What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Do we have any homebrewing folks here? (1 Viewer)

Baloney Sandwich

Baloney Sandwich

Footballguy
I just got back into homebrewing after a 20 year break. I bottled a batch of IPA last weekend and was curious to what others do in terms of shaking their beer. There were four of us all brewing seperate batches and the other three guys have been brewing more often and more recently than me. Each is saying to shake each bottle daily which is something I don't recall ever doing back many years ago when I made it often.

I'd love to get some recipes and tips if we have any experiences brew folks here. Additionally, has anyone ever grown hops? I have a lot of land and want to start growing some this Spring.

 
There are several home brewers here, as well as a couple commercial craft brewers. There have been a few threads over the years.

I've never shaken bottles, never heard of that practice, and would not recommend doing so. If your bottles aren't carbing up on schedule, I would first recommend patience. Put them all away in a dark cool place for a couple weeks. If they've not carbed within 3 weeks or so, try moving them to a warmer room in your house, and perhaps give the case a gentle swing back and forth to get some yeast into suspension. If you have persistent carbonation issues over multiple batches, take another look at your process with that in mind. Adding yeast at bottling will help for bigger beers that have been in the fermenter a longer time.

I brewed in my garage with some friends yesterday and had a blast. I love winter brewing, when its in the mid 30s and we've got 3 burners going, keeping the garage toasty warm. We all mash in our kitchens, then get together in my garage for the boil. With the ice cold water running through our wort chiller, we can take 5 gallons from boiling to 75 in under ten minutes. My favorite winter homebrewing tradition is the hot scotchie, a drink that can only be made on brew day, and is only available for a very short window, at the moment I'm draining the first runnings. I mashed an extra half gallon of wort yesterday just to cover the hot scotchies for me and my gang of degenerates. I'll typically drain the first gallon or so of the super sweet stuff into my boil kettle, then fill the mugs with the sweet nectar that follows. We also usually all drink whatever stlye we're brewing that day, which for me yesterday was a hoppy red rye ale.

 
Funny you started this thread now as I was asking in another thread a day or so ago if we had a gathering place here.

I just started brewing. I'm still using kits until I get more comfortable with the process and get my set up where I want it. Right now, I'm doing it in my kitchen, but have a wide open, unfinished basement that will probably never get finished. So, I'm going to use that for a cooking area. Plumbing's already roughed in and I have two propane bottles right outside I can use for burners. Build a rough bench and put in some shelves and I should have enough to get in trouble with.

So far, I've got a Porter and a golden ale bottled, and a blonde ale and a witbier fermenting.

Just using the Brewer's Best kits and starter equipment as of now.

 
I've only done cider for two years now (with apples from the garden - cooking apples actually or they would get eaten) - got tired of tossing them out in the fall. It's drinkable but...

One day when I have the time I'll get to brewing beer too.

 
The prefab kits nowadays are so easy that it's almost impossible to screw up if you follow directions, sanitize, and relax. Something can still go wrong (my aforementioned blonde ale quit fermenting too soon and I have no idea why - maybe the yeast was dead - but I'm waiting another week before taking another gravity reading and deciding what to do), but you'll get it most of the time.

Obviously there are a bazillion support sites on the web (the home brew FB page is incredible), but I think having a local home brew store run by someone who cares is at least as important. I'm really lucky in that I have a good one here in BFE. He answers all of my dumb assed questions when I'm getting paranoid.

 
Thanks Cletius, I thought the shaking part seemed a bit odd but I figured these guys have been brewing a lot more than me. Right now I have them in my formal living room so a bit warmer of an environment than my basement.

I was planning on sampling one of my small bottles at 2 weeks and taking some notes and then again a week after and then perhaps one more time another week after if I feel it hasn't matured enough.

 
It's a fun little hobby that I was involved with 20 years ago. But that was back in a time when you could brew better beer than you could buy. The craft brewing explosion means that's no longer the case, so I moved onto other hobbies, while drinking the best beers in the world.

 
I actually brewed a kit last night. Thunder from down under ipa using new Zealand and Australian hops. Topaz to bitter, jade with 15 min left and galaxy at 5 min left. Dry hopped with 2 oz of Nelson.

I don't brew enough to get into all grain and to be honest I am kind of intimidated.

I have a keg system. Bottling is/was a pain in the ###.

