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JustMrWill

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
371
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3
Location
North Attleboro
I found this forum a few weeks back and have learned a ton since. (Unfortunately, every answer I find generates a dozen more questions!!!)

I got a Mr Beer kit for Christmas 2006. I brewed the wheat ale that came with the kit and made OK beer. I was left with the "OK, that was lame...there has to be more to this than that". One week after drinking the first bottle from the Mr Beer, I bought a brew kit from my LHBS.

Before the first batch (a brown ale extract kit) was done fermenting, I had bought a kegerator and a 5 gal cornelius keg. (I tend to jump into things whole-heartedly).

I have brewed so far (all extract kits):
1 - Mr Beer wheat ale
2 - brown ale
3 - bass ale clone
4 - guiness clone
5 - I.P.A.
6 - wheat ale
7 - honey brown ale
8 - sam adams clone (ale)
9 - brown ale

All have come out good except the honey brown ale. I am still trying to figure out what went wrong...it is drinkable but just not any good. I got a 20lb CO2 tank from a friend. He said that it had been sitting around for a while...I should have asked how long a while was...because I think the CO2 is tainting the beer when I carbonate it from this tank. Is this possible? I am trying to purge the CO2 from the last batch and re-carbonate with a "known good" tank. I hate to have to toss out a couple batches of beer.

Up next:

I bought a second 6.5 gallon glass carboy so I can double up on what I have fermenting/conditioning. I bought a digital temp controller from Apex and have my chest freezer set to do lagers. I just got an Anchor (steam) lager clone from my LHBS. I also want to try making some mead...still trying to determine if I want to start with a straight honey mead..or try flavoring with fruits etc. I would hate to make something and wait 6 months, just to find that it sux...but I guess that is the nature of the beast.

I would love to start AG brewing but I am still trying to figure it all out.

I live in North Attleboro, MA and would love to hear from others in the MA/RI area. (Feel free to shoot me a PM).

-Will
 
Welcome from Boston, I actually moved my brewery to a warehouse in attleboro for the winter. I am hoping to ramp up operations at some point while there, good to hear there are other brewers in the area.
 
Donasay said:
Welcome from Boston, I actually moved my brewery to a warehouse in attleboro for the winter. I am hoping to ramp up operations at some point while there, good to hear there are other brewers in the area.

and 3 lhbs within a 20 minute drive. :ban:
 
bigjohnmilford said:
and 3 lhbs within a 20 minute drive. :ban:

Greetings!

I am nearby as well, never formally introduced myself, but corresponded with some here

3 lhbs. OK, which is the third one?
PTN likes TWB. BigJohn likes the one in Walpole, and the third one is..?


Maybe the one in R.I.?


Arrgh, need to get AG ingredients soon!
 
bigjohnmilford said:
There's plenty of us in Southeastern mass too. Welcome to hbt. SWMBO and I are in Attleboro. Which lhbs do you use?

I have only been to Walpole. I am planning on checking out Witches Brew and Blackstone in the near future. Steve at Walpole is great if he is there and if you are doing it his way. If you show up there with questions, he tends to come off like you are bothering him and if you show up when he is not there - forget about getting anything except his brown bag specials. (Shoot, I went there Thursday to get supplies to make my first lager...he told me to come back Friday so he can make up a kit - guess he was too busy to make one on the spot). I think I would rather drive an extra hour to go somewhere that I feel like I am not bothering them - imagine that!


I am not a huge beer drinker - I got into brewing to have some fun. Out off all the beer I have brewed...I have given away atleast 2/3 of it. I would love to swap a few bottles sometime...once I get a way to bottle from my kegs without losing all the CO2! Maybe I will buy a beergun with some of the tax refund :cool:. SWMBO hates beer, and hates the smell when I brew, so I think I am converting the workshop in the basement to be my brewhouse (that will show her!) :D

Thanks for the warm welcome.

-Will
 
paulthenurse said:
Hey Bro.

I'm in Stoughton, have a keezer full' o' beer, and you are wlcome to ride out Rt 138 any tme you want and drink beer and talk brewing, till my SWMBO or your SWMBO says it's time to go.

Paulthesortadrunknurse

I work in Canton, so that may not be out of the question. Thanks.

I noticed that you had a scuba pic of two?! I dive and am a member of the South Shore Neptunes. Where do you dive?

-Will
 
beergears said:
Greetings!

I am nearby as well, never formally introduced myself, but corresponded with some here

3 lhbs. OK, which is the third one?
PTN likes TWB. BigJohn likes the one in Walpole, and the third one is..?


Maybe the one in R.I.?


Arrgh, need to get AG ingredients soon!

