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ernie00

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Location
Laval, Qc, Canada
I have been brewing for a little more than a year. I still consider myself a beginner, if I have done about 15 batches (using extract and steeping) and still learning everyday. I have very happy with my results.

I just open 2 bottles of my new batches that were ready tonight. An Amber Ale and an all amarillo IPA.

Both batches came out amazing. It's great to see that I am starting to have consistency in the beers that I have brewed more than once.

For those of you lurking on this site and wondering like I did for 2 years if you should give it a try.. definitely do it. What a great feeling to open a beer that you made!

Cheers
Ern

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Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.
 
never done a kit in my life. Always got my extract in bulk, used some grain for steeping and hops. I'm happy with the results for now.

I don't mind the bottles.
 
I don't know why you guys are knocking kits. Those kits are what have been teaching me the basics of brewing.
 
Can't say anything about kits since I haven't done them, I've seen some intresting kits from places in the states but shipping was always to high to Canada so I never went that route. I have been using the recipes in Palmer's book mostly and starting to modify some of them to my liking.
 
wow...what an ignorant statement.

+1

I have started with extract kits with specialty grains and have gotten great beer. I have started partial mash and will do all grain soon. But, to say that it is a small time hobby is arrogant. Many people do not have the resources or space for all grain but still brew great beer.

I may keg some day but until I can comfortably afford it bottling suits me just fine.

And I don't feel "small" because I don't brew all grain (yet) or keg.

Sorry for the off topic and rant.. I couldn't let it go.
 
Pyroholic said:
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

Could not disagree more.
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

Don't understand this dis at all. My mama told me "If you can't say something nice.. don't say nuttin at all".
 
I tweeked the recipe for the all amirillo ipa and have another day before I move to secondary. Kit or no kit, extract or all grain it is fun and produces beer. That is what we are in it for right? If your answer is not fun and beer then you should probably find another hoby. I say keep making beer no matter how you make it.
 
My thread was just about that I was having fun doing what I was doing and that the results were great to me.

Nothing more and nothing less !
 
Pyroholic said:
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

How many beers do you have in drinkable form right now? I'm still building my pipeline after moving earlier this year but currently have 6. Before I moved I had 12 different beers to choose from at any given moment. Until you get a 12 tap keezer you will be less than me even though I bottle and you are just a small time noob
 
Yeah... I think most of us have the dream or aspiration of moving on to all-grain brewing into a keg with our own recipes. Hell, I'd like to eventually grow my own hops.

All good things come in time. I've developed a tremendous amount of knowledge in my time brewing partial mash and extract kits. I also work full time and I live in a 2 bedroom apartment. I don't have the space or experience to do the big boy stuff. I may never want to, since it's just a hobby.

Aint nothing wrong with taking baby steps.
 
Straight-up hobby for me. My wife goes into school every Saturday night to work on lesson-plans for the next week, leaving me at home for 3 to 5 hours with nothing to do but watch TV. So, I decided to take up a hobby, and brewing seems to fit the bill. It fills the time, it gets me off the recliner, and in the end, I get to really enjoy the fruits of my labor.

As for kits and extracts, I'm pretty confident I'll be doing those for a while before I ever go all-grain. At this point, no real desire to add something else into the mix, since this is just a hobby on limited time, why would I want to mess up that formula?
 
Being a beginner myself, extract was the ONLY way I would ever start out in this. I'm still a noob and have a TON more to learn and I'm using extract/steeping grains to experiment and have fun with it. But in the end, if it wasn't for the cans of LME or the DME, I would not have even considered starting...all grain is a big step for anyone I think. Just my 2 cents.
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

It's a good thing you've been a member for more than 6 months and only posted 7 times. I don't know what I'd do if I had to read your ignorant and rude statements more often.
 
I did 3 or four extract brews and I thought to myself I'm making beer from syrup. For me that's not OK so I went all grain and I enjoy it much more.
 
I tweeked the recipe for the all amirillo ipa and have another day before I move to secondary. Kit or no kit, extract or all grain it is fun and produces beer. That is what we are in it for right? If your answer is not fun and beer then you should probably find another hoby. I say keep making beer no matter how you make it.

I too just brewed an all-amarillo this past weekend, but it was a pale ale. I've never smelled as good of a beer during fermentation as this one. Can't wait until it's done!
 
Go easy on Pyroholic, guys. He's 24, thinks he knows it all, that he's an adult and doesn't, yet, realize how little you really do comprehend at that age. A lot of us were like him at that time in our lives, more or less. Just that we didn't have the Internet at our disposal to make a global twat of ourselves:D;);)


But in all seriousness, he's probably just exhibiting some youthful exuberance, pride and a passion for what he does. At least, he's sensible enough to be on HBT:fro:
 
Nice looking beers!

I can't wait to get back to the states so I can get into this. I was gonna start this past December but got orders to deploy so I'm ready to get home and start some brewing.
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

boo-this-man.gif
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

I use BrewTarget to come up with my recipes. Kits taught me the basics. I'd follow along with the kit and the software and see what worked. Only did it for two brews. I now come up with my own recipes, which I am improving and perfecting through trial and error. It affords me a lot of creativity, and will significantly decrease the learning curve for all-grain when I decide to do so.

