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oi oi punk

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Hi, my name is Russ, a couple of my friends brew beer, i love a good homebrew/microbrew, and i am wondering where to get started.i recently decided to get a mr. beer kit, which i understand must be a complete joke to the people on this forum, however, i make a decent buck, and i am willing to put some money into making my "perfect beer". i was really wondering where the best place i could read upon this subject is.

just to give a quick background, i am a union electrician, 22 years of age, i live in syracuse NY, and that is about it.

I love just about any amber beers that i run into (War of 1812, Sacketts harbor, Rogues American Amber Ale) and i appreciate a good IPA, and sometimes a porter, if i am in the right mood. basically anything but winter wheat, and anything brewed with a fruit (except middle ages raspberry)

I look forward to viewing your forum.
 
www.howtobrew.com is a great on-line resource. I was going to get the mr beer kit but went to my home brew store instead. I am glad I did. I just got a basic kit, but a few months and 5 great batches later, I am very happy I bought the HBS beginner kit.

Good luck to you!
 
what you buy depends on what you are looking to do.

All grain brewing, or Extract brewing
Ale or Lagering?
Bottling or Kegging?
Cooking inside out outside?
How much beer do you want to make at once?
How much have you allocated to this hobby?

or all of the above?

Cheapest and easiest would be extract ale brewing on your home stove, and bottling.

Harder, more initial work, but cheaper in the long run would be all grain brewing.

Ale is generally easier to do because you do not need to provide refridgeration for your fermenters, and it takes a lot less time, although not as refined as lagering.

Kegging is generally less work, but more expensive up front over bottles. IF you want to transport your beer you'll need at least some capped bottles, flip top, or growlers.

got any questions you know where to ask!
 
Welcome young person!

Get together and brew some beer with your friends who have done it before. Nothing beats practical experience, ask lot's of questions, take lot's of notes, and then pick up the joy of homebrewing. Another terrific resource is Jim Palmer's on line version of "How to Brew"

Good luck, and to find out what you may like to brew, experiment with trying different styles of beer at the Blue Tusk. :fro:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
oi oi punk said:
Hi, my name is Russ, a couple of my friends brew beer, i love a good homebrew/microbrew, and i am wondering where to get started.i recently decided to get a mr. beer kit, which i understand must be a complete joke to the people on this forum, however, i make a decent buck, and i am willing to put some money into making my "perfect beer". i was really wondering where the best place i could read upon this subject is.

just to give a quick background, i am a union electrician, 22 years of age, i live in syracuse NY, and that is about it.

I love just about any amber beers that i run into (War of 1812, Sacketts harbor, Rogues American Amber Ale) and i appreciate a good IPA, and sometimes a porter, if i am in the right mood. basically anything but winter wheat, and anything brewed with a fruit (except middle ages raspberry)

I look forward to viewing your forum.

'Cuse!!!! I used to live up in New Hartford. Went to Utica College of Syracuse University. Go to Amazon.com and buy The Complete Joy of Home Brewing 3rd Ed. by Charlie Papazian.
 
that is totally awesome you sent me a link to the blue tusk. one of my favorite bars in Syracuse. have any fo you guys tried middle ages? i am not sure how big of a brewery it is. it seems as though everytime i go into a new bar, thay have a different kind of middle ages i have never had before. black heart is my favorite. a good porter, with hints of chocolate, and coffee. so black, it stains the darkest of clothes. and i will definetely look into a beginner beer kit at a local home brewery store. i realize the mr beer is a waste of time, but hey, it is SOME experience, and even if i get crappy beer in the end, its still beer, right?:) thank you so much for being helpful, i have been on various kinds of forums and never received this much good help in this short of a time.

with my limited knowledge, one of my friends has a glass fermenter, with a thing on top. i apologize for being ignorant to the name, but he does not refrigerate, until he bottles. i do not have the resources at this time to apprehend a chilled fermenter, so it seems that all grain brewing may be my best bet?
 
HurricaneFloyd said:
'Cuse!!!! I used to live up in New Hartford. Went to Utica College of Syracuse University. Go to Amazon.com and buy The Complete Joy of Home Brewing 3rd Ed. by Charlie Papazian.


i worked in utica for a couple of years. they have a brewpub called backstreets brewery, which has yet to yield a single brew. i always beg them to. nice bar, just not much on the beer selection. at all.
 
You can go extract at first..good to learn all the bases (sanitation, hops, yeast, ect)...and get more advanced as you go. Many people stick with extracts and are able to produce great beers.
All the extract stuff (carboys, syphons, etc) will still be needed for intermediate
and or advanced steps.

Good Luck !

Cheers.
 
I personaly would go to Austin Homebrew supply and order everything online except the kettle get some one on the job yer on to open an empty keg with a torch for that oh and buy a turkey fryer for outside use unless you have it converted to natural gas. My first batch was Extract (DME) plus grains. then on my fourth attempt went all grain I made all my own equipment too now on to my 14 attempt I did triple decoction, what I'm trying to say is move as quickly as you want but build yer on equipment. I have had no help on any of it cause I'm a stranger down in Vatoville, it can be done. Cause I'm evil evil evil evil...
 
