MetaChat - All hopped up

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04 September 2010

All hopped up I really like beer. I also really dig plants, and since moving to Colorado have been geekin' out over the local flora. A little over a month ago, I made a discovery along a trail that runs through town: →[More:]wild hops growing in massive colonies up the sides of the ravine. I've never brewed my own beer, and frankly while the geek factor and the science of it are appealing, the kit is less so. Other than digging some of the tubers to grow in my own yard, what would you do?

post by: tortillathehun at: 18:38 | 3 comments

Apologies for the big fat glop on the front page.

posted by tortillathehun 04 September | 18:39

Wild hops are usually not any good for bittering beer. Decorative plant.

If you want to make some beer, get a kit a brew shop. If you like it, it's all downhill from there.

posted by warbaby 04 September | 18:57

If you're going to brew, there are three basic approaches:
1. All extract
2. Partial grain
3. All grain

All grain is a big investment in equipment. All extract offers few varieties. Partial grain really is the way to go.

In that realm, there are a couple things aside from the typical home brew shop kit you should consider that will make you life happier.

1. A decent stock pot - stainless steel, 16-20qt.
2. A 2 gallon drink dispensing cooler - this is the best time of year to buy them in the US. This will be modified to have a coarse filter in it - I removed the spigot and replaced it with a stopper with a length of copper tubing with slits cut into it - basically a coarse filter. The copper pipe sticks out of the cooler and goes into a length of hose with a clamp, normally closed. Grain goes in the cooler with hot water to steep to extract sugars. The sugars get drained off and then run back through a few times.
3. Cappable 22 oz bottles. You can use 12 oz bottles to start, but that takes more work to clean and to fill. 22 oz bombers are better. Start collecting them.

See more here.

posted by plinth 04 September | 20:19

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