Who is brewing on Long Island?

[JohnSand]

Anyone going to the B.E.E.R. 18th Brew Off on Saturday? I'll be there, entered two brews.

 

[papadough]

I have decided to bump this thread as I just found my password and wanted to see what is up on Long Island. I have been brewing off and on for 6 years. Started All grain about 18 months ago after taking a class at Hoptron. I am not in any clubs and don't really know of anyone else around who brews. I taught myself from books and internet. I pretty much stick to Karps for supplies but sometimes hit Back Alley in Patchogue. I have tried all the other places (Kedco, Arbor, Port Jeff, etc.) and they all have their strengths.

Does everyone brew on their own or part of a club? I have been thinking about checking out B.E.E.R. or LIBME lately and was wondering which club people prefer. I went to an LIBME meeting in 2007 and met someone named Donovan who knew his stuff regarding beer.

My recent obsession is water. Suffolk Water seems pretty good. I am thinking a small Gypsum addition is all that is needed for most hoppy beer styles. What are other's thoughts?

Hit me up if you ever want to talk shop or coordinate a brew day.

 

[lhommedieu]

I'm a big fan of Karp's and brew with East Northport water. Our water is pretty soft. I've sent a sample off after finding a flyer at Home Depot for a free water analysis and will probably use Ward' Labs at some point - but I'm going by the Suffolk Water Authority for my info.

I've used our water for English bitter and I agree: a TBSP of Gypsum helps to bring out the hop bitterness. When I've brewed without that addition my beer has tasted somewhat bland by comparison. A while back I went through a B'run water analysis to figure out what I needed to add for bitter, and the end result was about a TBSP of gypsum, lol.

 

[papadough]

It is funny to think that you do all those calculations and input all those numbers and you just need gypsum. I guess we have some decent water. I would be interested to see water your free water analysis comes back with.

What do you normally like to brew? I consider myself an IPA guy but I have three taps and like to keep a variety going at all times.

 

[lhommedieu]

I've been brewing all-grain for about 2 years and have concentrated on English bitters. Recently I made a Northern Brown Ale that turned out well. I like IPA's but have wanted to explore how to balance malt and hops in a way that wasn't so hop-forward.

I'm selling off my 5 gallon equipment and buying larger equipment to brew 10 gallon batches. Since ales are go from kettle to belly in a relatively short period of time, I think that this will mean that I'll brew less ales and more beers that can be lagered or conditioned for longer periods of time - probably German lagers and Belgian ales.

 

[papadough]

Sounds Great! My next beer is going to be an altbier. I want to try fermenting in the low 50s to see how I do at holding that temperature. I use a Cool Brewing Fermentation cooler and frozen two liter soda bottles.

 

[lhommedieu]

I like Alts. "Double Bag" from Long Trail Ale Co. is a good example. You may want to consider lagering for a few months as I've read that Alts improve with lagering. A refrigerator on its lowest setting will provide the upper end of lagering temperature.

I have a copy of Altbier: History, Brewing Techniques, Recipes (Classic Beer Style) by Horst D. Dornbusch. You are welcome to borrow it.

 

[JohnSand]

I meet with other brewers at Port Jeff Hop Shop (formerly Brewtopia) on the first tuesday of every month. Usually there are 6-10 guys there, it's very informal. We bring a homebrew or two to share, but don't be afraid to come without. I'm pretty sure the guys registered with AHA as a club this year, Long Island Fermentation Experiment. I've been to competitions run by BEER and LIBME, but no meetings. I just use LI tap water, brewing mostly all grain Pales and IPAs.

 

[eric19312]

I also meet at Port Jeff Hop Shop.. Hi John!

Im in Suffolk cant tell for sure if it is zone 14 or 15 but in either case the water tastes good and is pretty soft. I use the hot water out of the tap and treat as follows:

I brew 10 gal batches and treat with 1 campden tablet for chlorine (half in mash water half in sparge). Salts are 17 grams gypsum and 3 grams Calcium Chloride in the mash for hoppy beers (I like to get to 250 or so ppm SO4 in hoppy beers) or just 3-5 grams of each for less hoppy styles. I check pH and sometimes need a small lactic acid addition (about 1-2 tsp) for light color non-hoppy beers - e.g. a recent Berliner Weisse just 2-row and wheat SRM about 3 needed lactic to get mash pH to 5.4. More typical malt bills with SRM >7 and/or salt additions for hoppy beers rarely need pH adjustment.

 

[BeerFst]

I'm a relatively new brewer thats also in Patchogue. I've only done 5 or 6 extract batches, though I don't brew that frequently so its been about a year since I started.

I've considered going to the bottle shares at Back Alley, but wasn't able to make the one in November.

Good to know our water is mostly fine. I was in Mass previously and used my tap water up there, but didn't know about water profiles back then. That said, there didnt seem to be a problem with my batches, so I guess it was fine there too. The one batch I've done since moving was with filtered.

 

[JohnSand]

Welcome to the Island Beerfst!
When do they meet at Back Alley?

 

[BeerFst]

Welcome to the Island Beerfst!
When do they meet at Back Alley?

Thanks! They meet once a month, the next one is the 30th. I just found a link to register, but I don't think it's that large of an event. Before I knew about it I walked by one night and it seemed like there were ~10 people inside.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-party-bottle-share-tickets-12728397981?ref=wpwidget

 

[JohnSand]

Cool, thanks. I generally make the Hop Shop meetings when my wife works an evening. I doubt she's working the 30th, but you never know. In any case I hope to make another meeting sometime.

