NationStates Jolt Archive

In honor of my 1000th post since the end of March (a new record?), I'd like to discuss my favorite subject.

BEER!

Or, more specifically, making BEER! I've made hard apple cider with friends of my father, but never by myself, and never that hops filled beverage we all know and love. How would I go about doing so? With household supplies/tools of a carpenter? In a little-used attic?

Also, feel free to share beer making experiences of your own. Was it fun? Did it taste excellent? What would you do next time?

Sounds too much like work.

Bleh, I can't see why people pay for beer, let alone why someone would go through the effort to make the bile.

Sound too much like work.

But you get the satisfaction of sipping the fruit of your own labor, quite literally!

In honor of my 1000th post since the end of March (a new record?), I'd like to discuss my favorite subject.

BEER!

Or, more specifically, making BEER! I've made hard apple cider with friends of my father, but never by myself, and never that hops filled beverage we all know and love. How would I go about doing so? With household supplies/tools of a carpenter? In a little-used attic?

Also, feel free to share beer making experiences of your own. Was it fun? Did it taste excellent? What would you do next time?

I'm not a big beer drinker, so I've never had, let alone made home-brewed beer. It doesn't mean though, that I wouldn't mind giving it a try at least once. Maybe I'll make a beer that'll taste good enough (to me) to drink it everyday. That'd be a :D day.

I'm not a big beer drinker, so I've never had, let alone made home-brewed beer. It doesn't mean though, that I wouldn't mind giving it a try at least once. Maybe I'll make a beer that'll taste good enough (to me) to drink it everyday. That'd be a :D day.

If you aren't a big beer drinker, why don't you try wine? It's just as easy, and you get to stomp grapes! Or, if you aren't into purple feet, try hard apple cider. That's the stuff of Gods, it is.

surprisingly, this works (http://mrbeer.com/). well, even. especially for just starting out.

They might as well just pour it in a glass for me.
That's not real beer making, that's Chia Pets for men.

doesn't seem something that can be done in a warsaw flat, really.

They might as well just pour it in a glass for me.
That's not real beer making, that's Chia Pets for men.

ah, growing the barley yourself, eh? good call.

ah, growing the barley yourself, eh? good call.

Exactly. :D

Bleh, I can't see why people pay for beer, let alone why someone would go through the effort to make the bile.

You've only drank the cheap American bile, haven't you? You really need to try some micro-brews and foreign beers if you want some good beer. The cheap shit is just horse piss.

Watch out for the IRS!!! They'll gun you down for that non-taxable Beer you know.

Watch out for the IRS!!! They'll gun you down for that non-taxable Beer you know.

See? Another great reason to make your own beer, to stick it to the Man!

I haven't yet but plan on making my own beers for fun

I really want to make a dark chocolate beer. I have some recipes to refer to when I decide to start.

It might be a hobby I am going to start this summer if I can push myself into actually following thru on it.

I make beer bread, I drink beer.

I make beer bread, I drink beer.

Make the beer you put in your beer bread!

I love beer bread. :cool:

Make the beer you put in your beer bread!

I'll stick with lager. :)

I love beer bread. :cool:

*sends Sumamba Buwhan a loaf of beer bread*

doesn't seem something that can be done in a warsaw flat, really.

If you have potatoes and a kettle, you could distill some vodka! Nothing beats good Krupnik in the winter, though it's a bit late in the year. :D

If you have potatoes and a kettle, you could distill some vodka! Nothing beats good Krupnik in the winter, though it's a bit late in the year. :D

I demand you to tell me how and what to do to make this happen.

*sends Sumamba Buwhan a loaf of beer bread*

*eats with glee*

*sends ruffy some of the dark chocolate beer I'm making in the future*

I'll make it a lager if I can

*eats with glee*

*sends ruffy some of the dark chocolate beer I'm making in the future*

I'll make it a lager if I can

:eek:

*seriously wants some*

GIMME! Now. Seriously. Send it.

:eek:

*seriously wants some*

GIMME! Now. Seriously. Send it.

That would be one hell of a time warp.

I demand you to tell me how and what to do to make this happen.

How to make Polish-style Krupnik (sweet vodka), or how to distill? :p

Distilling is simply heating the mash to a temperature where the water boils off, leaving the alcohol (which has a higher boiling point) behind. I know you can do it with a pot and a condenser of some kind on your stove at home, but I've never done it personally. :) There's probably blueprints all over the internet, though.

Explain how to make the Krupnik NOW!

Please?

Explain how to make the Krupnik NOW!

Please?

Wikipedia has a recipe that looks like it'd work -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupnik

There's probably a thousand more on google... just a quick search:

http://www.recipezaar.com/51784

Looks good! :p

How to make Polish-style Krupnik (sweet vodka), or how to distill? :p

Distilling is simply heating the mash to a temperature where the water boils off, leaving the alcohol (which has a higher boiling point) behind. I know you can do it with a pot and a condenser of some kind on your stove at home, but I've never done it personally. :) There's probably blueprints all over the internet, though.

