Beer Buzz: Home Brew

[carltonplace]

Moving from Development thread http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=18687.new#new

I started with a pre-hopped extract. It's cheap ($15 or so and includes yeast) and a package of corn sugar
What you need:
Large kettle (at least 8 qt)
Carbouy: One of the 5 gallon refillable plastic water bottles at home depot or reasors will work
Rubber stopper with drilled hole (get this at Mecca coffee, make sure it fits your carbouy a for around $2)
Airlock ($1.50)
a syphon of some sort (clear plastic tubing is $.25 per foot)
Bottles (you can reuse 2 liter soda bottles if you want)

Sanitize everything in bleach sollution
Boil water and extract on the stove (this is called the "wort")
Continue at roilling boil per instrcutions. You can add pellet hops if you want, make sure the wort dosnt boil over when you add them. Boil at least 55 minutes with hops
Cool Wort
Add wort to carbouy, fill with clean cool water
Mix yeast in warm water and allow to bloom
Add yeast to carbouy (called pitching)
Cap with stopper and airlock, add a little water to the airlock
Let it ferment in a stable temperature zone for about a week or until you see no activity in the airlock for 48 hours
Add 5oz corn sugar to water to dissolve, add to carbouy (priming)
Syphon in to bottles, let sit for 3 weeks
Drink

[Red Arrow]

I looked into homebrewing before High Gravity opened.  I went to Mecca Coffee.  They had some brewing supplies but while I was there the staff was friendly but unknowledgeable about brewing.  The most help I got from the staff was: Read this book.  The book was "The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie Papazian, considered by many to be the "Home Brewer's Bible" so at least they steered me in the correct direction.

High Gravity has lessons every four weeks for free on a Saturday morning at 11:00 lasting for about an hour.  The next one is on May 12.

You can also get information on the Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (FOAM), the local homebrew club.  Lots of free information on brewing and fun things to do.  FOAM will have a booth at the Blue Dome Festival.  They will give away samples of beer (we are not allowed to sell it).  FOAM merchandise, tee shirts, beer glasses etc will be for sale.

I am not an employee of High Gravity or otherwise financially involved other than spending my money there.
I am a member of FOAM.

[Red Arrow]

Moving from Development thread http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=18687.new#new


Sanitize everything in bleach sollution  (There are better sanitizers than bleach for this purpose.  If you use bleach, be sure to rinse thoroughly.)

Continue at roilling boil per instructions. You can add pellet hops if you want, make sure the wort dosnt boil over when you add them. Boil at least 55 minutes with hops (I've never used a pre-hopped kit. Be careful you don't add hops if you shouldn't. A pre-hopped kit may not need any more hops.   Too much hops will make your beer more bitter than it should be, especially if you put them in for the full boil time.  Some hops are added later for flavor or aroma.  Lower the heat while the wort is foaming until it is boiling without much foam.  Then turn the heat back up to a rolling boil.)
Cool Wort (Quickly)
Add wort to carbouy, fill with clean cool water (A plastic brew bucket is a LOT easier to clean after fermentation.)
Mix yeast in warm water and allow to bloom (Liquid yeast is also available.)
Add 5oz corn sugar to water to dissolve, add to carbouy (priming) (You might want to consider a bottling bucket.  Siphon from the primary (or secondary) fermenter to leave the dead yeast etc behind.  Your beer will be clearer and there is still plenty of yeast for bottle conditioning to carbonate your beer.)
Syphon in to bottles, let sit for 3 weeks  (Be sure to both clean and sanitize the bottles first.)

[Gaspar]

Agree with Red.

We've (3 Guys) done home-brews for about 20 years.  We use the old Pepsi/coke syrup kegs instead of bottles, but sometimes still bottle a batch or two.

I like a pale with lots of hops, so I almost always add extra.

Never even considered using a carbouy because they are impossible to clean and hard to manage.  I've always used the big 5 gallon plastic tubs.  I've also used stainless cylinders, 22 gallon industrial food bags, and a few other experiments.

I've made my own wart, and purchased mixes.  I'm too lazy to do my own now and the mixes are so well made and there are so many varieties that I can pretty much do what I want.

Red is also right about syphon and chilling.  I used to use a coil of copper tube in an ice-bath to pass my product through after the boil.  I also used that contraption (it was built into an old igloo cooler) as a cooling mechanism for tapping the brew.   

I haven't done a batch in almost two years because frankly, the quality of available micro-brews have gotten so good that I've realized I can spend more time drinking and less time brewing.  It's all about efficient use of time for me, and an ice cold Marshall's or Tank 7 while sitting in a deck chair just seems a better use of time than standing over a boiling pot of wart.

[Conan71]

I prefer the one pot method.  Wait... oh, this is a beer thread.

[Hoss]

Agree with Red.

