LTownLiquorPig
Well-Known Member
I'm looking for an easy way to explore brewing beers I like. I tried a pretty expensive FestBrew kit, think it may have been infected, not entirely happy. I brewed an apple cider which was intended to be consumed quickly, and am fairly happy with it. My first love though, is beer.
My preferred style is an English bitter, my favourite commercial beer is Propeller Extra Special Bitter from Halifax NS, but I've read it is not a "true bitter". I don't know, and frankly could care less. I also really enjoy Guiness, Boddington's, and Pumphouse Brewery's Acadian Cream Ale, which is brewed in Moncton NB. My favourite domestic/generic beer is probably Oland's Export Ale, and when I was in Florida 6 or 7 years ago I enjoyed Miller Lite more than any of the other gas station beers I tried (didn't get a chance to get any more adventurous than that).
Right now I am brewing the Doric Canadian Light Beer Mix Doric Canadian BeerMix straight up with a KG of Munton's Beer Enhancer. I want to know how it tastes, and to work on my technique. I'm thinking once I know how it tastes I can start exploring different hopping strategies and fermentables to mix with it to adjust it to suit what I am trying to get to, taste wise. Will this plan work? I'm a seasonal worker, so I have a couple of months of down time right now, and a basement that sits between 58*-64* in the winter.
I'm a little bit handicapped by my location, which is very rural. There is no real LHBS, but a drug store about 15 mins away carries several extract kits, some sanitizers (iodophor, which I use) and basic equipment, as well as a loyalty program. I have used the Munton's yeast that they carry for my cider, but plan to mail order Nottingham, which I think best fits my fermentation temps. I'll mail order hops as well. Don't want to get into ordering heavier bulk items, as the shipping is cost prohibitive.
I currently am doing the primary only method, in a glass 6.5L carboy with blow off tube. I like this method, and I like the carboy, don't think I want to use a bucket. I need a larger pot, I'd like to do at least half boils, hopefully Santa will do his job and bring one for me, along with another carboy.
SO..... After all that babbling, does anyone have any advice for me? My "LHBS" has a pretty good selection of the Cooper's/Munton's kits, so I could use their malt extract as well.
Thanks in advance!
LLP
My preferred style is an English bitter, my favourite commercial beer is Propeller Extra Special Bitter from Halifax NS, but I've read it is not a "true bitter". I don't know, and frankly could care less. I also really enjoy Guiness, Boddington's, and Pumphouse Brewery's Acadian Cream Ale, which is brewed in Moncton NB. My favourite domestic/generic beer is probably Oland's Export Ale, and when I was in Florida 6 or 7 years ago I enjoyed Miller Lite more than any of the other gas station beers I tried (didn't get a chance to get any more adventurous than that).
Right now I am brewing the Doric Canadian Light Beer Mix Doric Canadian BeerMix straight up with a KG of Munton's Beer Enhancer. I want to know how it tastes, and to work on my technique. I'm thinking once I know how it tastes I can start exploring different hopping strategies and fermentables to mix with it to adjust it to suit what I am trying to get to, taste wise. Will this plan work? I'm a seasonal worker, so I have a couple of months of down time right now, and a basement that sits between 58*-64* in the winter.
I'm a little bit handicapped by my location, which is very rural. There is no real LHBS, but a drug store about 15 mins away carries several extract kits, some sanitizers (iodophor, which I use) and basic equipment, as well as a loyalty program. I have used the Munton's yeast that they carry for my cider, but plan to mail order Nottingham, which I think best fits my fermentation temps. I'll mail order hops as well. Don't want to get into ordering heavier bulk items, as the shipping is cost prohibitive.
I currently am doing the primary only method, in a glass 6.5L carboy with blow off tube. I like this method, and I like the carboy, don't think I want to use a bucket. I need a larger pot, I'd like to do at least half boils, hopefully Santa will do his job and bring one for me, along with another carboy.
SO..... After all that babbling, does anyone have any advice for me? My "LHBS" has a pretty good selection of the Cooper's/Munton's kits, so I could use their malt extract as well.
Thanks in advance!
LLP