# Want to get into making my own beer



## cch0830 (Sep 26, 2011)

Any suggestions? I'm looking for a good place to by a starter kit. What all will I need to get started?


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## Jeff1969 (Sep 27, 2011)

My aunt and uncle own a beer making supply store in Lilburn. They have some information on their website that can help you get started. I think they do mail-order too. If you don't want to do mail-order, they may be able to point you in the direction of a local vendor. 

Tell em Jeff sent ya.

http://www.homebrewingsupplies.org/


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## jwb72 (Sep 28, 2011)

Bass Pro has a brew-it-yourself kit. Not sure how good it is, but that's one idea. 

http://www.basspro.com/MR--BEER-Premium-Gold-Edition-Beer-Home-Brewing-Kit/product/10209348/59606


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## Greaserbilly (Sep 28, 2011)

Don't bother.
Buy a large mash bag (basically a cheesecloth bag), get a large stock pot from Value Village, a recipe using grain, and then get down to a brewing supply place and buy said grain, which they will grind for you.

Put grain in bag, boil according to recipe, the product will be FAR superior than trying to deal with the syrupy glob you get out of a can. Since the grain's in the bag, you can remove and toss the grain without having to strain it.

You'll need a primary fermentor with an airlock (big plastic bucket), a secondary fermentor (a carboy with an airlock), and a tube/siphon to transfer between the two.

Start stocking up on bottles. And buy disinfectant. You need everything involved to be as sterile as you can get. Get the kind the brewing people sell.


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## cch0830 (Sep 29, 2011)

I found out Brewmasters Warehouse in Marietta has a Beginner home brewer class. It's a couple hours long and cost $40. Plus they give you %10 off your first purchase. This sounds really fun and beneficial because I know nothing about home brewing.


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## Greaserbilly (Sep 29, 2011)

There's really NOTHING to it.
You have to sterilize everything with a solution you buy there
Bring the grains/water to a rolling boil
simmer for whatever length of time the recipe says (you're making a "tea" in essence, and to ensure anything alive in the mix is dead)

Then you wait for it to cool enough the yeast don't die.

Then you add yeast and stick it into a covered bucket with an airlock. Watch it bubble.

After a certain length of time you transfer the stuff off the top into a carboy with a sterilized siphon. Wait another amount of time as specified in the recipe.

Then you add more sugar and bottle.

EXPERT MODE: before you add the yeast, find out the specific gravity by taking a small sample and floating a gauge in it (they sell em)

then before you bottle do it again - the difference will tell you the BAC.


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## cch0830 (Sep 29, 2011)

I know once I learn how to do it, it will be easy from what your telling me and from what I've heard. I just learn better by watching and getting hands-on. I just like to get all the small details about whatever I am doing because I am guaranteed to mess something up by using broad or general directions.


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## Greaserbilly (Sep 29, 2011)

How difficult is it to boil water?
Can you siphon from one container to another without spilling anything?
Can you use a thermometer?


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## cch0830 (Sep 29, 2011)

Alright dude. I get it. You're an expert and I'm an idiot. Thanks for your help.


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## Greaserbilly (Sep 29, 2011)

I'm not an expert and you're not an idiot.
For serious, the only difference between a kit and a genuine DIY.

In the kit, you open a can of sugary syrup and try and melt it into boiling water

with grains, you put the grains in a cheesecloth bag put it in a pot and boil it.

I'm trying to encourage you not insult you - it really is very very easy.


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## cch0830 (Sep 29, 2011)

That's why I want to go to the class. Maybe after the class I can just buy what I need, rather than buying a kit. And yes, I think I can boil some water and use a thermometer, but the other details about how long the fermenting process is, what to look for, and things to do and not to do. Also, I'm sure the whole process is not the same for every type of beer. And there are so many different types of ingredients to use and different ways to use them to make different types of beer.


