Any altoona pa brewers?

Just looking to see how many brewers are in the area... Just curious as to how many and what your brewing...?

How's it going? I'm in Altoona. I'm just getting into beer though. I've been doing hard cider and mead since last year. I guess it's the natural progression of things, right?

I hope to brew some stout from extract here in the next week or so. Unfortunately, I got a "honey do" list that needs done before the next batch of anything gets going.

Steve

Im from bedford just a lil south of u. Bn brewin since christmas. Now brewing BIAB style. My next batch will b a blue moon clone partial mash. No no LHBS near here. Do u have n e up there? Hate havin to go to chambersburg.

I'm from Blue Knob and I do a 10 gallon all-grain batch every month or so. I usually brew darker ales for simplicity. I buy my grains from Brew It yourself, LLC in Loretto

I been buying from a place in OHIO treated me real good. he is willing to do bulk buy if we have enough people.

There is a brew shop in altoona it is called Bootleggers brew shop. They have weird hours though so you would have to look them up.

Do they have a website?

I think he only has a Facebook page, which I don't. But his hours are M,W,F 4-6 and Saturday 12-5.

I just stumbled across this thread. I'm in Hollidaysburg. I'm relatively new to brewing. Just finished my 2nd AG batch a short time ago and planning my 3rd. I'm currently conditioning some Caribou Slobber. I have a Hoppyum IPA clone that I found the recipe for on here fermenting, and I'm planning on a coffee stout next. You know of any brew clubs in the area?

There its one in johnstown..

Hi there, new guy from ebensburg haven't brewed anything but a bottle of mead that isn't done yet.

DerrangedPOJO said:

There its one in johnstown..

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I believe Ed from Brew It Yourself is in that group. In an emergency supply run, I had to go to the Oak Spring shop in the mall, when the lady there told me that the guy from OSW was trying to get a group/club together. I haven't heard anything recently but if I do, I'll post the info here.

Steve

I went to a brew club at the railroaders museum in altoona once about a year ago. They meet once a month but can't remember what day.

CraigT said:

I went to a brew club at the railroaders museum in altoona once about a year ago. They meet once a month but can't remember what day.

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If you could remember anything about them, like club name or contact person, let us know. I'm particularly interested.

Steve

What did the shop n the mall offer for sale for the beer brewer? Heatd they advertise having a big selection but thats a small hole they have cant possibly have a lot.

Anyone ever been to bootleggers brew shop on eberhart lane in Altoona? Good quality selections?

Lozootmaniac said:

Anyone ever been to bootleggers brew shop on eberhart lane in Altoona? Good quality selections?

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Yeah he has pretty much anything you need. But you could always call ahead and check with him and he can get stuff in like other yeasts you'd want.

I think as far as yeast goes he only carries the basic dry stuff like us05.

I haven't been over to see Troy at Bootleggers in a while. I should stop in. His hours suck for me so I can't usually get there during his hours.(I believe somebody said earlier his Sat hrs were 12-5, sorry, they're 8-12.) But he's knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction if he can't get something.
I've gone up to Brew-It-Yourself a couple of times. You can lose a lot of time there if you're not careful. Ed will let you sample stuff sometimes and his shop is a little bigger to wander around.
I was just up in NH last week and stopped by Jasper's Homebrew(sometimes known as Boomchugalug on Amazon), and Jeff is a great guy. If I'm ordering anything online, that's where I'm going from now on. His kits are fresh and he offers extract and all-grain versions of them.

I did find reference to a club in the Altoona area: Altoona Cap N' Cork Club. Anybody know anything about them?

Steve

I found an email for the cap and cork club and tried to contact them. However, I received a message that said it was a failed delivery. I double checked and had the correct email address.

i dont see anything about that place anywhere in altoona. im guessing it closed

I'm in Clearfield PA, just a little ways over the mountain. I've been homebrewing for about three and a half years now....all-grain for a little over a year and a half.

I know there's lots of Toon Town brewers out there because a large portion of our customers come from there. Stop in sometime.

~Jason

Where is brew it ur self?

DerrangedPOJO said:

Where is brew it ur self?

