First Brew of the Year

Well, Friday afternoon was the first brew day of the year.

I will have another one next weekend and one more after that.

15 gallons total this month.

http://i.imgur.com/wbpsSiX.jpg

My cousin lives down in Texas and he just started brewing. Must be the thing to do down there. Someday I am going to read into it. We have a lot of home breweries in Vermont that turned into something big (Heady Topper, Switchback, magic hat etc..).

I try to do it every year around this time when it is some what cold here.

Last years was only a 5 gal batch. I plan on doing 15 total over the next few weeks.

You should be working on the car Steven! WTF!

I put some time in the garage yesterday.

I got myself a fermentation temp monitor with live feed. Woooo

http://www.justin.tv/blkvr4

This weeks batch calls for

6.6 lbs of light malt extract
1lbs of light dried malt extract
12oz of crushed amber crystal malt
8oz of biscuit malt
1 1/2oz of Kent Goldings Hops
1 1/2oz of Fuggles Hops
2tsp of gypsum
1lbs of my choice of honey
and some liquid yeast, I will probably go with wyeast labs american ale yeast.

Racked the Bavarian Hefeweizen into the secondary fermenter tonight. Then brew the Honey Ale, which is in the primary fermenter now

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...80460919_n.jpg


Bored during the day? Want to see the yeastiesssss feed? Tune into Home Brewing Temp/Ferm

Looks good! I just brewed a cream ale last weekend.

You try doing any hard ciders or lemonades? I'm gonna take a stab at like 3 one gallon batches of cider with different additions and back-sweeteners and see how they turn out.

Zach.

Cream ale sounds delish. As for ciders, I am not big on them so I have only done beer. I would like to try my hand at distilling alcohol tho.

Man, I've been dying to brew beer. I'm in Oregon, which is pretty much the drunk state, shit tons of micro breweries all around us, and like two annual events a year locally. Everyone brews IPA...I despise IPA...Hefewiezen is my choice/go to "light" beer and I like my dark beers, Imperial stouts and some porters.

What's average price from start to finish including equipment, to brew your own and how long does it generally take? There's a brew shop, less than a block away from my girlfriends place and I have yet to stop in...I always end up spending money elsewhere and don't wanna go in that place with an empty wallet lol

For equipment there are ALWAYS people on craigs list or maybe even ex home brewers that don't do it anymore trying to get rid of their stuff. I have only bought a bottling bucket, I have been given 3 6 gal carboys, 2 buckets, a 20gal and a 5gal brew kettle, tons of bottling equipment, books, yadda yadda. So my investment in equipment is very very little. Starter brew kits range from $34-$54 (these are the good kits). There are cheaper kits out there like Mr. Beer that I have never looked at. You can do a half gain half extract for about 60 depending on what you buy and the quality and you can do a nice all grain for slighly less or more than that. It really all does average out depending on what you are making.

Time frame is roughly a month, but the rule of thumb is, the longer you let it sit, the better it gets. I generally keep it in the primary fermentor for a week to a week and a half, then rack it into the secondary fermentor so I can get it off the yeast cake that forms, it also helps clear up the been in hazziness. You can also add different hops, flavors, juices depending on what you want your final product to be.

The best places to look retail wise for home brewing stuff would be, austin home brew supply, midwest home brew supply. (for me atleast) But if you want to get TONS of information on any homebrewing related things, Homebrewtalk.com is a great resource. Home beer and wine making is another fantastic place to go as well.

I always say support your local homebrew supply shop, but if you can find it cheaper online from a homebrew supply place, go for it.

Crazy, I was under the impression it was roughly a couple hundred bucks for a starter kit and I usually spend my money on other shit that I "need" but if it's actually THAT cheap, I'm gonna have to check into this soon then. Beats spendin more money for someone else's beer, when I could be drinkin my own pride n joy!

All you need is a bottling bucket, a plastic or glass carboy, hydrometer, thermometer, racking stick, air lock, some plastic tubing, bottle filler, bottles. And then the brew kit or ingredients. That is your basic setup for a 5 gal batch.

Yea people ask me all the time if it's expensive and honestly it is in the beginning but it's fun and you can make whatever you want, especially with all grain batches.

Distilling alcohol sounds crazy though. I don't know if I'll get into that, the cider is for my fiance though.

Forgot to post this from Friday night.

Now we play the waiting game.

http://i.imgur.com/n1kJEzF.jpg

Well....

I had a good harvest tonight.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...85450498_n.jpg