New 2 Brewing

[Colaarmbar]

First off let me say hello. Well I have made a couple of wines and the house and they turned out pretty good. Got a little bored with the wine and not an avid wine drinker. So what could be better than making wine I ask my self? Beer. Tons of different types and looks a little more challenging. Well I start doing my research before going to by some supplies and man am I lost. Maybe it is the lingo or just my lack of intel but wow looks alot more difficult than I was expecting. Does any one know of a good book or web page that I could get the basics from. I need to know not only when to do something but what is the purpose. Thanks and hope someone can help me.

 

[BrewsCampbell]

Welcome to brewing! Prepare to be overwhelmed, then obsessed.

I recommend How to Brew, by John Palmer. It's a bit long and involved, if you read front to back before brewing, but it's the first book I read and is considered a gold standard for learning to brew.

Edit: I also recommend going to either austin homebrew supply or midwest supplies, or even morebeer and picking out a starter kit. It's beginner friendly and you can't go wrong with these quality vendors.

 

[amartinez]

I started with a MoreBeer kit and Palmer's How to Brew and it's been a great experience. Being active here will also be a lot of help as people will work with you to improve your methods and won't even flame you for asking the same questions that pop up a few times a week!

 

[bcryan]

go to you tube and search how to make beer. some good people there will show you step by step how to get you started. have fun

 

[KoedBrew]

Actually, good info so far
You tube videos - but some of them either leave out info or show bad stuff...

John Palmer's book how to brew Don't mess with any others except maybe Papazian

Basic brewing radio Podcasts radio and video) (start at the beginning)
they also have how to brew DVDs!

Also, start with All-grain, you will save yourself money in the long run.

 

[Scratch]

Disclaimer: I have no experience and no real knowledge about brewing.

I'm also totally new, and here's what I came up with:

- Read at least the first section of "How to Brew," as mentioned above. You can read it for free straight from the author's website, or you can buy one for an e-reader, and I think it may even be in print.

- Buy some basic equipment. I got a carboy (fermenter,) a siphon for transferring from container to container at various stages of production, a stopper and airlock for the carboy, some bottles, a capper, and some sanitizer. You could also just re-use plastic soda bottles instead of the bottles and capper.

- Go to Target and buy a 12-quart pot, if you don't already have one. You only need half the size of your total batch size.

- Buy a "beer kit," which is a complete set of ingredients, not equipment. I chose one of the "Brewer's Best" kits. It's still fermenting.

- Follow the instructions in the kit, except for the fermenting and bottling timeline. Use the 1-2-3 rule: 1 week in the fermenter, 2 weeks in a secondary fermenter (if you have one, or just leave it in the primary for the same 2 weeks,) then 3 weeks in the bottles before drinking.

I've been reading a bunch, and I know there are a ton of extra details and more advanced procedures, but these are the basics. Start simple and dive in...later you can refine your technique and fancify your equipment.

Finally, remember this: they were making beer in open vats in cellars for centuries.

 

[amartinez]

Also, I forgot to mention that you can read the 1st edition of How to Brew at howtobrew.com for free.

I'd still recommend getting a print copy, but as long as you've got a printer this will get you through your first brewday.

 

[Colaarmbar]

I already have a couple of 5 gallon water bottles. And a couple of 1 gallon glass carboys. Tons of bottles and a bottle capper. Tubes for siphoning and yeast nutriet, energizer, tannin and tons of different yeast. I think I am going to go get one of the starter kits to break it down for me.

 

[mr_bell]

Much like many other skills one can learn, brewing beer seems overwhelming at first, but once you read (and re-read like I have to do) and then try it--much easier.

How to Brew was the book I started with and still go to as a reference. It is highly recommended by many others on the forum. Start with a simple recipe like Palmer's Cincinnati Pale Ale, which is in the book. Get the basics of the process down. Once you've got the basics down, you can start expanding your knowledge about the details; learn new skills (like making yeast starters or mashing for partial mash or all grain brewing) and learn to manipulate variables like fermentation temperature (for example)--all of which have an effect on the final product.