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## Greaserbilly (Sep 29, 2011)

cch0830 said:


> That's why I want to go to the class. Maybe after the class I can just buy what I need, rather than buying a kit. And yes, I think I can boil some water and use a thermometer, but the other details about how long the fermenting process is, what to look for, and things to do and not to do. Also, I'm sure the whole process is not the same for every type of beer. And there are so many different types of ingredients to use and different ways to use them to make different types of beer.



Well, of course.
The recipe will tell you how long to ferment it.

As for what to do and what not to do?

- don't add the yeast when the temp's too hot
- make sure no bacteria or mold are in your mash
(that's why ya boil it, and sterilize everything that will touch it)
- rack it off from one container to the other to get rid of the crud, sediment and dead yeast

That's just about it
The recipe will tell you what to do and it's very very easy to follow.

My advice would be to get a book with some beer recipes therein and try one.

Get the stock pot at value village: buy the primary and secondary and a siphon from wherever you get your other supplies.

But I've found "beer in a can" to be messier and far more hassle than simply boiling the grain


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## Marty55 (Sep 29, 2011)

Whew! I got thirsty just reading this thread... think I'll head over to the fridge and grab a cold one...


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## Fletch_W (Sep 29, 2011)

Read this:

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

It's considered the beginner homebrew bible, by John Palmer. He made his millions on the book, and now offers the whole thing online for free, you don't even have to download it. Just go from page to page. You won't remember everything you read, it's very detailed. Bookmark it on your browser.


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## Fletch_W (Sep 29, 2011)

By the way, most people don't use secondaries anymore, including myself. Remember that when reading the Palmer stuff. He swears by them.


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## blues brother (Sep 30, 2011)

Its been years since I made any home brew. Some was really good and some was really BAD!  It is a fun hobby and it is pretty easy to do. 
Take the class. Not only will you learn something you will meet some new folks with a common interest.
Have fun with it and share the results!


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## Swampy (Oct 2, 2011)

I finally got started a year or two back and bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies. For a beginner (which I still am) it's literally as easy as following a recipe. 

Once you've done a few batches  this way you'll want to step up your game and get into whole grain brewing. That's not something I've taken the plunge on solo yet, but I'm hanging out with some guys that do and picking up some pointers.

It's fun - go for it. It will give you a new appreciation for beer.


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## Fletch_W (Oct 2, 2011)

Swampy said:


> I finally got started a year or two back and bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies. For a beginner (which I still am) it's literally as easy as following a recipe.
> 
> Once you've done a few batches  this way you'll want to step up your game and get into whole grain brewing. That's not something I've taken the plunge on solo yet, but I'm hanging out with some guys that do and picking up some pointers.
> 
> It's fun - go for it. It will give you a new appreciation for beer.



I hate to not send business to Brewmaster's Warehouse in Marietta... cuz they be localish, as far as online sales goes... but Midwest Supplies is also my favorite online supplier. My first order there, about 3 years ago, they sent me a free $75 stainless steel 6 gallon pot and lid for free. I think my order was only about $40. That was a good investment on their part, because I've spent A-L-O-T of money there since then. 


Swampy, I made the same excuses for not going all-grain about a year ago. Once you make the jump, you'll be much happier. First of all, the grains are a fraction of the cost of extract. Secondly, the beer you make starts to actually taste like beer, instead of beer-like carbonated stuff, if that makes sense. That's not to say you can't make good beer with extract, many competitions and medals have been won with extract beer, but the overall cost, if for no other reason, is much cheaper for batch. My latest go-to recipe costs me about 50 cents a beer; $3.00 six-pack of really good beer.You can't beat that.


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## Fletch_W (Oct 2, 2011)

cch0830 said:


> What all will I need to get started?



(1) One 6.5 gallon brew bucket, with gallon markings on the side. 

(1) One lid to fit the bucket. 

(1) One Airlock

(1) One Bottling Bucket. I can't recommend this enough. It's just like a fermenting bucket mentioned above, but it's got a cheap little plastic spigot on the bottom. Instead of being a two-man job to bottle the beer, you just siphon from the fermenting bucket to the bottling bucket, then use the spigot to fill your bottles with a minimum of mess and spilled beer all over your kitchen.

