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homemade beer recipe

post #1 of 7
8/30/08 at 1:38pm
Thread Starter 
I hope it is right section to post such a question.
I've been wanting to get into the home beer brewing. Any of you guy's brew your own beer at home? I've been reading up on the Mr. Beer kits. Any suggestions on other kits?
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post #2 of 7
8/31/08 at 10:13am
One of my long-term fantasy dreams is to brew beer . In fact, my screen name is the mythological babylonian woman who was the innkeeper and beer-brewer in Gilgamesh. There's something magical about yeast and brewing as there is about baking. But i always shied away from the packaged beer kits. I;d like to make my own malt and pick my own hops. Is that an impossible dream? (Certainly is while i'm stillworking full time, but maybe, some day in the future???)
Anyone ever do that outside of a professional brewery?
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post #3 of 7
8/31/08 at 10:24am
If you are serious aboput getting into brewing stay away from the "Mr Beer" type kits. NORTHERN BREWER has equipment kits and ingredient kits that will turn out a good beer. Once you learn the mechanics of brewing (I hope you are ready to spend the day washing dishes :lol:) you can start changing the kit recipes to tweak the flavor to your own taste. Beside Northern brewer there are many other reputable companies that sell equipment kits.
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post #4 of 7
8/31/08 at 9:15pm
I started homebrewing beer in 1984, roughly 40 pounds ago. Burp

On a basic level, brewing is just like cooking anything else. You take a set of ingredients, prepare and process them in a certain fashion, and hopefully end up with the desired finished product. Some cooks buy stock in packages from the store, some boil bones and meat and seasonings to make their own. Some brewers buy cans of extract, some sparge malted barley to form their own. You can get as complicated as you want, you can stay with simple, basic techniques and get good results. Or even great results.

When I started brewing there were not that many microbrews, craft beers, etc. on the market. Homebrew was the best way to get the flavor profiles one wanted. I mean, deciding on Bud or Bud Light is not much of a choice. One summer, though, we did a pale, all grain ( no canned extracts) lager that was the exact same color as Budweiser. We weren't quite sure, so we bought some Bud for reference. Poured in identical glasses, put side by side, you could not tell the difference by looking. But once your nose got near the top of the glass or the golden liquid hit your taste buds the difference was incredibly obvious.

More later. It has been a rainy weekend here in Salt Lake, my wife just informed me the bedroom ceiling is dripping again. Time to venture out and check on my makeshift roof repair once again. Sigh.

mjb.
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post #5 of 7
8/31/08 at 9:25pm
I would stay away from the kits if you possibly can. Not sure you are ready to brew straight from grain, but extract brewing would be a good starting point. With extract brewing you buy the malt extract already prepared but then can choose to add any grains or roasted malts you want to personalize your beer. You then can also choose the type of yeast you want use and the types of hops. A couple of really good books were written by Charlie Papazian. The "New Complete Joy of Homebrewing" really breaks it down for you and has a ton of great recipes. I would definately check out his books before brewing your first batch.
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post #6 of 7
8/31/08 at 9:54pm
Okay, did another quick repair on the wind-damaged roof, hopefully the leak won't get any worse tonight. Now, where was I?

A decent beer can be made with a can of extract, an ounce of boiling hops, maybe some adjunct grain, some finishing hops and a decent yeast. Of course that's a bit like saying a decent meal can be made with meat, vegetables, and a salad. Not very specific at all, many variables involved.

My favorite source of brewing stuff here in Salt Lake is The Beer Nut, The Beer Nut homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies - check out their site, especially scrolling down on the left-hand frame, it can give you and idea of what ingredients, equipment and basic supplies you will need.

mjb.
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post #7 of 7
8/20/09 at 5:48pm
How did I miss this thread way back when?:crazy:

I've done some homebrewing, not a lot, but have had good results. I've used canned extract and fresh hops.

I've made a simple hard cider with honey, that tasted good.

I made maple syrup mead once, that came out really good. I wish I had the notes I wrote down on how I made it--I've moved a couple of times since them and don't know where they are.
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