The 3 close by to me are Hoppy Brewer it might be 3 minutes from my house if I drive in reverse. Witches brew in Foxborough and Backstone Valley (in Woonsocket). We've used all 3 and all have been great. We've also used plenty of the online guys. I know it's been thrown around before but I'm primed for a brewers get together at some point soon. I'm on the wagon for another week+ so it'll have to wait till then.
 
beergears said:
Greetings!

I am nearby as well, never formally introduced myself, but corresponded with some here

3 lhbs. OK, which is the third one?
PTN likes TWB. BigJohn likes the one in Walpole, and the third one is..?


Maybe the one in R.I.?


Arrgh, need to get AG ingredients soon!

Yep, the one in RI.

Personally I think it's head and shoulders over the other guys, but it really depends on what you're looking for in an lhbs. If you just want to buy equipment and ingredients, I suppose Witches and Hoppy are okay; if you want more in the way of community, Blackstone Valley is the only place to go imo.
 
Welcome! Glad to hear there is another local around!
Anytime you want to get together we're always ready for a little drinking!
 
Hey Will,

Where don't I dive would probably be a shorter answer. A ripped neck seal has kept me out of the water for a few weeks. I don't know if I'll have it fixed before we head to Key Largo the beginning of Feb, so I'm looking at a far too long dry stretch. Warm water and visibility will be nice for a change.

I'm sensing a need for another eastern Mass/RI brew day get together. Anyone interested? I've got my weekends pretty well booked for a while but I'm willing to host one the last weekend of March. That gives everyone plenty of time to plan. Who's in?
 
paulthenurse said:
Hey Will,

I'm sensing a need for another eastern Mass/RI brew day get together. Anyone interested? I've got my weekends pretty well booked for a while but I'm willing to host one the last weekend of March. That gives everyone plenty of time to plan. Who's in?

I'm in. What "goes on" at these brew day gatherings :cross:

-JMW
 
beergears said:
PTN has poles in his basement.

You can take tips if you want...

Seriously, we just had one and it was great.


So I should plan on waxing the night before :D

:off:

I have noticed on this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=49299 that a lot of the locals (MA/RI) are also growing their own hops. I am very interested in doing this as well and will welcome any/all advice/help. Thanks.

-JMW
 
JustMrWill said:
So I should plan on waxing the night before :D


-JMW

You'd probably be better off waxing about a week in advance...


Paul - you can count me in! Hopefully by March i'll be settled down again and able to attend! Give me plenty of notice and i'll block off the day.
I am a halfway decent cook and could bring some good eats?
 
Melana said:
You'd probably be better off waxing about a week in advance...


Paul - you can count me in! Hopefully by March i'll be settled down again and able to attend! Give me plenty of notice and i'll block off the day.
I am a halfway decent cook and could bring some good eats?

Don't you get all stubbly and irritated waxing that far ahead of brewday?

OK Will, heres's what happens at a brew day get together.

We brew.

DSCF2823.jpg


We wear silly Octoberfest drinking hats.

DSCF2827.jpg


We eat.

DSCF2829.jpg


And we drink.

DSCF2826-1.jpg


Clear your calender.

Paul
 
I'm a little late to this party but welcome aboard Will. I just moved from NA to easton recently, wish I knew more homebrewers in the area then...

you could also try http://www.basementbrew-hah.com/ in providence. Decent selection of ingredients and equipment, although i've been frequenting witches brew for most stuff.
 
paulthenurse said:
Hey Twominutes, I'm next door in Stoughton. Lets' brew some time.
P

Definitely. I'm oh for two with your last two events, though I didn't see the latest one until the weekend after. I'm in for the next.
 
Hellow former fellow Masstonians. I have lived in NY for eight years now, but was born in Worcester, and grew up in a very rural town in the SW corner called Sandisfield MA. Small world!
 
WormBoy said:
Hellow former fellow Masstonians. I have lived in NY for eight years now, but was born in Worcester, and grew up in a very rural town in the SW corner called Sandisfield MA. Small world!


Funny, I too was born in Worcester...
 
Hah -- and I once saw a Celtics game get rained out at the wooster centrum.


Watch City is great. most of my growlers come from there.
 
Holy crap... Everyone in this thread is a Masshole?>! Where has this thread been all my life? Wassup from Acton, MA
 
Aw c'mon guys, I REALLY hate that term. Just like screaming "NY su@ks" at Sox games, it's low rent. Raise the bar. Lose the loser mentality. Hey have you heard? The Sox have won 2 of the past 4 years! Life is pretty freakin' good.

I'm as 'east coast' as the next guy. I get nervous around people who are too nice and smile all the time, but that doesn't mean I embrase being an a&&hole. I'm not an a&&hole, and I don't like being refered to as a Ma&&hole. It's probably a term started by a Yankees fan, why would you adopt it?

Just the thoughts of another guy who hangs with lovers, muggers, and thieves. They're cool people, too.
PTN
 
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