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Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 10:35 pm
by flying_circus
Well are there? It says that "This forum is not for asking programming related questions".
I've recently discovered the joy of home-brewing and going pretty crazy with it. The only thing that sucks is getting the initial pipeline flowing. Though, I have discovered a little home-brew has made coding easier
I'm doing 5 gallon extract batches, and have 5 gallons of a Scottish Amber, 5 gallons of a Raspberry American Wheat, and 5 gallons of an American Pale Ale.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:34 am
by Adiefallguy
Hi,
I started brewing when I was 16 and starting with brewing condessa spirit kits, they were some good kits, then I moved to brewing fruit wine and then tried some more obscure ones like oak leaf wine and dandillion wine.
Have not brewed anything for a couple of years now though as i just dont drink anymore.
Thanks
Adie
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:47 am
by Benjamin
Hey that's really neat. We are thinking about doing that and also making our own wine. How did you get started? How does it turn out?
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:53 am
by VladSun
We have prepared about 300 Kg of grape, so I expect about 60 liters of grape brandy (called rakia here) after distillation.

Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:09 am
by Weirdan
VladSun wrote:We have prepared about 300 Kg of grape, so I expect about 60 liters of grape brandy (called rakia here) after distillation.

Rakia... even the sound of it makes my head hurt. The worst hangover ever in my experience.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:17 am
by VladSun
Weirdan wrote:Rakia... even the sound of it makes my head hurt. The worst hangover ever in my experience.
Hahaha...
Visit me at my place and I'll prove how wrong you are about it
http://www.google.bg/images?hl=bg&clien ... CCsQsAQwAQ
That's what we use for home-brewed brandy.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:23 pm
by McInfo
I like mead. I've made a few batches with 1.89-liter fruit juices from the grocery store. The nice thing is that the plastic bottle the juice comes in can be used as the carboy with no sterilization necessary. Just add honey and yeast, and wait a few weeks until the bubbles stop. A fermentation lock can be made by running a breathing hose to another bottle filled with water. Wax can be used as caulk.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:46 pm
by flying_circus
I havent tried making any spirits as I am not familiar with the local laws. I believe you need to apply and obtain a permit prior to starting any distillation here. I have seen stills for sales on the classifieds and it has piqued my interest. I'd love to try some of your Rakia Vlad. I've tried moonshine before, it tasted like childrens grape flavored cough syrup, but man, that stuff works fast!
Benjamin:
To make your first 5 gallon extract batch, expect to drop about $250 for everything you need, from the 5 gallon stock pot (kettle) to the bottles, caps, and capper. You should also to get ingredients factored in there too. Brew day takes about 4 hours and then about 5 weeks later you will carbonated beer ready to drink and share! Check out
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html for pretty much a step by step guide to brewing your first batch! If you have any questions, let me know. It sounds really intimidating at first, but it's a very easy process.
Mc Info:
That looks great! I am not sure I've ever had mead, but it was on my list to make this winter. I'd also like to make some hard cider and perhaps try an apful wein as well. How is the mead, got any recipies?
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 5:41 pm
by Benjamin
Thanks for the link. Definitely something I'm going to get into doing.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 5:44 pm
by VladSun
flying_circus wrote:I'd love to try some of your Rakia Vlad. I've tried moonshine before, it tasted like childrens grape flavored cough syrup, but man, that stuff works fast!
It's 45o~50o, so it won't taste like a children's syrup, I promise
It's a tradition here to make home-brewed cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, various pickles, etc.
I also make pork fillets like this one:
And jerk (veal or goat) like this one:

Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:53 pm
by mikosiko
Vlad... jeez!!! you definitely look like a friend good to have

... I can bring a spicy (hot..hot) sauce for that meat

Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:58 pm
by McInfo
flying_circus wrote:How is the mead, got any recipies?
The few batches I made were satisfactory. The alcohol content was around 10 to 13 percent. The grape with raisins had the best flavor. I don't like the bitter flavor of hops, so I prefer mead and wine in general. (I suppose you
could put hops in mead, but anyway...)
A friend of mine made some mead following the "Temptation Mead" recipe in a book called "The Homebrewer's Recipe Guide" (see URL below). Two bottles (beer bottles) of that had me finding a nice stable place to sit on the floor. The effect may have had more to do with drinking on an empty stomach, but it was an excellent beverage nonetheless.
Page 174: http://html.scribd.com/2eo1tbqnb41v64a/images/191-694a96fd6a/000.jpg
(intentially not linkified)
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:03 pm
by mikosiko
McInfo wrote:I like mead. I've made a few batches with 1.89-liter fruit juices from the grocery store. The nice thing is that the plastic bottle the juice comes in can be used as the carboy with no sterilization necessary. Just add honey and yeast, and wait a few weeks until the bubbles stop. A fermentation lock can be made by running a breathing hose to another bottle filled with water. Wax can be used as caulk.
Interesting... are you using the same juices that came originally in the bottles?
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:06 pm
by McInfo
mikosiko wrote:Interesting... are you using the same juices that came originally in the bottles?
Yes. Just pour out some of the juice to make room for honey, yeast, and bubbles. That's why there is no sterilization necessary, assuming whoever bottled the juice is responsible. Another benefit is that the juice usually already has an agreeable flavor, although the end result is slightly different because the fermentation takes away much of the sweetness and replaces it with alcohol.
Re: Any other home-brewers in the house?
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 2:16 pm
by VladSun
mikosiko wrote:Vlad... jeez!!! you definitely look like a friend good to have

... I can bring a spicy (hot..hot) sauce for that meat

Well, you're welcome

Just call me when you arive in Sofia
