Homebrewers. Where you at?

[WhiteyMacD]

Whitey, I LOVE mead and have always wanted to brew some. I may be hitting you up for tips in the future. Also, if you have any of that stout left...

Just let me know, its pretty easy to make. The hardest part is the patience. I just racked to secondary with my Blackberry Mead/Melomel. Gravity measurement puts it at about 20% VAV and while I didnt taste it, it smelled wonderful. I'm thinking of going and getting some oak chips and adding them to the fermentor for the next year to give it an oak aged taste.

 

[elcaBob]

I am a blackberry mead FREAK! Nom nom nom nom....

 

[Erick]

I would advise against going all grain. While it is the "holy mecca" of brewing, it also takes a 6 hour fun brew cycle that you know to 8 hours of work. Maybe my experience would have been better if I had seen it done a few times first. Ruined me from brewing (well, that and kids.)

I respectfully disagree. While it does take more time, you can not replace that heavenly sweet bready goodness that meets you when you open up the lid on the mash tun. You also have ultimate control of every aspect of the ingredients of the beer. One of the most rewarding parts of brewing is formulating and executing an original recipe.

 

[donner]

i'd also say that there are just some beers you cannot make (especially well) without being an all-grain (or at least a partial mash) brewer. It has nothing to do with brew skill and everything to do with the fact that some grains require mashing. Not as a matter of taste but they require enzymes from other grains to have the desired chemical reaction

 

[weav199]

My last batch of mead was way stout. Too much honey. After 6 months I had to cut it. It was ok at best. Ah well, live and learn. I call my operation "empty pockets brewery". Just a hobby.

 

[copertop80]

everytime I look at this I think it says Hebrews where ya at. Then I get that song in my head where my girls at, and it comes out where my jews at. I didn't know there were so many hebrews on here that they were starting their own thread. LOL sorry just had to interject.

 

[LightningCrash]

My last batch of mead was way stout.

My last batch of stout was way meadiocre.

 

[.45Fats]

so Halloween appropriate to bring back a zombie thread...but better than starting a new one.

just finished bottling my first attempt at fermenting beverages, I started simple though with an apple cider recipe...very dry finish but tasty bottled it still with no sweeteners.
it's...different not really sure where it falls out, definitely not an american style hard cider, more like a wine.

5.5 gal pasteurized Apple juice
5 lb dextrose
1 package redstar Montrachet yeast

primary 4 weeks
secondary 8 weeks.

never did clear completely.

now to move on to something slightly more challenging...not sure what though.

 

[LightningCrash]

So I have the better part of that midwestern kit left.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

Anyway I want to get hoppin on that, the sanitizer is all trashed now.

So I'm just guessing what I need here,
* a 24qt SS stock pot w/lid
* ingredient kit for my first batch
* sanitizer

Anything else?

I hear that kegging is the way to go, should I be looking for a sixer?
I can bottle it if I have to, I guess.

 

[LightningCrash]

Just looking around I may only be $150 away from putting a batch together. That 4wk wait would be something.