Home Brew?? Advice Needed!!

Making beer can be really easy or really hard, depending on what you're trying to make. An English style bitter or brown ale is fairly easy. American style lager is much harder. The standard reference is Charlie Papazian's "Complete Joy of Home Brewing" check it out here:

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There's so much info available on the web, it would be hard to tell where to start.

Bruce

 

Ben,
I have enjoyed brewing beer, although not recently. I do intend to get back into it shortly. I would also recommend David Miller's "Guide to Homebrewng". It is available new and in its current edition through Barnes and Noble. Miller takes a somewhat more relaxed approach to homebrewing than Papazian.
While Papazian sets the standard for homebrew Miller is a bit easier and less humbling to read from a newbie's point of view.
Whatever you do just jump in and go for it! I do highly recommend that you employ the two stage fermentation method for any beer you produce. At one time I had three favorite brews all going at the same time with backstock on all three. It is great fun and most rewarding, especially when you put a big smile on your beer drinking friends' faces! Go for it and don't be afraid to ask for help
Cheers!
Monty

 

bekellog81,

I may be new in the smoking world, but I've been home brewing for a few years now, and you're right there is no more perfect combination than beer and smoking meat. And everything the earlier posts say is right, but if you ask me for the best resource for learning, find a brew shop near you, and whomever runs it should know everything you'd ever need to know, so ask questions. Just be aware cause they are trying to sell you something. start off with a simple kit, you definitely need two fermenters, like the last post said two-stage fermentation is the way to go. Shouldn't cost more than or at least much more than 100 bucks.

To start I would recomend going with an extract with speciality grains recipe. This isn't truely a partial mash recipes, because with partial mash you are actually converting starches from the grains into sugars and getting some additional sugars from extracts. extact with speciality grains means that basically all the sugars come from the extracts and the speciality grains or usually crystal malts add characteristic flavors to that beer. And the whole process is no harder than doing a simple extract beer so it's perfect for a beginner.

riz9
modified silver smoker

 

Geez guys, don't you have a 7-11?

 

Hey, Rodger, yes there are many places to buy beer but they will charge you $10 for a six pack of beer that you can produce better for around $4! And that's no kidding!
Cheers
Monty

 

yo y'all,
this might be of interest to all home brewers.

SPUDDY'S HOME BREWING FORUM
http://www.lartigiano.co.uk/Homebrewing/

HAVE FUN!

 

Patrick’s Favorite Brown Ale
Important – Sterilize everything once and rinse 3 times.
No chlorinated water, use distilled or good well water.

Ingredients:Items needed:
6lbs Amber Malt Extract (unhopped)Stainless Steel, Copper or Porcelain Pot
8 oz. 60L Crystal Malt (cracked)1 Cheesecloth bag
40oz. Chocolate Malt (cracked)Large Stirring Spoon
1 oz Northern Brewers Hop PelletsStrainer
1 oz. Cascade Hop PelletsSiphon
1 White Labs European Ale YeastPrimary Fermenter with lid and airlock
8 lbs Pure IceThermometer
1 Cup Corn SugarGlass Carboy
4 gallons waterSterilizing compound
Bottles
Timer

Steep cracked grains in 1 ½ gallons of water heated between 150 F and 160 F for 30- 60 minutes.
Remove grains, bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add extract.
Bring to boil stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add Northern Brewers Hops and boil for 50 minutes.
Add Cascade Hops and boil 10 minutes more.
Place ice in primary fermenter; carefully pour wort through strainer into fermenter.
Add cold water to make 5 gallons.
When wort temperature is between 70 F and 75 F pitch yeast cover and install airlock
Fermentation should start with in 15 hours and be complete in 4 or 5 days.
Transfer to secondary fermenter (carboy) install airlock and place in cool dark place.
Let stand for 3-4 days until haze has settled.
Transfer back to primary fermenter dissolve corn sugar in small amount of boiling water, cool to room temperature and add to brew
Fill bottles and store at room temperature for 2 weeks
Carbonation will be slight at this point but will increase with time.
I have heard of beer becoming over carbonated but have not seen it myself due to the fact that it does not last more than a couple of months.

 

Monty You have that right Brotha, I for one had to give up home brewing.. All my clothes were shrinking at the waistline..and going through the big divorce didn't help either .... Hmm I may start it back up again in the spring <on my things to start up again list>

Joe

 

Cheech, You're such a tease .. :)


Joe

 

This is one of my favorite subjects. I've brewed more than thirty 5 gallon bathes of home brew in the past year and all I can say is mmm...beer. the initial equipment cost can be as expensive or as cheap as any other hobby (of which I have many) the biggest thing with brewing is anything that even comes close to being in contact with that brew has to be clean and sanitized. as far as buying this stuff from the store, well you just cant. It's kinda like q'n the best batch of ribs you ever made compared to going to McDonalds and gettin' a McRib sandwich. I generally never bottle my beer anymore (bottling sucks) unless it's a special holiday ale that I plan to give as gifts. I have my own kegging system and a deep freezer converted to a fridge that houses the kegs. If I can be of any help just let me know. Take care

 

JoeD if you try this you will be suprised at how easy it is to make and how gooooooood it tastes

 

Cheech, I am a sucker for a good beer. I have brewed many a gallon in my time .. I'm thinking of getting back into it at some point.. just too busy now to go out and get all the equipment again.. But will soon start again and will be looking forward to swapping recipes. There is a brewery store a few blocks from me .. walking distance even .. Now I have a question for ya. Sam Adams <not the beer company> brewed a beer called "Cock Ale" and if I remember right .. It's brewed with a freshly killed bird, no idea if it was cooked or not.. I didn't have the guts to try it back then and probably not now either .. I'll try and find the recipe..

http://brew.hbd.org/hbd/archive/4867.html#4867-2

found a link to it ..

Joe

 

And the award to the strangest beer goes to .....(insert drumroll here) JoeD617.

I am a sucker for trying just about anything that is except for that.

Although I must admit it does place my curiousity in a hightened state

 

Uhhhh, Joe? Thanks for bringing up the **** Ale. Much appreciated but, I think I would best forget it! Like yourself I have brewed many good gallons of beer but never with meat. I have experimented a bit but not in that direction.

Of course I have just come in from feeding my chickens and gathering eggs and that sort of adds a bit to the whole scene.

Cheers!

 

I think someone better check and see what Ole Sam Adams was smoking when he came up with that idea :shock:

 

Monty, I know what ya mean about them lay'n hens .. I had 6 of them and 12 meat birds .. so a total of 18 if the math is right. Those are some "foul" smell'n fowls .. nasty critters ..

Joe

 

But they clean up good and taste so wonderful in the smoker, the fryer, the pot, the pan but geez, Joe, not in the beer! :lol:

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Cheers!

 

Cheech -

I think you got a typo there 40 ounces of chocolate malt!
I think you meant to say 4 ounces.

Debi

 

I was just thinking that while I was brewing would be a good time to smoke meat....

Once you get the smoker going you just have to watch it - so while I'm out there I might as well get my turkey fryer going and make another 5 gallons of home brew!

Once you've brewed your own the stuff in the stores just isn't worth it!

Debi