To distill!

To distill!

Never done it personally, but a neighbor used to do it and bring me some of the product - a little harsh compared to storebought, but good.

As far as I can tell, you'll just need a food-grade bucket, maybe 10-gallon, with a tight lid, and any kind of starch base (potatoes, corn, table sugar -which is cheapest- rye, whatever). Mash the starch to a pulp. Add distilling yeast. Let it sit in your closet or garage until it's ready (I think you can tell by tasting it - it's ready when it gets sweet). Keep a little plastic ventlike thing corked to the top of the bucket (all homebrew stores sell them - they're the same for beer), which lets the gasses escape. Takes about a week.

Then, just pour the mash through cheesecloth into a big pot that has one little hole for a copper tube leading out and another for a lab-grade thermometer. Heat to the right temparature (a bit over 100 C) and wait until the water boils off through the copper tube, which should be several feet long, and coiled to act as a condenser. Pretty simple. :)

Making hard apple cider is even easier. Get yourself an apple grinder, an apple squeezer, and a big glass jug. Also, get one of those plastic things he was talking about. Mash the apples, then squeeze the apples so you get apple cider. Put the cider in the jug, add the yeast, put the plastic thing on, and wait 8 months or so. Enjoy!

Making hard apple cider is even easier. Get yourself an apple grinder, an apple squeezer, and a big glass jug. Also, get one of those plastic things he was talking about. Mash the apples, then squeeze the apples so you get apple cider. Put the cider in the jug, add the yeast, put the plastic thing on, and wait 8 months or so. Enjoy!

Sounds like it'd work well too. Really, it's the same recipe no matter what you do - sugar (in this case the apple) plus yeast, plus time. :) And water, of course, which I forgot to mention on the last page. Won't work too well without water. :p

Sounds like it'd work well too. Really, it's the same recipe no matter what you do - sugar (in this case the apple) plus yeast, plus time. :) And water, of course, which I forgot to mention on the last page. Won't work too well without water. :p

It always is. I've been told you can take a bottle of water, add sugar and yeast, and you've got yourself some delicious (read: http://forums.ircspy.com/images/smilies/puke.gif) alcohol!

It always is. I've been told you can take a bottle of water, add sugar and yeast, and you've got yourself some delicious (read: http://forums.ircspy.com/images/smilies/puke.gif) alcohol!

It's true - except it will only be about 5-10% alcohol if you're lucky, until it's distilled, that is.

It's true - except it will only be about 5-10% alcohol if you're lucky, until it's distilled, that is.

I kind of want to make it now, so I can tell my friends I got drunk drinking water. :D

Does anyone know if Blue Moon Ale any good? I'm considering buying a case.

Does anyone know if Blue Moon Ale any good? I'm considering buying a case.

Haven't heard of that one. :confused:

Home-brewing your own beer is actually very easy & if you do it correctly, it tastes very good.

You can make it very simply, by getting a brew kit & using the the cans that are available.

Or, you can add extra ingredients, such as hops, different grains & sugars, fruit flavourings, etc to make some really interesting brews.

I've got a batch of Bavarian lager brewing at the moment, to which I have added hops & malt. I'll probably bottle it in a few days time. A few years ago I made all the beer for my mum's 60th birthday party (about 100 people). I did three different beers, they were all really good and it cost me only about AUD$60. I've got friends in California who even grow their owns hops & they make some outstanding beers.

This is place (http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wawcs018151/tn-home.html) where I get my ingredients & they give great advice too. It looks like they have distribution in the USA too.


Edit: I wouldn't try home distilling. If you get it wrong your still could explode & your booze could be poisonous. Plus, there may well be tax laws involved with distilling, which is not an issue with brewing your own beer, as long as you don't sell it.

I have made a few gallons of beer, from kits, but I mostly make country wines. I can highly recommend it - its very easy to make and its a great way of using up fruit when you have too much to eat. My favourites include apple, apple and raisin, elderberry, gooseberry and random berry (i.e. all the odds and sods of blackberry, blueberry, strawberry etc). Mead (honey wine) is also lovely, and equally easy :)

If anybody is interested in taking up wine making, the appropriately named C J J Berry's "First steps in winemaking" has lots of recipes and information.

...hic!

Does anyone know if Blue Moon Ale any good? I'm considering buying a case.

I like their Pumpkin Ale, but I can't say anything about other varieties.

How to make Polish-style Krupnik (sweet vodka), or how to distill? :p

Distilling is simply heating the mash to a temperature where the water boils off, leaving the alcohol (which has a higher boiling point) behind. I know you can do it with a pot and a condenser of some kind on your stove at home, but I've never done it personally. :) There's probably blueprints all over the internet, though.

The boiling point of alcohol is 78C, water is 100C. When you distill something you're boiling off the alcohol and collecting it elsewhere leaving the water behind.

In honor of my 1000th post since the end of March (a new record?), I'd like to discuss my favorite subject.

BEER!