(1) One Large Stockpot, 6 gallon minimum. * see below*

(1) One propane burner. Electric stoves (and some 'high efficiency' gas stoves) won't bring 5 gallons of water to a boil. There are ways around this, if that's outside of your budget to get started, but make sure to get a cheap turkey fryer setup as your next purchase. *If you get a turkey fryer setup, this eliminates the need to purchase a separate stockpot as required above, since they come with 7.5 gal pots*

(1) One six-foot length of clear syphon hose, *make sure to get the recommended diameter to fit the spigot on your bottling bucket above*....  Home Depot sells it, but you have to buy 20 feet at a time. Homebrew shops sell it by the foot, at a huge markup, but you only have to buy what you need, so overall cost would be cheaper. It's always good to have a little extra on hand. You never know when you need extra clear 3/8 pvc tubing, such as using it to connect your fuel pump to the carbeurator to observe fuel flow in a 1989 7.5 hp Sears Gamefisher. 

(1) One bottle capper. I've got one I'll give you for free if you are interested. Don't use it on guiness bottles, it likes to shatter guinness bottles for some reason.

OR

(4) Four 12-packs of Grolsch from walmart or sam's club. They have the flip-top "swing top" bottles and no capping is necessary. What I don't keg, I put in flip tops. I'm done with bottle capping (thus free bottle capper for you if you want it). 

(1) One tub of C-Brite sanitizer powder. You mix a measured amount with water, and that's your sanitizer solution. Don't use bleach solution. It's a long explanation. 

(1) One regular old Homer Bucket from Home Depot. This is what you use for your sanitizer solution. 

(1) One hydrometer. Keep the plastic tube it comes in, and take care of it. You'll use this tube for your samples. 

(1) One thermometer. I like the digital kind with a timer, comes in handy. To get started, you can use the same one you use for bbq, but eventually you'll want your own that is just for beer making, particularly if you are married. 

(3) Three milk crates, or equivalent. These are for storing your bottles while they age. 

(1) One grain bag. You'll need this even when brewing with extract. There are always specialty grains that go with your brew. The extracts are basically 4 types. Light, Dark, Amber, Wheat. To make the different styles of beers, the recipe will call for any number of specialty grains that you'll steep according to the recipe. 

(1) One hop sock. It's basically panty hose that holds the hops while you boil them. You don't have to use them, I don't use hop socks, but my beer has hop pieces floating around in it, and I'm fine with that. I brew for myself, not others. 

(1) One bottle of Camden Tablets. These aren't necessary, but give you a secret weapon in your stash, in case something bad starts growing in your bucket. They also act to neutralize nasties in your tap water or any funky stuff you may want to add to your beer, such as fresh fruit. 

(1) One compost pile or community dumpster. You do not want rotting spent grains anywhere near you. They smell worse than rotting shrimp heads, and might get the cops called on you for having a dead body stashed on your property somewhere. I'm not kidding.* 


That's it. 


Tips: 

-Don't bother with liquid yeast unless you are making a wheat beer. 

-Remember the acronym "RDWHAHB". Relax. Don't Worry. Have A Home Brew. 

-Read the John Palmer link "How to Brew" I linked above. The only part I recommend skipping over is the water chemistry part, that isn't necessary for you to worry about as a beginner. Also, the many pages devoted to lagering, you can skip that too, until you want to brew lagers. That is also somewhat complicated. Stick to ales for now. No shame in it either, that's all I brew.


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## cch0830 (Oct 4, 2011)

thanks for all the info!


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## Swampy (Oct 4, 2011)

Gonna do it soon, Fletch. You got a great brewery in Terrapin over your way. That Hopsecutioner is great.


