A quick hello from Ottawa

[Canuck137]

Just a quick introduction.

Home brewing has been something I wanted to try for years. Got a brew kit for Christmas and got the ball rolling. Was lurking on the forums for the past few months and now decided to join. Looking forward to asking some questions or just gaining more info from lurking haha.

Other interests include guitar, welding, firearms, fishing, camping and mountain biking. Looking forward to adding this hobby to the list. Cheers!

 

[vincentAlpha]

Hey another one, I actually miss Defalco's out there (the LHBS here in St. John's is a little lacking and hecka expensive). Hope you enjoy homebrewing!

 

[Canuck137]

I have been to Deflacos 4-5 times since Christmas haha... actually live just a few blocks away from the one in Little Italy so its right there! It has been great... Just finished bottling my first batch, a coopers lager last week.

If I'm successful, looking forward to trying to kick it up a bit on my next batch, add hopps, malt, maybe a wheat beer, something like that... been researching on here and youtube.

 

[vincentAlpha]

If you followed the instructions I'm sure you'll be fine. Can't speak to the lager kits but I did the English Bitter kit and it turned out pretty tasty for a kit beer.

 

[Zepth]

Greetings fellow capital dweller!

Being close to Defalcos is dangerous. I go right past it on my commute, it's just as bad. And in case you're ever at a different one of the same chain it's the same staff that rotates around. Just when you thought you wouldn't get called out for being in 3 days in a row...

Their kits and LME are reasonably priced, though there is a surprisingly limited selection of venues to do such shopping. Bulk grain when you get there is the best price I've found once internet shipping is factored in. As far as equipment goes, that's their money maker it seems. You can do better online. OBK gets my recommendation 9/10 times.

 

[vincentAlpha]

+1 to OBK, they were quick and reasonably priced. But a word of warning if you buy something pre-built from them you best check closely that all the fittings are done properly. I bought a kegging kit and a bunch of the hoses were clamped too loosely and now I have to go buy a whack of worm-gear clamps to close up leaks. I'd have been happier if they just threw the right amount of clamps in and pre-cut the hoses and let me built it since it isn't exactly hard and some parts needed that anyway.

 

[Canuck137]

I went to the wine making place there on Somerset the other day as well... limited selection but somewhat lower prices than Defalcos. Will check out this online store as well. Thanks!

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from CO

 

[carloscede2]

I am from Ottawa as well and as everyone, started with defalcos. I even have their kit. But Ive been better of with an online website called beer grains supply. The ship the same day and the prices are better than defalcos. Also, they have a pick up option every second sunday in Ottawa. Looking forward to meet more brewers in this area

 

[Canuck137]

Still brewing here in Ottawa! Mostly do partial mash beers now and have got to a place where my beers are good and I really dont care much to go full all grain.

As for Defalcos, I basically stopped going, maybe once in a blue moon when I really need something I forgot to order from OBK... OBK just better selection and prices. Defalcos staff well... one guy in there kinda turned me off the store... say hello to him and he just gives a blank unresponsive look, says nothing. Weird.

OBK is the way to go and I will check the other site you mentioned. Cheers!

 

[carloscede2]

Do you have like a brewing group or something? Ive been wondering if theres one of those in ottawa.

As for defalcos, well is the only tangible place where I can go and look at stuff. I guess you kinda get tired over time. Im trying to get some of my friends into the hobby and they love going to defalcos just to look at the stuff. I go to the location in gladstone but I am curious about the one in Kanata

 

[kombat]

Another Ottawa brewer here. There is a great homebrew club in Ottawa (the Members of Barleyment), they do group buys and have an extremely active mailing list (500+ emails a day). Homebrewing is alive and well in Ottawa.

I rarely go to Defalcos anymore, as I have pretty much everything I need (bulk hops, bulk grains, reuse yeast, etc.). Whenever I need some sort of specialty grain or a particular strain of liquid yeast, Defalcos won't have it anyway, so I don't even bother checking anymore, I just go straight to my preferred online suppliers (OBK, Beergains, Hopdawgs, Canadian Homebrew Supplies, Toronto Brewing).

 

[carloscede2]

I'll check that out! Thanks for the info.
Bulk grains hops? You are really into this eh? Lol. I wanna get to a point where I'm like that too but first I gotta finish college and get a job

 

[Canuck137]

You can bulk buy a pound of hops with OBK, or I think there is a 55lbs bag of 2 row you can buy at Defalcos. It will save you some money in the long run but I dont bother.

Beer brewing group is/was basically me and two other guys at work. One guy has been brewing for years and two of us started about a year ago. Other than that hombrewtalk I visit once a month and that is my beer brewing group haha.

