CHEERS!Just wanted to say hi to everyone, newbie brewer in the house...
Had a friend on my Day of Defeat: Source clan server (Blitz) get me interested into trying out the hobby. Within days I found myself ordering a starter kit and a few odds and ends like a cheap brew pot and digital scale.
After watching some basic brewing videos on youtube, I decided to try to brew some basic beer kits. A Craigtube Channel base with a Homebrewing Video Channel twist. Yes, I know it's the kool-aid approach, but I wanted to learn to crawl before I started walking and tripping all over the place.
To date I've done 1 Cooper's Lager, and 2 Cooper's Draught kits using nothing more than dextrose. Tasting samples in the first 2 weeks had me worried, but it developed into a very enjoyable beer that didn't last very long. Only real complaint was that it wasn't as carbonated as I would have liked. I'm sure slightly warmer temps and/or a little more time would have solved that. That's what learning it all about though right? I've also tried a couple of my aging draughts and they tasted even better than the lager; Can't wait 'till they're ready.
I've now moved into experimenting with other fermentables than dextrose. For example my current brew in the primary is a Cooper's Lager kit + 1KG Honey + 300g Dextrose (I was aiming for a 5.5% beer) I can't wait to see what churns up.
I still got 1 each of the Cooper's Draught, Canadian Blonde, and IPA kits. I got dextrose, maltodextrin, and brown sugar on hand, and I'm trying to acquire some LDME, but my supplier was sold out. I plan to pick some up before my next brew.
After I'm finished with those kits, I was thinking of taking a step up and giving Extract brewing a try. Since it would only require the purchase of a digital thermometer and a little more time to get a much better tasting beer, I figure why not? I would love to taste the difference some fresh grains and hops would make to the brew.
Anyways, I've been drinking my home brews tonight, so I'm rambling... I basically came here to find a social environment to find some help and receive the advice of those who have a little more experience then me in my new favorite hobby.
Glad to meet you all...