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## Fletch_W (Oct 7, 2011)

Swampy, my all-grain setup is a bottling bucket and a manifold that is basically an 8 inch piece of copper pipe (doesn't have to be copper) that I used a hacksaw to cut slivers in, and a piece of aluminum foil over the end of it. The pipe is 3/8 inside diameter if I remember correctly, the homebrew shop in Athens (Blockader) set me up with a rubber stopper that plugs the hole in the bottling bucket and the copper manifold fits into snuggly, and the outside hole of the stopper fits a cheapo on-off spigot which attaches a clear hose that fills the boiling pot by gravity. The boiling pot sits on the turkey fryer, and the mash-tun (bottling bucket) sits on a picnic table. Once I mash and batch sparge, blah blah. The point is that you don't really have to spend much money to go all-grain, and it saves you money per recipe as well.

I'll post pictures of it all soon... And if I don't... remind me.


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## cch0830 (Oct 9, 2011)

Went to the class yesterday. I would highly recommend it! We had a great time. They served us beers they had made in previous classes and went through all the steps of brewing. I left there with the starter kit (minus a brewing pot), an auto-siphon, and the recipe and ingredients for a cream ale beer. I'm going to use my turkey fryer setup to brew, so here we go!


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## mathu (Oct 9, 2011)

I'm brewing a pumpkin ale tomorrow. Got the recipe off of the brewsite.com. Anyone ever made a pumpkin ale and if so did you use canned pumpkin, fresh pumpkin, or no pumpkin at all? 

Thanks!
Matt


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## Fletch_W (Oct 9, 2011)

Post the recipe, I'll give you my opinion.


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## cch0830 (Oct 9, 2011)

So I just got thru brewing. Had one boil over but learned and it didn't happen again. The biggest problem i ran into was my recipe called for rice syrup solids but the recipe instructions never said to add it. So I decided to add it in at the last few minutes of boil. Also, I did a 2.5 gallon brew so when I added the rest of my water after boil, I only added about 2 gallons which put my total right under 5 gallons. I went ahead and tested the OG and it was right on the money so I left it alone. We'll see how it goes


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## BuckinFish (Oct 9, 2011)

You got to use the Palmer book as your best resource!  I started last Christmas, and quickly went to all grain brewing.  You have so much more control over your final product.  When you are ready, purchase or build a 5 gallon cooler all grain setup. 
I make my recipies on Brewmasters Warehouses website.  That thing is awesome and there are so many shared recipies from other brewers.  The sweetwater 420 is dead on!
Happy Brewing!


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## Swampy (Oct 10, 2011)

Getting inspired - may have to quit talking and start doing ....


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## Greaserbilly (Oct 10, 2011)

Swampy said:


> I finally got started a year or two back and bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies. For a beginner (which I still am) it's literally as easy as following a recipe.
> 
> Once you've done a few batches  this way you'll want to step up your game and get into whole grain brewing. That's not something I've taken the plunge on solo yet, but I'm hanging out with some guys that do and picking up some pointers.
> 
> It's fun - go for it. It will give you a new appreciation for beer.



There's nothing too hairy about the whole grain either. They grind it for you, you just put it in a cheesecloth bag and boil the whole thing, you end up with the same end result as dissolving the can of syrup in boiling water - except the product tastes better and is fresher.


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## bruceg (Oct 24, 2011)

Those are some good setups! I still do extract and extract with grains that don't require mashing. Thinking of going to Partial Mash (have a glass top stove, so I try to keep the weight down to 3 gallons or so at a time).

John Palmer's book is good! And The Joy of Homebrewing makes it sound very simple as well. Think I'll pop open a modified Kolsch tonight.


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## Nitram4891 (Oct 27, 2011)

Greaserbilly said:


> There's nothing too hairy about the whole grain either. They grind it for you, you just put it in a cheesecloth bag and boil the whole thing, you end up with the same end result as dissolving the can of syrup in boiling water - except the product tastes better and is fresher.



You can also buy a grinder that uses a power drill.


