My Beer Brewing Journal From The Dry State

[BrewingWisdom]

Hello peeps
As someone who belongs to a place that is dry and prohibited when it comes to alcohol, I need a separate thread to better show you, people, my brewing progress and for you to better address the issues I will face along the way.
Because of the different nature of resources available to me here and the little amount in which they are available, there is no like-for-like comparison with the rest of the world i.e the west or where booze is legal where brewing materials, equipment, and information is in abundance. For instance, as we speak I can only produce a wheat pilsner from the wheat available to me(can change later). As opposed to barley pilsner available to the whole world. So I believe this thread is necessary to avoid confusion for the readers here, who should first know where this brewing journal is coming from.
I also believe I may end up creating something even better with unusual experiments or since there is no brewer's market here I create everything from the scratch. This bottom-up approach should give me in-depth sights and more control over my brewing process. Well, beer tasting is a very subjective thing.
After successfully brewing my first-ever beer from scratch after numerous unsuccessful attempts now i want to take my brewing to the next level.
From now on I will record my subsequent beer batches or any kind of brewing progress, and questions in this thread.
Cheers

 

[Airborneguy]

That sucks. What are the consequences if caught?

 

[BrewingWisdom]

That sucks. What are the consequences if caught?

Few days in jail and some heavy bribes to the police for buying your freedom. Well most buyers caught with alcohol here don't end up in jail but in my case it's the production hence the offence is bigger.

 

[Zambezi Special]

Ouch

You can make a 100% wheat beer, if you can get malted wheat.
You can even use part flour in it.
Biab will be the way to go in those cases.
Maybe try malting a little yourself.

But be careful, how are you going to explain away the smell of the wort and the bubbling fermenters?

Maybe better to look at ginger beer, kombucha etc?

 

[madscientist451]

Hello peeps
As someone who belongs to a place that is dry and prohibited when it comes to alcohol, I need a separate thread to better show you, people, my brewing progress and for you to better address the issues I will face along the way.

A quick google search reveals that Pakistan is not a "dry country" with regard to alcohol.
However, selling alcohol to Muslims is illegal and it appears as though home brewing may be illegal?
Also, barley is grown in Pakistan and you if you can get malted wheat, you can add some un-malted barley to it.
Perhaps check out some of the resources described in this article:

For Pakistan’s secret wine brewing club, the risk is worth a shot

LAHORE: Last month, a group of men and women got together in the central Pakistani city of Lahore to celebrate Oktoberfest, the annual German beer and wine festival. Many of the guests at the event had one thing in common: they belong to the Pakistan Beer and Wine Society, a six-year-old...

www.arabnews.pk

 

[BrewingWisdom]

A quick google search reveals that Pakistan is not a "dry country" with regard to alcohol.
However, selling alcohol to Muslims is illegal and it appears as though home brewing may be illegal?
Also, barley is grown in Pakistan and you if you can get malted wheat, you can add some un-malted barley to it.
Perhaps check out some of the resources described in this article:

For Pakistan’s secret wine brewing club, the risk is worth a shot

LAHORE: Last month, a group of men and women got together in the central Pakistani city of Lahore to celebrate Oktoberfest, the annual German beer and wine festival. Many of the guests at the event had one thing in common: they belong to the Pakistan Beer and Wine Society, a six-year-old...

www.arabnews.pk

99% here are Muslims and even are 1% minorties dont drink that often as you people drink in the west. Practically and culturally it's a almost a dry state. Google shows very little , try living here then you will realize what I am talking about.
Yes barley is grown here but I am yet to find a barley that can be malted for a beer.
Yes a very tiny homebrewing community exists here and that's wine brewing at best.Yet to see any maltster or beer maker here. Perhaps maybe 10 maltsters in the population of 220 million.

 

[bwible]

Is it possible you could mail order anything? Malt extracts are one of the easiest ways to brew. China is way, way closer to you than the US and we get stuff from there.

 

[BrewingWisdom]

Is it possible you could mail order anything? Malt extracts are one of the easiest ways to brew. China is way, way closer to you than the US and we get stuff from there.

Actually I sourced few things from china that took months to reach here. Shipping costs and timing is a issue.So for a regular brewing I cannot depend on Chinese ingredients. Thats why I am trying to become totally independent in this regard. Thinking about growing my own hops as well.

 

[madscientist451]

try living here

No thanks....
enough said;
however, if there's a will, there's a way and I'm pretty sure
you'll figure it out, wishing you all the best

 

[bracconiere]

i think this may help a lot of people in your area...

