Newbie w/ questions.

Hello, I've been looking through the threads and this is a great community.
I just purchased my homebrew kit from a local Chicago suburban store called Winemakers and I have a few questions about brewing in general and a couple about the forums.

I have noticed that a few of the members here are in the chicagoland area. Are any of you familiar with Winemakers? any comments on their experiance or stock of products?

I purchased a kit for brewing 5 gal batches and I have made 2 batches so far. The first was a recipie from Winemakes for a medium to light bodied brew. The second batch was for a light bodied brew. They were both all extract brews. I used dry yeast bloomed in tepid water with LME. I have had great success so far. the first batch is already bottled and the second is racked to the secondary. Question #1: The first and second batches fermented vigorisly, the first batch was racked and showed no signs of furthe fermentation after 1.5 weeks in the secondary and was bottled w/ a priming sugar. How long should it sit in the secondary fermenter? Should it sit even if it shows no signs of further fermentation?

Question#2: I like beer that i frequently see referred to in online forums and other websites as "swill". I think I just dont enjoy heavy, i.e. guinness, or bitter , extremely hoppy, brews. Am i comitting a sin in the home brew world by wanting to brew pilsners or other light beers?

Question #3: What books on the subject of home brewing are considered the brewers "bible"?

I'll stop talking nowand give you all a chance to respond.
thanks
AHammer16

#1: I don't know about the others, but I use the secondary as more of a clarifying step than an extension of fermentation. I try to leave behindas much crud as possible and usually only leave the beer in the secondary for a week or so.

#2: Brew what you like. Experiment with things you are interested in. You're brewing for yourself, not for others, so anyone who dislikes your tastes doesn't matter.

#3: There's a book by Papazian that is really good and then I have 2 others that I can't remember the name of right now. I think one is actually called the homebrewer's bible.

1.) secondary fermentation can last from 5-14 days and up to three months for an ale. it's just a process to help the beer clarify a little more and condition prior to bottling/kegging. i let my ales sit for about 10 days before i keg. a high gravity (high alcohol %) beer like a barley wine, imperial stout, or old ale will benefit from a longer conditioning to allow the flavors to blend and mellow for more complexity and smoothness. that way you don't get the big alcohol bite. some go straight from the primary to the bottle/keg. i prefer 2 stage fermentation.
2.) people homebrew because they love beer and enjoy making something they can be proud of. i'd be willing to bet after a while you'll be making an IPA or porter and wondering why you never liked it before! just remember that ale's will be fruitier and more estery than a lager (due to higher fermenting temp's). lager's must be fermented at cooler temperatures and for longer periods, followed by lagering for 4 weeks, up to 6 months. this reduces diacetyl production from the yeast (byproduct of fermentation), giving the beer a crisp, clean flavor. again, depending on the style being brewed. brew what you like and brew for you! there is no sin to brewing light ales/lagers and don't let anyone tell you different. those styles are more difficult due to the time/effort involved.
3.) Charlie Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing, www.howtobrew.com , Brewing Quality Beers by Byron Burch, Dave Miller's Complete Guide to Homebrewing.


just my $0.02 worth. these other guy's have ton's of good info too!

welcome aboard!

# 1,2 +3 , Yeah to what they said. It's your beer, brew what you like. Part of the joy comes from creating, from raw ingredients ( kits included), a beer you enjoy. The other half comes from drinking the fruits of your labor ( read: win, win situation) . Some people won't like it, some will. As long as you enjoy it, who cares ? The guys here are some of the best you'll find , and they won't steer you wrong for long . They do like to play , but it's all friendly.
welcome