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## CreekChub (Nov 7, 2011)

Homebrewing is a great hobby and you can make great 
beer at home with little effort and knowledge of the science/
chemistry aspect of it.
It's a hobby you can take to the extreme or keep it simple.
Very good beer can be produced using a canned hopped
extract kit. As good as you can buy from most any beer store.
The canned kits can be brewed in about an hour. All grain
takes about 5-6 hours and can produce a better beer but
there is more that can and will go wrong for a beginner.
No one boils grains in a bag, that was bad advice.
You can mash the grains in a bag to extract the sugars instead
of using a mashtun and then boil the wort but boiling grains
would extract tannins and create horrible beer but you took
the class so you already know that. I have been brewing for
a couple years, if you need any advice I would be happy to
help out a fellow brewer.


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## Capt Quirk (Nov 7, 2011)

I would like to say Fletch had a very comprehensive list there! Instead of going to Home Depot for your bucket, go to Fire House Subs. They have 5 gallon pickle buckets for $2, and the money goes to Fire Fighters. As opposed to HD, where you spend $5 for a non food grade bucket, lid sold separately, money goes to Corporate pockets.

I'd also like to chime in on Midwest. They send a DVD with every order, that walks you through the basics. They also sell the hops and grains as well as the syrups, and have support to help you online.


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## cch0830 (Nov 7, 2011)

Hey thanks for the Firehouse bucket tip. I am definitely going to check that out. Do you know if they have any pickle residual left behind because I called and asked about them and they said the buckets were used for their pickles.


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## CreekChub (Nov 7, 2011)

I recently picked up two 5 gallon food grade icing buckets
from the Walmart bakery. 1 dollar each!!! That would 
limit you to 4 gallon batches or you could secondary a 5
gallon batch. Just clean well and add an airlock.


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## Capt Quirk (Nov 7, 2011)

cch0830 said:


> Hey thanks for the Firehouse bucket tip. I am definitely going to check that out. Do you know if they have any pickle residual left behind because I called and asked about them and they said the buckets were used for their pickles.


I will only say this... when you get it, there will be no doubt what it was used for 

Hot, soapy water. Lots of it


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## cch0830 (Nov 10, 2011)

yep, picked up a Firehouse bucket yesterday. Fresh pickle juice!


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## cch0830 (Nov 10, 2011)

I am thinking of making an Oatmeal Stout for my next brew. I am still extract brewing. Anybody brewed this type of beer before?


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## Capt Quirk (Nov 10, 2011)

cch0830 said:


> yep, picked up a Firehouse bucket yesterday. Fresh pickle juice!



Just an FYI, for about $6, you can get the gaskets and tap and make your own fermentation bucket with a bung for the airlock. At the winery, they wanted $18 for it.


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## Fletch_W (Nov 11, 2011)

cch0830 said:


> I am thinking of making an Oatmeal Stout for my next brew. I am still extract brewing. Anybody brewed this type of beer before?



The Midwest Supplies Oatmeal Stout was the last extract brew I ever made. Not because it was bad... it was actually really good. 

The only advice I'd give for that style is to make sure you don't splash it around after the primary fermentation is done. Splashing before fermentation is good... splashing after the fermentation is bad. In my opinion, that particular style is more vulnerable to oxydation. It's a cardboard kind of flavor. Make sure you siphon to the bottom of the secondary/bottle so the liquid fills up around the hose, as opposed to holding the hose near the top and letting it just splash down. 

If you want to get ridiculous with it... get some "House Toast" oak cubes and toss those in at Primary (no sanitation needed) and skip secondary. Just leave it in primary for 4 weeks. 

Ultimately, the hardest part is keeping the yeast in their optimal temp range. If the yeast in your recipe says 68 is the top, that doesn't mean it won't ferment higher than that, it means that it will taste funky if you ferment it higher than that. Also, yeast create heat so if the top range is 68, and the bucket is in a room that is 68, the brew is really closer to 74 = funky. 

Rule of thumb is to keep the brew in an environment that is 5 degrees lower than it's listed 'tolerance'. 

Really, you could type 10,000 pages about yeast, but I just posted a little bit specific to your question about an extract oatmeal stout. 

Speaking of Oatmeal Stout... Terrapin's Wake'NBake is the best oatmeal stout I've ever had. It makes Sammy Smith taste like Budweiser.


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