Home Brew

[lesslimited]

Any chance they still have that going on? Best deal I've found other than that was 4 for $110 plus shipping.

Currently unavailable.

Sign up for their e-mail newsletter, they have some great specials but they tend to sell quick.

If you get a couple other people, this would be a great deal...
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=53867

 

[WB9YZU]

After reading this thread a few times, reading about the success of everyones ventures I figure I'm going to give it a try.

Nothing fancy for my first attempt, I ordered a basic MR. BEER kit.

Sort of like going out in the woods with stock tires and no lockers eh?

 

[ChiXJeff]

Ummmm...... more like going out in the woods with a Civic. You'll go a few places, but with lots of cursing, breakage and lack the ability to really get where you want to be.

Okay, the kit is cheap. You're getting prehopped malt syrup, and it all looks like no-boil kits. You'll get beer (still probably better than Bud,) but not up to where it could be.

Once you get through this first batch, find yourself a Local Home Brew Shop. If you don't have one handy, check out Northern Brewer, More Beer, Midwest Supplies or any of the other home brew shops online. Basic kits run more than the Mr. Beer kit, but there's a huge amount of flexibility, as well as just plain better equipment.

Regardless of what direction you go, clean, Clean, CLEAN! You really want to only have saccharomyces cerevesiae (beer yeast!) taking up residence.

 

[kunaji]

There seems to be a home brew store in Madison. Depending on if you want to try full-volume boils and such, you can start brewing your own beer for about $150 for the first batch and ~$35 a batch after that. If you can make it to Mattfest at apple valley again this year I'll be bringing some homebrew with.

Wine & Hop Shop
1931 Monore Street, Madison, WI 53711
Phone: (608) 257-0099

 

[WB9YZU]

Nifty, I didn't realize that MSN had anything as creative as a brew shop. Then again, this place has suprised me for over 47 years

OK, Kinda OT, but I'll byte. Matfest?

 

[kunaji]

Remember our trip to AVF? It was my attempt to get an event going in Wisconsin and keeping with MWC tradition called it Mattfest. It was fitting since you and I were the only ones who went.

 

[WB9YZU]

Remember our trip to AVF? It was my attempt to get an event going in Wisconsin and keeping with MWC tradition called it Mattfest. It was fitting since you and I were the only ones who went.

I remember now. I didn't realize you named it

I plan on getting up to AVF sometime this year. Hopefully I won't eat another radiator!
Sorry again about leaving you with Bryan when I had to get off the trail. I forgot what a trail snob he can be. Perhaps this year we can get some wheeling done.

 

[kunaji]

Oh I got some wheeling done!! Dented my roof and rock rails on Pitch Fork. I'm planning on staying overnight for the Jun or July event thats open to the public for Mattfest.

 

[WB9YZU]

The Mr. Beer kit came in days, yet it took me this long until I was bored enough to cook up the ingredients.

2 gallons of "High Country Canadian Draft" in the Fermenting keg now...

This ought to be interesting

Ron

 

[WB9YZU]

The Mr. Beer kit came in days, yet it took me this long until I was bored enough to cook up the ingredients.

2 gallons of "High Country Canadian Draft" in the Fermenting keg now...

This ought to be interesting

Ron

Update: Well, after bottling it, and "conditioning" it in the fridge after the bottle fermentaion was done, I tasted the results. Not too awful bad, nice gold color. Wish it had more head though. Maybe the next batch

According to the pamplet, adding a bit of sugar to the wort gets you a bit higher alcy content. Any experience with that?

Ron

 

[lesslimited]

It won't do anything for the flavor.

Better to add a bit more malt extract that's compatible with the style.

 

[kunaji]

I'm not sure how much the sugar raises the gravity, but it does give the yeast more food so they can make more alcohol. I'm going to try adding a pound of belgian candi sugar to my next batch and see how I like that.

Most people do a 1-2-3 cycle when bottling their beer. One week in primary, two weeks in secondary and 3 weeks to bottle condition and carbonate. Let the bottles sit at room temperature for those three weeks then chill and serve.

The alt I brewed wasn't hurt by being in secondary for over two months either. I did force-carb that batch and broke in my corney keg system though.

 

[ChiXJeff]

Nice day here, light breeze and up to 50 degrees. Started a batch of Phat Tyre amber ale.

 

[ChiXJeff]

Finally got a chance to bottle that Phat Tyre, and starting a Kolsch.

Relax, don't worry, have a home brew. :beer:

 

[WB9YZU]

I'm enjoying a nice Mr. Beer Octoberfest Vienna Lager.

I know I didn't have a full hand in brewing this beer as I didn't make the "Beer mix", but it was fun, and the final product is above anything I'm likely to buy in the store, though a Grolsch is a close..second.

Dark, nicely bodied, and good flavor.

Glad you guys started this thread and peaked my curiosity

Ron

Hops prices going up? Not only is gas going up, but what gives you gas is also going up. Jeez!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080525/ts_alt_afp/uscommoditiesfooddrinkbeer