National Homebrew Day Giveaway!

[emorris]

just threw my starter wart in the freezer for an after big brew day brew (sorry grandsons birthday party tomorrow)

 

[The10mmKid]

With a career in Industrial Maintenance I enjoy 'guiding' the HBT electron newbies in their electric brewing endeavors.

My Misses has bared with me and my new rewarding hobby.
I just Love her to death.

She is credited with evaluating my beers as "spit worthy".

Spit worthy = Too Hoppy :rockin:

So add "Spit Worthy" to your homebrew repertoire.



Happy Homebrew Day,
'da Kid

 

[Zuljin]

I wrote that HBT article on pairing beer and seafood.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, I got a new to me Canon Powershot S2 IS camera, so when shopping at walmart today I found a Targus tripod with bubble level, detachable platform & 3-way 360 Degree swivel head, among other things, for $14.88. So I can finally start making videos again. Homebrewing & tuner stuff, mainly.
After my grandma making shine I cut teeth on as a little guy, then pop making wine & brewing stout, than me making wine for years, times have changed.
Having started brewing in January 2011 with Cooper's cans & a lot of memories & imagination, I've since progressed to partial boil, partial mash biab. Rare or extinct German beers are quickly becoming a passion, thanks to certain members getting me started. Revvy being the first, with private discussions of Burton ales. He basically questioned me about researching it & brewing one, since even then I was described by one member as," some kinda wizard". Aw shucks, t'wern't nuthin'. I suppose being German & Slovak mainly, & being from Upper Bavaria to boot, I was genetically predisposed to brew beer! ( can ya really do that?) So it's an exercise in familial history as well to me, having learned fermenting, distilling stuff from dad & grandma that goes back God only knows how far. So of course, I have to drink a Summerfest Lager & some Kentucky bourbon while I write this, hic.
Here's some shots of more than two batches worth of grains that'll get started on tomorrow. & the new tripod with shoulder bag. I finally got a Canon camera again! HOORAH!

 

[Nagorg]

My only contribution and advice to new homebrewers is don't FREAK OUT over brewing. Yes, when starting out, brewing may seem overwhelming. Do a good job planning for brew day and your brew day will go smoothly. I've panicked, got angry and yes FREAKED OUT so many times on brew day that my wife hated brewing with me; but not anymore. Now, after many brews under my belt, I’ve learned to do a good job planning and anticipating problems so that I don’t run around like madman on brew day. You’ll learn too.

And, of course, when brew day is done, have a beer with your best friend.

Do I spy a Martin House glass?

 

[Nagorg]

This forum has helped me improve my brewing process a lot. That and persistence! Dont let brew day issues get in the way; learn from them!

 

[unionrdr]

I also learned not to get drunk on brew day. But this particular instance is an interesting one. I was brewing version 3 of my hopped & confused hybrid lager, while drinking two 24's of Labatt's Blue & a bottle of Vodka. I passed out after the bittering addition. So, some hour & 45 minutes later, I come too again. Finished the hop additions & proceeded as normal. Well friends, I was kinda sure I'd F'd it up. but, since I was having starch haze problems up to that point with well-modified malts & 1 hour mashes/boils, I saw something good in it. The beer was a tad clearer! So never say never...again! :rockin::rockin:

 

[lump42]

My brewing buddy and I started around the same time. He is less than technically minded and I've helped him build his own equipment and try other techniques to help him brew more.

 

[lump42]

I'm the only one of my friends that brew that has a house, so I purchase and store bulk ingredients and sell them to friends at cost. Keeping costs down for everyone.

 

[masonsjax]

I have taught several people to brew and pretty much talk about nothing else. No pics on the phone right now.

 

[Ski12568]

I learned a lot about homebrewing thanks to this site because of all the questions that have been asked before me. I have learned to search HBT before I ask my question because there is a good chance it has been asked and answered before. If I cannot find the answer, I just ask.
I like keeping my recipes simple, like good sushi.
Here is a pic of my first 1 gallon batch draining away.

 

[unionrdr]

Along this brewing journey, I've learned to take notes about everything & anything about a brew day. even a bit about bottling day. Taste, aroma, color, clarity...anything I can think of that might be of value later in my notebook. Doing so led to writing my first book on homebrewing. The second is on the way. Hell, even my dystopian sci-fi series involves a homebrewer that becomes a pro for the well-healed elite that screw up this world. So notebooks can be valuable.

 

[AkTom]

Going home to bottle 5 gal of Kentucky Rye Common Ale.

 

[DU99]

my first attempt at home brew was about 30 years when all you used was malt extract..had 2 or 3 goes at it.but i failed miserably..gave it away.5 years ago i thought i would have another attempt after tasting one of our contractors beer's.did kits for about 2 years learning from my mistakes.then i found brewing forum's helped alot in my progress understanding how grain's,hops,yeast work together to make beer.i do BIAB.i belong to 2 forum's and help with information on issues people have or where to get brewing gear from

 

[brick_haus]

I got my start home brewing from a friend that let me "help" him once. The. I started brewing and have helped get two others interested in it also.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I just moved to Cleveland last year, from a small town called Bellevue, Ohio. In 2013, we had a devastating tornado come through our small town and destroy everything that we had, with winds coming at our homes at over 75 MPH. I watched my whole street be destroyed as it knocked over every telephone pole, and watched my parents fence get picked up and blown across the town, leaving us stranded in our homes without electricity. We couldn't drive our cars for about a week when everything was all cleaned up. It was an awful experience. I was just getting seriously into home brewing at the time. We couldn't drive anywhere, but luckily we lived right by a local convenience store. So all of my friends and neighbors ended up walking there to buy all of the beer we could. We had bonfires in our driveways, cook outs and drank a lot of beer during this time, and made the best of all of it. It turned out to be the greatest time we have ever had spending time together. But it was extremely hot and without electricity we didn't have air conditioning. We all decided that a raspberry wheat beer would really hit the spot since it was so hot out. That's how my signature home brew was born. Night of the twister raspberry wheat. A year later in 2014, we all gathered together again on that same day and I brought 5 gallons of this beer that I brewed and we celebrated and talked about the tragedy we went through just a year ago. It was truly a wonderful time, and every time we drink this beer now, it tells you that story about what we went through that year.