 

[carloscede2]

Yeah I got one of my friends into this hobby so we brew together sometimes. The thing is that I got too much into it And I know the theories and etc and he doesnt lol so thats why I talk in this forum.
55lb? Wow thats gonna last me like 2 years, I dont make that much beer thus is the same hop over and over. I feel like by brewing beer you save tons of money overall, thats how it all started for me

 

[Canuck137]

Yeah I got one of my friends into this hobby so we brew together sometimes. The thing is that I got too much into it And I know the theories and etc and he doesnt lol so thats why I talk in this forum.
55lb? Wow thats gonna last me like 2 years, I dont make that much beer thus is the same hop over and over. I feel like by brewing beer you save tons of money overall, thats how it all started for me

The "money saving" debate is something that gets talked about a lot lol.

It CAN save you money, but you can also spend a lot of time and money on equipment and ingredients. Since we are in Canada (where beer is more expensive than the USA) we have a much bigger "buffer zone" before before we stop saving money.

 

[carloscede2]

Well, thats what I mean, in canada the beer is like 2$ if its on sale or something. Instead, I spend 30$ per batch(all extract) and 20(all grain) for a 5 gallons batch that yields 63 beers. Yes, you will spend a bunch of money in equipment depending on how fancy you wanna get, but for me and my 70$ starter kit and my 29 $ 5 gallons pot, its worked out pretty well. I dont even spend money on liqueur anymore unless I want something like rum(not always the case) because I just bring my bottles to house parties and etc..

 

[Zepth]

I should mention that DeFalcos does have a sign up list for when they are going to do grain sacks and liquid yeast orders. The chances of you running out when they happen to be placing one of their orders is rare, but even getting your base grains there without shipping costs is enough of a win. I get an email about a week before either order goes in, then do a quick inventory to see if I need anything special.

I find Musca on Somerset to be an acceptable supply shop. Much more oak options, some mead making supplies, and large barrel (non air-tight) fermenters. Haven't had a problem with 20+ batches yet. Unfortunately, if you seek advice they're not a good source of it. As a wine focused shop they just don't have the brewing knowledge. They were all concerned about me using a sanitizer on corks that could leech into it and not be rinsed off. Starsan for those who are wondering.

 

[Canuck137]

Well, thats what I mean, in canada the beer is like 2$ if its on sale or something. Instead, I spend 30$ per batch(all extract) and 20(all grain) for a 5 gallons batch that yields 63 beers. Yes, you will spend a bunch of money in equipment depending on how fancy you wanna get, but for me and my 70$ starter kit and my 29 $ 5 gallons pot, its worked out pretty well. I dont even spend money on liqueur anymore unless I want something like rum(not always the case) because I just bring my bottles to house parties and etc..

Absolutely and then you are the coolest person at the party with your home made beer!

 

[carloscede2]

Yeaa! Happens to me everytime, specifically if I bring the corona bottles because everyone is like "those coronas are dark" and Im like yeah I made this beer and everyones starts telling me how cool that is

 

[kombat]

Don't use Corona bottles. Clear glass offers no protection against skunking from light (UV rays). There's a reason beer bottles are brown. Corona gets away with it because a deliberate light-struck skunking is part of their characteristic profile, but it's considered a fault in virtually all other styles. If you want to drop some jaws, show up with your beer in one of these.

 

[Mainer]

Don't use Corona bottles. Clear glass offers no protection against skunking from light (UV rays). There's a reason beer bottles are brown. Corona gets away with it because a deliberate light-struck skunking is part of their characteristic profile, but it's considered a fault in virtually all other styles. If you want to drop some jaws, show up with your beer in one of these.

I just did my first beer, and put one six-pack in light green bottles (Beck's, I think), just so I could watch for floc. I consider it research. The rest went into brown bottles.

 

[carloscede2]

Don't use Corona bottles. Clear glass offers no protection against skunking from light (UV rays). There's a reason beer bottles are brown. Corona gets away with it because a deliberate light-struck skunking is part of their characteristic profile, but it's considered a fault in virtually all other styles. If you want to drop some jaws, show up with your beer in one of these.

Are there other issues with corona? Cause apparently they didnt carbonate as well as the brown and green bottles that I had and they tasted a bit different, I guess because of what you said. I did know about that its just that my friends only drink that beer so I get their bottles and i thought if kept them in a dark place it would be fine.
Wow thats amazing stuff, way out of my budget though, once I get a job Ill look into that lol

 

[carloscede2]

I just did my first beer, and put one six-pack in light green bottles (Beck's, I think), just so I could watch for floc. I consider it research. The rest went into brown bottles.

Green should be ok though. I am getting a bunch of groulsh bottles cause they are green and swing tops at the same time.

 

[Canuck137]

Don't use Corona bottles. Clear glass offers no protection against skunking from light (UV rays). There's a reason beer bottles are brown. Corona gets away with it because a deliberate light-struck skunking is part of their characteristic profile, but it's considered a fault in virtually all other styles. If you want to drop some jaws, show up with your beer in one of these.

That's neat...