Any Home brewers around here?

[Dan Mages]

I was just wondering if there were any home brewers around here. I was just upstairs admiring my ginger saison that I brewed yesterday. The fermentation is so active that I can see the flocculating yest swirl around the carboy in chaotic currents!

Dan

[Matt Woessner]

Dan,
I happen to be a brewer myself. It is always nice to see a active fermentation! I recently tapped the Dunkelweizen I brewed a while back. Sure was tasty, I also have a Irish Red Ale in the primary.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Former brewer here. haven't brewed since....hmm, since I got married. go figure. :) never as fancy as the stuff you seem to brew, but it's a very fun hobby. My brother brews, so sometimes I'll get some nice ales or lagers from him.

[Paul Atkins]

Didn't start brewing till I got married - hmm. Actually my wife was the one who started it. Made a brown ale that came out good. Haven't done it for 2 years now but I blame it on Sierra Nevada Brewery which is less than a mile away and has a great taproom with special brews not available in stores. Totally spoiled here in Chico.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I only tried home brewing once - I bottled it too green and didn't have bottles of beer, I had hand grenades. I've had local brewers invite to join the action but haven't done so. The problem with me is that once you make it.....you drink it. And beer isn't made in 2-3 bottle batches. If I made a couple cases that were really good, guess what....I'd end up drinking most of it, and probably more than a couple at a time. I don't need (ie., I need to avoid) the calories.

[scott spencer]

It's been quite a while, but we've made roughly 15 batches in the past. Always from a combination of liquid and powdered malt, fresh hops, and liquid yeast....never got to the level of mashing our own barley, but we did have several really nice amber ales.

Have been enjoying plenty of good brews from the store...Sackett's Harbor War of 1812 Amber Ale, Smutty Nose Old Brown Dog Ale, Negra Modello, Sam Adams Boston Ale, Sleeman's Cream Ale, Ommegang Abby Ale....

...There's much less incentive now but every once in a while I get the itch.

[Glenn Clabo]

Dan...
I'm a home brewer...with nothing cooking right now. :mad:

HerDeanShip and I went to Castle Hill a couple of weeks ago for a Long Trail beer tasting dinner. It was better than any wine tasting we've ever been...Check out the all local menu...

Begin with a reception of passed hors d'oeuvres including Manchego Croquette with pickled pepper relish; molasses-glazed Simmons Farm Pork & Beans with fried polenta; New England White Fish Brandade with tarragon aioli; Shelburne Cheddar-Potato Soup with a Bristol Bakery crouton and ale-onion jam; and Baked Sakonnet River Oysters with Gruyere cheese-sweet onion bchamel; all paired with Long Trail Ale, a full-bodied amber ale featuring a complex yet clean and full flavor.


Dinner will begin with slow-cooked Georges Bank Monkfish Stew with tomato, parsley, Portuguese olive oil, and preserved lemon, served with the Long Trail Hefeweizen, brewed with a high proportion of wheat, yielding a crisp and refreshing flavor profile with complex citrus and spice flavors.


The second course will feature Land & Sea: smoked Kurobuta pork belly with a red chile-IPA glace and Georges Bank scallops with Vermont maple-chestnut grits, both paired with the Long Trail IPA, brewed in the tradition of the British IPA, unfiltered with extra hops and a higher strength.


A dish of pan-roasted Muscovy Duck Breast will follow, served with butternut squash-duck confit hash, winter greens, cranberry gastrique, and the robust Long Trail Hibernator, featuring malty flavors of wheat, chocolate, and caramel.


The evening's fourth course will feature Vermont grass-fed Beef Sirloin with celery root-potato soubise, fried mushroom-frisee salad, and house bacon vinaigrette, paired with the Long Trail Double Bag, a full-bodied and dark amber selection.


Dinner will conclude with a Dessert Sampler of caramel apple with salted peanuts; a coffee stout "float" with malt ice cream; and Cabot cheddar-cider donuts; served with the Long Trail Coffee Stout, the brewery's newest release, boasting coffee, roasted malt, and nutty flavors.

[Jason Roehl]

Funny you should post this. I have a batch of Christmas Ale that I'm probably going to bottle yet this evening. Too bad this stuff has to age in the bottles for 6-8 weeks before it's any good. This is my first batch in 3-4 years, and it's the same stuff I used for my very first batch--which I tried a week after bottling and thought, "this isn't that good, what have I gotten myself into?" After a month of aging, though, it was much, much better, and I was hooked.