 

[TXCrash]

I've drank so much I've feltike a twister tore through me.

 

[TXCrash]

And I'm drinking beer now. It's not homebrewed.

 

[kpr121]

I've gotten 3 or 4 of my friends/coworkers into home brewing. And countless others into drinking it!

 

[treacheroustexan]

And I'm drinking beer now. It's not homebrewed.

I hope you lose!

 

[slym2none]

My buddy & I have discovered homebrewing due to him finding a Mr. Beer kit. Since then, I have taught him quite a bit, most learned by me from HBT.com!

 

[fusa]

I have encouraged a few friends to get into homebrewing.

 

[Hoppity]

I created a blog in 2011 that has been more or less unattended to or by. It does however contain documentation of adding a 2nd spout to a kegerator:http://shipwerks.blogspot.com/2011/04/kegerator-spout-addition.html
http://shipwerks.blogspot.com/2011/04/kegerator-spout-addition.html
And a cool rendering of my pipeline at the time:

 

[I-Hop]

I started brewing after my cousin brought over some homebrew. He was very much into craft beer/homebrewing and I was an avid Bud Light guy. He turned me on to the craft of homebrewing and I've never looked back. My taste in beer has improved dramatically. So has my homebrewing skills. I enjoy homebrewing and have just built an all grain rig with which I plan to christen on National Homebrew Day. I have taught other family members as well as co workers how to brew and love teaching new people how to craft their own beer as it brings back memories of my first brew.

 

[jrowland74]

My brother-in-law visited from Michigan recently and I showed him how to brew. He loved it, so I sent him home with equipment and ingredients to brew 1 gallon batches. He brewed as soon as he got home. He now brews 5 gallon batches regularly.

 

[ImNoExpert]

I support HBT!

 

[wstbrewing]

I'm drinking a homebrew and planning my day tomorrow.

Will be brewing 3 different 5 gallon batches, 2 all grain and one extract.

Also, brewing two Russian Imperial Stouts Sunday.

 

[ImNoExpert]

I recently hosted a new brewer when I made my Irish Red. The folioing week he made a Irish Coffee Red and I like his better than mine!

 

[Bobb25]

In honor of the day I will be doing my first ever All Grain brew! I began the pursuit with extracts, and ended with a partial mash last year. Have bottled and consumed five batches. The brewery,,...err garage is all set up ( the wife's car is outside ) All is in readiness, and I think that sleep will be difficult tonight.

 

[ImNoExpert]

My dad had no equipment, yet he is just as mush a brewer as I am.

 

[Barley_Bob]

I'm reviving Kottbusser! (With the help of unionrdr, myerstyson, bhchrist, and a few others.)

 

[soccerRef]

Im finally getting my all electric basement brew space completed!!! definitely advancing my beer making!!

 

[buzzerj]

I taught my sons to brew and supported them in their brewing. My two boys now make beer and wine and my son in law makes beer. They've got better brew systems than I do. What started as a passion for fermentation has now passed to the next generation. Teach your sons and daughters how to brew.

 

[spunxter]

Hey soccerRef - an all e basement brewspace is my dream! Love to hear all about yours. Im stuck doing it all in my dirty dungy basement for a while, and have been putting lots of thought into making a nice all E brewroom.

 

[ChefRex]

Measured and conditioned grains for tomorrow, a nice saison. Oversized batch, what doesn't fit in the keg will suffer from a horrible infection. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1430534032.355214.jpg

 

[nutty_gnome]

The biggest lesson learned and the first one I preach is to use the things you already have to brew. In other words, pretty, purpose built equipment will not help a novice brewer. Only actual experience brewing can improve the novice brewer. I cobbled together my hybrid propane electric BIAB system from things I scavenged and parts I had on hand from my ghetto three tier and no-chill rig. See the pic for my current hybrid BIAB system with which I am supremely happy.... And I made it myself with the help of these forums.

Bonus - It is an amazing sous vide cooker as well! The pic shows it cooking a 3 pound eye roast for 30 hours..... it was wonderful!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I teach homebrewing (and get paid for it) at the local community college.

 

[ChefRex]

Someday, I'll be on an episode of hoarders (Is that show still on?) and on that show I'll have a ton of craft beer and homebrew all over as well as homebrew equipment, empty bottles and stuff in my neglected and barely habitable home. Millions will learn about homebrewing from seeing it on TV.

Advancing isn't always improving.

Apparently you're a hoarder of posts also

 

[snowveil]

At my local club's March meeting I gave a presentation about hops using the "dry hopped bud light" technique.

I chose 7 different hop varieties (Aramis, Apollo, Citra, Equinox, Hallertau, Mandarina Bavaria, and Simcoe) and dry hopped 3 bottles each with about 5-6 pellets, with 3 bottles being left unaltered. The hopping rate scaled up to be approximately a 2 oz dry hop for a 5 gallon batch.

I drew up an 8x11 sheet with space for a small paper cup for each hop variety and basic description underneath so club members could compare, contrast, and blend the different varieties.

It was surprisingly informative and really fun. Descriptors ranged anywhere from Bell Pepper to Green tea...which none of us really expected.

 

[TallDan]

Apparently you're a hoarder of posts also

That's right.

and another thing...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs[/ame]