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Welcome from one Chicago noob brewer to another!

If you go to Hop Leaf, I find upstairs more intimate. You can only get bottles, they have a great selection but they are not a brewery. Map Room is also a great bar to go to, they have a beer menu like a restaurant menu. They specialize in Belgium's and man do they have some top stuff. Its also...

Still waiting to go to RevBrew. I live about 6 blocks away and just saw it for the first time about a month ago. Anyone know of specials, samplings,tours of the brewery, or a good time to go with the the SWMBO?

Took the words right out of my mouth! You are just lucky there wasn't any beer in there at the time though.:cross:

I have a few friends that all work at the same bar, they said I can come by at closing any day to grab bottle. I can easily walk out with enough bottles for a full batch, just need to wash/san and peel lables for a few hours. lol.

I have my first batch 1 week in bottle and I am going for 2 5gal batches this weekend! Or have more friends over!

Doesn't it feel great? I just popped the top on my first beer last night, its still not fully carbed, only been capped for 1 week, but the hell with it, this is my beer and its damn fine! It feels great making something you and others can enjoy so much. Getting drunk is just a happy biproduct :)

Good idea, I too am about to do Eds apfelwein and i will have to look for the juice in glass jugs. They would be perfect! Thanks for the idea!

Well hello, and welcome, I too am new and from Chicago. Have you hit up Brew and Grow yet? They have FREE BEER! Good luck and if you ever want to swap a few bottles, let me know.

After listening to the last Basic Brewing podcast I plan on trying a full 5 gal batch in 5 small carboys with different yeast in each just to experiment. I think it will be a blast and the only diff will be the yeast at the end so less likelyhood I mess up in altering the grain bill!

ahhh, you are right, I checked my source and I'm just a idiot. lol thanks.

Hey I am a noob, only on my second batch, but I thought lactose halted fermentation. Isn't it used to stop ferming in ciders so backsweetening can take place? So if you add lactose to a batch that isnt carbed wont it just keep the beer flat?

Thanks all. Yeah I only used bleach as a primary cleaner on the bottles, then they were rinsed well and then starsan'd. I dont plan on using bleach on anthing directly touching my beer. Thanks for the Apfelwein, I am at work now and cant really take a look but I will as soon as I get home...

Well that is great to hear. I plan on taking a fg but I ran out of sanitizer and bleach yesterday so I need to pick some more up when I go get the caps from my lhbs. Thanks a lot. I too am hoping for a great first brew. Next I am thinking of a sweet to nutty porter in the bucket and either...

Hey I am about to bottle my first batch. It has been in primary fermentation since 1/09 and it has gotten down to 60-65 at some points here in my apartment, in Chicago, the past month. I kept a blanket around and under the bucket and the slap on thermometer has been in the 65+ range most of the...

I too, like many of the prior drinking fools googled "Home Brew" and stumbled here after looking at a few pages. This site was the first I bookmarked though.

Hey thanks Kyleobie. I actually found Brew and Grow shortly after I posted this thread. I think I might head over on Saturday, I heard they brew and have samples then. Nothing like a free buzz. Thanks Picobrew for the link. It is bookmarked and will make for some fun bed time reading tonight...

Thanks for the welcome! And I will be sure to check out the Chicagoland brewers group. In fact I think I will head there now...

Hey there seasoned HomeBrewTalk member! I have had a curiosity about making beer for several years. Every so often I would have a great beer that I never heard of and though about that being my beer, what I would try to brew myself if I ever seriously decided to make, our beloved, beer. I...