What'cha brewin'? (Homebrew thread)

[Evil Cheese]

Since it seems like there a number of us that are into homebrew these days, I thought it might be a good to start at thread on it. Share your recipes, current projects, brewing setups, results, brew logs, etc. here. All styles of homebrew are welcome, whether it's beer, wine, mead, spirits, root beer, or other.




I'll post mine when I get a few minutes.

[HeK]

Not really defined as a wine, brew or whatever, but spiked juice (cheapo fruit wine... kinda) is nice on hot summer days.

Take a gallon of fruit juice, make sure there is enough sugar, about 20 grams or more per 250ml serving. Add more if required.
Add a packet of champagne yeast and cap with a sterilized stopper and airlock.

Allow to ferment for ~4-5 days. Keep out of the sun, in the ~20 C degree range.

Rack into two PET 2L bottles (soft drink bottles) and store in the fridge for another two days.

You'll get a fizzy beverage sitting in the 4-6% ABV range. It doesn't hurt to rack again after sitting in the fridge.

Welches grape juice works well, as do most fruit juices.

[Evil Cheese]

My first homebrew was an "American Light" Mr. Beer brew kit, which should be finished bottle carbonating this weekend. While I don't think it will be undrinkable, I don't have high hopes for this batch. It was definitely an ale yeast, and since most "American light" beers are actually lagers, I'm guessing that means some kind of blond ale. However I couldn't smell hops at all when I was boiling it and it smelled sweet when I was bottling it so I have a feeling it's going to turn out to be too sweet for my tastes.

Well that got me interesting in doing something a bit more complex so I got a couple of brewing books to read up on. Last weekend I got some proper equipment from a local homebrew shop and I decided to brew a bock (I know, not ideal for a newbie but I wanted a challenge). The recipe I used is as follows:

6.6 lbs of Munich Malt LME
1.5 lbs of (pilsen) light DME
1 lb 80L crystal malt
2 lbs chocolate malt
1 oz Hallertau hops @ 45 min
1 tsp Irish moss (I substituted a whirlfloc tablet) @ 15 min
1 vial WLP833 yeast

Ferment @ 50°F for 3 weeks
Rack and lager @ 35°F for 4 weeks

OG: 1.068
FG: 1.018
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 24
color: 41 SRM (holy crap!)

I hit the OG right on, but due to a faulty digital thermometer the boil ended up being below 200°F for all but the beginning so I'm a little worried about how it's going to turn out. However since it was brewed with mostly extract and it will have plenty of time to age, I'm fairly optimistic at this point. I also didn't realize at first how dark is was going to be, 40+ SRM is usually what stouts register at and this definitely looks dark enough to be a stout when I put it in the fermenter.

[kaese]

I used to make kombucha. Does that count? haha.

[Evil Cheese]

I used to make kombucha. Does that count? haha.

Sure it does. What was your process like? How did it turn out?

[Didzo]

I made a Winogradsky Column once. Does that count?

[Squishy3]

PSP homebrew is awesome

[Luinbariel]

Makin' my mead.

Here's the recipe (for 5 gallons):

15 lbs honey (7kgs)
5 lbs peaches
4.5 cups orange juice
3 packs Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne yeast
4.5 campden tablets
2.5 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient
1.25 tsp wine tannin
5 tsp acid blend

Heat the water in a pot (I had to use two, it's a lot of water...).
add the honey, but DO NOT BOIL IT. Bring it to about 160F for 10-15 minutes.
Skim shit from the top if needed
Let it cool to room temperature, and stir it VERY well.
Add to carboy/fermentation pail
Add OJ, acid blend, tannins, campden tablets (crushed), yeast nutrient
DO NOT ADD YEAST YET
stir well, put on airlock, let it sit for 24 hours.

24 for hours later

Start the yeast (use packet instructions)
Once it's ready, add it to the rest and stir
Return airlock, put carboy in a dark place.

Wait until the fermentation slows down... looking for about 1 bubble every 30 seconds. You should check gravity at this point too.

Then rack off into another clean carboy. In my recipe, this is when I'll add the fruit.

Rack once a month from then on.
Bottle eventually (six months or so later)

[A. Crow]

I usually just brew up Trouble. 

[kaese]

I haven't made any in a really long time so I've forgotten the specific steps.
I do remember forgetting about it in the cupboard and getting a SCOBY that was an inch thick.

These are the general steps I followed though (in case anyone else is interested):
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kom...ome-173858

[Luinbariel]

Ok, moved my mead from the first carboy into the second, onto some sliced peaches.



It's pretty damned strong at the moment. I'm hoping it'll mellow with time; it IS very very early in the process for mead. And I'm hoping it'll finish with a nice peach flavour... It's also a bit dry as I let it go too far before moving it. I waited too long...

[Evil Cheese]

Another lesson learned: if you're brewing a lager, especially one with a high original gravity (1.050+), make a big yeast starter. I had a ~3.5 day lag time before the yeast started actively fermenting. Hopefully a diacetyl rest at the end of primary fermentation will help mellow it out a bit. Well at least I'm learning when I make a mistake.

[Luinbariel]

Color comparison:

Before peaches

After two days with peaches in

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

That is going to be so good, Luin.

[Gasman]

Color comparison:

Before peaches

After two days with peaches in

Is a small batch of this going to be at ACEN? If so I really want to try some of it.

