OT: Home Brew, I trust your opinion Options

[Always Looking]

Hello fellow teeners and homebrewers. My supplier "Shrine of the Brew God" in Costa Mesa, CA went out of business a year or so ago and I have not found a suitable replacement. I tried a few kits from Williams and a few from Homebrew Heaven, but I have not been happy with the results. I like newcastle stlye beer, or a good wheat beer - like pyramid, but NOT wydmers. Any suggestions? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif)

For others interested, I have been drinking Gem of the Sea pale ale available from Beverages and More. Apparently, it is a microbrew from San Diego. In any case, I get the five gallon Keg (only $32) for the converted fridge next to the 914. Its a very drinkable pale/red beer. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[MattR]

Have you tried Budweiser?

[MattR]

That was a joke... sorry if it made you (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif)

[Always Looking]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif)

[Aaron Cox]

new castle is my favorate (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Always Looking @ Jan 11 2005, 09:13 PM)

Any suggestions?

yeah. but why not get some more *punch* than just plain old beer ...

i have made my own "Aufgesetzte" for years. basically, it's home made (fruit) schnaps.
you can use pretty much anything fruity, you simply add sugar and high volume alcohol and you let it ferment ...

i can get you some of my favorite recipes, if you're interested.
nothing like your own home made 75% vol. schnaps!
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/drunk.gif) Andy

PS: just ask Gustl, i'm sure he can tell us a few "Aufgesetzte" or "Obstler" stories!

[Aaron Cox]

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Jan 11 2005, 11:09 PM)

QUOTE (Always Looking @ Jan 11 2005, 09:13 PM) Any suggestions? yeah. but why not get some more *punch* than just plain old beer ... i have made my own "Aufgesetzte" for years. basically, it's home made (fruit) schnaps. you can use pretty much anything fruity, you simply add sugar and high volume alcohol and you let it ferment ... i can get you some of my favorite recipes, if you're interested. nothing like you own home made 75% vol. schnaps! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/drunk.gif) Andy

gawdamn... 150 proof (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif)

[Dr Evil]

Recipies are good. Let'er rip!

[Trekkor]

I've made a lot of beer in my day. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

My favorite was an experiment gone right.
Make your pale ale. When boiling add a good amount of sliced tangerines. Boil peels and all.

When the beer is ready you will enjoy the Gran Marnier like after taste (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

KT

[SpecialK]

Now this is an interesting subject! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

I've been seriously contemplating attempting the "home-brew" route myself (kind of partial to Oatmeal Stouts), but don't know much about the process, or reputable suppliers.

I've got two cases of Grolsh (sp?) type bottles, and a dedicated beer fridge.

Please enlighten us oh brewers of God's Nectar (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/pray.gif)


P.S.- You can PM me some of your favorite recipes Andy, might be a nice change of pace for camping this summer.! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/drunk.gif)

[Always Looking]

Williamsbrewing is a good supplier of kits to begin beer brewing. Basically, you make tea in a lobster pot, cool to 75degrees or so, splash into plastic food grade container - add yeast. Wait two weeks, transfer fermented beer (but not carbonated) to another plastic bucket with some disolved sugar in it and transfer to clean bottles or a keg for carbonation (2 weeks). ANYONE CAN DO IT. The plastic buckets and capping equipment come in a kit, as you will see on the williamsbrewing.com website. $100a inclding first batch of beer. This makes 5 gallons or 40 pints. Your next batch will be substantially less - $30a. Despite what you may hear, this is very good beer. Homebrewing gets a bad rap from kits sold at department stores which do not have good flavor.

I don't know about bottleing in Grolsch bottles, but you can get new seals at the homebrew supply stores. With homebrew, the carbonation takes place in the bottle, so they don't recommend screw tops - potentially too much pressure.

There is one bible for homebrewers - "The Joy of Home Brewing" by Papazian. With over twenty batches under my belt, I still refer to this book for each batch.

Good luck. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[SpecialK]

Great info Always Looking (if that is your real name (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) ). I was hoping that I could just replace the seals on the ceramic topped pint bottles and be good to go, guess I better investigate further (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) . Going to Amazon right now to check out that bible....errr ahhh.. book (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

5 gal. for $30.....sounds like a pretty sound investment to me! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif)

Kevin

[Jeffs9146]

Try Bear Bear & More Bear in Walnut Creek, Ca

Jeff

[Trekkor]

I always used champagne bottles...they accept bottle caps. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

Less bottles per batch (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

KT

[Reiche]

Always Looking: Since you're out looking, see if you can find The Brewer's Companion by Randy Mosher. It is an excellent reference that is pretty detailed without being dry and boring. It explains the "behind the scenes" processes to some extent, but more importantly, it gives you ways to calculate with reasonable accuracy how your batch will turn out. As far as replicating styles goes, it gives guidelines more than recipes. It is really designed to help you create your own recipes. To that end, it includes charts that will let you keep track of the all the ingredients and processes that you use. I like to experiment, so after my first few batches, I began designing my own recipes. They all turned out good. Even my friends said so.

