[hnybee]

I was reading in Organic Living and they had a really interesting page on organic beer. DH and I love to drink and occasional beer and we usually get the micro brew kind from trader joe's. But I've heard of people making their own. Anyone have experience with this? Is it hard? Can you pick the ingredients (healthier,organic)?

Anyone with a recipe or a link?

-Melissa

 

[WendyLouWho]

We made our own beer and mead for years before children (and after, too...until it just became too crazy!). I even won awards in our local homebrew club for some winter brews and herb brews I shared

You can control the ingredients! We always used pure grains (not the concentrated mixes you can buy) and they turned out great!

There are quite a few wonderful books out there I recommend...the Papazain book was our bible when we were starting out. I'll also throw out there our mead bible Brewing Mead: Wassail! In Mazers of Mead by Papazian and Gayre.

Have fun...it's such a great hobby. I know we'll get back into it when we have the time.

 

[farmer mama]

Dh and I are homebrewers. It is such fun, although we do it usually after the kids are in bed so we have some late nights. I would recommend looking in the phonebook and seeing if there is a homebrew store in your area. You can get books, ingredients, kits and advice. A good book to start with is The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. Suseyblue on this board is a brewer so she should weigh in here.

 

[hnybee]

This sounds like so much fun, I can't wait to get started!!

Maybe I can find one of those books on Amazon.

What is your fav???

-Melissa

 

[TigerTail]

i am a complete tyro, so my opinion ain't worth much, but i did pop open the first 'barney' ale (purple from wild blueberries!) yesterday, & they fizzed! thank god, i thought i'd have 6 gallons of flat beer. gotta have faith in the yeast.

it was delicious, but pretty boozy, like a trappist trippel. i made ale! & it tastes like ale!

we bottle mead next weekend. i am more optimistic now, lol.

i haven't seen that book, wendy, i'll check it out.

i am gonna do one more batch with extracts (not organic, but i'm working up to it) before working in grains. the less that can go wrong with two toddlers underfoot the better. i have been so distracted i burned ten qts of plum jam yesterday & want to cry. (why i popped open the barney beer, lol.)

now how am i gonna drink all this ale??? (hopefully the alcohol content will help it 'keep'!)

suse

ps god, we need to remind each other to feed our sourdough; my baking has gone to hell lately. feed your starter!

 

[flutemandolin]

My goodness Suseyblue, to brew anything with toddlers underfoot is quite an accomplishment! Probably why I haven't brewed in a couple of years. But I do love homebrewing. Nothing like the smell of a pot of wort boiling on the stove! I like Papazian's book-the recipe for Dunkel (dark lager) is one of my favorites, but if you try it PLEASE substitute all liquid extract for the dry extract they suggest.

Northern Brewer (brew shop in St. Paul MN) has a good online homebrew forum. Here's the link: http://forum.northernbrewer.com/index.php

Happy (hoppy) brewing!

 

[hnybee]

I am an Ale kind of gal myself. Can you control the alcohol content? My cousin made his own batch and woohee it was potent! We were on vacation so it was a nice treat!

Is is just a rumor that you can make it in your bathtub??

-Melissa

Plum jam is one of my favorites!!! My mom makes it and it is yummy! She also makes a mean pomogranite jam too!

 

[flutemandolin]

The alcohol content is controlled by the amount of malt extract (or grain) you add initially; the more the merrier, so to speak! :LOL You can determine the alcohol content of the final product by using a hydrometer (available at brew supply stores) which measures the specific gravity of the liquid. Since alcohol is lighter than water (lower specific gravity), as alcohol is created from fermentation the specific gravity of the beer will go down until the fermentation is done. It's all explained in the book, The Joy of Homebrewing.

I don't think you could really do any part of the process in a bathtub. Brewing involves boiling the malt, water and hops, then cooling the mixture, adding yeast, and transferring it to a sterile fermenter, which must be sealed from outside air.

 

[Towerkel]

I used to brew. Haven't had the time/energy lately.

I used to make Strawberry mead, phenominal. Made one batch with an alcohol content that was through the roof.. Wasn't great drinking (*cough* rocket fuel *cough*) but it made an excelllent cooking wine (great on chicken, nice in pasta sauce)

I also used to make apple cyser. Was nice and sweet, with a hint of cinnimon. Was a good flavor, just potent!

ahh, I wish I had more time

 

[hnybee]

Towerkel - Apple cider? I would love the recipe for that one!!

I've never thought about brewing stuff to use with cooking later - what a great idea!

-Melissa

 

[nym]

I really want to try brewing my own beer, and mead too! We have honeybees so we would have lots of it to use

I think I am going to check out the local homebrewing store!

 

[hnybee]

I think the closest thing we have is a brew kit from trader joe's. maybe I will look online. but i'm sure the library will have some books on home brewing. can't wait!

Does this stuff travel well? I'd love to take it with us when we go camping.

-Melissa