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i think this may help a lot of people in your area...

I hope no local cops will be watching this thread

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i think this may help a lot of people in your area...

Also there aren't much people from my area here interested in homebrewing.

 

[bracconiere]

I hope no local cops will be watching this thread

i'm more worried about the dope cooks seeing my text cussing at them, and my random talk about telepathy... but anyway, wether either of us gets drawn and quarted, or locked up....we'll see!

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i'm more worried about the dope cooks seeing my text cussing at them, and my random talk about telepathy... but anyway, wether either of us gets drawn and quarted, or locked up....we'll see!

You know water chemistry plays a big role in beer brewing so this time I am looking forward to create a best final product and brew scientifically. You think the below Ph meter is suitable for testing water and mash Ph?

https://www.daraz.pk/products/ph-i130846054-s1290728202.html?spm=a2a0e.searchlist.list.30.f3211303iqLI6s&search=1

 

[bracconiere]

i doubt it? you want the main unit that uses this, i'd think...

https://www.daraz.pk/products/ph-ph-ph-bnc-q9-i270377970-s1483927579.html?spm=a2a0e.searchlist.list.2.75ef7e78zyoFT8&search=1

 

[bracconiere]

and honestly, with as much as i've found ph to matter, i have a milwaukee 101 BTW....you'd be just as well getting these and eye balling the decimal places...

https://www.daraz.pk/products/80-1-14-ph-i113310143-s1264988127.html?spm=a2a0e.searchlist.list.6.63865438nQEYnk&search=1

 

[BrewingWisdom]

and honestly, with as much as i've found ph to matter, i have a milwaukee 101 BTW....you'd be just as well getting these and eye balling the decimal places...

https://www.daraz.pk/products/80-1-14-ph-i113310143-s1264988127.html?spm=a2a0e.searchlist.list.6.63865438nQEYnk&search=1

So just those Ph strips should suffice for beer brewing purposes? No need to buy a Ph meter?

 

[bracconiere]

No need to buy a Ph meter?

+1, but they are fun to have! (but just realize the strips are actually more hard core....)

 

[beren]

I could never tell what the strips were telling me. Was a waste for me. If electric isn’t too expensive, get a stainless water distiller for water and build it up from there.
Also try making some ciders from apple juice maybe add other flavors. I used a pear extract that people love.

 

[rallenhall]

Agree, not sure if it's eyesight or what, but I could never match up the pH strips with the color key. I also have a Milwaukee 101 meter, but mostly use RO water and once a recipe is dialed in the meter typically remains on the shelf. If I were starting again I'd probably get a less expensive pen-style meter.

 

[Nixter]

Tons of barley is grown all over Pakistan.

Here's something I found from the USDA Foreign Service:

Crop Explorer for Major Crop Regions - United States Department of Agriculture

ipad.fas.usda.gov

Sure you could get ahold of some barley and malt it at home which is very easy to do.

If your local water is good for drinking it should be fine for brewing. Get it tested for mineral content - maybe at a nearby agricultural university like UAF in Faisalabad.
Amend your water from there. Your ph should be close enough if you dial in your water chemistry or pick a style that fits your water profile. pH strips should get you close enough.

I think the hard part might be getting yeast and hops.
Maybe make friends with someone over at Muree Brewery in Rawalpindi or through AliBaba.

Like most Muslim countries more people drink alcohol than you think, it just happens behind closed doors. So, I'm betting there is a Home Brew Club somewhere in Pakistan. Walk around with an Octoberfest teeshirt on for a couple of days and I'll bet they will find you. Yeah, you might have to get creative.

 

[bracconiere]

Walk around with an Octoberfest teeshirt on for a couple of days and I'll bet they will find you.

reminds me of a news story i saw of a broad walking around in "i meth" shirt, yeah she had meth on here, went to jail.....

 

[bwible]

I have this one for Oktoberfest

 

[bracconiere]

i've still got mine from a youtuber, and member..

@seatazzz (just in case you're wondering if i'm a serious merch buyer or not homebrewer in the winter, homebrewer in the summer!)

 

[BrewingWisdom]

@bracconiere buddy looks like finally I found a barley seed that works for malting. This time I went to the farmers seed market and bought the seed that farmers use here not what's available for feed and porridge. Uniformity is pretty good and it's the second day after the steeping , things are going pretty smooth. The only confusion is there is not the slightest sign of an acrospire growing. Is it growing under the husk or I have to wait for few days? Kindly see the pics below and let me know at what stage I am. First time witnessing a barley malt , I am used to a wheat malt and perhaps making a wrong acrospire comparison.