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Edit: I don't think I'm actually allowed to directly answer this question being we're a business. I'll let someone else tell you where we are.

sorry about that,

~Jason

If you take I99 north, and then 22 west, you will come to an exit for lorretto/ebensburg, when you take that exit, make a right at the end, in ebensburg, at the next traffic light, make a right onto manor drive. On manor drive, follow past the prison, about 3 mi to lorretto. In lorretto at the three way make a left, then a right at the the except right turn sign. Continue past the castle, and fields, until you see a sharp, and apparent left in the road. It is on the left, they have a tin of grapes growing in front of the shop. It looks small, and I never went there, but it looks like the only place that is near me. And it's huge for anything around here

Lozootmaniac said:

If you take I99 north, and then 22 west, you will come to an exit for lorretto/ebensburg, when you take that exit, make a right at the end, in ebensburg, at the next traffic light, make a right onto manor drive. On manor drive, follow past the prison, about 3 mi to lorretto. In lorretto at the three way make a left, then a right at the the except right turn sign. Continue past the castle, and fields, until you see a sharp, and apparent left in the road. It is on the left, they have a tin of grapes growing in front of the shop. It looks small, and I never went there, but it looks like the only place that is near me. And it's huge for anything around here

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Sounds like you've driven by many times. You should take a few minutes and just poke your head in and see whats up. Maybe have a sample at the bar. My Dad (Ed) keeps a pretty large stock of samples.

We get that scenario all of the time. Someone drives by the place for years and wants to stop, and they eventually does someday. I've done it to businesses I shop at as well.

I passed it a lot when I was a kid. I like eating grapes too, so you can understand why I remember it so well.

BIY needs a Facebook lift lol. At least have a picture of the inside of the store, showing off the selection.

Lozootmaniac said:

I passed it a lot when I was a kid. I like eating grapes too, so you can understand why I remember it so well.

BIY needs a Facebook lift lol. At least have a picture of the inside of the store, showing off the selection.

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We have a bazillion pictures on facebook. My Dad is super gung ho with pics, both inside the shop and out and about with his personal brew tours.

BrewItYourself said:

We have a bazillion pictures on facebook. My Dad is super gung ho with pics, both inside the shop and out and about with his personal brew tours.

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im just saying, no matter how hard you try, you can't find that picture (of his store inside) by manually searching fb. It used to be his main picture. Which I guess facelift wasnt the right word, but it was supposed to be funny. You know facelift, Facebook. Lol.

BrewItYourself said:

Edit: I don't think I'm actually allowed to directly answer this question being we're a business. I'll let someone else tell you where we are.

sorry about that,

~Jason

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LOL, understood... I live In Everett which is just east of bedford. I dont get to j-town too often. But i will visit soon!!

BrewItYourself said:

Edit: I don't think I'm actually allowed to directly answer this question being we're a business. I'll let someone else tell you where we are.

sorry about that,

~Jason

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The way I usually come up to see you guys is via Rt 36. I find it a bit easier/faster that way.

Rt 36 North from Altoona
At the Stop Except Right Turn sign in Chest Springs, stop, then go straight.
Follow that road(slight left after less than a block) about 3 miles.
Shop's on the Right.

I haven't been up in a while, but I hope to change that soon.

Steve

I live in Ebensburg. I've been brewing for about 2 years. I use the BIAB method and love it.

I know the Oak Spring Brew club was mentioned in here a few times, so here's an update. Oak Spring had a table at the famer's marker in Hollidaysburg the other day and I asked about the brew club. The guy said the club fell apart due to members wanting to do their own thing. They are currently taking names and phone numbers of people interested in starting up a club again. He said there are only a few people on the list. To get on the list, you're supposed to contact the main winery in Altoona. He didn't have any clue as to when it would be up and running.

johnny1211 said:

I know the Oak Spring Brew club was mentioned in here a few times, so here's an update. Oak Spring had a table at the famer's marker in Hollidaysburg the other day and I asked about the brew club. The guy said the club fell apart due to members wanting to do their own thing. They are currently taking names and phone numbers of people interested in starting up a club again. He said there are only a few people on the list. To get on the list, you're supposed to contact the main winery in Altoona. He didn't have any clue as to when it would be up and running.

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Thanks for the update. I'd be interested in checking it out.

I just joined the forum, and I came across this. I'm from Altoona, and I've been brewing for couple of years now. I brew all grain batches.

There is a club here in Altoona. I don't know much about them. I inquired about them a few years ago. I believe they meet at the railroaders museum... something like every second or third Thursday of the month. If you want more info on this club, I'd suggest shooting the brewers at Marzoni's for details. They will be able to give you a contact email.

As far as Bootleggers goes, yes he does have weird hours. He orders most of his beer making supplies from LD Carlson: http://www.ldcarlson.com/public catalog/ptoc.htm
He usually has the bare necessities out there. I don't buy much from him. Honestly, I like the wider variety of malts, hops, and yest from the online stores. I'd sacrifice a body part for a good homebrew shop that has a little more than bare bones.