Any Shockernetters make beer?

[shock]

Any brewers on here?

[N Crestway]

Been thinking about fermenting hard cider so I can have a lot on hand when needed. Got the recipe but do I have the get up and go to actually do it?

[ShockTalk]

Any brewers on here?

Not a brewer on my own, do not have my own equipment, but have assisted others. In particular, I assisted an excellent home brewer for 3 to 4 years. Over that time, we (he) made over 150 beers (he also had 5 taps).

We did all-grain, not extract, however, there is nothing wrong with extract brewing as it is less complicated and less costly. It also is more limited (imho). If one is not experienced, you will probably want to start there, however.

He did allow me to brew (with his guidance) a few brews using my own recipes. They were all grain brews, not extract, but I had an expert looking over my shoulder. Even though I have a tap at home, I bottled mine.

My biggest recommendation is to find someone experienced that you could learn from.

No doubt, I'd be considered a "beer snob". Favorite brews are IPAs (particularly rye IPA), Scottish and Scotch ales (also known as a Wee Heavy or Kilt Lifter), Barleywines, quality red / Irish ales, Belgian Dubbels and Quads.

One last thing, Cleanliness Is Very Important!! Cannot stress that enough.

[Kung Wu]

I tried while in college and ended up with some nasty smelling stuff that had alcohol in it. I tried to freeze it to separate the alcohol from the turd mash. Even that stuff was nasty.

Later I tried to get my science on and made a bunch of wine from frozen grape juice. Thought that was a failure as I didn't like the result at all (it was certainly wine, it was drinkable, but I didn't like it at all). But then a few weeks later I took a sip of a relative's communion wine for the first time and was shocked -- it tasted exaclty like what I made from the frozen concord grape juice. Also terrible, but definitely what I made.

ShockTalk you need to coach us on how to make a mean Belgian Dubbel!!

[WstateU]

Ross and I brewed our own beer in the roaring 20’s; we said ‘screw’ Carey Nation and prohibition. We had a special ‘brew shack’ and entertained the campus flappers. We were especially fond of ‘wheat’ beer.

[ShockTalk]

Ross and I brewed our own beer in the roaring 20’s; we said ‘screw’ Carey Nation and prohibition. We had a special ‘brew shack’ and entertained the campus flappers. We were especially fond of ‘wheat’ beer.

surprised-surprise.jpg

[ShockTalk]

I tried while in college and ended up with some nasty smelling stuff that had alcohol in it. I tried to freeze it to separate the alcohol from the turd mash. Even that stuff was nasty.

Later I tried to get my science on and made a bunch of wine from frozen grape juice. Thought that was a failure as I didn't like the result at all (it was certainly wine, it was drinkable, but I didn't like it at all). But then a few weeks later I took a sip of a relative's communion wine for the first time and was shocked -- it tasted exaclty like what I made from the frozen concord grape juice. Also terrible, but definitely what I made.

ShockTalk you need to coach us on how to make a mean Belgian Dubbel!!

Well, that was unique way to sparge.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&ei=UTF-8&p=sparge+brewing#id=0&vid=674cbf071b00bd8f1dd398dbe10528e4&action=click

[shock]

Not a brewer on my own, do not have my own equipment, but have assisted others. In particular, I assisted an excellent home brewer for 3 to 4 years. Over that time, we (he) made over 150 beers (he also had 5 taps).

We did all-grain, not extract, however, there is nothing wrong with extract brewing as it is less complicated and less costly. It also is more limited (imho). If one is not experienced, you will probably want to start there, however.

He did allow me to brew (with his guidance) a few brews using my own recipes. They were all grain brews, not extract, but I had an expert looking over my shoulder. Even though I have a tap at home, I bottled mine.

My biggest recommendation is to find someone experienced that you could learn from.

No doubt, I'd be considered a "beer snob". Favorite brews are IPAs (particularly rye IPA), Scottish and Scotch ales (also known as a Wee Heavy or Kilt Lifter), Barleywines, quality red / Irish ales, Belgian Dubbels and Quads.

One last thing, Cleanliness Is Very Important!! Cannot stress that enough.

I have a keg of Nut Brown in the kegerator right now. Got a smoked Scottish strong in the carboy about to hit two weeks and still active, hope it doesn’t turn out dry. Plan on doing a spruce tip ipa next and an imperial nut brown after I drink all the first but brown.

[ShockTalk]

I have a keg of Nut Brown in the kegerator right now. Got a smoked Scottish strong in the carboy about to hit two weeks and still active, hope it doesn’t turn out dry. Plan on doing a spruce tip ipa next and an imperial nut brown after I drink all the first but brown.