There's a wealth of information here on the forum. There are also many video and audio podcasts with tons of useful information. here's a list of those I listen to or watch:

www.basicbrewingradio.com
www.thebrewingnetwork.com
www.brewingtv.com

Cheers

 

[unionrdr]

Don't use the tannin for anything in your beer. It is to be avoided like the plague. The yeast nutrient is a bonus. And leave the beer in primary for however long the yeast needs to get down to FG. It knows no timeline. Plus an extra week for the yeast to clean up after it's by products & settle out more. No secondary needed unless you're adding fruit,oak chips & the like. Or for extended bulk aging,as in barley wines. & the Brewer's Best kits are good (LD Carlson),& Midwest. Midwest uses Fed-Ex,they're great quality & fast shipping.

 

[TopherM]

Before I started, I bought HOMEBREWING FOR DUMMIES used off amazon for like $7.00, and it has been a really good resource. It quotes JOY OF HOMEBREWING quite often. It is about 150 pages, but it is a VERY quick read. I read the whole thing on a two hour plane flight. It is a good primer on homebrewing to get you used to all the lingo and the basic process. If you just rely on the recepie you get with your first kit, you are going to have trouble understanding some of the sections.

Oh, and if I had any advise for you (I started brewing in October 2010), they are these:

#1: Of all the equipment you buy, do not skimp on the brew pot!! If you have the $$$, go ahead and get a 7-15 gallon stainless steel brew pot to start. It might cost you an extra $100.00, but it is going to be the first thing you want to replace once you get going, so go ahead and get the biggest and best you can afford! Trust me, the second you start moving to partial grain or all grain, you are going to be consumed with wanting.......neeeeeeeeding.......a 15 gallon brew pot to make 10 gallon batches. I'm buying mine next week!

#2: Start off with extract kits. I'm on my 9th batch. I've done 7 extract kits and 2 batches of hard cider. Just now, I feel like I'm proficient enough to go ahead and start all grain brewing. The thing about extract kits is they are MUCH more forgiving if you make mistakes. You are going to make good, maybe not great, but good beer every time with an extract kit if you can follow simple directions. The extract kits are EASY, and you won't get frustrated beyond the inevitable impatience for the beer to be conditioned and ready for mass consumption!

All the posts you read of newbies with messed up batches are usually over eager, impatient, or think they are too smart for the directions. Follow the directions and you'll make good beer. THEN, once you have the basics down, move to all grain. All grain allows for more creativity, has the potential for much better beer, but also has the potential for small errors to lead to subpar batches. I for one wanted to have the system down before I headed to that level. Now I'm a robot from the time I start sanatizing to the time my brew is in the primary fermentation bucket. Get that part to where it is consistent and repeatable, and you'll start to make really good beer, even from extract kits.

#3: Also don't skimp on sanitizer. Sanatizing is one of the most important parts of the process, so make it as easy and proficient as possible. Get StarSan and a spray bottle. The bottle of StarSan itself is a little more expensive than IodoPhor and other rinse sanitizers, but a little StarSan goes a LONGGGGG way (1 oz per 5 gallons) and can be reused for a few weeks, plus, you just spray it (or soak in it) and let it dry, no rinsing, no staining (like the Iodine-based sanitizers). A 32 oz bottle of StarSan costs like $20.00, but it will last for a year! Don't buy the large thing of IodoPhor that cost like 8 bucks but lasts three brews.

Anyway, that's all of my suggestions for starting out! Best of luck!! I bet you have 50 gallons brewed by Xmas!!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Read Charlie P's 'the complete joy of homebrewing'. 'brewing classic styles' is another good one. Start simple, kits (Midwest Supply has great ones), 'tcjohb' has some easy recipes, my first non kit beer was Righteous American Real Ale from that book and it was great.
And definitely do as much Internet research as you can and remember how important a factor time plays in fermentation v

 

[Colaarmbar]

I am on my second brew now. The first I felt like I cheated my self. It was a mr beer kit. The second I did was a IPA and I am about to bottle both. I am now just starting to understand how much I really don't know about brewing. Wow never thought I would use any of my chemistry from high school. But I am now. Thanks for all of the replies.

 

[marcycaulkins]

oh, scratch.. you can just scratch the 1-2-3 rule. many of us here use a single, long primary ferment. there are many threads on the topic. search it out.

and i agree with topher... if there is one thing you shouldn't skimp on, it's the brewpot. get the freaking 10 gallon pot, it will serve you well.

as far as actually doing it... read the your first brew chapter in the palmer book, and jump right in, man!!! nothing will teach you like doing.