Kevin Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Last Christmas my in-laws got me a "Mr.Beer" home brew kit. To this day I've brewed 3 batches (3rd batch is in the 4th day of the fermentation process). It is the Surly Dog IPA recipe. My previous brews were a Doppleback, and the American Classic Light which came with the kit when I got it. Everything has turned out great. My friends loved the brews I've offered them so far. Two weeks ago I took a brewU101 course through my local home brew supply store (Barley and Wine, Modesto, CA.). I've decided that while I continue to brew the Mr.Beer brews I'm going to start doing my own home brews. One thing I've noticed is that a) it's expensive to get started, and b) there's a lot more TLC that goes into making your own home brews from scratch. When you all take notes on your home brews (if you do) do you use any tech aps on your phone or tablets, or websites? If so, which ones do you use? Or do you guys just use pen and paper to take your notes? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) Beersmith is a nice piece of software to create and track recipes, but there are other apps and websites that are out there as well. Beersmith is probably overkill unless you move into all grain brewing. http://beersmith.com/ And you can get started making quality extract beer with a Northern Brewer essential starter kit for less than $100. http://www.northernb...tarter-kit.html some other good sources of information and equipment The Brewing Network podcasts: http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows Morebeer.com (check out their forums too) http://morebeer.com/ Edited August 18, 2014 by BillsFanNC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) Beersmith is a nice piece of software to create and track recipes, but there are other apps and websites that are out there as well. Beersmith is probably overkill unless you move into all grain brewing. http://beersmith.com/ And you can get started making quality extract beer with a Northern Brewer essential starter kit for less than $100. http://www.northernb...tarter-kit.html some other good sources of information and equipment The Brewing Network podcasts: http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows Morebeer.com (check out their forums too) http://morebeer.com/ Thanks BillsFanNC! Do you use the beersmith? Is it user friendly? When I get used to the new (to me) brewing methods then I intend to dabble in the all grain brewing. Edited August 18, 2014 by Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Do what I do. Live near a craft brewery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I make my own wine, I assume it's a similar process, but more of a longer investment of time... I use a note pad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks BillsFanNC! Do you use the beersmith? Is it user friendly? When I get used to the new (to me) brewing methods then I intend to dabble in the all grain brewing. It has a bit of a learning curve with all grain brewing as you have to dial it in for your system for mash efficiency, kettle and mash tun dead volumes, batch sparge vs. fly sparge etc. For extract brewing it will track your recipes well and it's easy to share recipes and notes with others and import/export from the software. I got my copy for free at a homebrewers conference, but for $20 if you see yourself eventually moving to all grain brewing it's a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 there are easy ways to cut down on the expense...goodwill, craigslist, yard sales for brewing vessels, and glass carboys...grocery stores/donus shops for plastic fermenters...save your bottles after you drink beer...then you have the investments you can't avoid, capper, hydrometer etc, but those can be found for cheap....the raw ingredients can get pricey, but that's when you have to break it down on a per case basis, figure one batch = 60(?) bottles, 2.5 cases. Homebrew club members are also great resources for unused dust cluttering equipment Last Christmas my in-laws got me a "Mr.Beer" home brew kit. To this day I've brewed 3 batches (3rd batch is in the 4th day of the fermentation process). It is the Surly Dog IPA recipe. My previous brews were a Doppleback, and the American Classic Light which came with the kit when I got it. Everything has turned out great. My friends loved the brews I've offered them so far. Two weeks ago I took a brewU101 course through my local home brew supply store (Barley and Wine, Modesto, CA.). I've decided that while I continue to brew the Mr.Beer brews I'm going to start doing my own home brews. One thing I've noticed is that a) it's expensive to get started, and b) there's a lot more TLC that goes into making your own home brews from scratch. When you all take notes on your home brews (if you do) do you use any tech aps on your phone or tablets, or websites? If so, which ones do you use? Or do you guys just use pen and paper to take your notes? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Do what I do. Live near a craft brewery. I do. I live about 15 miles from Dust Bowl brewery, and there are some really good restaurants nearby that have some good crafts on tap. There's something about making it yourself though. It's enticing, and making me thirsty. I make my own wine, I assume it's a similar process, but more of a longer investment of time... I use a note pad... I thought about doing wine too, but I'm gonna master the beer first. It's pretty safe to say that there are a few more wineries in my area than breweries haha. there are easy ways to cut down on the expense...goodwill, craigslist, yard sales for brewing vessels, and glass carboys...grocery stores/donus shops for plastic fermenters...save your bottles after you drink beer...then you have the investments you can't avoid, capper, hydrometer etc, but those can be found for cheap....the raw ingredients can get pricey, but that's when you have to break it down on a per case basis, figure one batch = 60(?) bottles, 2.5 cases. Homebrew club members are also great resources for unused dust cluttering equipment I actually never thought about Goodwill, or Craigslist. I'll check them out for sure! My mom gave me 5 stainless steel stock pots to use for the cooking process, but the largest holds 5 gallons max. I need to get a 6.5-7.5 gallon stock pot so I can make a full 5 gallon batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 keep in mind, starting out you don't need to boil the full 5 gallons...you can boil 2.5 to 3 gallons and top off in the fermenting bucket with the remaining water and still get excellent results I do. I live about 15 miles from Dust Bowl brewery, and there are some really good restaurants nearby that have some good crafts on tap. There's something about making it yourself though. It's enticing, and making me thirsty. I thought about doing wine too, but I'm gonna master the beer first. It's pretty safe to say that there are a few more wineries in my area than breweries haha. I actually never thought about Goodwill, or Craigslist. I'll check them out for sure! My mom gave me 5 stainless steel stock pots to use for the cooking process, but the largest holds 5 gallons max. I need to get a 6.5-7.5 gallon stock pot so I can make a full 5 gallon batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 keep in mind, starting out you don't need to boil the full 5 gallons...you can boil 2.5 to 3 gallons and top off in the fermenting bucket with the remaining water and still get excellent results This is true, he will just need to adjust his hop additions accordingly since hop utilization is related to boil volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 This is true, he will just need to adjust his hop additions accordingly since hop utilization is related to boil volume. Right on! Do you guys treat your water or just take it straight from tap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 i've always used tap water. Right on! Do you guys treat your water or just take it straight from tap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Right on! Do you guys treat your water or just take it straight from tap? I filter mine to remove chlorine right before brewing, but you can also just collect your brewing water the day before your brew and let it sit overnight to allow chlorine to dissipate naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 How long does it take to make a batch of beer? This sounds fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 How long does it take to make a batch of beer? This sounds fun! Depends on the style and carbonation method. If you're bottling you can brew styles like brown and blonde ales that are ready in about a month. If kegging and force carbonating those same styles, they can be ready to drink in as little as two weeks. In general the higher gravity beers take more patience before they are ready to drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefan66 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 It's actually pretty easy to get into it. I am a low level hobbyist and pretty much have used just kits so far. Come with the ingredients and instructions. Used Brewers Best and have had good luck. Also used a kit from Niagara Traditions and it worked well also. A beginners kit can run you a little more the $100, kits about $40. For bottles I use what I drink from and have purchased bottles from Consumers for the deposit cost - just be careful to grab the cleanest. Hate to say because he is kinda goofy, but Craigtube on YouTube actually is very helpful. Corny, but informative for a beginning brewer. Watch his older stuff first. Also, a bunch of other good stuff on YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Wow, that's a lot quicker than wine!!! My wine takes 8-12 months... I would also drink it much faster, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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