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The Official Home Brew Thread
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Author:  harmfuljays [ Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:31 pm ]
Post subject:  The Official Home Brew Thread
Its been a long time since I brewed but I think its time again. I still have all of the bottles and Quarts and most of the ingredients from my starter kit. I sold my Turkey Fryer...... :x But it was a cheap aluminum pot anyway. I'll buy a 40 Qt steel pot on ebay or amazon.

My Carboy turned into a change collector that broke. Was able to find a pretty good deal today So I ordered two.

The last time I brewed was a Canadian ale......and slowly I will reacquire the pieces necessary to put together another batch.
Author:  Hounsy [ Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Just brewed my second batch two days ago and American Cream Ale that is fermenting up a storm right now. My first batch was a Belgium Saison that is just finishing up carbonation in the bottle now and is pretty good but could use a good month of conditioning. I used gelatin plus cold crashing with the first batch and ended up with none of the cloudiness I assumed I would have in a homebrew.

Starting to price out and plan for getting a couple of Cornelius keg and home made Kegerator as that seems the best way to serve, store, carbonate, and condition home brew.

I'm just brewing five gallon batches right now so my 10Qt stock pot is fine for now.
Author:  harmfuljays [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYUA/ref ... 25410_item

I hooked this shit up today.......I also cheated and ordered an Oktoberfest Kit to brew. Its been so long I need a little support. I just remember not liking my aluminum pot so this steel one should be better.

Got my 2 Carboys and my super funnel yesterday so hopefully we are brewing by next weekend.
Author:  Hounsy [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Cool Harmy, may as well wet your feet on ingredient kits. I'm going to do one more kit a Belgium Blond before I get more adventurous.

Just moved the Cream ale I brewed last week to secondary last night and the OG and FG numbers where dead on so all looks good and should cold crash, gelatin, and bottle in a week and a half.

Oh and the original Saison I brewed now after 3 weeks in the bottle is looking great. No cloudiness and great carbonation, Though the flavour could stand a to mellow a bit more which I've read that it will over the next couple weeks to a month. The Cream Ale though shouldn't need all that time and once it is carbonates will be good to go.
Author:  Hounsy [ Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
But a gallon of Fresh Cider, 1/2 cup brown sugar. and some champagne yeast into a little demijohn today with an airlock. Curious to see how it turns out but not sure I will be into the hard cider hence just a gallon.
Author:  harmfuljays [ Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
brewed my batch of Oktoberfest a few days ago......worried about the yeast. I tried to pre-engage it in a small cup of warm water but in hindsight I would rather not have done that (my only deviation from the directions). Seems to be done fermenting so far. A little bothered by the fermentation process as it bubbled like mad for about 12 hours and that's it. Haven't seen any further action since. Will let it sit until next weekend and then move it to secondary in a Carboy.
Author:  Hounsy [ Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
You take a gravity reading? that seems to take the mystery out of fermintation.
Author:  farang [ Mon Oct 21, 2013 1:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
harmfuljays wrote:
brewed my batch of Oktoberfest a few days ago......worried about the yeast. I tried to pre-engage it in a small cup of warm water but in hindsight I would rather not have done that (my only deviation from the directions). Seems to be done fermenting so far. A little bothered by the fermentation process as it bubbled like mad for about 12 hours and that's it. Haven't seen any further action since. Will let it sit until next weekend and then move it to secondary in a Carboy.


What kind of yeast did you use?
Author:  harmfuljays [ Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Well.....I tried but the sleeve the Hydrometer goes in was broken. So I tried to put in a mug to get enough out for a sample....however the mug I used was not big enough....and then I was irritated that I was introducing foreign items into the batch. So I was like fuck it....and put the yeast in. I have since ordered a replacement 10 inch sleeve from amazon. However that isn't going to help this batch.

Everything else went smooth up until that moment.....it could taste like a horse's ass and I would still drink it.
Author:  Hounsy [ Tue Oct 22, 2013 11:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
I've read that in stalled out fermentation people will up the temperature a bit to kick it back to life.
Author:  farang [ Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
harmfuljays wrote:
Well.....I tried but the sleeve the Hydrometer goes in was broken. So I tried to put in a mug to get enough out for a sample....however the mug I used was not big enough....and then I was irritated that I was introducing foreign items into the batch. So I was like fuck it....and put the yeast in. I have since ordered a replacement 10 inch sleeve from amazon. However that isn't going to help this batch.

Everything else went smooth up until that moment.....it could taste like a horse's ass and I would still drink it.


If it has booze in it just plug your nose and drink it.
Author:  harmfuljays [ Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Hounsy wrote:
I've read that in stalled out fermentation people will up the temperature a bit to kick it back to life.


Good to know.....I will pull it out of the closet tonight while I enjoy the Sox and a sixer of Left Hand Milk Stout. Thanks.
Author:  Pokecheque [ Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7LRM/buffalo-wil ... eird-drink
Author:  Hounsy [ Wed Oct 23, 2013 1:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Cream ale goes to bottle tonight. It has been cold crashing Since Saturday night and added some Gelatin Monday night as this one I want crystal clear. Almost out of my Saison and do not think what is left will get me through the two weeks I need to wait for carbonation on the Cream Ale.

Will say looking on some Home brewing forums and watching that funny commercial that in reality some people do get a little caught up in adding "stuff" to flavor the brew. The odd special occasion holiday style beer is fine, but most of the time let the flavor be beer as that has a huge spectrum you can cover and explore.
Author:  harmfuljays [ Sat Oct 26, 2013 3:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
picked up an auto-siphon at the brew store....what a savior! Moved it out of the bucket into a carboy to sit for a bit. Should make bottling easier without all that crap at the bottom and I don't want it to sit any longer in the dead yeast. Plus I wanted to stare at it. Will take a hydrometer reading in a few days and if all goes well proceed with bottling. Woohoo......

Picked up a Black Canyon Stout kit too.....so I guess I will keep going and learning as I go.

Don't know what cold crashing is or how to use Gelatin.....yet.
Author:  farang [ Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
You can use gelatine or isenglass as clarifiers.
Author:  harmfuljays [ Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Sweet...


http://www.beerlabelizer.com/
Author:  Fogghorn [ Wed Oct 30, 2013 7:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
harmfuljays wrote:
Sweet...


http://www.beerlabelizer.com/


That is actually pretty cool
Author:  harmfuljays [ Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Just got done bottling the Oktoberfest. About 2 cases. In hindsight it was a good idea to go to the Carboy....allowed the beer to clear and settle a lot more. Probably a bad choice in choosing my primary fermentation container. Too close to the top of the container and quite a bit of beverage seeped out. Next time I will use the bigger bucket. Looks to be about 4.5%-5%. Took pictures of all of it so I hope to post some. But its still a learning experience.

The auto-siphon was a great purchase. Also purchased some lactose to add to the Black Canyon Stout I plan on brewing here shortly.

I suppose something I should look at is an adapter for my jet washer to fit my deep sink....had to use the garden hose today and that won't work everyday.

Next time I will also look at one of these bottle drying racks.

Image

Also looking at this:

http://www.better-bottle.com/

Image
Author:  harmfuljays [ Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Official Home Brew Thread
Hounsy wrote:
But a gallon of Fresh Cider, 1/2 cup brown sugar. and some champagne yeast into a little demijohn today with an airlock. Curious to see how it turns out but not sure I will be into the hard cider hence just a gallon.


This sounds great. I'd be interested. Let me know how it turns out.
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