Home Brew?

[al2n]

Anyone here make their own beer, cider, or wine?

I have brewed off and on for about 10 years now. Getting back into it now that I have some man space to play in. Started a batch of Graff (cider with some malt extracts mixed in) over the weekend. I mainly do 2.5 gallon batches since I am the only one who drinks in the family and I like having a variety on hand rather than 5 gallons of one brew.

Going to try making some rose hip wine in a week or so. Should be interesting.

[n2ize]

Sounds great. I don't do it because I prefer distilled spirits. But doing it yourself at home is the way to grow. Home made beer, wine, home grown pot... all good stuff.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

I do home brew from time to time.
I also grew some really massive poppy plants.
Amazing since I do not normally do not drink and do not like opium or weed.
But I know exactly where to get bat shit in a bag and can construct the ideal grow light for whatever application.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grow_light
What I like is a sunroof that does not illuminate at night.
The trick is done with smoke and mirrors, or actually just mirrors. ;)
Place plywood sheets that have aluminum foil on one side and black cloth on the other with eyehooks on each corner in the area over the grow lights.
Use the same type of pulley system used for a cloths line, 2 on each side of the plywood, and hang the plywood on this.
You may have 2 or more rows of plywood and pulleys and as much as a dozen sheets of plywood per pulley pair.
The same machine that works a garage door can work this.
You have the area that is translucent that your plants and grow lights are under and an area twice that size that the pulleys cover.
A photo switch and relay can be configured to trip the lights on and move the panels, fully automatic.
Forget that cheap toilet float to regulate water levels.
Go to some Ag supply joint and buy a stock waterer float valve assembly.
And no, I am not a pothead, users are losers.

[KG4CGC]

Stay in school, kids.

[NQ6U]

Going to try making some rose hip wine in a week or so. Should be interesting.

First batch of wine I ever made was rose hip wine. Wasn't half bad, although I don't think Chateau Lafitte got overly concerned about it either.

[W3MIV]

I have memories of, as a little kid -- a toddler, in fact -- of the rifle shots in my grandfather's cellar stair as his home brews began to self-destruct. No sirens. No flashing red lights. Just BAM! POW! POP! CRACK! as one after another committed a sort of fermentation hara-kiri on the steps.

Boy, that old Irishman could cuss in Gaelic and English. What a mess. We all ran like hell to get away.

Such is the memory that blossoms for me whenever anyone speaks of homebrew.

[KG4CGC]

Throw a wine recipe out there, someone.

[KG4CGC]

What is the best temp to dissolve the yeast at?

[NQ6U]

What is the best temp to dissolve the yeast at?

Around 100 F. Body temp.

[KG4CGC]

Thinking about putting together a recipe using frozen concentrated juice mixes and about a pound of sugar per gallon.

[NQ6U]

Thinking about putting together a recipe using frozen concentrated juice mixes and about a pound of sugar per gallon.

Wow, sounds like the kind of hooch they make in the joint!

Be sure to use a good-quality wine yeast, whatever you do. Makes a BIG difference in the quality of the end product.

[KG4CGC]

I don't know what wine yeast is.

[NQ6U]

I don't know what wine yeast is.

It's a strain of yeast that's been developed over the centuries to be very efficient at producing alcohol. You can buy it online or at home brew stores if there are any in your area. It costs more than baker's yeast but still not what you'd call expensive. It's worth every penny if you want a decent product.

There's tons of Web sites devoted to home brew/ home vintners. Do a Google search before you start and you'll learn a lot.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

There are quite a few selections for wine yeast.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp
Since you are starting out may I suggest a winemaking kit?

[KG4CGC]

Thank you Carl.
Thank you Rudy.

I was considering some large jugs that I can tie off the balloons on.
This will sit in bottling until at least Christmas. One bottle will age for much longer though.

[al2n]

You can use store bought juice, but be sure it is free of any preservatives. Vitamin C is ok, but any kind of sorbate will not allow the yeast to do its thing.

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Wine yeast
Batch Size (Gallons): 1
Original Gravity: 1.095
Final Gravity: .996
Boiling Time (Minutes): 0.0
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30
Additional Fermentation: Rack until clear
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30

Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Wine
2 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
1-1/4 lbs granulated sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 1 gallon
wine yeast

Bring 1 quart water to boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and add frozen concentrate. Add additional water to make one gallon and pour into secondary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover with napkin fastened with rubber band and set aside 12 hours. Add activated wine yeast and recover with napkin. When active fermentation slows down (about 5 days), fit airlock. When clear, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles.

[al2n]

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Red Star Champagne yeast
Yeast Starter: Nope
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 4
Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.000
Boiling Time (Minutes): None
Color: Red
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30 days at 69 degrees

3 gallons Wal Mart Apple Juice
1 can apple/raspberry frozen juice concentrate (Wal Mart brand)
2 cans blueberry/pomegranate frozen juice concentrate (Wal Mart brand)
3/4 gallon of water
1 lb regular granulated table sugar
1 packet Red Star Champagne yeast

Mix all the above ingredients together, put them in a carboy, pitch the yeast, then wait 30 days and bottle. That's really all there is to it.

At bottling:
1/2 lb lactose
4 oz raspberry flavoring (sold at all major brew stores for flavoring beers)
4 oz priming sugar

[al2n]

German Apple Wine:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

[al2n]

And lets not forget Prison Wine:

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.php

[al2n]

Graff: Hard Cider made with malt and lightly hopped.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/


If you like a clean, malty, not too tart easy drinking cider style beverage then this is your drink.

Materials needed for a 5 Gallon Batch

Clean fermenting yeast I have used Nottinham and Safale-05, both are good
.5 lbs of Crystal 60L If you use cheap store brand juice, I reccomend 120L. Cheap juice tends to turn out a tad tart and this will balance it.
1 oz of torrified wheat ( head retention, I've never used more than 2oz)
4 Gallons of apple juice.
1 gallon of water
2 lbs of DME ( I use 1 lb. amber and 1 lb. light DME)
0.5 oz of you favorite hops ( right around 6% AA, I have used 18.5% AA summit hops before and it took a month after kegging for strong bitterness to blend nicely)
WARNING! IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF HOPS USED, MAKE IT LESS NOT MORE, it's really just too bitter with any more.

Directions for brewing

Steep the 60L and torrified wheat in .75 gallons of water @ 155 degrees for 30 mins.
Sparge with .25 gallons 170 degree water and throw away grains.
Add DME and bring to a boil.
Add hops when boiling starts and boil for 30 mins.

Cool down the wort (if you choose not to cool the wort and just let the AJ do the cooling then your cider won't be as clear). I don't care about clarity so I just let the AJ do the cooling, but if you stick your pot in the freezer and let this get down to 70 degrees or so your cider will clear fairly easy. Pour the wort and apple juice into your carboy and pitch yeast.

Ferment 2 weeks at 64-68 degrees then keg or bottle.