I have been making wine for the last 10 years.
I make about 30 gallons a year of "grape" wine
I make another 12 to 20 or Skeeter Pee, mixed Berry, Cider etc.....
The problem is I am mainly a beer/whiskey drinker, more so than wine. Wine is good in the cold of winter, but sometimes you just have to have an IPA or 2.
So I have started to consider brewing beer. However I have 2 issues,
1- I am absolutely ignorant of the process
2- I really can not afford any new equipment.
As to the 1st point, I am sure if I were to buy a kit, the instructions would walk me through it.
as to the second, I have 6 gallon carboys, 5g carboys, 3 gallons and 1gallons, a 6.5 gallon brew bucket and vacuum pump, oak barrel, etc...etc...
However I am not sure if I have a pot that would hold 5 gallons, but I imagine I could get my hands on one.
But it is my simple understanding that you boil all the ingredients from a kit or otherwise, cool it down in an ice bath, fill the carboy and ferment to dry.
You then let it clear and carbonate and bottle. (dont get me started on my fear of trying to carbonate. coming from a wine background I try to avoid re-fermentation).
Is there any equipment that I would need to purchase that I might not already have? (capper and bottle tops are on my list, as I am going to use them to bottle my Cider).
Any words of encouragement?
Are kits a good way to start?
Or just follow a recipe?
Is it as difficult as wine brewing and aging?
I make about 30 gallons a year of "grape" wine
I make another 12 to 20 or Skeeter Pee, mixed Berry, Cider etc.....
The problem is I am mainly a beer/whiskey drinker, more so than wine. Wine is good in the cold of winter, but sometimes you just have to have an IPA or 2.
So I have started to consider brewing beer. However I have 2 issues,
1- I am absolutely ignorant of the process
2- I really can not afford any new equipment.
As to the 1st point, I am sure if I were to buy a kit, the instructions would walk me through it.
as to the second, I have 6 gallon carboys, 5g carboys, 3 gallons and 1gallons, a 6.5 gallon brew bucket and vacuum pump, oak barrel, etc...etc...
However I am not sure if I have a pot that would hold 5 gallons, but I imagine I could get my hands on one.
But it is my simple understanding that you boil all the ingredients from a kit or otherwise, cool it down in an ice bath, fill the carboy and ferment to dry.
You then let it clear and carbonate and bottle. (dont get me started on my fear of trying to carbonate. coming from a wine background I try to avoid re-fermentation).
Is there any equipment that I would need to purchase that I might not already have? (capper and bottle tops are on my list, as I am going to use them to bottle my Cider).
Any words of encouragement?
Are kits a good way to start?
Or just follow a recipe?
Is it as difficult as wine brewing and aging?
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