 
I got a kit and did one batch last year. Turned out really good. Never heard anyone talk of shaking. Came out nicely carbonated and very good tasting. I ended up making 4.25 gallons instead of the 5.00 gallons the recipe was suppose to make because the testing showed the pH levels looked good and did not want dilute it anymore. Not sure exactly the impact that had, but was happy with the results.

 
ditka311 said:
I actually brewed a kit last night. Thunder from down under ipa using new Zealand and Australian hops. Topaz to bitter, jade with 15 min left and galaxy at 5 min left. Dry hopped with 2 oz of Nelson.

I don't brew enough to get into all grain and to be honest I am kind of intimidated.

I have a keg system. Bottling is/was a pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
Yep, bottling was always the worst part.

 
ditka311 said:
I actually brewed a kit last night. Thunder from down under ipa using new Zealand and Australian hops. Topaz to bitter, jade with 15 min left and galaxy at 5 min left. Dry hopped with 2 oz of Nelson.

I don't brew enough to get into all grain and to be honest I am kind of intimidated.

I have a keg system. Bottling is/was a pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
People on the old thread recommended tap-a-draft. Not sure if that is still the best way to go since that thread started 8 years ago,

 
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.

 
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
Yep. I posted upthread the Brewer's Best kit for under $60. Amazon has it.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
Yep. I posted upthread the Brewer's Best kit for under $60. Amazon has it.
Click to expand...
You sure did. :blush: Thank you. I should have read the while thread.

 
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I got a basic setup fo $80 from a local shop. Everything I needed. Then $45 for the brew kit that had all the ingrediats to make a 5 gallon batch. You can spend more for glass corboys or more expensive pots, but to get started it is not neccessary.

 
jon_mx said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I got a basic setup fo $80 from a local shop. Everything I needed. Then $45 for the brew kit that had all the ingrediats to make a 5 gallon batch. You can spend more for glass corboys or more expensive pots, but to get started it is not neccessary.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I appreciate the info.

 
Glass carboys scare the piss out of me, but I'm clumsy as hell and am paranoid I'd drop it. Would be nice to see the yeast popping all the way down, though.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
Glass carboys scare the piss out of me, but I'm clumsy as hell and am paranoid I'd drop it. Would be nice to see the yeast popping all the way down, though.
Click to expand...
I only use glass carboys, and have assembled about 9 or 10 over the years, just from friends moving, giving up the hobby, etc. I'm selling them now, as I really only need 2-3. If I were starting out now, based on my experience, I would get one of these --> Big Mouth or perhaps the plastic version; or better yet - a plastic conical.

 
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.

 
ditka311 said:
I actually brewed a kit last night. Thunder from down under ipa using new Zealand and Australian hops. Topaz to bitter, jade with 15 min left and galaxy at 5 min left. Dry hopped with 2

oz of Nelson.

I don't brew enough to get into all grain and to be honest I am kind of intimidated.

I have a keg system. Bottling is/was a pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
How much is a decent keg system and what is the shelf life of the keg once tapped?

 
Been brewing since mid-80s, never heard of shaking bottles. Wait 3 weeks and if they're not carbonated then move to a warmer location and wait another week. That should do the trick.

If that doesn't do it then open up a bottle and toss in a carbonation tablet and wait another week. Last resort is to open it back up and toss a few grains of yeast.

I stopped bottling a while ago and only keg now and force carbonate instead of priming.

A corny keg will run you about $75-$120 (you can sometimes get them cheaper on Craigslist) and obviously you need the connectors for the kegerator and gas (under $20)

ETA: Once tapped it should be good for at least a few months as long as you're using CO2 and not air.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.
Click to expand...
You wanna meet up? :wub: :blush:

 
In my old age, I just really don't think I can handle having beer on tap at home. I feel comfortable with my beer consumption being governed by 12 oz units. To be able to top off my glass every time I walk past a keg - that's just not going to work for me. I don't mind bottling, have recently got my son helping out and he seems to enjoy it. Put a game on in the background or play some music and it goes pretty quickly.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
Funny you started this thread now as I was asking in another thread a day or so ago if we had a gathering place here.

I just started brewing. I'm still using kits until I get more comfortable with the process and get my set up where I want it. Right now, I'm doing it in my kitchen, but have a wide open, unfinished basement that will probably never get finished. So, I'm going to use that for a cooking area. Plumbing's already roughed in and I have two propane bottles right outside I can use for burners. Build a rough bench and put in some shelves and I should have enough to get in trouble with.

So far, I've got a Porter and a golden ale bottled, and a blonde ale and a witbier fermenting.

Just using the Brewer's Best kits and starter equipment as of now.
Click to expand...
yeah dude, propane indoors sure is a recipe for trouble.

