The Official Homebrew Thread!

Discussion in 'Gearhead Garage' started by Jackalope, May 19, 2013.

  1. Jackalope

    Jackalope NNNNEEERRRRDDDSSSSS!!!!!!

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    I know quite a few of us are into homebrew (and real brewing, you lucky bastard!). Here's our thread. We will talk about what we're doing, share recipes, gear, questions, etc.

    I'll start with an introduction post. I think it would be nice for all of us to start with it, so we get a feel for experience level, and where we are as brewers.

    I started a few months ago with extract kits from Austin Homebrew (flatrate shipping rules). After about 4 extract kits, I moved to my first all grain last week. In the mean time, I upgraded from a shitty 7gallon aluminium pot with a turkey fryer, up to a 15 gallon stainless pot and a KAB4 burner. When I stepped up to all-grain, I also stepped up to a stirplate so I can make starters. I ferment in an old fridge with a manual temp controller. I started with a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, and a 5gal secondary glass carboy. After reading a few horror stories, I decided to relegate the glass to Apfelwein duty. Now I use Better Bottles exclusively. I like them, they're less weight, and won't shred my arms/legs if I ever drop them. If I were made out of money though, I'd love to get the Spiedel's fermenters.

    So far, I have made:
    Irish Spring Stout (extract)
    Cantankerous Ale (extract, modified recipe)
    Edwort's Apfelwein
    Bavarian Hefeweizen (extract)
    Milk Stout (extract)
    Pecan Porter (all grain BIAB)

    The milk stout and pecan porter are still in fermenters, but since I just tapped my stout keg, I'll be transferring it tomorrow. Tomorrow I will also be making my second BIAB: a red wheat. I hope I hit my numbers, I hit everything perfectly with my first BIAB @ 75% efficiency, and that's even with dropping 2 degrees during the mash!

    I do keg, and have about 8 kegs right now. I don't have much of a pipeline, really, but I try to buy as many corny's as I can when I see a good deal. I know that by the time I get back from business assignments, the prices will be through the roof, and that's when brewing will get srs.

    I am going to keep up the BIAB method until I get back from my business assignments overseas, then I plan on building an all electric brewery, with the plan to move to 10 gallon batches when I do. My dream is to open a taproom/beirgarten, but unril I hit the lottery, and Texas laws change, it ain't happening...still...a man can dream :)


    So that's my intro, everyone else into homebrew post yours and let's get this thing started!
    86mcss says thanks for this.
  2. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    So, I have a ghetto Bayou Cooker + big pot setup. Brewing Bucket or a couple carboys for fermenting and a capper for the joy of all joys. I'm probably going to switch to a kegerator setup soon (with hopes of somehow tying it into my aquarium for summer cooling and using the CO2 for the plants).

    I currently have cider in primary since March 3rd, will probably bottle it soon. Have ingredients for an American Bock I need to use soon and will likely pick up ingredients for either a second try at a hefeweizen or something equally light for late summer drinking.

    Quick edit: Do we want to keep this in O-T or move it to the gearhead section? Also sticky?
  3. Jackalope

    Jackalope NNNNEEERRRRDDDSSSSS!!!!!!

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    Breaking my rules a bit, but: are you all grain or extract right now? How did you do your cider? what do you mean by bayou cooker?


    I' Don't care where this thread goes, but I'd love it to be sticky, as long as we actually keep up with it.
  4. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Extract, don't quite want to pour the resources or time into grain atm.

    Cider was clearance Target cider for 1.77 for a quart. Did 5 regular and 1 spiced in first batch, tossed in a couple cups of brown sugar then pitched some dry, white wine yeast (will have to find the package for specifics).

    Bayou Classic Jet Cooker: my apartment stove is too small for the pot I have and is electric. So going to try that out on a some tiles on my balcony, probably this weekend when it's in the upper 80s!
  5. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    It should go with all the other stickies: in the "projects megathread" area that smersh created for just such things.o_O
  6. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Homebrew bottling line:

  7. Jackalope

    Jackalope NNNNEEERRRRDDDSSSSS!!!!!!

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    Ill have to watch in a bit. This is you?

    Just put my milk stout on tap, its damn good probably my best so far. Also brewed a red wheat today. Brew day went smoothly, but my efficiency was low and so was my OG (1.042 vs 1.052 expected). Well have to see how it turns out in a few weeks. Ill bet its still drinkable though lol.
  8. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Oh no. Don't have the 3k to drop on something like that, was posted on r/homebrewing earlier.
  9. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    Yeah, the guy in the vid is serious into his hobby...real serious.
  10. Jackalope

    Jackalope NNNNEEERRRRDDDSSSSS!!!!!!

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    Speaking of serious, 2 beers fermenting, as well as 5 gallons of apfelwein. I just ordered some new recipes tonight. A Moose Drool clone, which should be interesting. A Leffe Bruin clone, which I really cant wait to brew. Leffe bruin was one of my favorite beers in Belgium, and you absolutely cant find it here in the states. I also ordered my first lager: a Texas Bock ehich should be similar to shiner bock.

    'm also pricing parts out to go ahead and double my taps (up to 6 ) on the keezer. I hate seeing so many empty kegs in my garage :)
  11. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    I take it that you are into variety? ;)
  12. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Murder is the only option:

    [​IMG]
  13. Jackalope

    Jackalope NNNNEEERRRRDDDSSSSS!!!!!!

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    Lol my dad knoes to bring the nitro bottle milk stout if were brewing

    Also bought a party tap so ill have 4 kegs on. My pecan porter and my red whrat are voth ready to go. Csnt decide!

    Tomorroe ill be brewing my first lager, a bock.


    Hah. Maybe this should have gone in the drunk post sticky, judging by my spelling. Anyway. Got my order in from AHS. The bock will be first, followed by the belgian and thr moose drool.
  14. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    [​IMG]

    American Bock brewed is weekend, currently bubbling away in primary. Need to figure out a way to cool the bucket cheaply and easily as my apartment is about 10 degrees warmer than it should be for the yeast. Currently doing the T-shirt evaporation method but thinking about building a son of fermentation machine. Tough I might just go while hog and build a brew fridge.
    gB dAvId x says thanks for this.
  15. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    AWESOME Father's day deal at Northern.

  16. MSP

    MSP Haunting a dead forum...

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    That is a pretty sweet deal. If I didn't already have a full complement of carboys and brew pales I'd probably grab it.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, and here's my setup. Although I've been doing wine exclusively since Fall 2012.

  17. gB dAvId x

    gB dAvId x thats what she said

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    For those that do home brewing...

    Do you make your own recipe?? or do you get one you like from online?

    I got a mr beer kit, just started as an entry level kit, it got really good reviews, but if I like it, I may buy a more advanced kit online for ~100 bucks
  18. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    I've always been more of a "home distilling" type of person.
  19. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Moved to home brewing thread. And to answer, first few have been kits. Next, likely a nut porter of some sort post summer, will not be.
  20. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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