Hello from Wisconsin!!

Hello from SE Wisconsin. I am new to the hobby, but am excited about combining two of my favorite hobbies: cooking, and drinking beer. So making my own beer just seems natural.

I started out with a MR Beer kit I received as a gift. That peeked my interest. I have since been doing plenty of reading, and amassing the necessary supplies. I am ready soon to begin my first real extract batch.

I am also really keen on the idea of kegging my own brew. I was inspired by the following kegerator https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keezer-project-31221/index13.html#post710605

Erik has been so nice to lend me his advice an input. I hope soon to start the project, but know it will take me some time. I thank everyone for all of the advice I have read so far, and look forward to learning a lot from all of you.

Joe

Welcome Lilrascal! You will learn a lot from the people on this forum. There is so much good info traded on this forum, and never feel like your question is stupid. I felt that way for awhile and was reasured that everyone here is willing to help if they can. There is a great search option that I use all the time and almost always find the answers to my questions. My bro started on a Mr.Beer way before I was even interested in brewing(only drinkin) and was so turned off by the quality of beer he made he stopped. Then I started and soon he was over for a brewday and he was hooked again. Now we are both all grain brewers and Wisconsin State Fair Brewing Competion ribbon winners! This isnt a hobby in the long run, its an addiction!
PS-Where in se Wis you at?
Zac

Zac, thanks for the encouraging words. I am in Racine.

Hey Lilrascal, welcome from a one-horse town near Fond du Lac!
When you see Short Drive on here, say hi- he is from Racine also.

I've not done the intro thing yet, but seeing this thread, may as well add to it Hello from the Northwoods, Crandon. Been brewing extract for a few years now and am very, very close to going AG.

Welcome
If you are looking for a local shop in Racine, check out Hop To It, in the D.P. Wigley building.
Also, Northern Brewer has a shop in West Allis now.

I to both you new Wisco brewers.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome. Yesterday I got my first extract recipe brewed and in the fermenter. It was an Autumn Amber Ale kit that came with the supplies I got from Midwest Supplies.

Welcome from Racine. Have you tried Hop To It in DP Wiggley down town? Mark is a great guy.

ICanHazBeer said:

I've not done the intro thing yet, but seeing this thread, may as well add to it Hello from the Northwoods, Crandon. Been brewing extract for a few years now and am very, very close to going AG.

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Sorry to jump into someone else's thread, but I wanted to tell you that you're about an hour away from me. I did a small (4 gallon) AG batch yesterday. If you ever want to come over and brew, I have all the equipment and stuff for anything from a small 3 gallon stove top AG to a 10 gallon all-electric HERMS system. I'm a pretty decent teacher, and I always have good beer on tap!

Short Drive said:

Welcome from Racine. Have you tried Hop To It in DP Wiggley down town? Mark is a great guy.

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I made a stop down there before I even knew what I was doing. I will be sure to go down and check it out closer, now that I have a better idea what I am doing. It is great to have some place so close to home.

Welcome. I'm in the Lake Geneva / Elkhorn area myself of SE Wisconsin.

Thought I would jump onto the Wisconsinite wagon here and say I'm super glad I found this site! Just started brewing 2 weeks ago from Waukesha, WI.

Hi, like Yooperbrew, I thought I'd jump in and say hello from the MI/WI border NE WI area. Been brewing for about 7-8 years now.

Thanks for the big welcome. Sure does seem like there are plenty of people from Wisconsin who like to brew. LOL

The end of the week I will be bottling my first batch. The anticipation is killing me!!

It's all good, RDWAHAHB

What ever you do, don't rush-hard I know. Get your pipe line going and then start tweaking from there-Yah Dur Hey!

had to drop in and say hi to all my fellow cheeseheads, anybody brewin downtown/eastside?

Gotta greet the Wisconsin brothers and sisters in brewing! Born and raised in Milwaukee [when there were FOUR breweries operating!]...and hope to move back to WI [Stevens Point] in the not-too-distant future.

Welcome to the addiction, Lilrascal!

glenn514

@ fitz - I'm south of the 3rd ward in Walkers Point. I really want to get into the Home Brewing scene, but I'm still in a renting situation, so that's not all that conducive to home brewing; at least that's what I'm told. I think I want to head out to Northern Brewer in West Allis on Thursday and check out some of the starter kits. Would some of you veterans consider that a waste of money? or is it really just about getting familiar with the process before investing the real $$?

Brian, absolutely no reason you cant brew in a apt!! As long as you have a gas stove your just fine, in fact all my brew were done in my apt on Brady st. As far as the starter kits go for it! Northern Brewer in west allis is where i get 99% of my brew equipment/ingrediants, great store and the employees are very knowledgeable and willing to help out new brewers. Get their basic starter kit (thats what i started out with) and go from there.

What's the issue with an electric stove? Sounds like that might be my limiting factor rather than the apt.

thanks for the tip!
~Brian

brianjgeraghty said:

What's the issue with an electric stove? Sounds like that might be my limiting factor rather than the apt.

thanks for the tip!
~Brian

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I would think you would have no problem doing extract partial boils on an electric stove in an apartment. Way to find out is to get a large pot and see if you have a problem getting 2.5-3 gallons of water to a full boil on your stove top. If not you are in business. The advantage to being in Milwaukee is that nobody will even think twice about the smell of beer brewing!

@Lil - ha, I like the way you think. Sounds like I'll have to give it a shot. Should be a perfect time this weekend while the fiancée is in Chicago.

Brewing in a really small apartment kitchen with an electric stove is the only way I can brew too and I've had no issues yet. I cleaned out and designated one of our closets as a brewing closet to do all my fermenting and storage. Brew away!

my mistake guys i had a buddy tell me that a electric stove wouldnt work, but hey thats what i get for listening to my friends.

sfrice80, +1 for the apt brew closet, the swmbo banished everything to the closet because i was overrunning the kitchen. The upside is that the closet is really really tall and has shelves running all the way up so i get different temps the higher or lower I go, comes in handy

Welcome to HBT

Howdy from Pleasant Prairie. I have bewed a BUNCH of good beers on my electric stove. Extract, partial boils. BUT it takes a LONNNNGGG time to boil. Now that I have gone to a propane burner I have never looked back.

Hey MartyMo, im originally from just south of you, Zion, IL

Man I love this hobby! Great beer. I will be at Lakefront Brewery on Sunday for the AHA rally and to pick up 5 gallons of wort. WOOT WOOT! Go ZEE BEES! (If you were not a Zee Bee... BOO ZEE BEES).

Go Bees! Class of 99 here. I actually live 3 blocks from Lakefront and had no idea about the AHA event...needless to say i"ll be there!!!