We've (3 Guys) done home-brews for about 20 years.  We use the old Pepsi/coke syrup kegs instead of bottles, but sometimes still bottle a batch or two.

I like a pale with lots of hops, so I almost always add extra.

Never even considered using a carbouy because they are impossible to clean and hard to manage.  I've always used the big 5 gallon plastic tubs.  I've also used stainless cylinders, 22 gallon industrial food bags, and a few other experiments.

I've made my own wart, and purchased mixes.  I'm too lazy to do my own now and the mixes are so well made and there are so many varieties that I can pretty much do what I want.

Red is also right about syphon and chilling.  I used to use a coil of copper tube in an ice-bath to pass my product through after the boil.  I also used that contraption (it was built into an old igloo cooler) as a cooling mechanism for tapping the brew.   

I haven't done a batch in almost two years because frankly, the quality of available micro-brews have gotten so good that I've realized I can spend more time drinking and less time brewing.  It's all about efficient use of time for me, and an ice cold Marshall's or Tank 7 while sitting in a deck chair just seems a better use of time than standing over a boiling pot of wart.

I've taken quite a liking to Santa Fe Nut Brown.

Thanks a lot, Conan!  But I still keep well stocked in Marshall's.  And while I like the Revival Red, my favorite of his seasonals is definitely the Arrowhead Pale Ale.  Patiently awaiting June...

[Conan71]

I'm glad you enjoyed my recommendation, Hoss.  That is a nice malty beer.  I'll still get Fat Tire when I'm where I can get it, but I think Santa Fe has a much bolder finish.  There's something about Fat Tire that reminds me of sunflower seeds.

This is the flavor I've got to figure out how to home-brew because it's a total PITA to get it.  Someone in Jacksonville owed me a big favor, otherwise I might not see this again until I go back to the BVI.  Absolutely the best tropics style lager you will find.  Corona doesn't even come close.  Anyone know a good home-brewer who is good at matching up tastes?



And a new catbox graphic for you compliments of Chairman Meow.

[jacobi]

The best beer I've ever had was a beer that a friend and I made.  It was a belgian double, but we ended up putting a huge amount of malt in it (9lbs) in a 7 gallon batch.  I love rich, high alcohol abbey ales and this took the cake.  It had a really full mouth feel, A mild sweetness, and one hell of an alcohol content.  We made it for our winter solstice party for our athist/agnostics church group.  Everyone was very pleased and very drunk.

Also, HG is amazing.  They have everything you need.  My only problem is that they are in the middle of nowhere.

[Red Arrow]

The best beer I've ever had was a beer that a friend and I made.  It was a belgian double, but we ended up putting a huge amount of malt in it (9lbs) in a 7 gallon batch.  I love rich, high alcohol abbey ales and this took the cake.  It had a really full mouth feel, A mild sweetness, and one hell of an alcohol content.  We made it for our winter solstice party for our athist/agnostics church group.  Everyone was very pleased and very drunk.

Also, HG is amazing.  They have everything you need.  My only problem is that they are in the middle of nowhere.

There sure is a lot of automobile traffic in the "middle of nowhere".

[carltonplace]

Red, I was trying to simplify the process and reduce the cost for the first time brewer. Normally the pre-hop extracts contain with a package of dry yeast, but yes liquid yeast is available. You can also capture yeast in your own back yard if you want to go that far.

I make my beer using all grain instead of extracts. After I boil the wort, I quick cool and move it to a glass carbouy for 7 to 10 days, then I rack the beer in a seconday fermenter that has a bottling spout. I bottle directly from the racking bucket after priming.

I haven't gone to kegs yet...its hard to share it that way. Part of the fun for me is to trade with my neighbor who also brews.

[Red Arrow]

Red, I was trying to simplify the process and reduce the cost for the first time brewer. Normally the pre-hop extracts contain with a package of dry yeast, but yes liquid yeast is available. You can also capture yeast in your own back yard if you want to go that far.

I make my beer using all grain instead of extracts. After I boil the wort, I quick cool and move it to a glass carbouy for 7 to 10 days, then I rack the beer in a seconday fermenter that has a bottling spout. I bottle directly from the racking bucket after priming.

I haven't gone to kegs yet...its hard to share it that way. Part of the fun for me is to trade with my neighbor who also brews.

A plastic brew bucket isn't expensive and it gives you the opportunity to wipe it out with a wash cloth.  NEVER use a scratcy scrubber or you will leave places for the wrong stuff to grow.

If you are going to boil the wort for the usual hour, you might as well get an extract kit with the un-hopped malt extract.  Extract kits are the easiest way to start.  I still use extract.  Sometimes I use a High Gravity kit.  Sometimes I brew from a recipe. 