Special K: You can use the Grolsch bottles no problem. You do need to replace the rubber gasket every batch to prevent contamination and leakage but they are pretty cheap. You can use champagne bottles too, like trekkor said. I prefer the 22 oz. "bombers" myself. Stay away from screw-top capped bottles.
Getting all the equipment you need to start can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars. All brew shops have starter kits. Their boiling kettles are usually expensive though. Look around for a STAINLESS (not aluminum) turkey frying pot. I got mine from masterbuilt.com on closeout. They are perfect and you can boil the whole 5 gallons. If you can't find one, use a 20 qt. steel stockpot and add water after boiling to get 5 gallons.

Contamination is the main problem you are likely to have when homebrewing. If you are reasonably clean and careful, and you use decent ingredients, it's pretty hard to screw up. If you can boil water, you can brew.

The hardest part is waiting for it to age. Maybe Bud is better when fresh, but homebrew definitely isn't. Some high-gravity beers need to age six months at least.

[E-Man]

Edme makes a kit to brew a dark lager called Dogbolter. I've made a few batches of it in the past and it was quite good.
Just talking about it makes me want to brew another batch. Here's what others have to say:

"But there seem to be more colourful tales involving beer-drinking dogs than you can poke a stick at. One such story revolves around the origin of the term “dogbolter” for an extra-strong English ale. Here in Australia, Matilda Bay Dogbolter is currently a dark lager of average strength (5.2 per cent A/V) but, in the early days of the pioneering Fremantle boutique brewery, the name, indeed, belonged to an ale of legendary potency. For some bizarre reason, this blockbuster brew was renamed Iron Brew while Matilda Bay Dark Lager inherited the Dogbolter moniker.

But don’t let facts get in the way of a cracking yarn, as they say. The origins of “dogbolter” apparently come from a certain English country pub and involve a customer who always arrived accompanied by his dog. He would invariably order a pint of bitter for himself and a bowl of the same for Rex or Rover or whatever the pooch’s name was. One day the publican announced that they had a new, potent brew on tap. “We’ll give it a whirl,” said the customer and while he sipped his pint cautiously, the dog greedily licked the bowl clean. Instantly, his tail went rigid, he let out a frightening yelp and bolted out of the pub and away over the hills, never to be seen again. And from that day onwards the strong ale became known as Dogbolter.

In the north of England, Newcastle Brown Ale is affectionately known as “the dog”. They say that on most evenings there, you can hear the men leaving their house for the local pub telling their wives in the local Geordie accent: “I’m just going down the road to take the dog for a walk.” (And some of them don’t even own dogs!) "

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/givemebeer.gif)

[Brent]

I love the Newcastle!!!! Got outdoor camping stove??? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[Sparky]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif) Ohh the joy of it. Papazians book is great! I used to brew and do the comp circuits was rated second nationaly for my stout (secret ingredient: Coffee). Been out of it now for about 7 years or so just couldn't fit the time in. Most homeberw shops sell the rubber gaskets for the ceramic top bottles, just sterilize everything good. I highly recommend building or buying one of these. Not hard to make and almost affordable. Check out HomeBrew.Com


relax have a homebrew: (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

My best,

Mike D.

[Mueller]

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Jan 11 2005, 11:09 PM)

QUOTE (Always Looking @ Jan 11 2005, 09:13 PM) Any suggestions? yeah. but why not get some more *punch* than just plain old beer ... i have made my own "Aufgesetzte" for years. basically, it's home made (fruit) schnaps. you can use pretty much anything fruity, you simply add sugar and high volume alcohol and you let it ferment ... i can get you some of my favorite recipes, if you're interested. nothing like your own home made 75% vol. schnaps! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/drunk.gif) Andy PS: just ask Gustl, i'm sure he can tell us a few "Aufgesetzte" or "Obstler" stories!

alright...I'm not the only one (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

my mom used to make it using fruit cocktail (mixed fruit with grapes,pears, those bright red cherries full of Red dye #5 (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif) )

i have not had it in like 15 years or more (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)

[SpecialK]

Got Papazian's book off of Amazon (used) for $1.15!! Can't wait til it gets here! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)