 
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.
Click to expand...
You wanna meet up? :wub: :blush:
Click to expand...
:hifive:

 
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.
Click to expand...
You wanna meet up? :wub: :blush:
Click to expand...
:hifive:
Click to expand...
I appreciate the offer. Sincerely, thank you. I think if I decide to do it, though, I'll just head down to Breski's. They have the kit previously mentioned here in stock for $67. I'd probably just take the chance on spending the money. I have a feeling I'd like brewing my own beer.

 
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.
Click to expand...
You wanna meet up? :wub: :blush:
Click to expand...
:hifive:
Click to expand...
I appreciate the offer. Sincerely, thank you. I think if I decide to do it, though, I'll just head down to Breski's. They have the kit previously mentioned here in stock for $67. I'd probably just take the chance on spending the money. I have a feeling I'd like brewing my own beer.
Click to expand...
Scotzin's in Lemoyne is where it's at ;)

Breski's is a backup place

 
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Jaysus said:
ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I think I'd like to give homebrewing a shot. it seems like something I would like. I don't want to spend a whole lot of monet, because I'd hate to waste money if I end up not liking it. I also have two small kids, so I don't have a ton of free time to devote to it.

Is there such a thing as a starter kit, or could anyone recommend an inexpensive setup. Could a quality setup exist for $150 or under? I've Google it, but as you can imagine, homebrewing kit prices range all over the place.
Click to expand...
I know someone who probably has a bunch of stuff you could borrow if you just wanted to see how it goes ;)

Keep in mind, that with most starter kits (I did not click any of the links above) you will also need a kettle and bottles.
Click to expand...
You wanna meet up? :wub: :blush:
Click to expand...
:hifive:
Click to expand...
I appreciate the offer. Sincerely, thank you. I think if I decide to do it, though, I'll just head down to Breski's. They have the kit previously mentioned here in stock for $67. I'd probably just take the chance on spending the money. I have a feeling I'd like brewing my own beer.
Click to expand...
Scotzin's in Lemoyne is where it's at ;) Breski's is a backup place
Click to expand...
Oh yeah? Never heard of it. Thanks for the tip.

 
I did it for awhile. Probably made about 10 batches in total.

It was fun for awhile. There are alot of things about it that are rewarding, but some that are a huge pain. Bottling really wore me out. Was a humongous mess, didn't always work, and took FOREVER. I can't understate how much a beating bottling is.

I started racking to the big 2 liter bottles with the thingy on the end that would carbonate it and that was great, but those had issues too. They would leak and wasn't super easy to get the pressure just right.

In the end I swapped to the 5 gal keg. I only did a few beers into the keg before giving it up for kids.

Considering getting back into it.

When I started homebrewing Texas beers were awful. They aren't awful now.

I also put on 15 pounds of bad weight homebrewing. I was on that TBS site alot and went up to a size 36 waist from a 32 quickly. When the size 36 was tight I took the best part of a month of drinking and dropped 15 pounds nearly right away. So be careful.

 
Jaysus said:
Uruk-Hai said:
Funny you started this thread now as I was asking in another thread a day or so ago if we had a gathering place here.

I just started brewing. I'm still using kits until I get more comfortable with the process and get my set up where I want it. Right now, I'm doing it in my kitchen, but have a wide open, unfinished basement that will probably never get finished. So, I'm going to use that for a cooking area. Plumbing's already roughed in and I have two propane bottles right outside I can use for burners. Build a rough bench and put in some shelves and I should have enough to get in trouble with.

So far, I've got a Porter and a golden ale bottled, and a blonde ale and a witbier fermenting.

Just using the Brewer's Best kits and starter equipment as of now.
Click to expand...
yeah dude, propane indoors sure is a recipe for trouble.
Click to expand...
I don't think I was clear. Right now, I'm using my electric stove top in the kitchen. When I move it to the basement, I'll get a couple of burners. I have a patio right outside my basement doors that I'll cook on.

 
Haven't homebrewed in about 10 years but got a new kit this Christmas. I'm looking forward to making some tasty brown ales, especially when no bars carry them during the summer. I'm sure this thread will be a great resource!

I only made a few batches before but never heard of anyone shaking their bottles during the carbonation process.

 
If anyone is into homebrewing in the Detroit area and still bottles, I have a couple hundred bottles that are yours for the price of 1 beer at whatever bar we meet at. I have some caps from kits I've done too but only keg nowadays

 
I just bottled an English Bitter yesterday. Bottling isn't so bad - like someone mentioned above, put on some tunes, and you're good to go. Takes an hour / hour and a half tops. I usually bottle a case of 12 oz, and the rest those larger bottles with the flip top.

a few tips for those starting out:

- It is easier than you think. If you can follow a recipe and are patient / neat, you can make truly excellent beer on par with typical craft brews.