Or, more specifically, making BEER! I've made hard apple cider with friends of my father, but never by myself, and never that hops filled beverage we all know and love. How would I go about doing so? With household supplies/tools of a carpenter? In a little-used attic?

Also, feel free to share beer making experiences of your own. Was it fun? Did it taste excellent? What would you do next time?

I got a good strawberry mead reciepe. Made it the once and man was it good. Coz I used a champagne yeast, it was fizzy, and somewhat like a dry wine.
Ohhh boy had a kick though(as mead does)

The boiling point of alcohol is 78C, water is 100C. When you distill something you're boiling off the alcohol and collecting it elsewhere leaving the water behind.

And methanol is even lower, providing a way to restore denatured alcohol to potability.

That is, of course, assuming they use only methanol (unlikely), and that you are hard up enough to drink industrial-grade ethanol. In that case, actually, you're better off just getting a job at an ethanol plant.

If you aren't a big beer drinker, why don't you try wine? It's just as easy, and you get to stomp grapes! Or, if you aren't into purple feet, try hard apple cider. That's the stuff of Gods, it is.

I agree wholeheartedly on the cider. I live close to both Brittany and Normandy in France, and cider is the traditional drink in both places.

I've always wanted to make my own beer but I never have had the time or money. When I lived on the border between Michigan and Ontario (on the Michigan side) there were classes on home beer brewing in Ontario, but I never had the time. Maybe when I move back to Michigan I'll look into it.

edit: Oh, and cider is about $2.00 (US) a bottle here. Oh, how I love it.

And methanol is even lower, providing a way to restore denatured alcohol to potability.

That is, of course, assuming they use only methanol (unlikely), and that you are hard up enough to drink industrial-grade ethanol. In that case, actually, you're better off just getting a job at an ethanol plant.

Old petey there was pretty specific about brewing methods, makes me wonder if he's distilled his own booze before, and promptly drank the waste water.

Or, more specifically, making BEER! I've made hard apple cider with friends of my father, but never by myself, and never that hops filled beverage we all know and love. How would I go about doing so? With household supplies/tools of a carpenter? In a little-used attic?

Also, feel free to share beer making experiences of your own. Was it fun? Did it taste excellent? What would you do next time?

A lot of cities have homebrewing stores where you can get all the goods you need to get started. A lot of it you can get elsewhere, but some of the stuff, like a bottle capper or a hydrometer, you really need to get, too. You can get stuff online, obviously, but having access to a shop owner who can help you with questions is a valuable resource.

There's a book out there by a guy named Papazian that has good explanations of what to do. Honestly, the best thing I did (this was pre-web) was to get on a bbs with a good group of people that helped explain stuff. The local shops provided a good networking spot for other home brewers, too.

I've done beers and meads. I've had great successes with both, and some hideous failures, too. It's a lot of fun to experiment.

Oh, and don't use an attic. Too hot and dry. A basement is better. Plus, it's good to be doing this someplace where you have access to running water, so you aren't hauling 5 gallon buckets of liquid up and down stairs.

It depends on how deep you want to go...to brew extract-style you'll probably need to drop 200 dollars on equipment, depending on what you have at home. Further, brewing an ale is far simpler than brewing a lager, and that's an important consideration. To brew all-grain it's gonna be an even higher cost because of the processes you have to go through, and the capacity you'll have to deal with.

It's basically this process:

Boil the malt, and mix in the hops at the proper time. Chill the wort (the boiled malt-hops mixture) until it's cool enough for yeast to survive therein. Put the chilled wort into the carboy, add the yeast and plug it with an air lock (lets air out, but not in). After about a week or two you'll transfer to another carboy, and clean the crap out of the bottom (we don't want our little yeastie friends to suffocate in their own waste, now, do we?) and let it set another two or so weeks. Bottle it (or keg it if you insist on being fancy and expensive. Bottling is cheaper, and you can just purchase normal beer, (Sam Adams is a first rate choice because they use shallower American-style pop-top bottles, drink it all and use the bottles from that) and just put it in those. Let it sit another two to four weeks, open it up and suck it down. It's way better and way cheaper than any store bought brand, and you'll overcome the capital expense after several batches. Further, brewing with friends is fun, and it's a great excuse to drink your previous product.

and wait 8 months or so. Enjoy!
Wait 8 months for cider!?

But I want it now!

I'm going to an open weekend at a brewery near me at the end of June. Pretty much a weekend of all-you-can-drink free beer and barbecue, I hope the weather is good :D

Old petey there was pretty specific about brewing methods, makes me wonder if he's distilled his own booze before, and promptly drank the waste water.

No, I've never done it myself, which I think explains the mistake adequately. :p I had a neighbor who had an apparatus like I described, and I assisted once in building an activated carbon filtering tube out of PVC, but I never operated the still. I could only infer from the looks of it that water and alcohol were being separated using the thermometer, judging it years later using what knowledge I picked up in my college chemistry days. ;)

Old petey there was pretty specific about brewing methods, makes me wonder if he's distilled his own booze before, and promptly drank the waste water.

Don't drink the bong water!