for our grill a couple of years ago, and that's surprisingly rewarding! DH likes it. But only uses it a couple of times a year. Still, the rotisserie meat is really good. I don't think it would work for tofu, unfortunately.

Not a pain to use, and not overly messy, but you'll likely end up smelling like a camp fire when you're done. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to the individual user.

I will say that the results justify the process. I apple wood smoked a couple pork tenderloins a few weeks ago that were outstanding.

 

[ScoopKona]

To have 3 or 4 posters all mention the cleaning and sterilizing is a greater influence than me saying, "it isn't realistic for you to do this. You won't like all the cleaning and sterilizing." And, I would not have known to mention the cleaning and sterilizing because I have never brewed anything except for tea.

One of the reasons Mr. Beer is utter crap is that it's made of plastic. Eventually it cannot be properly cleaned, let alone sanitized. The only two materials for the job are glass and stainless steel. Nothing else. If you're looking at brewing equipment and it's not made of glass or stainless steel, you're looking at the wrong equipment.

Also, let's say Ian goes with the Mr. Beer anyway. The recipes are going to use malt extract (Good. Not great. But good.) and sugar (Bad!). The sugar is there to boost the alcohol. But it lightens the body and makes the beer taste cidery. The first thing to do when dealing with beginner beer recipes is to throw those recipes out and do some research.

If Ian wants Guinness, I can replicate it. But it's not easy. It's more expensive than just buying Guinness. It's VERY labor intensive (cleaning and sanitizing). And there is always the chance that something goes wrong and you end up making a batch of dark malt vinegar. (What went wrong? Who knows. Could be 1,000 different things. So the only solution is, "Be cleaner. Sanitize better. Pay more attention to temperature.")

If that sounds like Ian's kind of hobby, great. But based on your previous posts, it doesn't.

 

[LynnW]

A wood pellet smoker is as easy to use as an oven. Put pellets in the hopper, flip a switch, set the desired temp, load your meat, cheese, fish, pizza, whole turkey, racks of ribs, jerky, whatever, in it and walk away. After you are done, there can be some ash to vacuum out and the racks go in the dishwasher. Here are a couple of choices: http://greenmountaingrills.com/ and http://www.traegergrills.com/ There are others. Mine is a Louisiana Grill, made in that great Cajun city of Edmonton Alberta. Who knew.

Jim

We have a Traeger grill and use it all the time. When doing something that takes a long time you do have to make sure the pellets don't run out.

As for brewing your own beer it is really taking off here probably because of the much higher beer prices in Canada. DH works part time (when we're home!) at a store that sells wine and beer making supplies. It used to be mainly wine making supplies that were the big sellers but now a lot of younger people are getting into home brewing. They are so busy they can hardly keep up.

Lynn

 

[easyrider]

We don't drink much beer anymore but back in the day we were brewing ales mostly. Its pretty easy. We used 5 gallon buckets to ferment and siphoned into our drinking glass. No sugar, extra malt.

You need two 5 gallon buckets with top.Our buckets originally had paint in them but after a good cleaning work very well.

About 6 ft of 3/8 vinyl hose for siphoning. You can put the hose as far in the bucket as you can and pull it out with your thumb over the end or buy a siphon to fill your drinking container. Coffee filters or your wifes old panty hose work well to keep the dregs out.

Most people use a hydrometer but you could do a taste test. If your making up your own recipe you should use a hydrometer. We rarely used one and rarely ever made the exact batch twice.

You need a big pot to boil water in.

Find a recipe, ales are easy.

10 gallons will make about 80 or so beers.

If the beer seems flat you can add Coors or whatever to make it taste different. Sometimes if your using hops in the panty hose the beer can get hoppy so cutting it with store bought beer can help. Other things that can make your beer taste different are adding licorice, fruit or what ever.

DRINK IT ALL AT ONCE. If you can't drink 80 beers with your friends you should just go the store and buy something you like. We have bottled beer but its a pain in the butt. 2 liter plastic pop jugs work pretty good for saving some beer.

Burp.

Bill

 

[ScoopKona]

As for brewing your own beer it is really taking off here probably because of the much higher beer prices in Canada.

Even with the high prices, it is cheaper to turn a spare fridge into a kegerator and buy 1/2 barrels of beer than it is to brew your own. Home brewers simply do not have the economy of scale that a commercial brewery enjoys.

Homebrewers brew because they like to brew beer. There isn't a financial/quality reason to do so anymore.