The Complete Homebrew Thread

[Fents]

Ok so you peeps know i brew and love it... In this thread i shall endevour to :

1. Answer Questions
2. Make you drool
3. Show off my brews
4. Point people in the right direction (if they want to start brewing)
5. Expell the myth that Commercial beer is good..

Now im not saying im a pro at brewing, their are guys that take it way more seriously than me, but i reckon i can punch out a close to if not better beer than anyone can buy off the shelves...

There are FEW other brewers on this site...Lindemon, Huge etc, i would love to know what you guys get up to.

I brewed homebrew kits (otherwise known as kit and kilo's or cans of goo) for about 3 years, but know i have turned into whats called AG (All Grain) where you actually buy grain, crack it, soak it, boil it, add hops, cool it and ferment it. Cans of goo make a great beer for starters, but nothing will ever test All Grain. I can make a beer as good as Mountain Goat or Little Creatures...

Most have seen my setup but for those that havnt :

My bar






Enjoy!

[system]

Love the menu!

How long can you store homebrewed beer for?

[stovequeen]

Fenton - I have a challenge for you...

How'd you like to have a go at brewing a gluten free beer for me? I'll caover any materials required.

I miss beer.

[Fents]

Now let me take you through an AG Mash brew :

Mashing (Soaking) the Grains in 2.5litres of water per 1KG grain...has to be mashed at 66c (exactly) for 1 hour :


Sparging (rinsing the suguars off the soaked grain) and then draining it into a massive kettle (cut off CUB Keg) for the boil...sparging is also done at 2.5litres water per 1KG grain but this time the temp is 78c..


Boiling "The Wort" ...boil it for 1 hour with a slow rolling boil, adding different types of hops at 60mins (start of boil), 25mins (middle of boil) and Flame out which is the end of boil..


Afther its boiled we then drain it into a fermenter (white plastic thing on ground) we let it cool down to 25c and pitch the yeast...seal it all up and it bubbles (ferments) away for about a week....then its into the kegs, carbonated and drank at a rate of knots..

[huge]

i've still got about 3 or 4 slabs worth of different bews sitting in the garage getting tasty.

ginger beer - made from scratch.
cider - made from nashi pears and pears mostly.

others that i cant remember what was in them but completely experimental. additions of honey, lemons, vanilla beans, coriander, cinnamon etc.

huhuh

they are all pretty fucking good too mind you.

[Fents]

Love the menu!

How long can you store homebrewed beer for?

The thing with homebrew is it gets better with age, unlike commercial beer...why u ask? Because in commercial beer they put so much crap in it...with homebrew when its freshly brewed its considerd "young" and with age the malt flavour settles and the hops aroma comes through. I've got bottles dating back 2 years ago, just waiting for the right time to crack em...

[mixtress]

I'm so impressed with your set up Fents. I remember you showing me the fridge first time I was at yours...the look of pride on your face was adorable!

I don't think I had any though, would love to taste some. Actually, I don't think I've ever had homebrew

[Fents]

Fenton - I have a challenge for you...

How'd you like to have a go at brewing a gluten free beer for me? I'll caover any materials required.

I miss beer.

Fi, I would love to do that for you...BUT a quick search came up with some recipes. To brew Gluten Free you need really specialized stuff...grain, mills, skills etc...I dont think im up to that yet.

I found recipe but its full on...heres what a guys who brewed it said :

You can make a beer of sorts from unmalted millet, sorghum, maize, buckwheat, rice etc but you have to add some commercial enzymes to convert the starch, a product called clarase will do the trick. But the beer will be pretty bland and lacking in maltiness.

For best results you need to malt the grain which can be a pain unless you set up for it properly.

Will give it a shot for you a bit down the track.

[stovequeen]

Fenton - I have a challenge for you...

How'd you like to have a go at brewing a gluten free beer for me? I'll caover any materials required.

I miss beer.

Fi, I would love to do that for you...BUT a quick search came up with some recipes. To brew Gluten Free you need really specialized stuff...grain, mills, skills etc...I dont think im up to that yet.

I found recipe but its full on...heres what a guys who brewed it said :

You can make a beer of sorts from unmalted millet, sorghum, maize, buckwheat, rice etc but you have to add some commercial enzymes to convert the starch, a product called clarase will do the trick. But the beer will be pretty bland and lacking in maltiness.

For best results you need to malt the grain which can be a pain unless you set up for it properly.

Will give it a shot for you a bit down the track.

No worries mate, i thought as much. Wahhh

[Fents]

On a third look Fi i found an EASY recipe for you :

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/cgi-bin/DataM ... tail&id=56

This one i can defiantly have a go at, should cost no more than $30 to make 23 litres

[system]

Wahhh

Hold on! It's coming!

