Homebrewing...

[Stephen]

...is addictive. Brewed up an Irish Red Ale last night and I've spent most of my morning looking up recipies on how to make a peach saison. I want to blame/thank Cody and Salt City Brew Supply for this new found "problem".
Anyone else homebrew?

 

[JL Rockies]

Thank you Cody for keeping Stephen off the streets.

 

[Cody]

Idle hands should make beer.

Thanks for the shoutout. I see you are starting to see the limitless possibilities of beer making. Saison's are cool, but get it started quick because they like to be warm (80+ degrees)

 

[Stephen]

Thats what I was thinking. Mainly I just want to use some fresh fruit since they are coming in season right now. Saison just sounded good. Also toying with the idea of making a peach or apricot heff. Any suggestions are helpful, oh brew master Cody.

 

[Kevin B.]

Idle hands should make beer.

Thanks for the shoutout. I see you are starting to see the limitless possibilities of beer making. Saison's are cool, but get it started quick because they like to be warm (80+ degrees)

Not a beer guy, but I've been kicking around the idea of playing with apple and pear ciders. Can Salt City Brew Supply hook a brother up with the necessaries?

 

[MOODY]

I don't home brew, but I want some of your goods.

 

[TJDukit]

One of these day's I'll get around to doing my own home brewing. Cody will be my first stop when the time comes.

 

[Cody]

Not a beer guy, but I've been kicking around the idea of playing with apple and pear ciders. Can Salt City Brew Supply hook a brother up with the necessaries?

Yup. Cider's and Perry's are pretty easy. Well, they can range from horrifically easy, to as complicated as you want to make them.

I actually judged the cider competition two weeks ago. Pretty cool.

 

[frieed]

A few years back, I lived about 5 min away from where Ace apple cider was made...

I guess that makes me an expert on cider then...

 

[SAMI]

How much would one be into a beginner kit of goods for ciders etc?

 

[Cody]

How much would one be into a beginner kit of goods for ciders etc?

Hard cider has alcohol Sami. But for sake of discussion, how much cider do you want to make?

1 gallon? 10-15 bucks
5 gallons? 35-50 bucks

 

[sLcREX]

Bringing this back up. I found a few threads about brewing but no on dedicated thread to talk about it all. I've been looking to get into it, but is it a patience kind of thing? How long does one wait for their first batch? I was thinking of picking up a kit to get started, but I've read various price ranges and I'm not sure what affects prices.

Is it $30-50 to spend each time I wanna make a batch? What sort of alcohol content can I expect out of them?

 

[Stephen]

Bringing this back up. I found a few threads about brewing but no on dedicated thread to talk about it all. I've been looking to get into it, but is it a patience kind of thing? How long does one wait for their first batch?

Takes a few hours to make the wort. Primary fermentation takes 7-14 days depending on the type of beer. Secondary takes another 7-14 depending on the beer. Then you bottle condition it for another 7-14 days or longer. I have a milk stout conditioning for about a month right now. So you're looking at about a month, minimum for your first batch. Its worth it though. Its enjoyable to pop open that first bottle and reflect that you made this. Plus you can toy with recipies. Its just like cooking, in many ways. I've found it to be a lot of fun.

I was thinking of picking up a kit to get started, but I've read various price ranges and I'm not sure what affects prices.

Is it $30-50 to spend each time I wanna make a batch? What sort of alcohol content can I expect out of them?

Different types of beer use different ingredients. Thats really what affect's the prices. Each beer kit runs you between $25-$40 depending on the type of beer. And yes, you need that for each beer, but that garners you five gallons. You'll also need to have all the equipment associated with brewing, but thats a one time purchase. Head over to Salt City Brew Supply and they'll get you set up with a great starter kit.
As for alchohol content, again, that depends on the type of beer. You can also toy with that depending on what you add and types of malt, yeast, ect. I've made beer ranging from 4% to a Irish red ale that I added a bunch more malt to that kicked it up to near 8%.

 

[Caleb]

Also, Salt City Brew has (or has had) classes that teach the beginners how to do brew and the classes include a beginners kit I believe.

Even better, I just checked their Facebook page and they have a deal right now. Buy a beginners kit and you can sign-up for free for a beginners class on January 6.

 

[sLcREX]

Good info, thanks guys. After you've gotten the hang of it, do you pretty much make up whatever flavors you can think of or are you still working off these batch kits that you buy for $30-40?

 

[Stephen]

Once you get the hang of it, you can make recipes of whatever you want. Personally, I'm still getting kits from SCBS and then I'll tinker with them a bit to change it up. Probably this spring, once I have a bit better understanding of the subtle differences in all the types of grains, malts, yeast, ect I'll probably try and build my own recipe.

 

[sLcREX]

How are your beers coming out? Was your first batch pretty badass or less than desirable? Lol...assuming there's room to screw up a batch. Do you try to replicate your favorite beers or have you been experimenting with less common flavors?

 

[Cody]

What Stephen said.

Typically, your first batches turn out pretty good and they just get better from there. Technique and equipment can obviously play a part in the quality of beer, but I think the biggest thing is that over time, by tasting and smelling ingredients that go into beers, you start to notice more flavors and complexity in the beers you drink. You'll gradually start brewing beers that YOU like, so your beers improve because your knowledge of your own tastes and preferences improves.

Oh ya, and one more vote for Salt City Brew Supply. Those guys are soooooo good looking too.

 

[sLcREX]

Hahaha are you there every day? I think I will try and swing by there tomorrow if I can free up some time right after work.

 

[bobdog]

What Stephen said.

Typically, your first batches turn out pretty good and they just get better from there. Technique and equipment can obviously play a part in the quality of beer, but I think the biggest thing is that over time, by tasting and smelling ingredients that go into beers, you start to notice more flavors and complexity in the beers you drink. You'll gradually start brewing beers that YOU like, so your beers improve because your knowledge of your own tastes and preferences improves.

Oh ya, and one more vote for Salt City Brew Supply. Those guys are soooooo good looking too.

I sort of agree, but the most important things a home brewer can do to make better brew are
1-Pitch more yeast. The supposedly pichable vials are borderline at best. A starter is mandatory for best results.
2-A full boil. A pot big enough to boil the whole batch makes a big difference.
3-Whole grain brewing. With this step you can make beers just as good as the best commercial craft brewers. It is also way more interesting.
4-Keg your brew. Clearer beer and after a while dealing with bottles will make you hate brewing and you will probably quit.