Starting to brew beer

Someone asked how to get started in the other beer thread and I thought it deserved a little more in depth discussion than was possible without hijacking that thread so here we are.

That thread got me thinking about, what else, brewing beer. This lead to what a hassle it has become for me and how I no longer look forward to it as much as I used to. I then realized that it was way past time to simplify what I was about. For the past couple of years I have been doing all grain batches with multiple flavors and different strains of yeast and hops from around the world. Frankly my results have been mediocre and its been a lot like work.

Yesterday I went back to the beginning, when I had fun on brewing day when things were more like a guy brewing ale than a mad scientist creating life. I bought this kit:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produc...roducts_id=548

All extract, pre-hopped with the yeast right there under the plastic lid. God its nice to get back to the basics again.

1. boil water.

2. add to extract and sugar.

3. stir to dissolve well.

4. let cool to room temperature

5. pitch yeast.

6. wait!


easy and fun!

In a week or so I will bottle and about a month after that I will be drinking a good beer for less than ten bucks a case.


If you want to try it you can buy a kit like this one:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produc...roducts_id=400

and that will allow you to brew the most complex recipe I have ever tried.

Or you can get a plastic bucket fermenter and a lid fitted with an airlock for less than twenty bucks from the same site, add a length of surgical tubing to siphon the beer into bottles plus a bottle capper and caps and you have all that you need to do the canned kit above except about 60 bottles.

I do recommend a basic book on the subject. Just don't let it get too complicated to be fun!!

Thanks For the links to that site. Looks like a good set-up. Maybe there will be some home brew in my future.

for all my beer and wine needs this is the place i go to, it has always proved good for me, it has a staff made up of mostly master brewers and wine makers they have a helpful forum for any questions you might have. they are located in akron ohio

http://www.grapeandgranary.com/

i havent gotten into all grain brewing yet and have made only a couple of batches due to my current location where they frown at us making any alchol :shrug: but my buddie back home got into the beer making and is keeping the education going. it could just be that i havent been doing it for long enough but dont see how it could be concidered work, i love it!! we want to open a brew pub in the future so trying to get all the good stuff down and soon start our own beer instead of the kits