/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.212035]

Just brewed mead!!
First time.. Can't wait to try it.. in 2 years :sigh: oh well

Post your beer closets!

[Anonymous No.212050]

I always love these threads, I would be interested in brewing my own alcohol once I get out of uni and into my own house. Knock on wood regarding the house.

[Anonymous No.212072]

Are those Mr.Beer kits actually any good? I thought about buying one for shits and giggles. I figured it's no where near as good as doing some legit home brewing, but if it doesn't totally suck I think I'd like to fuck around with it.

[Anonymous No.212080]

I've tried to make wine with my own grown grapes 3 GODDAMN TIMES. I meticulously sterilized errything, but always ended up with red wine vinegar. Don't get me wrong, it was great as a marinade, but I'm worried if I try my hand at beer I'll just make malt vinegar or worse, barley/hop soup.

[Anonymous No.212093]

>>212072
fuck ya. the beer is super half decent, and you can up the abv if your not keen on the taste too much. patients made that oktoberfest WAY better then the first pale ale was

[Anonymous No.212099]

>>212080
ya, i've had 3 friends all end up making rubbing alcohol and robotussin when trying to brew regular wine lol.. honey wine is fucking titties to drink, and WAY WAY harder to fuck up.

beer is near impossible to fuck up.. really unless you don't sanitize and end up swipeing your nutsack along the bottom of the brewkeg

[bballplaya No.212111]

OK SUP GUYS I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY NOT READ THIS BUT MY GF DUMPED ME FOR HER EX!! BEFORE SHE BROKE MY HEART IT WAS HER DREAM TO BE THE MAIN BLOGGER ON THIS THING ON TUMBLR. CAN YOU PLEASE VOTE AGAINST HER! SHE BROKE MY HEART...

http://littlefaithtrustandpixiedust.tumblr.com/

VOTE HERE AND VOTE FOR nostalgiaunicorn
PIC IS NOT RELATED TO MESSAGE

[Anonymous No.212131]

>>212099
Thanks, I'll give brewing a try

[Anonymous No.212144]

>>212072
>Are those Mr.Beer kits actually any good?
The equipment is adequate, the ingredients are substandard. Buy one for the kit, make some mediocre beer with the shit that comes in it and then use it to keep a small keg in the fridge.

[Anonymous No.212159]

>>212080

I chucked a soup pot full of grapes in a draught beer. Just gave the grapes a good mash and chucked in skins and all. Wasn't too bad, effervescent grape taste and mild beer kick.

[Anonymous No.213064]

I goto Brew Your Own Brew and What Ale's You stores here in arizona,

it's been about 2 days with that mead just fucking bubbling away, and the closet smells of rotten fruit. I go into it and close the door and in about a minute i'm all woozy. fun stuff

[Anonymous No.213092]

Freshly bottled product. It's mead. 18 bottles, and another est. 40 bottles left to fill & cork! Pic is uploaded through my phone so excuse me for the large size.

[Anonymous No.213095]

>>213092
damn it, i have 354 days left on mine :(

what was in it?
How long before you first racked it?
and how long has it been since you first brewed it? I'm waiting 1 month, then rack, then 3 months, then rack, and then just let the fucker clarify and wait that shit out for months and months

[Anonymous No.213096]

>>213095
This one was Orange mead, I also got 2 carboys filled with ginger & cinnamon mead and one with oldskool pure honey mead!
We let it stand for 1 year total, we racked it three times.
We simply identified the amount of dead yeast on the bottom and racked when we deemed it necessary.

Dead yeast tastes like SHIT and using a bad yeast will make your mead taste like SHIT.
Use something like red star for the perfect taste.

i'll be happy to answer any other questions you might have :)

[Anonymous No.213115]

Left is mead, right is Vimto with sugar. Anticipating some kind of tramp wine

[Anonymous No.213127]

>>213115
>Vimto
Why, just, why?