 

[bracconiere]

yes the acrospire peep out from under the husk...and congrats on find proper malting barley!


judging from the length of the roots i'd say make sure gets lots air, some of the kernels look dark which would be a concern to me, i know a pic adds 10 pounds/grime to it....


here's what you're looking for at the end, or when to start air drying with cool air flow....

how long did you soak it? have you been giving it a quick wet bath everyday to keep it hydrated? but not TOOO wet, so hydrated but not rotting, letting breath...


and my pic is not done at that point, you want to see i'd guess about 20-30% with acrospires like that...it's a guessing game best played by feel....


if were pro's were shooting 90% the length of the husk, but we're just homebrewers so we're going to get a mix of over and under....


sorry for my bad text, i just got up....

here's another pic i dug up.....

i would add if you dry it now, it'll convert fine.....

 

[BrewingWisdom]

yes the acrospire peep out from under the husk...and congrats on find proper malting barley!


judging from the length of the roots i'd say make sure gets lots air, some of the kernels look dark which would be a concern to me, i know a pic adds 10 pounds/grime to it....


here's what you're looking for at the end, or when to start air drying with cool air flow....

View attachment 813684

how long did you soak it? have you been giving it a quick wet bath everyday to keep it hydrated? but not TOOO wet, so hydrated but not rotting, letting breath...


and my pic is not done at that point, you want to see i'd guess about 20-30% with acrospires like that...it's a guessing game best played by feel....


if were pro's were shooting 90% the length of the husk, but we're just homebrewers so we're going to get a mix of over and under....


sorry for my bad text, i just got up....

here's another pic i dug up.....

i would add if you dry it now, it'll convert fine.....

Yeah found it finally. If there is a will there is a way
It soaked it for around 16 hours and no resoaking. Just keeping them moist by a water spray bottle. Spraying it few times a day and turning it around to avoid root balls.Its smell fresh and grassy no worries mate that's just a dim light. No black seeds.

 

[bracconiere]

It soaked it for around 16 hours

ok then the black kernels are a bad sign, you drowned it, you just want to soak for about 2-3 hours then 5 minutes a day until it's done...i know that goes against what the interwebs say, but i find a quick soak doesn't cause it to rot...


i get bacteria with a long soak....and make sure it breathes plenty!

 

[BrewingWisdom]

ok then the black kernels are a bad sign, you drowned it, you just want to soak for about 2-3 hours then 5 minutes a day until it's done...i know that goes against what the interwebs say, but i find a quick soak doesn't cause it to rot...


i get bacteria with a long soak....and make sure it breathes plenty!

All my kernels are just fine. Soaking matters from brewer to brewer. Kernels here are very stubborn bcz of dry hot weather they take a long soaking .

 

[bracconiere]

bcz of dry hot weather

lol, i live in arizona man, and have malted in 85°f indoor temps....105°f outside!

 

[BrewingWisdom]

lol, i live in arizona man, and have malted in 85°f indoor temps....105°f outside!

Here the indoor reaches 112 F in summers. Where they stock the grain in cellers

 

[bracconiere]

Here the indoor reaches 112 F in summers. Where they stock the grain in cellers

i hit the A/C if it goes above 90!

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i hit the A/C if it goes above 90!

Here AC isn't much effective in peak June July .

 

[bracconiere]

Here AC isn't much effective in peak June July .

i don't mean a swamp cooler....

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i don't mean a swamp cooler....

I am talking about a thing with a compressor. They take longer to cool room in june

 

[bracconiere]

I am talking about a thing with a compressor. They take longer to cool room in june

i've got one that will do it.....but the electric bill goes off the charts when i use it......

 

[BrewingWisdom]

i've got one that will do it.....but the electric bill goes off the charts when i use it......

Here the electricity bill is also a big issue even on a normal AC. Specially the financial crisis Pakistan is facing these days.

 

[bracconiere]

Specially the financial crisis Pakistan is facing these days.

we're not supposed to crack eggs like that here....

 

[BrewingWisdom]

we're not supposed to crack eggs like that here....

Why buddy

 

[bracconiere]

Why buddy

well back onto your windfall barley source, what did a what i assume 25kg bag cost you? mine went from 13.99USD to 25USD over the past two years i used to be able to buy premade malt for that!