Home Brewer question

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:01 am

As far as basic startup homebrewing equipment, what is the preferred startup equipment, mostly, should I invest in carboys or just use buckets instead?

I was thinking of heading up to Tigemeier's to look at their startup kits and see what they recomend. Are there any must see stores that anybody recommends? I prefer to shop locally until I get enough experience to know what I am getting from internet sources.

I also have two homebrewing books that I have been reading, "Idiot's guide" and "Extreme Brewing"

Thanks all.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:09 am

As far as local shops Titgemeier's & Black Swamp Bootleggers are pretty much your only options, as far as I know.

Personally I MUCH, MUCH, MUCH prefer Titgemeier's. The guys in there are great, their selection is pretty good on equipment & ingredients, their prices are competitive with online shops, and most of their employees have brewing experience. They will be more than willing to give you a hand and work with you.

The basic starter kit will give you a fermentation bucket, bottle brush, bottle capper, bottling bucket, siphoning equipment, and a bottle filler. It may have some sanitizer and stuff like that in there as well, but I'm not sure. It will not include any ingredients, bottles, or a fermentation vessel. When I started, I purchased the basic kit, plus a "Better Bottle" (plastic carboy) for secondary ferments. I'd also recommend brewing your first batch off an ingredient kit. Get one of the Brewer's Best ingredient kits they sell there, it will have steeping grains, extract, hops, yeast, and bottling sugar all enclosed with easy instructions to follow.

There really isn't a whole lot more to it. Grab a basic kit & an ingredient kit. Adding a carboy or additional bucket for secondary fermentation will make for clearer beer in the final product, I've always done it. I'd also grab some StarSan sanitizer. It's a concentrated acid based sanitizer, that doesn't require rinsing like bleach or other sanitizers do. I just keep a large tub in my garage filled with starsan so I can sanitize whatever I want whenever I want

Man, I really need to stop being so lazy and brew a batch...I haven't brewed in about 6 months, and I'm completely out of homebrew

Post by **ZiggyZoomba** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:45 am

hammb wrote: Man, I really need to stop being so lazy and brew a batch...I haven't brewed in about 6 months, and I'm completely out of homebrew

That's disgusting!!

I'm as excited about trying the barleywine as I am about having the baby. Well... no... maybe not... but I AM excited about trying the barleywine!

VDub26Falcon · Post by **VDub26Falcon** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:27 pm

Yeah Grant, we know you're WAY more excited about the Barleywine

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:32 pm

ZiggyZoomba wrote:
hammb wrote: Man, I really need to stop being so lazy and brew a batch...I haven't brewed in about 6 months, and I'm completely out of homebrew
That's disgusting!!

I'm as excited about trying the barleywine as I am about having the baby. Well... no... maybe not... but I AM excited about trying the barleywine!

It really is disgusting. I don't brew too much in the summer months because I don't have a good way to control the fermentation temperatures. If I don't babysit the fermenters packing them in ice water constantly they just don't taste right. As fall has arrived I've just been too damn lazy to brew. I know, that's awfully sad.

It's not the brewing that I'm too lazy for, every time I think about brewing I get excited. Then I remember all the cleanup work that goes with it and I say screw it

MajorFalcon92 · Post by **MajorFalcon92** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:53 am

I get some of my stuff from here.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/

They have a really good Belgian Blonde Ale that is worth a look.

Also, some basic kits to give you an idea what you will need.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/HOME_BRE ... 80C156.cfm

I keg most of my homebrew and cider, but when I use bottles, I recommond getting an older type capper you may see in antique shops. They hold up much better than those plastic type IMO.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:37 pm

Alright, I am getting closer. I have been sampling different ales to figure out what style to make my first home brew. SNPA is quite popular so I tried it, hop flavor was good, but I thought a little dry to my taste. Tried Anchor Steam, it was ok. Really liked Midas Touch, ouch! (just bought one bottle).

Is there an ale (style please) that is a less dry than SNPA that I should try? I should note that I don't mind drinking beer, but I would like to limit how many different styles that I try.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:28 pm

SNPA is, obviously, an American Pale Ale. It's heavily hopped with Cascade hops. It's one of my favorite "mainstream" type ales.

If you want something that is less dry maybe you should try an IPA? They're usually higher in alcohol, sweetness, and hoppiness.

When it comes to Pale Ales I love the Bell's offerings. Their Pale Ale is very good, and would be similar to SNPA, but better, IMO. Their IPA is called Two Hearted and is one of my favorite beers.

DogFishHead brewery has a series of Pale Ales that are of escalating strengths. 60 minute & 90 minute (there is a 120 also, but never tried it). 60 minute is closer to SNPA (although still more powerful, IMO), and 90 would be quite a bit stronger. 60 is lighter, less hoppy, and drier than 90, IMO. Both are fantastic beers though.

Stone brewery rocks as well with Arrogant Bastard, Pale Ale, and an IPA. All are hoppy, and sweet. They're also much bigger and more powerful than SNPA, IMO. All are worth a try though.

Those are the ones that jump into my head immediately. They're all in the same family as SNPA, but are much better, IMO. They're also not nearly as mainstream as SNPA. If you're just sampling, though, you should be able to find any of these at Joseph's or Andersons in single bottle sizes. The Stone offerings are likely to be the large 24 oz. bottles though that will be higher priced than the others.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 9:48 pm

hammb wrote:Stone brewery rocks as well with Arrogant Bastard, Pale Ale, and an IPA. All are hoppy, and sweet. They're also much bigger and more powerful than SNPA, IMO. All are worth a try though.