Not to belittle Austin Homebrew because they are a great company and I had great customer service when I called them recently, but do a phonebook or google search for some local homebrew supply stores in your area. There almost has to be one or two or ten considering how populous NY is. I'm sure there is at least one that does mail order right out of Syracuse. I reccomend that you get all your equipment at a local place (especially since Austin Homebrew has gone away from free shipping). That way you don't have to pay any shipping and get to talk to someone who (hopefully) knows how to get you setup right. I got all my big equipment locally, and mail order my ingredients because the local homebrew supply store (LHBS) doesn't stock anything that I think is fresh.
 
It's kinda like college...but you can get drunk off the labs.

Buy a book and read. Or read http://howtobrew.com Watch/help yer buddies. Get to a local homebrew supply store and get started on the cheap. Then get into the lab and make some drink.
 
Levers101 said:
I reccomend that you get all your equipment at a local place ... you don't have to pay any shipping and get to talk to someone who (hopefully) knows ...

Here's an example why I will ALWAYS buy ingredients from my local HBS (unless of course they can't get what I want).

I went in the other day and was talking to the guy about a beer I was planning and mentioned that I was going to use White Labs English Ale Yeast. He asked what temperature I've been able to hold in my fermenters on previous batches this summer. 70 degrees has been about as chilly as I can get it (no fermentation chiller). He immediately suggested that I use the White Labs California Ale Yeast instead since he has had less off flavors in the Texas climate with that yeast and similar temperatures. It's that sort of personal experience and knowledge that makes your local store (if the staff is any good and the ingredients fresh) extremely valuable.
 
Actually austin homebrew has another week of offering free shipping. Their prices are a bit higher than what I generally pay at other shops, but free shipping seems to make it cheaper.

To make ale, you'll need...

-6.5 gallon plastic primary fermenter (i use a 7.9 gallon one from thegrape.net)
-lid with grommet
-econlock airlock
-5 gallon glass carboy (plastic bucket optional and cheaper)
-drilled stopper (for the carboy)
-twin bubble air lock (fits the carboy stopper)
-Two stick on thermometers (kinda like fish tank ones, but for beer)
-bottling bucket with spigot and hose (optional but very handy)
-black beauty capper (bench capper's are nicer, but more expensive)
-caps
-One-Step sanitizer
-racking tube
-bucket clip
-spring loaded bottle filler
-siphon hose
-floating glass thermometer
-beer hydrometer (optional but highly recommended so you know your % ABV)
-beer bottle brush
-20qt+ stock pot (or larger)
-beer bottles (pop top bottles only... sam adams bottles work perfectly with the hand capper)


on top of that, you'll need four basic ingredients to make beer

Malt/Grains (dried malt extract is what you want for starters)
Hops
Yeast
Water
 
gruntingfrog said:
Here's an example why I will ALWAYS buy ingredients from my local HBS (unless of course they can't get what I want).

He's dead on with this one. The HBS local to me is also a brew pub, and the one up in upstate NY near watkins glen was a winery. (I grew up in watkins glen). Both have very knowledgeable (and friendly) owners who are making a living brewing. They know exactly what you will need, and will be able to answer any possible question you could have.

besides... its always nice to go to the brewpub and have a sampler when picking up new supplies!! HAHAHAH!!
 
Hey, I lived in Syracuse last year. I love the Blue Tusk. I also got my start brewing there so I know that there is a homebrew store in the city. I wish I could remember the name or at least the location but I do know there is one around there somewhere.
Good luck.
 
For the record the list below is debatable. For instance, the items in bold are not really needed.

sirsloop said:
To make ale, you'll need...

-6.5 gallon plastic primary fermenter (i use a 7.9 gallon one from thegrape.net)
-lid with grommet
-econlock airlock (one airlock is all you need)
-5 gallon glass carboy (plastic bucket optional and cheaper)
-drilled stopper (for the carboy)
-twin bubble air lock (fits the carboy stopper)
-Two stick on thermometers (kinda like fish tank ones, but for beer) Very optional
-bottling bucket with spigot and hose (optional but very handy)
-black beauty capper (bench capper's are nicer, but more expensive)
-caps
-One-Step sanitizer
-racking tube A long enough siphon hose can be used without a racking cane
-bucket clip Really optional
-spring loaded bottle filler
-siphon hose
-floating glass thermometer I've never actually seen anyone uise these in years of brewing
-beer hydrometer (optional but highly recommended so you know your % ABV)
-beer bottle brush
-20qt+ stock pot (or larger)
-beer bottles (pop top bottles only... sam adams bottles work perfectly with the hand capper) you can eliminate need for the caps and capper if you get grolosh style flip top bottles


on top of that, you'll need four basic ingredients to make beer

Malt/Grains (dried malt extract is what you want for starters) Liquid Malt Extract is another option-- many kits come with LME
Hops
Yeast
Water
 
A lot of the stuff is up to debate

-Some plastic buckets have grommet sizes too large for the standard twin bubble locks. If you plan on having something in both your primary and secondary, you will need two locks

-Tape Thermometers are very accurate and will let you know what your fermentor temperature is. This is EXTREMELY handy if you use the wet towel trick to get the wort below ambient temperature. If you brew in a basement or something that is constanty ambient at your fermentation temperature, then its kinda worthless.