- this is a time-consuming hobby. Brew day is 2-3 prettymuch uninterrupted hours, more if you are going all-grain. Bottling day is an hour or two.

- Because of the time you spend on it, all of a sudden, 5 gallons (2 cases) is not as much as you think. Giving away a six is significant.

- That said, you will probably give away almost as much as you drink. Every brewer I know is pretty generous with his or her beer.

 
Bottling isn't so bad. If you can get just one other person to help you it makes the job pretty easy as it is a 2 man job to keep the flow going. I only bottle about 60 per batch so if you are bottling 10g batches then maybe I could see why bottling sucks. I used to brew solo and now I brew with some friends who are interested in it and that has made it a bit easier and the time flies that way.

And to the poster above, all-grain brewing doesn't have to be much longer. I just did my first batch of BIAB (brew in a bag) and it only took an extra 30 mins or 1 hour if I'm not using any specialty grains in an extract recipe. I also don't do full boils so that cuts down on the pot size and heating times. I.e. I use a 6 gallon pot for a 5 gallon batch but only boil 3.5 gallons and just add distilled water later.

And a question to those who do brew, what is your ingredient cost/bottle? When I did extract brewing in the States it was just over $1. I bought everything from a local brew supply store. My all grain batches come out to $0.68 but that is pricing from South Africa.

 
Baloney Sandwich said:
Thanks Cletius, I thought the shaking part seemed a bit odd but I figured these guys have been brewing a lot more than me. Right now I have them in my formal living room so a bit warmer of an environment than my basement.

I was planning on sampling one of my small bottles at 2 weeks and taking some notes and then again a week after and then perhaps one more time another week after if I feel it hasn't matured enough.
Click to expand...
If you keg your beer, you can force-carbonate (no priming sugar) by putting CO2 on at higher pressure than you'd serve it. Shaking the keg during this process can speed up the dissolution of CO2.

That's the only context where I could imagine "shaking" homebrew. When I first read it I assumed you'd mistyped "sharing".

Edit - reading less lazily, I see that they were indeed referring to shaking the bottles. The only thing I can think of is that they're trying to keep the yeast sediment in suspension during carbonation. This is not necessary. There is PLENTY of live yeast throughout the beer after fermentation, and it will find the priming sugar. The sediment at the bottom is more likely to be dead yeast (and other proteins and such) than live yeast, anyway.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Made a batch of Scottish ale yesterday. Major pain in the ###. My mash-tun was running so slow, it was like 30 min/gallon. Took me all damn day.

I'm real close to working up a new rig. I'm planning on all electric, HERMS, single tier, roughly based on http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/ for the new guys - there is no real need for all of that bling, I'm just at the point where i'm willing to spend some money for an easier, more consistent, and shorter brew day.

The thing I like about brewing is all of the science you can get into if you are so inclined. The brewing hobby can be a lot of things to a lot people - for me, its about learning about and applying a lot of cool science stuff, I've been spending a lot of time learning things like water chemistry, microbiology, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, etc. Other folks like to brew because they can be creative and make interesting stuff you can't find in a store - whatever floats your boat.

One suggestion I would make - join a homebrew club. Its a pretty awesome way to learn some cool stuff, meet some cool folks, and sample a wide variety of great beer.

 
tud_duke said:
Bottling isn't so bad. If you can get just one other person to help you it makes the job pretty easy as it is a 2 man job to keep the flow going. I only bottle about 60 per batch so if you are bottling 10g batches then maybe I could see why bottling sucks. I used to brew solo and now I brew with some friends who are interested in it and that has made it a bit easier and the time flies that way.

And to the poster above, all-grain brewing doesn't have to be much longer. I just did my first batch of BIAB (brew in a bag) and it only took an extra 30 mins or 1 hour if I'm not using any specialty grains in an extract recipe. I also don't do full boils so that cuts down on the pot size and heating times. I.e. I use a 6 gallon pot for a 5 gallon batch but only boil 3.5 gallons and just add distilled water later.

And a question to those who do brew, what is your ingredient cost/bottle? When I did extract brewing in the States it was just over $1. I bought everything from a local brew supply store. My all grain batches come out to $0.68 but that is pricing from South Africa.
Click to expand...
My last batch ran me roughly $25 for a 5 gallon batch, so that's around $0.50/beer. All grain, Scottish ale (minimally hopped), and dry yeast.