The Spuce Tip IPA sounds very interesting. Have you made it before?

All true Scottish or Scotch ales are slighty peaty/lightly smoked by generally the grains that are used. Technically speaking, a Scottish ale is less than 6% ABV and anything above that is a Scotch ale. However, most Scotch ales in the US are 8% plus.

Some of my American favorites are Alesmith Wee Heavy 10% ABV (however, they only make a barrel-aged version nowadays), Oscar Blues Old Chub (8%), good everyday style, Founders Dirty Bastard (8.5%) and their Backwoods Bastard (10.2), Hoppin' Frog Outta Kilter (8.2), and one you will only find in Texas (they make a big deal about their beers are only available there), Real Ale Real Heavy (9.3) which has won a Bronze medal in 2015 and Gold medals in '16, '17 and '18 at the granddaddy of beer festivals, the Great American Beer Festival. Any beer winning 3 years in a row is pretty much unheard of. Favorite import is both Traquair House Ale (7.2%) and Jacobite (8%) from Traqair House in Scotland.

I set most of my stash of high gravity beers back and let them age in a nice cool dark place. Most high gravity beers will get better with age, generally up to 4 to 7 years (some people think longer) depending on how high the ABV is. I also refuse to "age" beers in a can. Making a Scotch Ale, Imperial Stout, Quad or Barleywine and putting it in a can is just wrong, for several reasons. Hoppy beers lose their "hoppyness" in less than a year, but a few big (ABV) IPAs will be pretty interesting in a year or two (not that that is something one should do).

[Kung Wu]

Am I wrong for hating any beer in a can? I really can't stand 'em anymore. I actually don't even like beers with preservatives on tap anymore. Both just have this off-putting taste to me. If it's not in a bottle, I pass, just because the high risk/low reward ratio.

[ShockTalk]

Am I wrong for hating any beer in a can? I really can't stand 'em anymore. I actually don't even like beers with preservatives on tap anymore. Both just have this off-putting taste to me. If it's not in a bottle, I pass, just because the high risk/low reward ratio.

I take it you do like locally brewed beers. We have a lot of really good brew pubs in this town.

[shock]

The Spuce Tip IPA sounds very interesting. Have you made it before?

All true Scottish or Scotch ales are slighty peaty/lightly smoked by generally the grains that are used. Technically speaking, a Scottish ale is less than 6% ABV and anything above that is a Scotch ale. However, most Scotch ales in the US are 8% plus.

Some of my American favorites are Alesmith Wee Heavy 10% ABV (however, they only make a barrel-aged version nowadays), Oscar Blues Old Chub (8%), good everyday style, Founders Dirty Bastard (8.5%) and their Backwoods Bastard (10.2), Hoppin' Frog Outta Kilter (8.2), and one you will only find in Texas (they make a big deal about their beers are only available there), Real Ale Real Heavy (9.3) which has won a Bronze medal in 2015 and Gold medals in '16, '17 and '18 at the granddaddy of beer festivals, the Great American Beer Festival. Any beer winning 3 years in a row is pretty much unheard of. Favorite import is both Traquair House Ale (7.2%) and Jacobite (8%) from Traqair House in Scotland.

I set most of my stash of high gravity beers back and let them age in a nice cool dark place. Most high gravity beers will get better with age, generally up to 4 to 7 years (some people think longer) depending on how high the ABV is. I also refuse to "age" beers in a can. Making a Scotch Ale, Imperial Stout, Quad or Barleywine and putting it in a can is just wrong, for several reasons. Hoppy beers lose their "hoppyness" in less than a year, but a few big (ABV) IPAs will be pretty interesting in a year or two (not that that is something one should do).

That’s some good info.

I haven’t brewed the spruce tip, these are my first beers. A local friend of mine has been brewing good beers for 15 years. Apparently she uses an English ipa, and leaves out a lot of the hops at the end and throws in the spruce tips.

The idea of aging beer is extremely interesting.

[Kung Wu]

I take it you do like locally brewed beers. We have a lot of really good brew pubs in this town.

Yes I do, and yes we do. WBC's Belgian Dubbel is one of my favs.

[Kung Wu]

And whoever keeps putting fruit in beer needs to be fired.

[WstateU]

And whoever keeps putting fruit in beer needs to be fired.

Ole Ross and I used to add a few sand plums to our wheat; it drove the flappers (to our) nuts.