Lately, though, Sam's Club has often had Sam Adams variety packs, so it's just been convenient to pick a case up from time to time. I also just discovered where I can get Shiner Bock locally, but found that there is a Shiner Black Lager, so I got a 6-pack of that instead.

I also have a Brewer's Best Robust Porter kit on order, I hope that shows up soon so I can get it underway.

[Joe Cunningham]

On and off home brewer--brewed a bunch in college and grad school, then sporadically since then.

My best was a Belgian-style white beer, following the recipe in Papazian's book. Honey, coriander, orange peel, aaaah. It got so much better with a month+ in the bottle, it tasted like a different beer compared to my initial tasting (usually after 2 weeks).

I used some Party Pigs for a while as bottling was always such a hassle. I think if I got back into now, I'd spring for a kegerator system.

Hmm, this thread has me thinking ...

[David G Baker]

I have always wanted to give brewing a try but I have had several home brews and didn't really care for the taste. When I was in the Army I spent a couple years in Germany and fell in love with their beer. The only beer that I have tasted since coming back to the States that compared to my taste buds has been the Mexican beer Dos Equis and that is when I drank it with Mexican food.
I have been trying different beers and wines seeking something that I like other than the Mexican beer but haven't had any luck. Guess my taste buds will have to stick non alcoholic beverages. But I haven't totally given up on the brewing idea.

[Dan Mages]

Dan...
I'm a home brewer...with nothing cooking right now. :mad:

HerDeanShip and I went to Castle Hill a couple of weeks ago for a Long Trail beer tasting dinner. It was better than any wine tasting we've ever been...Check out the all local menu...

Begin with a reception of passed hors d'oeuvres including Manchego Croquette with pickled pepper relish; molasses-glazed Simmons Farm Pork & Beans with fried polenta; New England White Fish Brandade with tarragon aioli; Shelburne Cheddar-Potato Soup with a Bristol Bakery crouton and ale-onion jam; and Baked Sakonnet River Oysters with Gruyere cheese-sweet onion bchamel; all paired with Long Trail Ale, a full-bodied amber ale featuring a complex yet clean and full flavor.


Dinner will begin with slow-cooked Georges Bank Monkfish Stew with tomato, parsley, Portuguese olive oil, and preserved lemon, served with the Long Trail Hefeweizen, brewed with a high proportion of wheat, yielding a crisp and refreshing flavor profile with complex citrus and spice flavors.


The second course will feature Land & Sea: smoked Kurobuta pork belly with a red chile-IPA glace and Georges Bank scallops with Vermont maple-chestnut grits, both paired with the Long Trail IPA, brewed in the tradition of the British IPA, unfiltered with extra hops and a higher strength.


A dish of pan-roasted Muscovy Duck Breast will follow, served with butternut squash-duck confit hash, winter greens, cranberry gastrique, and the robust Long Trail Hibernator, featuring malty flavors of wheat, chocolate, and caramel.


The evening's fourth course will feature Vermont grass-fed Beef Sirloin with celery root-potato soubise, fried mushroom-frisee salad, and house bacon vinaigrette, paired with the Long Trail Double Bag, a full-bodied and dark amber selection.


Dinner will conclude with a Dessert Sampler of caramel apple with salted peanuts; a coffee stout "float" with malt ice cream; and Cabot cheddar-cider donuts; served with the Long Trail Coffee Stout, the brewery's newest release, boasting coffee, roasted malt, and nutty flavors.

Now you are making me hungry! One of our favorite restaurants in Milwaukee, where we used to live, had regular beer pairing dinners. It surprises some to learn that food can be paired with beer just as well or better than wine.

Dan

[John Shuk]

Long Trail gooood.

[Don Abele]

Dan, I've been homebrewing for about 10 years or so and absolutely love it. I don't bottle, I keg - A LOT easier. I have a chest deep freezer that I converted and holds nine five-gallon corny kegs. I have a five tap tower coming off it. I usually try to keep a stout, a wheat, a fruit, a "lite" lager, and a "normal" lager beer on tap.

My lite is called Lawnmower Lager and only has 1.2% ABV and is extremely flavorful.

Of course I haven't brewed in almost a year in preparation for the move and my current deployment. Speaking of which...

Glenn...you suck!!! You know how long it's been since I had a beer!!! We're not allowed to have any while actively engaged in Iraq and it's not allowed at all in Kuwait (dry country). And no, we didn't get our two beers for the Super Bowl either like the Army did (though we did get to watch it at 2 am).

Be well,

Doc

[Joe Chritz]

Two kegs on my home bar and I do a fair amount.

