Thread: Home Brew

Originally Posted by DFriedl

You and I seem to have a bit of overlapping interrests I've been homebrewing for about 5 years. Mostly ales, usually all grain. I have a tasty imperial stout recipe that's my favorite.

This is amazing! It is always great to share interests with others!
I too am homebrewing for about 6 years now and my favorite is ale, in particular bitter ale, of which I have many recipes. And you know, when you brew beer, the sky's the limit!

I am jealous of you in one way, though: you are closer to the Pilsner Urquell brewery. Finding PU on tap in the US is rare, and PU in the bottle is nowhere near as good after the shipping. If I had the gear to lager my beer, I'd be refining a Bavarian pilsner recipe right now.

Well, I am certainly closer to Plzeň (Czech for the town of Pilsen) than you, anyway, it is about 1000 kilometers from here (about 680 miles, I guess) and, to tell you the truth, industrial beer is not my favorite, including PU (maybe it is because I am a professional beer taster and, well, industrial beer is just that: industrial and standard).
My main interest is for craft beer and, in particular, Trappist beer, however, beer re-fermented in bottle.
However, a good and properly brewed Pilsner beer certainly is a joy to have: Saaz hop is so distinctive that you cannot mistake it!

36C is hot! One summer I tried to do ale in the basement. I put the carboy in a big tub of water, and every morning before I went to work I would dump in a big block of ice that I froze the night before. Temperature fluctuated a lot as you can imagine, and it probably was overall still too warm. Turned out ok, but not fantastic, plus it was a lot of extra work. After that I resolved to be a three season brewer!

-Holly

Originally Posted by razorguy

Congratulations! I too make cider, but you guys seems to take it very seriously!
I also make mead and perry, but the one I make the most is beer, of any type of any style. In a while, probably one month or so, I will brew a new beer, waiting for the temperature to chill a little. Now it is too hot and the temperature would be too high for a profitable fermentation (in this very moment, in my city, we are having 36°C, that is 98°F).

Keep on doing the good job!

Originally Posted by HollyGates

Temperature fluctuated a lot as you can imagine, and it probably was overall still too warm.

Temperature, and stable temperature, is the key for a successful quality fermentation. And this is also true for wine.
High temperatures makes quite ordinary and coarse aromas as well as flavors.

Originally Posted by razorguy

Trappist beer, however, beer re-fermented in bottle...
However, a good and properly brewed Pilsner beer certainly is a joy to have: Saaz hop is so distinctive that you cannot mistake it!

I love Chimay, though I haven't tried many other Trappist beers. I love the style, though, and have tried many American versions of "Belgain" beers. I have an exception for certain "industrial"-brewed beers. Ones that have a lot to do with the history of the style, for instance PU to Pilsner, Anchor Steam to California Common, Kolsch that's actually from Cologne, European Guiness (not my continent's Candian stuff) to Irish stout, etc. But I usually drink the beer I brew and that which my friends brew and share with me.

We have so many wonderful breweries here in Pennsylvania. My favorite local ones are Penn (in Pittsburgh - known for very authentic Pilsner, Martzen, Munich Helles, and other traditional German styles), Victory (known for India Pale Ales), and East End - a one-man micro brewery here in Pittsburgh that makes an imperial stout with blackstrap molasses. There are many others - this area has a large number of German immigrants who remembered proper beer making after American prohibition ruined most of the rest of our breweries.

Originally Posted by DFriedl

I love Chimay, though I haven't tried many other Trappist beers.

My favorite Trappists are Westmalle and Westvleteren! The latter, in particular! Also Chimay red cap is good!

Originally Posted by DFriedl

But I usually drink the beer I brew and that which my friends brew and share with me.

Me too. I simply like my beer. Not the best, but I love it.

Originally Posted by DFriedl

This area has a large number of German immigrants who remembered proper beer making after American prohibition ruined most of the rest of our breweries.

So true. Prohibition was not good and certainly favored the spreading of very bad beverages. Fortunately that era is over and buried in the bad memories of time.

Originally Posted by razorguy

Fortunately that era is over and buried in the bad memories of time.

True, but the practice of loading mild American lagers with corn and rice adjuncts is alive and well. To taste what American beer used to be like, Brooklyn Lager is very good.

Originally Posted by DFriedl

True, but the practice of loading mild American lagers with corn and rice adjuncts is alive and well. To taste what American beer used to be like, Brooklyn Lager is very good.

Well, adding corn and rice to most of industrial beers is alive in every place of the world. It is cheaper than barley malt and most of consumers will never notice the difference.

Hi gents. Ive had the odd go at making home brew. I usually have a go at wine - only because i get the most sucess from wine. Ive tied a beer kit or two but im sure it would have killed a small nation with it... Vile is to polite a word for what it tasted like. If anyone can recommend a good kit for me to try than that would be appreciated.