I have a 30 qt Stainless brew pot which is just big enough to do a full boil for a 5 gallon batch.  I have to be careful about boil-overs.  My starter equipment kit had (still has actually) a fermenting/bottling bucket, racking cane and tubing,  I think a hydrometer, and bottling wand. I quickly added a glass carboy for secondary fermenting and a dedicated fermenting bucket since I didn't want the drain valve used for bottling to accidentally  drain my fermenting batch.  I also started with a counter top bottle capper rather than the one that really should have a second person hold the bottle.

I still bottle since I have no place to cool a keg.  I keep threatening to clear a space in the garage for a dedicated freezer (with new thermostat) for brewing but that hasn't happened yet.   I used to save bottles from commercial beer for homebrew.  A couple of years ago, I thought I had about 500 bottles.   A garage cleaning surprised me that I had closer to 1500.  I took about 1000 to RM's recycle location in Bixby.   I usually use 12 of the 22 oz bottles and whatever I need of 12 oz bottles for a 5 gallon batch.

[carltonplace]

Wow, that is a lot of bottles!

I  want to build up to the point where I have at least three batches in bottles which means I'll either need to brew more often or stop giving so much away. I'm interested in kegging a pale ale or an amber ale for regular usage around the house.

If any one has any pointers on using the keg please post. I know I'll need a dedicated fridge and a keg box (and a keg).

Modify to ask: Red, do you boil on a propane stove outside or does the 30 quart fit on your kitchen stove?

[Red Arrow]

Wow, that is a lot of bottles!

I  want to build up to the point where I have at least three batches in bottles which means I'll either need to brew more often or stop giving so much away. I'm interested in kegging a pale ale or an amber ale for regular usage around the house.

If any one has any pointers on using the keg please post. I know I'll need a dedicated fridge and a keg box (and a keg).

Modify to ask: Red, do you boil on a propane stove outside or does the 30 quart fit on your kitchen stove?

I use a turkey fryer burner for the boil. The brew pot fits on the stove (15" diameter x 12" tall) but the burner doesn't have enough BTU/hr for a full boil.  I do use the kitchen stove while steeping specialty grains since I can turn it way down and hold 150 deg.  I also use the kitchen stove for preparing 170 deg sparge water for the specialty grains. (Temps may vary by recipe.)

You will need a CO2 system with a keg.  If you use a dedicated fridge you probably won't need a keg box.  For starters, the tap can just be a small valve on the end of a tube connected to the adapter to the keg.  Most homebrewers use 5 gallon kegs.  Everything you need except maybe the fridge but including more information, is at High Gravity.  We are really lucky to have knowledgeable, active homebrewers running a brick & mortar homebrew supply shop right here in Tulsa.

[jacobi]

There sure is a lot of automobile traffic in the "middle of nowhere".

Yeah.If you think think that high traffic volume makes something a center of interest, then you should talk to the interchange between I-35 and I-44. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anything south of 51st street is dead.  I'm being generous.  In reality its more like 31st.  If you live south of that, you aren't a tulsan.

[Red Arrow]

Yeah.If you think think that high traffic volume makes something a center of interest, then you should talk to the interchange between I-35 and I-44. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'll agree that, at least mostly, high traffic volume doesn't make something a center of interest.  Something of interest will often create a lot of traffic.  It may not be of interest to you but it is to enough people to create a lot of traffic.  Maybe that interest is just to drop off the kids at Woodland Hills Mall to get rid of them for an afternoon.  Maybe that interest is to get dinner food at Pyramid,Target, Walmart, Aldi's, and soon, Reasors.  Maybe that interest is to sit on a Pub patio overlooking a parking lot and Memorial with a southerly breeze sending the aroma of Red Lobster your way. A bit more seriously, there are a lot of restaurants along "Restaurant Row" on 71st.  You may not like them but someone does or they would go out of business and no one would take their place.  There are a lot of businesses on the 71st St corridor.  Would you really want all those national chains downtown?  What kind of character would that be to define Tulsa?  It has been suggested that Tulsa de-annex the 1966(?) areas.  That would certainly get rid of the responsibility for a lot of infrastructure.  Jenks, Bixby, and BA would probably pick up those areas.  I don't know that it would be any better though.

Anything south of 51st street is dead.  I'm being generous.  In reality its more like 31st.  If you live south of that, you aren't a tulsan.

I have an idea of what you want to consider an area "alive" but please reinforce or correct my perception.  Please list a few things.   I expect them to be things I would like to be available to "you" but that I will probably have little interest in personally.

I am south of 31st, 41st.....111th.  I am in Bixby.  I don't claim to be a Tulsan except to people who barely know where Oklahoma is on the map.  I wish Tulsa could have kept the people that want to live 5 feet from each other.  They are ruining the neighborhood.  Plus, we wouldn't need Memorial to be so wide and full of traffic lights.  Tulsa is a nice place to visit but I am happy living in what used to be the sticks.