MetaChat - Homebrewer Resource

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28 January 2010

Homebrewer Resource I recently started helping my friend/neighbour/co-worker/mentor build his first website. He has written one beer cloning book, co-authored another brewing book, and is using his site/blog now to start collecting material for his next beer book.→[More:]

He also writes historical fiction, and expects to publish his first novel sometime in the near futures.

He's a really nice guy, a good writer and an awesome brewer. I hope others will find this resource useful, especially as it grows.

post by: terrapin at: 08:06 | 29 comments

Great site. Much as I like beer, homebrewing always seems overwhemingly complicated to me, so I admire anyone who is that knowledgeable and skilled.

posted by JanetLand 28 January | 08:30

As a novice brewer, I can tell you, JL, it isn't hard. And the new (malt extract) kits make it practically fool proof. The "hardware" (fermenting bucket, glass carboy for secondary fermentation), tubing, bottling bucket, capper, a few other basic items) cost around $80. Then the "software" -- pre-measured kits -- cost from $20-30 and makes 2 cases of beer.

People have told me my kit beers taste pretty good (jessamyn's still alive too). I have recently moved to the next level which is partial mash. Still using dried malt extract, but using more grains. Still the same equipment too, so I didn't need to spend more.

I have iamabot to thank for kick-starting me to start brewing again, after a 20-year absence, last year when we were chatting on #bunnies.

posted by terrapin 28 January | 08:56

These beers are delicious, I know for a fact. That's a nice looking site, t.

posted by jessamyn 28 January | 09:01

The "hardware" (fermenting bucket, glass carboy for secondary fermentation), tubing, bottling bucket, capper, a few other basic items)

There you go. All that stuff, I'm overwhelmed, right there. :) I even have trouble just cooking dinner these days. I'm afraid it's Maine microbrews for me for now. Fortunately those are very good.

posted by JanetLand 28 January | 09:08

The place where my friend and I work would gladly put a kit together and ship it to you. With the parts labeled :)

The instructions in the kits are simple easy to follow.

posted by terrapin 28 January | 09:20

Jessamyn: Can I put that quote on my beer labels? hehe

posted by terrapin 28 January | 09:21

My first batch of beer is fermenting as we speak.

Thanks, terrapin!

posted by box 28 January | 09:24

Oh cool. I was in a homebrew club for a while back in NZ. We met every Friday after work for a couple of hours and a different person's brew was sampled each week. Was a lot of fun.

Might get back into it if we ever have our own place again...

posted by gaspode 28 January | 09:35

Huh. This sounds like a fun hobby. Is it better started in winter or summer?

posted by lysdexic 28 January | 09:54

I knew a guy years and years ago who brewed, and being an ignorant college student at the time I couldn't tell you anything about the beer, but I still remember the name he gave it. "Deeply Disturbed Dark: The Beer The Voices Want You To Drink."

posted by JanetLand 28 January | 09:56

lysdexic: It depends on your location, but my suggestion would be to brew in the summer. Ale yeast ferments at a warmer temperature than lager.

I am doing an ale now even though I live in VT. I have a room that is dark and stays in the low-mid 60s in the winter. I prefer ales to lagers though, so your mileage may vary.

posted by terrapin 28 January | 10:08

I've been brewing for many years. The kit beers are pretty good. All grain is a lot more work (an all day job), but less expensive for ingredients and can be much tastier if you like thick heavy beers (scotch ale, porter, stout.) It's mostly capital investment. You need a big stainless pot; 8 gallons is good.

And it's not hard. Keep everything clean. This is prehistoric tech. It used to be done with rocks by Cro-Magnons. If you can make canned soup and wash the dishes, you can make beer. Don't worry about the fermentation. It takes care of itself.

posted by warbaby 28 January | 10:18

I haven't brewed in a few years, I really need to get back to it. I used to do some pretty serious stuff, whole grain mashes for lagers that took all day to brew. I followed the steps in this book which involves steeping the grains at different temperatures for specific times to activate specific enzymes. Fun but a lot of work.

Brewing from pre-mashed syrup is much easier, I should try to get a couple batches brewed before the equinox (when it's too warm to brew). I still have about six cases of heavy duty refillable 16 oz bar bottles that I got in the eighties.

posted by octothorpe 28 January | 11:14

If you can make tea, you can make beer.

One of the best ways to learn to make beer is to watch/help someone else do it.

And the best guideline I've heard about making beer is "don't start drinking until the wort comes off the stove".

posted by plinth 28 January | 11:46

Clearly I need a kit that comes with a brewer. There's a marketing idea for you.

posted by JanetLand 28 January | 12:16

Huh. This sounds like a fun hobby. Is it better started in winter or summer?

In my case, it's better on the winter because my apartment is freaking hot. I have never turned on the heat, and it gets to 70-78 on winter (70 with all windows cranked open, or when it's freezing outside) and 80-85 on summer. And it's not the neighbors - that was the case in 3 different apartments in the same building, and there's no way I coincidentally always had crazy neighbors that crank it up to 80.

Anyway, I make regular ales in winter, and Belgians (which use crazy yeast) on summer.

Really, as long as you have a place that stays in a reasonably steady temperature above mid-60s, you're fine, you just gotta pick the right style for that temperature.

posted by qvantamon 28 January | 22:51

The mister has been thinking about getting into brewing, although he mentions wine more often than beer. With those temperature requirements, we'd only be able to do it in the spring and fall; our garage temps go to the extremes.

Note to terrapin: he (you?) spelled cider "cyder". Intentional?

posted by deborah 29 January | 01:10

deborah: I think some people, especially in New England, use Cyder to distinguish the handmade, farmhouse product from apple cider and mass-market carbonated apple "wines".

posted by terrapin 29 January | 08:31

Some of the womyn I know like cyder.

posted by box 29 January | 10:03

I did some home brewing way back in the 80's when it was still a very odd hobby to get into...and one which most people still thought was illegal. It's fun and, at its most basic, pretty damned easy. You just have to pay strict attention to cleanliness. Some day, I may just have to get back into it. ~looks lovingly at his old classic glass carboy and recalls the good times...

posted by Thorzdad 29 January | 11:36

yeah, the secret to good homebrew is to keep everything clean and sanitized.

posted by terrapin 29 January | 11:43

That and making sure the bottles don't explode, like on Breaking Bad.

posted by box 29 January | 12:28

That would totally happen to me.

posted by JanetLand 29 January | 15:41

Love the site. I've been wanting to start for ages, just need to get over the initial startup hurdle. Unfortunately we're moving to a place with no basement, so I'll have to find a good place to ferment. Any suggestions? The garage is still mighty cold.

posted by kyleg 30 January | 11:39

I live in cold Vermont and I am doing an ale in the spare room. We keep our house cold, but that room is the first on the circuit for our heating system, so it stays warmer than other places. If you have a guest bathroom that doesn't expect guests any time in the next month that's another possibility.

posted by terrapin 31 January | 16:38

I bottled my first batch earlier today. So far, so good. It's in an infrequently-used closet.

posted by box 31 January | 19:11

Congrats box!

What did you brew?

posted by terrapin 01 February | 11:01

I am about to rack my Imperial Stout from primary to secondary!

posted by terrapin 01 February | 11:02

JanetLand: My friend was very pleased you left a comment about yeast and baking!

posted by terrapin 10 February | 11:07

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