New Member from Lynchburg, VA

[HopTrap]

Hello all. Great to find such a vast resource. I had been brewing partial mash for about four years in NC and MA then dropped out for four years as I got out of the military and tried to settle into a normal life.

I am getting back in and jumping in where I left off, which is making the move to all grain. I just bought a great system from a metal worker and Brewer in OR. I still have much equipment to gather as I sold all of my stuff when I stopped four years ago.

I am desperate to speak with others with the HB bug as Lynchburg is not known for it's Beer or brewing. I do hope to one day start my own LHBS, BOP, or MB, but for now I am just glad to be back in the fold.

 

[reim0027]

Welcome! Sounds like you have much more experience than me.

 

[silvervan83]

isn't lynchburg a dry county?

 

[zac]

I think for sure Roanoke has a brew club, if not Blacksburg has a great one!

Welcome, I'm from Marion. If you need anything, just holler!

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome

 

[HopTrap]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

I don't think lynchburg is dry. We have a bud plant here or at least a distribution center and several ABC stores. The only place to buy beer is at the grocery so that leaves me driving over an hour to find anything outside of three staples.

 

[zac]

Roanoke & blacksburg both have pretty good bottle shops. Its a beer desert to the east of you tho, till you get to c'ville & Richmond.

 

[HopTrap]

Zac, you have the name of a good place in Roanoke? I am about to drop some serious $ from my taxes to buy back into the life style and I would always prefer to buy local vs the net if the price is right.

 

[madcapstudios]

Hey there Hoptrap. Welcome to Lynchvegas.

There *is* an active HomeBrew Club in Lynchburg. They meet once a month to trade samples and discuss. I know a lot of the guys will get together for brew days. I have not gone to any meetings, but I am on their e-mail list and can hook you up (send me a PM).

They were recently written up in the local paper.
Handcrafted, homebrewed | Lynchburg News Advance

I know a lot of them and they're good guys.

You're right, we are lacking a LHBS in Lynchburg and if you've got a mind to open one I think the market is there for the picking. Most of the guys order online, bulking up with HomeBrew Adventures out of Charlotte, NC (club discount).

 

[Funnelface]

Hoptrap, I was just up your way a couple weeks ago and went to the store in roanoke but it was closed. I can't think of the name right now, I know it had hydropoincs in it and I found it online. Welcome aboard.

Ben

 

[HopTrap]

Madcap you have just made my day. i thought for sure I was adrift in an endless sea of vast nothingness and now you are telling me that there may just be land over the horizon. You should be looking in your PMs about now, lol.

 

[D1sorder]

I am just getting into this hobby it's something I have always wanted to do and recently ordered my kit (should be here on Thursday). I am also in Lynchburg and did a search and was surprised to see a few others are here as well. Sure do wish there was a LHBS here though.

 

[AnOldUR]

Welcome Lynchburg brewers! This thread caught my eye because I'll be in the area next weekend. My wife and I make the trip from NJ a few time a year, but we will be on a pretty tight schedule this time.


Have any of you heard of someone named David Horton? He's a professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg. He's a popular guy and has a big reputation in my other hobby (not brewing.) Just curious if he has made a name in your community?

 

[D1sorder]

Yep I have met him before through some friends that attend Liberty

 

[HopTrap]

Welcome to the world of Brewing D1sorder. It's tough to break into the game here in the Burg, but worth it none the less. When do you expect to get set up and running?

 

[D1sorder]

Well my equipment comes today (Thursday). I plan on having a few friends over Saturday and doing my first batch. Hopefully we won't have too many problems but who knows.

 

[HopTrap]

I am also brewing this Saturday. Working on an all grain kit from Northern Brewer called Tounge Splitter. This will be my second AG beer. The first, a Sweet Stout, was quite the interesting ordeal. The best advice I can give is that it should be a good time so don't stress if things do not go perfectly. Aside from that clean and sanitize well before you begin. What are you making?

 

[zac]

Sorry I never got back to this thread.

Blue Ridge Hydrophonics is the place I am thinking of. It's on Williamson Ave (I think) on the east side of the airport. Fran, and maybe Bill are the owners. Good folks they are. They have a decent selection, and can offer basic advice.

 

[D1sorder]

Hoptrap - I purchased a Honey Amber Kit from Midwest. I eventually want to do AG but I figured it would be best to start out with extracts. Once I get a few brews under my belt I will probably upgrade to AG.

Got my equipment today however slightly disappointed, a few things was missing from my order the most important being the liquid yeast pitchable vial I upgraded to for the kit. There was some dry yeast instead, I guess it just got over looked. I called em up and they are sending the vial but it won't get here until Tuesday (very impressed with their customer service by the way). Should I just use the dry yeast or wait until the weekend? I have no problems with waiting but if it won't make a difference I will just go ahead and use the dry.

 

[HopTrap]

There have been a lot of changes to people's brewing practice since I was brewing before. I always used dry yeast when I brewed 4 years ago and I did that for four years without any issues. I would put it in the carboy before I siphoned the cool wort and then splash the cool wort in on top of it. The biggest difference in my opinion is the lag before you see fermentation. This is the reason that most people have gotten so wrapped around the axle about yeast starters etc... Most people say it is due to yeast viability, but in four years I never had a bad packet of dry yeast.

With that said you could put your cooled wort into a carboy cap it and let it sit for a couple of days before the liquid yeast gets here and pitch it later. Personally I would just use the dry yeast and move on, but there are many here that I am sure would disagree.

No matter what just make it stress free.

 

[D1sorder]

I decided that I will wait until Wednesday to do my first batch I should hopefully have my yeast by then. How did yours go this past Saturday, a success I hope.

 

[HopTrap]

I had the father in law down from DC on Saturday and we kicked into AG batch number 2. To have any idea how good this went you would have to have a good understanding of the bungle that AG batch number 1 was. I used #1 as a learning tool and made massive corrections both to my system and my process in between the two. Saturday went beautifully and with only minor hitches here and there I feel like I am comfortable again. Another happy sign is that the APA was fermenting away the next morning compared to my first batch which sat silent for several days before I beat it into fermentation.

Keep me posted on your session on Wednesday, I am eager to hear how it turns out for you.

 

[HughBrooks]

blueridge hydroponics is a homebrew shop also. That is in Roanoke, I have never been to the store itself but they have a decent amount of stuff online. I think you can even order online and pick it up in the store.