OT: Any home brewers here?

[JoeSchmoe]

I used to make hard cider for many years. I stopped around the same time I had kids, but kept my stuff. Back then I always thought beer was too much work.

Then a couple months back I saw a YouTube clip on the Brew in a Bag method. I ordered a mesh bag off Amazon, got some ingredients from a homebrew store, and pulled out my old stuff. Some of my BBQ thermometers and outdoor frying equipment came in handy too.

For my first batch I went with an Amber Ale. I thought it was okay, but everyone else really liked it. 

My second batch I've got fermenting is an IPA. I'm hoping it doesn't turn out too hoppy as I went for flavour over bitterness. 

My next batch will be a lighter American Wheat Beer like Blue Moon, but I think I'd like to try to sub out another flavour for the orange. Maybe lemon or lime? Any ideas? I'm thinking I'll shoot for maybe 4% over 5% as I want this to be a drink by the pool beer.

Anyone else into the hobby? Any recipes or stories to share?

[Weave]

I was heavy into the hobby until about a decade ago.  Enjoy.  Its a black hole of time and empty calories LOL.

I made a 15 gal brewery in my garage.  Had 3 taps running in the house. And was buying barley in 50lb sacks.  Toyed with business plans to open a brewery, but never had the courage to leave a very good job to do it.

I brewed for about 15yrs, gained 40lbs, scalded the hair off my left leg permanently, and loved doing it.  I started it because when I was 30 the local beer market was almost entirely macro lagers, and if I wanted something else I had to buy it.  Today I have 3 breweries with 10 miles of me in a very rural area.  Beer variety is everywhere, so I don’t have to make it anymore. And I’ve lost 25 of the 40lbs since I quit.

 

Dive in feet first.  Geek out on it.  Learn the chemistry.  Its a blast.

[JoeSchmoe]

15gal! Wow... no way I could drink that much beer, but it would be fun to make. I could see how having convenient beer on tap all the time would cause a weight gain though.

I have a 5 gallon pot I bought for boiling corn, so my batch size will be limited by that. My first batch was 2 gallons, this next batch is 3. The American Wheat will be up closer to 5 as I'll mash it out stronger, then water it down during cooling to get more volume. The hard part will be bottling as I've only got 3gal worth of bottles now. I was considering buying some cheap used growlers. Would I have to buy new caps for them or are the caps reusable?

[LTS]

My story is much like Weave's.

I started with buckets in my townhouse about 25 years ago.  Gradually worked my way up to a 30 gallon stainless, propane system with a 15G conical.  Had the conical on a stand in a freezer with a temp control that would either kick in the freezer or engage an electric heat wrap as needed.

Buddy and I went our separate ways and I assembled another 20G system at my house.  I don't have the conical.  It has sat there for years because I just don't have the time and frankly there is beer everywhere now and I can find something to drink.  I still have a 3-4 tap kegerator sitting here as well but nothing in it.

I'm trying to sell all of it.. not sure I will ever go back to brewing and if I did I would convert to electric.  Either I'd drill into the stainless and put in heating that way or use conduction but on 30G that's a tough call.  

I brewed a ton of beer, enjoyed the hell out of it. Gave a ton away. Toyed with jumping into the brew business but couldn't take the financial risk at the time.  I had some of the top brewers in the area giving my beer compliments so I felt like I was doing okay (they weren't just being nice, they would critique and did on some less good batches). 

It's a great hobby and I still sometimes wish I had the desire to do it more just so I can make some things you never find but the time and desire just isn't there any more.

Wanna upgrade?
 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/818539939096551

Edited July 19 by LTS

[JoeSchmoe]

For me, the draw is the suspense of not knowing what the beer is going to taste like until close to a month after you put the work in. It's like a kid waiting for Christmas.

I don't think I'll ever graduate away from BIAB and get into what you guys have done, nor would my wife sign off on it. It'd be nice to have a tap, but I seriously fear Weave's story, and my willpower not to grab a pint or two with dinner is not very good. If I did, at most I could see myself getting something like this as it would easily fit in the spare fridge.

https://www.vevor.ca/beer-mini-keg-c_10709/vevor-beer-growler-tap-system-170oz-5l-mini-keg-304-stainless-steel-pressurized-beer-growler-keg-growler-with-pressure-display-co2-regulator-faucet-leak-proof-ring-for-draft-homebrew-craft-beer-p_010690630801

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

I'm intrigued but never got into it. But I have let regular apple cider go bad.

[steveoath]

Never brewed as there are just so many great beers available now that I couldn't justify the setup. However, I would like to have a go a making mead. Golden Hive kits seem like a reasonable starting point. 

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Never brewed as there are just so many great beers available now that I couldn't justify the setup. However, I would like to have a go a making mead. Golden Hive kits seem like a reasonable starting point. 