I have been looking for Arrogant Bastard but have been unable to locate it(did not realize it was made by Stone Brewery). I will try the IPAs and see what I think of them.

I purchased Pilsner Urquel and SNPA at Maumee Anderson's from the shelf and the Pilsner had an off flavor, does this seem fairly common for room temp stored beer or is this a product of the clear glass bottle and fluorescent lighting?

One thing I have been reading about and tried this sunmmer that I would like to brew is Mead. Have you attempted any meads or melomels(is that the right word)?

Don't tell Grant but I have been hanging around this http://forum.northernbrewer.com/ website also, shhhhhh he might think I don't appreciate ...... oh wait that's GB

. There are some incredible kegerators on that website, If this hobby goes as well as I hope I plan on converting a small fridge for dispensing and lagering.

Last thing for the evening, do any of you use the grolsch swingtops for bottling? I believe I have saved up enough for a 5 gallon batch. I thought it would be nice for 16 oz. beers instead of 12oz.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:28 pm

Andersons and Josephs both carry Arrogant Bastard most of the time. In sixers they also sell an oak barrel aged version that I like even better. Very good beer.

I'm not a fan of Pilsner, really, but it shouldn't be skunky. If it's in clear bottles though, that would explain it. Personally I'm not a fan of most import beers. There are so many great craft breweries in the US, I usually stick with that. Most imports seem to taste poor because they just aren't as afresh as the American beers are.

I have never brewed a mead. As much as I love honey, I do not care for it fermented. Don't care for mead, and have disliked nearly every beer I've had that claimed honey as an ingredient.

For brewing stuff I usually hang around www.brewboard.com

Ydfalcon · Post by **Ydfalcon** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:33 pm

hammb wrote:Andersons and Josephs both carry Arrogant Bastard most of the time. In sixers they also sell an oak barrel aged version that I like even better. Very good beer.

Arrogant Bastard is a very very good beer, and it's seasonal (Late Fall/Early Winter release) big brother, Double Bastard is excellent as well (exactly what it sounds like, two times just about everything that makes Arrogant Bastard what it is). I haven't tried the oaked version yet but I have been meaning to.
Also, Stone's Ruination IPA is great if your a serious lover of hops, but you do really have to be a serious lover, because if you're not, the "ruination" part of the name will come to bear on you. Or so I have been told by friends, as I really enjoyed the beer, but then again, I love hoppy brews, so that might explain it.

As for availability, the Wine/Cigar Aficionado shop in the shopping center just on the other side of 475 from Levis Commons (the same shopping center as Basset's Market) always carries a good variety of Stone brews as well as some other really really good craft brews from various places around the world.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:41 am

Ydfalcon wrote:
hammb wrote:Andersons and Josephs both carry Arrogant Bastard most of the time. In sixers they also sell an oak barrel aged version that I like even better. Very good beer.
Arrogant Bastard is a very very good beer, and it's seasonal (Late Fall/Early Winter release) big brother, Double Bastard is excellent as well (exactly what it sounds like, two times just about everything that makes Arrogant Bastard what it is). I haven't tried the oaked version yet but I have been meaning to.
Also, Stone's Ruination IPA is great if your a serious lover of hops, but you do really have to be a serious lover, because if you're not, the "ruination" part of the name will come to bear on you. Or so I have been told by friends, as I really enjoyed the beer, but then again, I love hoppy brews, so that might explain it.

As for availability, the Wine/Cigar Aficionado shop in the shopping center just on the other side of 475 from Levis Commons (the same shopping center as Basset's Market) always carries a good variety of Stone brews as well as some other really really good craft brews from various places around the world.

thanks for the tip.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 1:12 pm

Finally stopped by Titgemeire's, they seem to have a nice selection of homebrew supplies. Hard to judge as that is my first stop at a home brew store. Picked up a starter kit, better bottle, funnel, and a Kolsch kit. I figure I am several weeks out so I didn't purchase any bottles yet. That way I can go back without my wife watching the wallet.

Tried some Stone's AB and Ruination, welllllll lets just say I'm not ready for them. I liked the Ruination better than AB but it will be a while before I try them again.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:41 pm

oaklane2 wrote:Finally stopped by Titgemeire's, they seem to have a nice selection of homebrew supplies. Hard to judge as that is my first stop at a home brew store. Picked up a starter kit, better bottle, funnel, and a Kolsch kit. I figure I am several weeks out so I didn't purchase any bottles yet. That way I can go back without my wife watching the wallet.

Tried some Stone's AB and Ruination, welllllll lets just say I'm not ready for them. I liked the Ruination better than AB but it will be a while before I try them again.

Sounds like you're ready to start brewing!

I didn't like Arrogant Bastard at all the first time I tried it. I had just gotten into home brewing and wasn't really ready for beers with that much hop intensity. As I got into brewing and beer I started to really develop a taste for the really hoppy beers. Now they're by far my favorite types of beers, and Arrogant Bastard is a very good example.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:16 pm

[quote="hammb
Sounds like you're ready to start brewing!
I didn't like Arrogant Bastard at all the first time I tried it. I had just gotten into home brewing and wasn't really ready for beers with that much hop intensity. As I got into brewing and beer I started to really develop a taste for the really hoppy beers. Now they're by far my favorite types of beers, and Arrogant Bastard is a very good example.[/quote]

That I am. My parents stopped by to see the gandkids after their christmas purchases and dropped off a porcelain 30 qt stockpot so I can begin boiling at will! The last thing I need to do is put together a place where it can ferment in peace and quiet. A hard thing to find in this house.