To say there is no creativity is flat out wrong, though. I've come up with the recipe for almost every beer I've made, including specialty steeped grains, bitterness, color, ABV, etc. Each one gets a little more complex and a little more personal.
 
I think you guys nailed it on the head saying that regardless of what you do, the end product is BEER! Beer that you prepared in 1 way or another and is drinkable. Any way you look at it, it beats going to the store and popping open a bottle! Your friends and party goers think you are da man! Extract kits and HBT is what is teaching me the basics. Like they always say, don't knock something until you try it...so I'll try AG and kegging someday, but for now and my current resources/time, I'll stick to my extract kit to a store bought brew any day of the week.
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

wow

To OP: Those look delicious. Keep it up man, this is one seriously rewarding hobby!
 
I think you guys nailed it on the head saying that regardless of what you do, the end product is BEER! Beer that you prepared in 1 way or another and is drinkable. Any way you look at it, it beats going to the store and popping open a bottle! Your friends and party goers think you are da man! Extract kits and HBT is what is teaching me the basics. Like they always say, don't knock something until you try it...so I'll try AG and kegging someday, but for now and my current resources/time, I'll stick to my extract kit to a store bought brew any day of the week.

Definitely. My friends like that I make beer. My wife likes that I have a hobby besides MMA and the gym, despite the fact that she doesn't really drink beer. I even told a couple kids in my group for a grad school class and I found out two of the guys actually have kegerators. Both use commercial beer, but one intends on starting to homebrew soon. I'm glad I influenced someone in joining the hobby.
 
Extract brewing is a small time hobby, no skill or creativity. Brew with ingredients, not a kit. You'll like it a lot more. After my first batch, I bucked the bottling operation and got a keg fridge. If you stick with it, you'll do the same.

If you look at his other 6 posts, they are all pretty ignorant. I live in the Tampa Bay area, and when I first saw this guy, I was going to introduce myself, then I saw the posts and decided it probably wasn't a good idea!!! :eek:
 
Definitely. My friends like that I make beer. My wife likes that I have a hobby besides MMA and the gym, despite the fact that she doesn't really drink beer. I even told a couple kids in my group for a grad school class and I found out two of the guys actually have kegerators. Both use commercial beer, but one intends on starting to homebrew soon. I'm glad I influenced someone in joining the hobby.

My wife thinks the same thing. She doesn't drink too much beer, but is extremely glad I have something to fill my time besides the shenanigans I COULD be getting myself into haha.
 
back from work with 4 pages to my topic... Woah! Thanks for the positive feedback, both beer look good and they taste even better! The IPA is the all amarillo that is posted here, second time I brew it and it's great and the amber is the one from Palmer's book. First time I brewed it, it was ok but something was weird. Now it's just perfect. What I have learned is to be patient and to leave it a few more days in the primary. Works wonder for me.

I so want to drink one right now but I have to go train / run in an hour.
 
haha Sorry for being ignorant... I like making brownies when I just have to add water and bake for 30 minutes too. They're delicious. But they're not truly homemade. Not hating. Just saying. Step your game up, you'll enjoy it way more.
 
haha Sorry for being ignorant... I like making brownies when I just have to add water and bake for 30 minutes too. They're delicious. But they're not truly homemade. Not hating. Just saying. Step your game up, you'll enjoy it way more.


Much better said than the 1st post.
 
yeah that statement is BS... I do all grain but sometimes I don't feel like brewing for 5+ hours and do a easy extract brew and still make great brews! Kits are good because they teach you basics...oh yeah and they can be delicious! I only bottle because I like to age most beers two months and don't have the $$ or the desire to have 10 kegs sitting around.

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Primary 1: Courage RIS
Primary 2: Bourbon Barrel Ale
Primary 3: Harp Lager
Primary 4: Bell's Best Brown

Bottled: Smoked Porter, Oaked Unearthly IIPA, Peanut Butter Porter, Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome, Belgian Dark Strong, Rogue Old Crustacean Barley Wine, Breakfast Stout, Fat Tire Clone, Belgian Saison, Copper Ale, Left Hand Milk Stout, Weizen Doppelbock, WeissBier, Pumpkin Ale, Honey Braggot
 
I still thoroughly enjoy extract brewing. But I make up my own recipes with a little research & creativity. My mind just gets to work on an idea at that point,& it pops into my conscious mind that then brews it. If that makes any sense. I get some good ales from both ends of the spectrum that my wife & I both enjoy. I was perk as a ruttin buck when she told me she prefers my beers over commercial ones.
So op,you just keep doin your own thing,you'll wind up wherever your imagination takes you.
 
Pyroholic said:
haha Sorry for being ignorant... I like making brownies when I just have to add water and bake for 30 minutes too. They're delicious. But they're not truly homemade. Not hating. Just saying. Step your game up, you'll enjoy it way more.

This was a less rude way to say it, but I still disagree with the substance of your point.

For example, if I remember correctly, in another thread you said that you've been fermenting beer in the mid 70s. In my opinion, a brewer would be better served to focus on yeast and fermentation management, including temperature control, before worrying about mashing.

There are many examples of award winning beers made with extract, because the brewer has focused on all the other aspects of brewing and is doing a great job.

I brew all-grain, but for me, the mash is the least of my worries.
 
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