-A bottling bucket only costs a few bucks, and makes for clearer beer. Good luck trying to get the last few beers out of the secodary using a siphon, dont expect them to be clean either.

-Racking tube and clip make siphoning off your primary and secondary a breeze, and result in cleaner beer. If you hit the trub with a standard hose, you just contaminated the beer making it cloudy.

-Floating glass thermometer is an abolute must if you steep specality grains. Hitting 160 degrees for 30 minutes is impossible without it... well unless you use some other more expensive thing like a external thermometer with a probe. Those are $$$ though.

-Hydrometers give more experienced brewers an indication on how the batch came out. If you were expecting a lower/higher SG/OG/FG then that could indicate you did something wrong. You also can calulate your % ABV/ABW. That is somewhat useless information to some people, but still nice to know. Plus it gives you a good reason to taste the beer cause you will have a small sample in the hydrometer tube.

-Fip top bottles may be your thing, thats cool. They are expensive and require new gaskets ever ~4 uses. Being cheaper than a hand capper and pop top bottles is debatable because of the initial investment.

-What kind of malt extract you choose (liquid/dried) is really a personal preference. IMHO liquid is a pain in the butt cause its messy, annoying to get out of the container, heavier to ship, and easier to scorch on the bottom of the stock pot. DME is more concentrated, floats on top of the wort until dissolved so its nearly impossible to scorch, and pours out of a bag like flour.


Again, A LOT of this is preference so you will just have to try it out and see how you like doing things. Its your beer, so if you dont want to use a racking tube, thermometer on the steeping grains, or dont care what the ABV is... forget it! :)
 
One other suggestion...

Join a homebrew club! Why not meet some other locals who brew beer, bring your friends that brew along and eat pizza, drink each others homebrew, and learn from each other. This is one of my favorite aspects of this hobby.

For a listing of homebrew clubs in your area, go to:
http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/listings.asp

I would also suggest joining the American Homebrewers Association, which publishes Zymurgy magazine, which is a great read. More info at:
http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/beginning.html

Cheers!

BrewStef
 
sirsloop said:
A lot of the stuff is up to debate

Which is why I always hesitate to tell anyone they 'need' anything debatable or that is useful to solve a problem that not everyone has.

2 other items that aren't a 'need' but is a handy tools are: the spring loaded bottle filler and one step. I've used non-spring loaded ones and even bottled without a bottle filler. It's certainly nice to have but certainly isn't a 'need'. One-step isn't required as there are several other sanitizer options, including non-fragranced household bleach.
 
I dont know why you would not want a bottle filler, especially a spring loaded one. They are like a dollar and keep your beer from getting oxygenated when you put it in bottles.

One step certianly isnt absoutely neccessary, but when you can get a pound of the stuff for four dollars, why would you use anything else? I personally keep a sink full of one step water and anything including me that touches anything beer related goes for a dip - minus papers :)
 
Want and need are not the same thing at all, however.

It's possible, although hand cramping, to fill bottles with a siphon tube wtihout increasing one's chance to oxygenate. Just takes a lot more effort. I agree it is a handy tool but it's not a 'need to have' it's a 'pretty darned good idea'. Frankly, I find it incredible how many people don't own an autosiphon but do have a racking cane. A few dollars more for an autosiphon is more than worth the cost, especially since it can double as a wine thief if you're of a mind to take samples from a carboy. Nonetheless I would not call an autosiphon a 'need to have'.

As for one-step-- some swear by idophor and wouldn't dream of using one step.
 
if thats the case, you dont need any of this stuff...

go get a pickle bucket and cover it with saran wrap and a few tied together rubber bands. Pour the beer from bucket to bucket, and use a funnel to put the beer into empty 2L soda bottles.

not using a bottle filler to fill bottles is quite frankly stupid considering the amount of money and work you put into the rest of the beer. Squeezing off the siphon tube or using a funnel is a mess.



we can go round and round all day.... there is a reason a bottle filler is included in like every start kit.
 
Hell, I've heard some people suggest worse approaches to making "homebrew" (I'll be nice and avoid naming names).

In any case, I think you guys are arguing semantics. You CAN bottle without a bottle filler, but it would be pretty stupid to not pay the dollar to buy one. I don't think Kornkob is arguing that point, he's just saying that you CAN do it.

So, let's all join hands and sign "kum-by-ya," m'k?
 
Which is exactly why I missed it as an 'optional' the first time around. It's a handy tool that is pretty durned cheap.

The point is that of that list there are several items that are not nessicary to easily making beer and some are flatly contraversial.
 
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