[Fents]

My Current Recipes im making :

GHB Pale Ale :

Grain
47% Joe White Pilsner 2.82KG
47% Jow White Ale 2.82KG
6% Caramalt 0.36KG

Hops
24g Nugget Pellets 60mins
15G Cascade Pellets 15mins
35g Cascade Pellets Flameout

US 56 yeast

Mashed for 1 hour @ 66c

OG 1.052
FG 1.012

Alc - 5.9%

[Fents]

Little Creatures Bright Ale Clone :

JW Pils 3.3KG
JW Wheat 0.84KG
JW Light Munich 0.542KG
Weyermann Vienna 0.783KG
TF Torrified Wheat 0.481KG

12g Cascade ---> 60min
15G Nugget ---> 60min

6g Amarillo ---> 25min
8g Cascade ---> 25min

15g Amarillo ---> Flameout
25g Cascade ---> Flameout

Making this one tonight!

[stovequeen]

On a third look Fi i found an EASY recipe for you :

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/cgi-bin/DataM ... tail&id=56

This one i can defiantly have a go at, should cost no more than $30 to make 23 litres

awesome!

[Mellogs]

I thought the thread title was 'The Complete Hebrew Thread'

[dengelman]

[dengelman]

Thanks for the info Fents: Your set-up is wikked. We only ever had a few mildly drinkable attempts with homebrew kits.

(and don't get me started on homemade vodka fiasco )

[Lindemon]

YEAH!!
My new fav thread...

So far I have brewed 5 batches of varying success..
1. Black Rock Lager - ** 1/2
2. Beez Kneez - ****
3. Pilsner Blonde - ***
4. Cerveza - ***(tweaked the recipe so it's not so watery & piss-weak)
5. Lil Creatures Pale Ale - ***

Beez Kneez was the best, cause the honey was VERY subtle, compared to the Commercial variety...

Home brew can be stored for.... a fuckload of time...
like 20+ years... (I wouldn't wait that long though)

Any tips for reducing sediment?
I've heard of 2 methods, but am hesitant to try them out...

1. Mix a teaspoon of gelatine into the brew a few hours before bottling & stir...
2. Crushed egg shells, same method as above...

[Mellogs]

bahahah!

[deviant]

I made a brew every few weeks while at uni....

you get better and better at it. The best one I made was a liqurorice flavoured stout, light on the acl content.

hey fents, can you explain to these fine people about "Gravity"? you refered to it in your recipe but I don't reckon most would know what it means.... (I've personally forgotten the finer details).

[on tour]

i miss your homebrew fents...

[Fents]

Any tips for reducing sediment?
I've heard of 2 methods, but am hesitant to try them out...

1. Mix a teaspoon of gelatine into the brew a few hours before bottling & stir...
2. Crushed egg shells, same method as above...

Lindemon never ever put somthing in beer that isnt meant to be there. Not sure about gelatine but egg shells sounds like infection city to me.

You can do a couple of things to clear homebrew...

1. Buy a second fermenter ($35) and start "racking" your brews. Racking just means after the beer has finished primary fermentation, you then transfer the beer into a seconday fermenter. Basically it get the beer off the "yeast cake" and also leaves behind other bits n pieces in the first fermenter. So you would do primary fermentation for a week then secondary fermentation. That will clear the beer considerably.

2. Finnings. This is a powder sold at homebrew stores. You put a teaspoon of it in with the beer in the fermenter. Some people swear by it, others say its rubbish. You decide..

Personally i dont do either of those to my beer. I dont mind a cloudy beer, altho i find when i keg it it clears up alot more than bottles cause all the yeast stays at the bottom of the keg. Good luck!

[Fents]

hey fents, can you explain to these fine people about "Gravity"? you refered to it in your recipe but I don't reckon most would know what it means.... (I've personally forgotten the finer details).

Dan you should get back into brewing mate.

Gravity is how we measure the % of Alc when making beer using an instrument called a hydrometer :



When beer is made it is made with fermentable suguars weather its cane suguar, dextrose, malt or suguars made from grains. Basically how much fermentables you use is the outcome on the Alc %.

So when you have finshed making a beer and just before you pitch the yeast you take a hydrometer reading, this is called the OG - Original gravity....say its 1.040

Then when the beer has finished fermenting you take another reading, this is called the FG - Final Gravity...say its 1.005

The calculation is then done like this :



Happy days

[deviant]

Finnings is actually made from the swim bladders of fish. So I wouldn't reccomend using it if you want your beer to remain natural and/or animal product free.

A tip for all you vegetarians out there, most commercially brewed beers contain this substance. coopers and other naturally brewed beers do not use it, also any "cold filtered" beers don't use it either.

[huge]

yer i just drink my homebrew cloudy.

[Jinx]

Hey guys

http://www.vnv.org.au/AlcoholByName.htm

a link for beers, wines and spirits that are and are not vegan and vegetarian friendly. Cheers

[Lindemon]

Finnings is actually made from the swim bladders of fish. So I wouldn't reccomend using it if you want your beer to remain natural and/or animal product free.

A tip for all you vegetarians out there, most commercially brewed beers contain this substance. coopers and other naturally brewed beers do not use it, also any "cold filtered" beers don't use it either.

Hmmnnn...
Swim bladders, ehh...
You just gave me an idea...
I been on the Glucosamine Tabs for my dodgy knee.
Apparently Glucosamine is derived from crustaceans & stuff so I am working on (in theory @ this stage) a Glucosamine enriched beer..
How fuckin cool would that be? (Unless it tastes like crustaceans...)