It is pretty easy and infinitely adjustable for taste. My best so far is definitely the honey brown nut ale done with some home harvested clover honey. That one I bottled and primed with honey also to maximize the flavor. It didn't last nearly as long as I hoped.

Joe

[Glenn Clabo]

Glenn...you suck!!! You know how long it's been since I had a beer!!! We're not allowed to have any while actively engaged in Iraq and it's not allowed at all in Kuwait (dry country). And no, we didn't get our two beers for the Super Bowl either like the Army did (though we did get to watch it at 2 am).
Doc

Doc,
Sorry...I get the same thing from my son. Whenever I ask him if he needs anything he says BEER!
Keep your head down Doc!

[Joe Chritz]

Glenn does that sig line translate like I recall? ;)

Doc, that has to be some kind of cruel punishment that Navy is imposing.

Joe

[Glenn Clabo]

Glenn does that sig line translate like I recall? ;)
Doc, that has to be some kind of cruel punishment that Navy is imposing.
Joe

Dunno...Is this what you reacall?
"Work's done. Where's the beer?"

And as far as Doc goes...he love's what he does...whatever it is. Now he get's to hang out with people who ride around in fast boats while shooting big guns. (Keeping my son safer is also a plus)

[Bob Rufener]

I've been brewing for about 8 years but haven't done a batch in a while. Never had a batch I didn't like. A few mis-steps along the way. Bottling too early and blowing up bottles and, when you opened one up, Old Faithful in the kitchen. I have been relegated to brewing on the front stoop using my old Coleman stove after a batch overflowed during the boil over our stove. A nasty mess. I once misfigured the amount of sugar to add to a batch I made and the alcohol content was WAY high. I didn't tell my son about it and gave him some to drink. A few days later he called up to inquire what was in the beer as he kinda got hit after one beer. Another mis-step was when I was trying to hold my syphoning tube to the side of the brewing bucket with a-not very sanitary-wood clamp. Naturally, it fell into the batch. Not wanting to waste 5 gallons of good beer, I bottled it anyway and just ignored the occasional pieces of sawdust that I found. I need to make a batch again soon.

[Dan Mages]

Dan, I've been homebrewing for about 10 years or so and absolutely love it. I don't bottle, I keg - A LOT easier. I have a chest deep freezer that I converted and holds nine five-gallon corny kegs. I have a five tap tower coming off it. I usually try to keep a stout, a wheat, a fruit, a "lite" lager, and a "normal" lager beer on tap.

My lite is called Lawnmower Lager and only has 1.2% ABV and is extremely flavorful.

Of course I haven't brewed in almost a year in preparation for the move and my current deployment. Speaking of which...

Glenn...you suck!!! You know how long it's been since I had a beer!!! We're not allowed to have any while actively engaged in Iraq and it's not allowed at all in Kuwait (dry country). And no, we didn't get our two beers for the Super Bowl either like the Army did (though we did get to watch it at 2 am).

Be well,

Doc

Let me know when you get home, I will send you a case! Would it be possible to get your lawnmower recipe? I'd love to give that a try.

Thanks for protecting us!

Dan

[Darrin Johnson]

Bought this for a song off of Ebay. The old bowling alley on the base closed and they sold it. Needless to say, the homebrew lasts a longggg time in this thing.

[Don Abele]

Joe, it's no different than when I was on submarines and we'd go three or four months underway without any. Of course, I'm not saying that I didn't miss it, but you just accept it as a necessary restriction and move on. Besides, beer is the least of things that I have to do without when deployed. And, yes, as Glenn said - I really do enjoy my job very much.

Glenn, we send our guys down to Qatar for some R&R, but there's only so many seats available and I'm not going to take one from my Sailors.

Dan, I replied to your PM. Send me your e-mail and I'll send you back the recipe when I get stateside at the end of March. I appreciate the offer, but no need (though tempting). I wouldn't want to impose on you. Besides, I serve my country because I'm a patriot through and through and believe in what our Constitution says. I've never asked, nor expected anything in return, other than peace of mind that my family is safe and free (of course, better pay would be nice :rolleyes:). Thank you for the offer though.

Darrin, that's a sweet setup. Are those Perlick faucets on it? I'll have to post some pics of my setup (though it'll have to wait until I get back to the other laptop stateside). I don't have them on my "travel" laptop.

Be well,

Doc

[Darrin Johnson]

YEp...those are Perlick forward seal faucets. They are great, especially for infrequent use/long term tapping.