[Luinbariel]

[quote author=Luinbariel link=topic=6750.msg261414#msg261414 date=1359926213]
Color comparison:

Before peaches

After two days with peaches in

Is a small batch of this going to be at ACEN? If so I really want to try some of it.
[/quote]

Maybe. I'm not sure it's going to be drinkable/bottleable by that time. Mead is a pretty slow-going business.


Also I really hope so, Karrde.

[Evil Cheese]

Tried out my "American Light" Mr. Beer kit last weekend and as expected it came out pretty lame. It had very little body or character at all, and just a slight amount of sweetness. Basically little more than bitter water. The bitterness is actually what stood out the most, which is funny considering the style it was trying to emulate. I got a little bit of an ester flavor and while it didn't taste sharp or solvent-like, I did get a bit of a headache after having only one bottle and tasting a few others which makes me think there was a relatively high amount of fusel alcohol. I attribute this to high fermentation temps and lack of temperature control, as the ambient temp could have easily been 70+°F during fermentation. We put a few bottles in the fridge right after about two weeks in the bottle at room temp and left rest out. The ones that were left out in room temp for three weeks seemed to have a bit more flavor and better head retention (likely more carbonated) than the ones we had put in the fridge right at two weeks. See pics below.

Bottled for two weeks @ room temp then in the fridge for one week:






Bottled for three weeks @ room temp:






Lessons learned:
* Use better temp control during fermentation (find a spot that has a relatively consistent ambient temp away from sunlight and ensure that it is below 70°F)
* Don't use pre-hopped extract kits if you want more control over how the beer turns out
* Use a viable yeast strain that goes with the style of beer you're brewing and make sure it is reasonably fresh. Stay away from using the yeast taped to the top of the extract kit cans as it could be old and less viable.
* Rehydrate dry yeast in warm water before you pitch it (proofing isn't necessary)
* While Mr. Beer is great way to get someone interested in homebrewing, proper brewing equipment (such as fermentation buckets or plastic carboys) and ingredients (high quality extract kits with specialty grains and hop pellets) can be purchased for about the same if not a bit more and the results will be much better.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Listen to evil cheese, this man speaks the truth.  Up on deck for brew day tomorrow.  Batch #1 of "Gay Uncle Karrde's Bigger Blacker IPA"

Grains: 1/4  lb light roasted barley, 3/4 lb crystal 50-60 grains. 1/2 lb debittered black barley (mostly for color).
Steep: 30 mins @158 degrees F
Boil: 60 minutes
Malt: 12 lbs gold LME
Yeast: 2x White Labs British ale yeast #005 (Wyeast British ale #1098) - High pitch rate should help get high ABV and make up for issues this is going to have with attenuation.  I bet this drives fermentation quickly.
Hops: Bittering: 2 oz Willamette for 60 min, Flavor: 2 oz Centenial at 30 minutes, Aroma: 1 oz Centenial, 2 oz Kent Goldings at 55 min.
Primary fermentation: 1 week.
Secondary fermentation: add oak chips, age 2 weeks. Dry Hop with whole leaf centential hops during last 3-5 days of secondary.
Bottle condition: 5-6 weeks.
Cold condition: as long as possible.

The goal here is to create a malt forward British style IPA that's still hoppy, though heavier on the floral and less on the bitter.

Still looking for a pre bottling cold crash solution as I don't have space for a second fridge.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Dopplepost.  Brewed it today.  Looks pretty dark but next time I think I need to add even more debittered black.  Also, managed to make enough space in the fridge to fit the carboy.  My fridge is now more beer than food.  This hobby is taking over the apartment (Half my bedroom closet is filled with brewing paraphenalia)  So I'll be bottling the first run of BRBBrew soon.  I still had time for a do over if needed.

*edit*

Also Cheese, if you use liquid yeast, assuming the yeast are viable you don't need to do a starter.  Whyeast and White Labs make good liquid yeast varieties.  The smack packs need to be smacked and left for like 5 hours, white labs stuff you just leave out for like 5 hours to warm up and actiavte.  Then you just direct pitch into the wort.

[Evil Cheese]

Karrde link=topic=6750.msg261991#msg261991 date=1360888768]
Dopplepost.  Brewed it today.  Looks pretty dark but next time I think I need to add even more debittered black.  Also, managed to make enough space in the fridge to fit the carboy.  My fridge is now more beer than food.  This hobby is taking over the apartment (Half my bedroom closet is filled with brewing paraphenalia)  So I'll be bottling the first run of BRBBrew soon.  I still had time for a do over if needed.

*edit*

Also Cheese, if you use liquid yeast, assuming the yeast are viable you don't need to do a starter.  Whyeast and White Labs make good liquid yeast varieties.  The smack packs need to be smacked and left for like 5 hours, white labs stuff you just leave out for like 5 hours to warm up and actiavte.  Then you just direct pitch into the wort.

I've seen people claiming both. A lot of people say that for ales you can just pitch from the vial. Others say that for lagers (cold fermentation temps) and high OG (1.050+) beers you should use a starter or pitch multiple vials so that there are enough cells to keep the yeast from getting stressed and it can start fermenting sooner (rather than reproducing and having a chance to add off flavors in the form of diacetyl and fusel alcohol). Here's a thread that recommends it and John Palmer also recommends it in How to Brew as well. Considering that I had a 3-4 day lag time on my lager before I got any krausen, I'm inclined to agree.