I'm not sure what size that fermentation vessel is, but it looks like that mead kit has everything you need to make beer except a pot, a mesh bag, and a thermometer. If you've already got a large pot and a decent digital thermometer, the bag is less than $10 on Amazon.

As an aside, I've never tried mead. Is there something to compare it to flavour wise?

 

[5th line wingnutt]

16 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

[snip]

My next batch will be a lighter American Wheat Beer like Blue Moon, but I think I'd like to try to sub out another flavour for the orange. Maybe lemon or lime? Any ideas? I'm thinking I'll shoot for maybe 4% over 5% as I want this to be a drink by the pool beer.

Anyone else into the hobby? Any recipes or stories to share?

I got into brewing about 1990.  I used to make a mean cherry wheat beer.  Just follow your wheat beer recipe until you ready to pitch the yeast.  Pour in one bottle of R.W. Knudsen black cherry concentrate.  

Pitch the yeast and continue with your recipe.  Very subtle cherry flavor; more on the nose than the palate.

[JoeSchmoe]

10 minutes ago, 5th line wingnutt said:

I got into brewing about 1990.  I used to make a mean cherry wheat beer.  Just follow your wheat beer recipe until you ready to pitch the yeast.  Pour in one bottle of R.W. Knudsen black cherry concentrate.  

Pitch the yeast and continue with your recipe.  Very subtle cherry flavor; more on the nose than the palate.

Great idea! Thanks! There's a place near here that sells cherry concentrate. It's not cheap, but a cherry wheat sounds delicious.

[LTS]

On 7/19/2025 at 10:48 AM, JoeSchmoe said:

For me, the draw is the suspense of not knowing what the beer is going to taste like until close to a month after you put the work in. It's like a kid waiting for Christmas.

I don't think I'll ever graduate away from BIAB and get into what you guys have done, nor would my wife sign off on it. It'd be nice to have a tap, but I seriously fear Weave's story, and my willpower not to grab a pint or two with dinner is not very good. If I did, at most I could see myself getting something like this as it would easily fit in the spare fridge.

https://www.vevor.ca/beer-mini-keg-c_10709/vevor-beer-growler-tap-system-170oz-5l-mini-keg-304-stainless-steel-pressurized-beer-growler-keg-growler-with-pressure-display-co2-regulator-faucet-leak-proof-ring-for-draft-homebrew-craft-beer-p_010690630801

 

 

Yeah, the yeast and locking in fermentation temps makes a big difference.  However, if you brew long enough you get a sense of what it will taste like.  Now, if you are not paranoid about sanitizing then you really are in for the unexpected.

I was more concerned about sanitizing surfaces than I was measuring anything or timing, etc.  It was a small price to pay to make sure I didn't completely waste money and time.  All hoses, connectors, etc. sat in a bucket of sanitizer. All work was performed on a stainless steel table that was sanitized. Never had an infected batch.. whew.

The times I wish I brew now are for times when I get a hankering for something brewers just don't make.  Things like Juniper Wit Beer, Baltic Porter, Foreign Extra Stout, coconut IPA, etc.

Until the past year I might have thrown west coast IPA into that list but thankfully places around here are making those again... it was only a matter of time before someone decided 72 hazy IPAs didn't provide enough differentiation to matter.

Hell, Birdhouse Brewing in Honeoye has a Grodziskie on tap.  That's something you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere.  So I've been down there a bit more often than usual because it's an incredible style.  Abandon has a Peppercorn Saison on tap.. that belongs in my list above as well.  Saisons, really good ones, are too hard to find and Peppercorn Saison is amazing for summer.  I brought a 4 pack home after visiting.. because driving an hour to get the beer on tap really doesn't make financial sense. 🙂

[steveoath]

23 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

As an aside, I've never tried mead. Is there something to compare it to flavour wise?

I’m no connoisseur, but the varieties I have tried are quite simple. Imagine a honey wine. I am interested in adding other ingredients during the process to make different flavours. There are lots of YT channels that illustrate the process (including the aforementioned Golden Hive mead). 

[JoeSchmoe]

2 hours ago, LTS said:

Until the past year I might have thrown west coast IPA into that list but thankfully places around here are making those again... it was only a matter of time before someone decided 72 hazy IPAs didn't provide enough differentiation to matter.

You couldn't have said that better. Hazy IPAs are so overrated. I don't mind the odd one but its gotten out of hand. 

[steveoath]

What’s the pricing like on your side of the pond for IPAs etc? It’s getting ridiculous with some companies charging £5 a 440ml can in the supermarket. (6-7$). Fortunately our low cost supermarkets have made partnerships with some of the smaller brewers and keep prices reasonable. Tonight’s tipples come from the north east of Scotland - Peterhead (known as the blue toon). 
 

[JoeSchmoe]

Here in Ontario a pint of IPA is running about $4CAD. Some a bit less some a bit more.