 

[lhommedieu]

Sounds Great! My next beer is going to be an altbier. I want to try fermenting in the low 50s to see how I do at holding that temperature. I use a Cool Brewing Fermentation cooler and frozen two liter soda bottles.

There is a nice discussion of altbier here.

 

[MatchstickBrewingCo.]

Hey Guys, I'm in Massapequa Park. Anybody around the area know anything about water? I've always had trouble with understanding it. Should I add any brewing salts. Should I try to adjust PH somehow? If so, how, how much etc. For some reason I just cannot figure out the whole brewing water science and I plan on starting all-grain soon and, from what I've read, it makes more of a difference in AG brewing.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lhommedieu]

I'm in East Northport and my water's pretty soft. I've added a small amount of gypsum for English ales to good effect.

 

[JohnSand]

I'm in Rocky Point, pretty far from you. But I use LI tap water straight to good effect. I think you can start AG brewing with it and work on refinements later.

 

[DonCiccio]

Greetings, fellow Islanders. I'm located in Smithtown and looking to start brewing.

After spending on a wine kit and replacing most of the equipment, I am not so sure I want to go that route again. I'll be around seeing what I'll need to get started and if can source most it over at Karp's. (love that store!)

Anyway, my goal is to ultimately produce something akin to Chimay Red.

Ciao and best wishes,
Ciccio

 

[JohnSand]

Welcome Ciccio! I liked starting small and simple. In the end, I've bought bigger and better equipment, but I still probably have less than $500 in gear. And you can brew well for far less.

 

[lhommedieu]

Greetings, fellow Islanders. I'm located in Smithtown and looking to start brewing.

After spending on a wine kit and replacing most of the equipment, I am not so sure I want to go that route again. I'll be around seeing what I'll need to get started and if can source most it over at Karp's. (love that store!)

Anyway, my goal is to ultimately produce something akin to Chimay Red.

Ciao and best wishes,
Ciccio

+1 for Karps. Just go in and let them know what you want to do. They'll give you great advice. If you'd like an immersion chiller I have one that I'm not using; in the spirit of the Great Florida Giveaway on this site you are welcome to it.

 

[Munshun]

I'm right in Medford and a frequent attendee of the Back Alley bottlle shares where I learn more and more every month from enthusiastic homebrewers (plus drink all their beers mwahaha). I recomend that any and every hombrewer in the general area get there on the last tuesday of every month! Also another great place for equipment is Arbor Wine and Beer Making in Islip if you aren't able to make it to Northport

 

[JohnSand]

Hey Mun. I've been to Back Alley, but not the bottle shares. I had regularly attended the meetings at Brewtopia/Hop Shop in Port Jeff, but they are closed. We formed a club, registered with AHA, named it Long Island Fermentation Experiment. We meet at other locations now, the first Tuesday of every month. Let me know if you want to meet with us. Anyone else too.

 

[lhommedieu]

I'd like to get together with you guys at least once this summer. I'm a NYC teacher so my weekdays aren't generally free until then.

Following is a pic of some Marzen that I brewed recently. It's 5 days into a two week secondary fermentation, and then it will lager until Octoberfest.

 

[JohnSand]

Pretty cool. Literally, I guess. We'd love to have you at a meeting. I'm open to meeting other brewers at a bar too. Or does that sound too needy?

 

[Munshun]

Hey Mun. I've been to Back Alley, but not the bottle shares. I had regularly attended the meetings at Brewtopia/Hop Shop in Port Jeff, but they are closed. We formed a club, registered with AHA, named it Long Island Fermentation Experiment. We meet at other locations now, the first Tuesday of every month. Let me know if you want to meet with us. Anyone else too.

I would definitely be interested in meeting with you guys/gals

 

[JohnSand]

We plan to meet on Tuesday. I'll message you the details.

 

[papadough]

I guess I missed out on the meet-up but would be open to getting together sometime. I might try to hit the bottle share at Back Alley this month. I have never been to a bottle share with my own brew. Is it acceptable to pour from a growler if I keg?

 

[papadough]

I recently ordered a Ward Labs Water Report for my water. I have a weird distribution area in that some of my water may be coming from Zone 12 and some from Zone 15. It is a bit confusing but here are the results:

pH: 7.9
Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) Est. ppm: 215
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm: 0.36
Cations / Anions, me/L: 3.2 / 3.2

PPM

Sodium, NA 18
Potassium, K 1
Calcium, Ca 30
Magnesium, Mg 11
Total Hardness, CaCO3 121
Nitrate, NO3-N 4.5 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 6
Chloride, Cl 34
Carbonate, CO3 <1.0
Bicarbonate, HCO3 94
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 78
Total Phosphorus, P 0.05
Total Iron, Fe <0.01


I am not sure if this helps any local Long Island Brewers but our water should be somewhat similar. Happy Brewing everyone.

 

[JohnSand]

Papa, we had a very good meeting last night, but there will be others. PM your email to me if you want updates.
You'll be fine with the growler, or even a bottle filled from the keg. I have yet to attend a meeting at Back Alley, but I want to.
I use LI tapwater straight with good results. I mean to start adding gypsum to enhance the hops, but I haven't yet.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Hey Mun. I've been to Back Alley, but not the bottle shares. I had regularly attended the meetings at Brewtopia/Hop Shop in Port Jeff, but they are closed. We formed a club, registered with AHA, named it Long Island Fermentation Experiment. We meet at other locations now, the first Tuesday of every month. Let me know if you want to meet with us. Anyone else too.

I just moved to Patchogue!

Where you hold the meetings? Been hard for me to get back into brewing with the small apartment space but im sure a meeting or 2 will put some kick in my ass.