[tripongale]

best thread ever,dont know how dnb fits in, possibly closer to a jungle style of doin things. cant wait to brew me own cider from me own trees

[johnnynostars]

Was gonna put a brew on recently, but water guilt has stopped me so far.

[Fents]

Was gonna put a brew on recently, but water guilt has stopped me so far.

Just consider it drinking water We are still allowed to drink water right?

[Fents]

What recipe u thinking of doing J>?

I've got 2 kegs on tap at the moment 1's a all amarillo (hops) and honey pale ale. Its an absolute cracker. and the others that corriander seed Indian Pale Ale which is also delish.

[johnnynostars]

Was gonna put a brew on recently, but water guilt has stopped me so far.

Just consider it drinking water We are still allowed to drink water right?

More the bottle and fermenter washing innit.

What recipe u thinking of doing J>?

I've got 2 kegs on tap at the moment 1's a all amarillo (hops) and honey pale ale. Its an absolute cracker. and the others that corriander seed Indian Pale Ale which is also delish.

You're making me thirsty. I've got a Hoegaarden clone kit. Might swap the orange zest for lemon and lime though.

[Fents]

You can clean a fermenter in 1 or 2 litres of water easy...

As for bottles fill a sink up with about 2 litres and just soak em and rinse, then grab a bucket and dump it on the garden.

As for the hoegarden i can tell you they definatly uses orange peel. Best thing about HB tho J is there is no rules...If you feel like using lemon or lime zest the DO IT!

[Lindemon]

Was gonna put a brew on recently, but water guilt has stopped me so far.

Just consider it drinking water We are still allowed to drink water right?

Hell yeah! But like those cordial ads...
... makes water fun!!

I just go around telling people that I have acquired the hand of a higher entity, in that I can turn water into Beer, my hair is being left to grow again & I have taken to gettin around in a white robe lately....

No one questions what I do.... except those bastard athiests...

[breaksRbest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_ ... C5ytLMWM0F

[Blaxter]

2 Kilowatts of power out of waste water from beer is all good.

[johnnynostars]

This may interest some of you:

Australian Home Brewing Stocktake

http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wawcs0112951/tn-home.html

[huge]

tasted some of the ginga beer thats been lost in the garage for 6 months.

pretty bloody good! strong as! timmy was pissed off 1/2 a longneck huhuh

[Fents]

This may interest some of you:

Australian Home Brewing Stocktake

http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wawcs0112951/tn-home.html

yer already seen that this morning...bit of a joke really. there kegs are $89 on special when i get them from ross at www.craftbrewer.com.au for $69 with a new seal kit.

Hughy - did the ginger beer have like an artifical sweetner after taste? sorta like diet coke (obv without the cola taste) ? Mine still has and its 8 months old...might need some lactose next time (sweetner that dosnt ferment out)..

So latley i've made 2 IPA's an APA and on the weekend cooked up an Americal Pilsner...Perfct time for lager/pilsners as outside temps are around 12c ish...

I wanna make a porter or a stout but cant bring myself to drinking 23 litres of it in the kegs. I love dark beers but not that much...

[coda]

i also tried some of that huge, some nice subtle ginger flavours hmmmmmm

[huge]

Hughy - did the ginger beer have like an artifical sweetner after taste? sorta like diet coke (obv without the cola taste) ? Mine still has and its 8 months old...might need some lactose next time (sweetner that dosnt ferment out)..

i havent really noticed. the recipe timmy used said to use lactose but he didnt want to use cos he is a wuss.

[breaksRbest]

I'm gonna start brewing now that I have the room for it

Any good books you'd recommend for research before I start?

[Fents]

I'm gonna start brewing now that I have the room for it

Any good books you'd recommend for research before I start?

Yea for sure mate theres plenty, I have just finished this :

The Complete Guide to Home Brewing in Australia by LAURIE STRACHAN ...

Its a great first book about all the basics about brewing. Its mainly dedicated to K and K (kits and kilo - name derived from the old days when ppl used to buy those can kits and add a kilo of normal suguar - not very nice) but there is some All Grain stuff up the back of the book too...

You can borrow my copy mate i've just finished it.

Once u've read that get thsi - http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html How to Brew by John Palmer - absolutley amazing book but you have to understand the basics about beer first.

[Fents]

Glenny just PM me, organise a day and i'll take ya shopping! I'll even guide ya through it.. $150 to start up if you can afford it, if not we can do it on the cheap. I've got some bits ya can have too!

[breaksRbest]

I bought a book from the brewing shop and stupidly didn't realise it was written by the people who run the shop, so it's all about using the kits that they sell and no more info on other brewing methods

I'm keen to do a bit of research and get the right equipemnt up front coz I don't just wanna brew Beer, I wanna brew the good shit.

Basically, I'm tossing up the pro's & cons of the 2 main methods

Let me know when you're free and we'll catch up for a brewing chat and I'll borrow that book from ya

[Fents]

sorted...anytime next week or weekend (after this weekend)..

[breaksRbest]

[dengelman]

NICE ONE!!

[gnat]

is it good PJ chicken?

[breaksRbest]

It's not ready to drink yet Gnatty, another 10 days or so