 
I have a goal for this summer to make a $10 batch of beer, which gets us into the $0.20 range. I'll do that with a small grain bill, home-grown hops, and yeast recycled from a previous batch. It will be a summer time sipper -a lightish session beer.

 
tud_duke said:
And a question to those who do brew, what is your ingredient cost/bottle? When I did extract brewing in the States it was just over $1. I bought everything from a local brew supply store. My all grain batches come out to $0.68 but that is pricing from South Africa.
Click to expand...
The extract kits I've bought are going for anywhere from $42-$56, so roughly $.80-$1.00/bottle.

Moleculo, what kind of volume are you buying your ingredients in?

 
Uruk-Hai said:
tud_duke said:
And a question to those who do brew, what is your ingredient cost/bottle? When I did extract brewing in the States it was just over $1. I bought everything from a local brew supply store. My all grain batches come out to $0.68 but that is pricing from South Africa.
Click to expand...
The extract kits I've bought are going for anywhere from $42-$56, so roughly $.80-$1.00/bottle.

Moleculo, what kind of volume are you buying your ingredients in?
Click to expand...
that Scottish ale was 10.25 lbs of grain.

I get a 10% discount from my LHBS as a member of the local homebrew club. I got a slight discount for pulling and crushing my own grain, and the recipe has very little hops - 1/2 oz of chinook for bittering and 1/2 oz of EKG for flavor.

It breaks down to about $20 for grain, $2.50 for hops, and $3 for yeast.

also, for the $10 batch I'm planning, one thing our LHBS has is grain-banking - that is, I could pay for a 50 lb bag of grain up front and when I buy grain, they just debit that account until it's gone - basically letting me get bulk prices for grain they store and crush.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
jwb said:
I just bottled an English Bitter yesterday. Bottling isn't so bad - like someone mentioned above, put on some tunes, and you're good to go. Takes an hour / hour and a half tops. I usually bottle a case of 12 oz, and the rest those larger bottles with the flip top.

a few tips for those starting out:

- It is easier than you think. If you can follow a recipe and are patient / neat, you can make truly excellent beer on par with typical craft brews.

- this is a time-consuming hobby. Brew day is 2-3 prettymuch uninterrupted hours, more if you are going all-grain. Bottling day is an hour or two.

- Because of the time you spend on it, all of a sudden, 5 gallons (2 cases) is not as much as you think. Giving away a six is significant.

- That said, you will probably give away almost as much as you drink. Every brewer I know is pretty generous with his or her beer.
Click to expand...
To me the biggest PITA with bottling was the dealing with the actual bottles themselves. Cleaning, removing labels, caps, etc. I also always seemed to end up with about 6-8 oz of beer for the last bottle.

 
moleculo said:
Made a batch of Scottish ale yesterday. Major pain in the ###. My mash-tun was running so slow, it was like 30 min/gallon. Took me all damn day.

I'm real close to working up a new rig. I'm planning on all electric, HERMS, single tier, roughly based on http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/ for the new guys - there is no real need for all of that bling, I'm just at the point where i'm willing to spend some money for an easier, more consistent, and shorter brew day.
Click to expand...
That looks like quite the investment. Damn cool though...

 
moleculo said:
our LHBS has is grain-banking - that is, I could pay for a 50 lb bag of grain up front and when I buy grain, they just debit that account until it's gone - basically letting me get bulk prices for grain they store and crush.
Click to expand...
that's brilliant. I would be buying sacks of Marris Otter all the time!

 
Jaysus said:
moleculo said:
our LHBS has is grain-banking - that is, I could pay for a 50 lb bag of grain up front and when I buy grain, they just debit that account until it's gone - basically letting me get bulk prices for grain they store and crush.
Click to expand...
that's brilliant. I would be buying sacks of Marris Otter all the time!
Click to expand...
yeah, it's a nice deal. if you use the same base malt all the time, it will definately work out in your favor. My LHBS charges $1.95/lb for marris otter, but a 55 lb bag would run you $1.25/lb.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Ministry of Pain
So I bought into a "Craft" Beer n Wine store with a Drive-Thru
2
Replies
54
Views
2K
parasaurolophus
parasaurolophus
BroncoFreak_2K3
Grandma Wood's Fried Chicken recipe
Replies
35
Views
1K
dickey moe
dickey moe
GordonGekko
Do You Believe That The Modern "Tipping" Culture Has Gone Completely Out Of Control? (1/30)
6 7 8
Replies
358
Views
10K
eighsse2
eighsse2

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top