2 hours ago, LTS said:

I was more concerned about sanitizing surfaces than I was measuring anything or timing, etc

I learned this from my cider making days. I was meticulous, while my friends that also made it (as a group) were c'est la vie. I can still remember two of their batches... 

One was drinkable but it had a BBQ sauce aftertaste. Another was so bad that no one would even touch the stuff unless they were way beyond the point of caring, but there was nothing else to drink.

On the other hand, people would tell me they liked my cider better than the stuff you can buy. I would make mine hard and dry, sometimes adding a few cans of frozen raspberry or cranberry juice concentrate. 

[JoeSchmoe]

On 7/19/2025 at 4:19 PM, 5th line wingnutt said:

I got into brewing about 1990.  I used to make a mean cherry wheat beer.  Just follow your wheat beer recipe until you ready to pitch the yeast.  Pour in one bottle of R.W. Knudsen black cherry concentrate.  

Pitch the yeast and continue with your recipe.  Very subtle cherry flavor; more on the nose than the palate.

So the cherry wheat is in the fermenter. I bought a 750ml bottle for cherry concentrate and used about a 1/3 of it to somewhat match the 236ml shown on your bottle. I was kinda hoping the colour would be a bit more subtle.... There's no mistaking this is a cherry beer. I actually didn't realize how much impact the cherry would have on the colour so I had added a 1/4lb of Crystal 120L to the 10lb grain bill to redden it. Looks like it didn't need it, but it does provide a bit of a fruity flavour anyhow.

Hopefully the taste will be subtle as you said. In reading recipes online, that seems to be the consensus.

Edit: Here it is brewing up in my old dungeon of a basement. Everything is pretty stirred up by the active yeast... the cherry hues are somewhat muted by yeast and hops colouring.

Edited 23 hours ago by JoeSchmoe

[5th line wingnutt]

5 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

So the cherry wheat is in the fermenter. I bought a 750ml bottle for cherry concentrate and used about a 1/3 of it to somewhat match the 236ml shown on your bottle. I was kinda hoping the colour would be a bit more subtle.... There's no mistaking this is a cherry beer. I actually didn't realize how much impact the cherry would have on the colour so I had added a 1/4lb of Crystal 120L to the 10lb grain bill to redden it. Looks like it didn't need it, but it does provide a bit of a fruity flavour anyhow.

Hopefully the taste will be subtle as you said. In reading recipes online, that seems to be the consensus.

Edit: Here it is brewing up in my old dungeon of a basement. Everything is pretty stirred up by the active yeast... the cherry hues are somewhat muted by yeast and hops colouring.

Woo-Hoo!  Looks good.  I like fruity beer but most of the commercial fruit beers taste more like soda pop than beer.  Sometimes less is more.  Hope it tastes great.

[LTS]

18 hours ago, 5th line wingnutt said:

Woo-Hoo!  Looks good.  I like fruity beer but most of the commercial fruit beers taste more like soda pop than beer.  Sometimes less is more.  Hope it tastes great.

Yeah, hopefully you're going after more of the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat than today's fruit bombs.  Cherry Wheat is probably the beer that fully opened the path to non-lager drinking.  I was drinking some craft before then but once out of college things changed. Playing hockey late nights and then going to Doc and Den's in Tonawanda, they always had Cherry Wheat and I got onto that and never looked back.  I haven't had one of those in a long time now and I have no desire to either.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

49 minutes ago, LTS said:

Yeah, hopefully you're going after more of the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat than today's fruit bombs.  Cherry Wheat is probably the beer that fully opened the path to non-lager drinking.  I was drinking some craft before then but once out of college things changed. Playing hockey late nights and then going to Doc and Den's in Tonawanda, they always had Cherry Wheat and I got onto that and never looked back.  I haven't had one of those in a long time now and I have no desire to either.

 

I definitely don't want a fruit bomb. I'm hoping for a Blue Moon level of fruit flavour, only with cherry instead of orange. 

[PromoTheRobot]

My neighbor ran a microbrewery in a garage for a few years. It was successful until his brother hijacked the company and built a fancy brewpub that they lost their ass on. I've been meaning to ask if he still owns the recipes because he made some awesome stuff. His Berliner Weisse was A+.

[JoeSchmoe]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

My neighbor ran a microbrewery in a garage for a few years. It was successful until his brother hijacked the company and built a fancy brewpub that they lost their ass on. I've been meaning to ask if he still owns the recipes because he made some awesome stuff. His Berliner Weisse was A+.

I love German wheat beers. Good on your neighbour for brewing something other than the ubiquitous hazy IPAs that plague the whole craft beer scene. 

[JoeSchmoe]

Here's the last batch I bottled on Tuesday. My daughter made me the labels for our trip to the Adirondacks (we leave tomorrow). TBH they could use a bit more bottle time, but I'll be damned if I don't drink an "Adirondack Pale Ale" in the Adirondacks. By the last day or two of the trip, I'm sure they'll be fine.