does anyone here brew there own beer?

[hatedonmostly 5,000+ posts]

Everyone loved the first batch Chuck Norris brewed. Then he killed them all with a swift roundhouse kick. All went to heaven with no regrets.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

But of course. The recipe was on the back of the can of pre-hopped malt I bought. Simply followed the instructions. Turned out horrible. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
There is of course nothing saying you have to start out small. You can begin by steeping grains in water on your stove and adding a can of un-hopped malt extract for example. You can make up a partial batch provided you have the capabilities of boiling your batch on the stove. An excellent online read of beer brewing is John Palmer's How to Brew. If you think you can get into it buy his book, it's worth it:

http://www.howtobrew.com/

I lied a bit when I said I was still brewing - I stopped about a year ago. By the ending however, I was doing all-grain brewing - 10 gallon batches at a time with 15 gallon boiling and sparge kettles, mash tun, and a complete 8 keg draft system. Oh, and designing my own concoctions //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

whats the difference between all grain brewng and an extract recipe?

also any flavor of recipe you suggest on starting with that may be easier then others to start brewing

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

The short and sweet is all-grain is exactly what the big boys do - you purchase the malted grain, grind it and then "mash" it yourself, extracting the sugars that will eventually become beer. Extract brewing is where you purchase ready-made malt syrup (either with hops added or not) and add your other ingredients to produce the intended beer style.

Palmer's online book will explain everything for you. It's an easy read and will answer any and all first-timer questions you may have. He even has a few recipes you can do up.

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

Start off with a stronger beer. One with a higher alcohol content and stronger flavor. Since your new at brewing, you run a greater risk of contamination, a stronger brew will hide it much better then a lighter tasting brew.

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

I was just looking over his recipes and came across a good one you can try. This is an "Extract with Specialty Grains" recipe. The bulk of your beer would consist of ready made unhopped malt extract, with the addition of some malt to add body and flavour. Once you read through Palmer's online book you'll understand everything listed below:

Lord Crouchback's Special Bitter

Malts Gravity Contribution

6 lbs. of Pale Malt Extract (syrup)

1/2 lb. of Crystal 60L Malt

BG for 3 Gallons 1.075

OG for 5 Gallons 1.045

Hops IBU Contribution

1 oz of Northern Brewer (9%) at 60 minutes

3/4 oz of East Kent Goldings (5%) at 30

3/4 oz of East Kent Goldings (5%) at 15

Total IBUs 38

Yeast Fermentation Schedule

Whitbread English Ale

Primary Ferment at 65°F for 2 weeks.

Or 1 wk Primary and 2 wk Secondary

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

Man, all this talk of home brewing is making me horny for beer making again //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

awsome, well i will read up on the book and if i have some more questions i will shoot you a pm or something.

thanks guys for the help