StogieChat Cigar Forum

OK, first things first, here's your Tennesee homebrew shops.  Your initial purchase not including THE book should run you around $120, this will supply you with a kit and ingredients to make the first 5 gal batch.  It will cost around $25 per batch from there on for just ingredients.




TN 
Murfreesboro 
Brewers Corner 
800 Park Ave., Suite E 
37129 
615-849-7797 
 

TN 
Nashville 
All Seasons Gardening & Brewing Supply 
3900 Hillsboro Rd, Ste 16 
37215 
800-790-2188 
 

Next, THE book. 
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Harperresource-Book/dp/0060531053/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201101868&sr=8-1

This book's first entire chapter will walk you through the first batch.

Now, the kit that I got was the true brew gold kit, and I paid around $60 for it.  All Seasons seems to have the equipment from them, so they probably sell the starter kits in the store.

if you want an idea of what you need, look at a few starter kits

http://www.crosby-baker.com/TrueBrew.htm

http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html

Crosby-Baker makes Coopers malt extracts, which are great for extract beer kits.  

Brewing will only get as complicated as you allow it to.  There are folks that brew with extracts and make award winning beers.  My last IPA was an extract brew.  They are easier, and can still make great beer. 

And of course, feel free to bring any questions right here. 

This is one of the most rewarding hobbies I think I've ever ventured into.  Have fun

 

Tanks a ton LC!!! What exactly is an extract kit though?

It's the ingredients for the beer you're making.  Extract refers to the state the malt is in.  This is one of the nice things that makes homebrewing so approachable. 

You can buy grain for brewing in so many different stages/forms. 

An extract "kit" might have 7lbs of extract, hops and yeast. 

A "whole grain" kit would have the 10 lbs of grain instead of the extract, which would have to be converted.

Bailey, go to http://forum.northernbrewer.com/ 

Read read and read!

That is what I did and I can turn out some pretty damn good beer.

Will do Mark! And thanks for the link. Anyone know any good places to order Beer online? I looked at Liquid solutions and a few other places. I had a link to another one once but I cant find it. They had an awesome selection of brews to choose from.

yeah, lots of good reading there.  It's hard to keep up with all the reading to do over there.

 

Oh, made up a batch of ginger ale yesterday, and letting one bottle ferment out to see what it tastes like.

Several days ago made up a batch of cream soda, damn this stuff is good!

Mark Wrote:Going to do a Cream Ale this weekend.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Lawnmower Light
Brewer: Mark
Asst Brewer:
Style: Cream Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal     
Boil Size: 6.87 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 3.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 16.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU     
6 lbs         Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        60.00 %      
4 lbs         Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)                    Grain        40.00 %      
1.25 oz       Hallertauer [3.80 %]  (60 min) (First WortHops         16.6 IBU     
1.20 items    Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min)          Misc                      
1 Pkgs        Cream Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP080)Yeast-Ale                 


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp    
75 min        Mash In            Add 12.50 qt of water at 161.4 F    150.0 F      
10 min        Mash Out           Add 8.00 qt of water at 200.2 F     168.0 F  

This will be the first time using White Labs WLP080 Cream Ale Blend Yeast, hopefully it turns out good.  I have heard good and bad things about this yeast.    

Quite possibly the worst thing I have ever tasted in my life!  DO NOT MAKE THIS!!!  Looks like this one will be chalked up to a loss!

hock:  What did it taste like?

Liquid corn and ass!!!

Sorry to hear that, but cream ale is probably my least favorite styles as far as ale goes.  I think that's how it's supposed to taste.