TSC Homebrewing Thread

[OpusX]

Well, it is time for an officially unofficial thread to discuss, post, and generally inquire about the wonderful art of homebrewing. There are so many various types of home fermentations, from the highly alcoholic to the deliciously savory, and I think all of them deserve some investigation and experimentation.

Homebrewing is simply the art and hobby of fermentation. Beers, meads, wines, kimchi, sauerkraut, hot sauces all are forms of homebrewing.

How does one get started with this hobby? You will need some type of sanitary container that allows gasses to escape, a fermentable medium (sugars typically), yeast(s)/microbes, and time.

Lets kick this off. Have you fermented before, and what? What would you like to ferment?

 

[OpusX]

For me I brew quite a bit. Beers, meads and ciders mostly. I have a two tap keggerator in the house, and tend to keep a Beer and "Not a Beer" on tap.

In my quest for another "Not a Beer" to have on tap, my most recent ferment is the traditional wild brew of Tepache. This fun beverage is typically fermented using the wild microbes on the skin of a pineapple. Typically a combination of pineapple rind, piloncillo sugar (simlar to dark brown sugar) and perhaps cinnamon and/or clove are added.

This brew incorporates 3 whole pineapples, 4 pounds of dark brown sugar, 12oz of dark agave syrup and it is also utilizing a commercial yeast being Lalvin QA23 (which has some special magic to be discussed another time).

 

[BarberDave]

Nice idea for a thread!

 

[heysi]

YES!!!!!!!

I've homebrewed off and on for the past 25 years. I've made several beers and a few ciders. My very first beer was called Epic Fail Pale Ale because while the beer tasted like a pale ale, it was the same color as a stout. I have no idea what I did wrong, but people genuinely enjoyed the beer. I've once won the Nevada state homebrewers gold medal for best cider. I was quite proud of that. I'm planning on getting back to homebrewing as soon as we get all settled into the new house. The equipment is set aside and I just need some ingredients and the time.

I look forward to more posts on this thread.

Let's enjoy some homebrewing!!!

 

[OpusX]

while the beer tasted like a pale ale, it was the same color as a stout

You were ahead of your time. They call that "Black IPA" now

 

[Fenster]

I have only brewed beer a couple times and that was from kits, but I have done wines quite a bit. I haven't done any in several years, but I still have the equipment.

My parents still make 35-40 gallons of wine a year.

 

[heysi]

You were ahead of your time. They call that "Black IPA" now

They'll probably never give me credit.

 

[OpusX]

I have done wines quite a bit

Ciders and meads have the same general barrier to entry as wine. I do enjoy the convenience of not managing all of the mash/sparge/etc bits.

 

[BarberDave]

I have done the home brew kits, came out pretty good. Will be following this thread closely.

 

[Spider]

I have only “brewed” hot sauce. But I do have a few good recipes that are well liked.

I do want to get into mead making, which is part of the reason I’m getting into beekeeping. I’ll be sure to get with Tony when the time comes.

By the way Tony…. How’s our secret project coming? Started yet?

 

[OpusX]

By the way Tony…. How’s our secret project coming? Started yet?

I still have the bits waiting. I need to get a 3gal fermentor for the smaller batch.

 

[Spider]

I still have the bits waiting. I need to get a 3gal fermentor for the smaller batch.

Gotta love it when he says 3 gallons is a small batch! Lol.

 

[heysi]

Gotta love it when he says 3 gallons is a small batch! Lol.

My wife said the same thing.

 

[OpusX]

My wife said the same thing.

My wife is the opposite come fresh press cider season. "You're only doing 15 gallons?!"

 

[OpusX]

The airlock on the tepcahe got clogged making me think she wasnt fermenting. Nope things are going very well.

 

[OpusX]

Well I done gone and did it. I had found this "Hot Honey" at Costco and passed, but kept thinking "man I need to make some mead with that...", so I did

Meads made with hot peppers are a category known as capsicumel. Typically you add actual peppers to a mead either during the fermentation, or at the end to infuse to taste.

I am using Lalvin 71b, which is a Chardonay yeast. Ferments clean with a soft mellon and citrus vibe.

This also is a traditional full strength proportion of 3lbs of honey per gallon. Should be 14% abv or so.

This stuff has, to my burnt out palate, a gentle spice. We shall see what happens.

 

[heysi]

O.M.G!!!!

 

[Fenster]

This also is a traditional full strength proportion of 3lbs of honey per gallon. Should be 14% abv or so.

So 3lbs of honey per gallon of water is a standard for making Mead? Is that a certain Brix %? Or do you not normally use that scale?

Coming from wine making that is how I know sugar concentration.

 

[heysi]

Most homebrew is measured in original gravity using a hydrometer.

 

[Fenster]

So original gravity is the specific gravity before any fermentation takes place?