[Anonymous No.213144]

> roommate is brewing mead
> more than a year in. Mead still sitting in fermentation 5 gallon clear glass
> need to clean garage for incoming storage/closet system.
> fuck it we hate him anyway and he hasn't paid rent in 9 months
Dump down the drain. That vinegar /omgwtf smell.
Guy finally notices like a week later :you ruinz it!! You just threw out a hundred dollars worth of honey.
Fuck you guy

[Anonymous No.213190]

>>213144
Just pull the airlock and set it in his room.

[Anonymous No.213969]

tomorrow i'm going to make some burnt mead.. or bochet.

I cant fucking wait. it's going to be toasted marshmellowly carmely delicious!!

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/medieval-burnt-mead-112163/

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoPbfJ3BwwM
except i'm not going to coal the everloving shit out of it.

[Anonymous No.213981]

I'm fermenting my first batch atm, I started it in march of this year, with hopes of it being done in Sept for my 21st, I'm beginning to understand it won't be the greatest while still so young, but I don't really care, Its just a Orange blossom honey mix, I have the supplies for the next batch, but I'm looking for unprocessed Apple juice, and the time and motivation to do it

[Anonymous No.214018]

bump for thread-life

[Anonymous No.214021]

it seems like the majority of people on here brew mead and cider as opposed to beer. are there any other beer brewers out there? i'd love to share systems or answer question for people thinking about getting in to brewing beer. i've got some time

[Anonymous No.214028]

>>214021
not too sure how to tag multiple posts, but I'm the post two up, I got into mead for its ease and worry free-Ness of making, I have some interest in beer brewing, but Tbh I enjoy " sweet girly Bitch drinks" and I'm not sure if I can find that in a beer.. or can I?

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214035]

>>213969
This is my next batch. Thank you, kind sir, for calling this to my attention! Though, instead of burning the honey, I'm going to caramelize some brown sugar.

I also really want to do a raspberry melomel. I'm sorely tempted to make this first, just to finally get some tartness in my mead. Everything I've made thus far has been ungodly sweet.

[Anonymous No.214036]

>>214028

there are always flavored wheats, i made one a while back with orange peels. half barley, half wheat, noble hops and the orange. i had two girls say they liked it. imagine it like a shock top but brewed with real orange flavor.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.214040]

>>214035

OP here. ya, i debated on whether to make burnt mead for my first, but decided to go old school and make honningbrew. but it's eating at me and i need burnt goodness!

I'm going to make a strawwwberry melomel. I like sweet drinks alot. How long did you let your sweet batches ferment for? And what was the honey/water ratio? Cause i'd love for mine to be sweet.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214052]

>>214040
I let them go until fermentation stopped, but I used bread flour so it crapped out at a relatively low abv of 13-14%, and also threw in a fuckton of honey and brown sugar. The yeast ate as much as they could, but it still left a ton of undigested sugars in solution. :D Overall, it took about 2 months for the mead to turn clear.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.214055]

>>214052
woah.. well THAT will make it sweet. most people do 6 months or more. That'll dry it out. Give it some tart zing. Give some zazz to it.

I'll make sure to do a little less for that sweet sweet sweetness. I can't wait for a summer strawberry mead.

Do you use

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.214058]

>>214052
woah.. well THAT will make it sweet. most people do 6 months or more. That'll dry it out. Give it some tart zing. Give some zazz to it.

I'll make sure to do a little less for that sweet sweet sweetness. I can't wait for a summer strawberry mead.

Do you use lelvin d47 or other champain yeast, cause a really hearty yeast will dry and tart that shit out

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214062]

>>214058
"Alcohol syrup" was really my target. I'm a fan of really super sweet girly bitch drinks :3

I haven't tried a proper strain of yeast yet...just typical run-of-the-mill Red Star bread yeast. I let the mead age for at least 6 months before drinking it. Thus far, I made a hyper-sweet version of JAOM (called Sunmist Mead) and a lovely maple batch I'm calling Maple Candysnap.

Now I'm torn between strawberry and raspberry...

[Anonymous No.214079]

whats a super easy and discreet way to make alcohal for a starter that wants to get into brewin?

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214081]

>>214058
Also awesome tripcode :3

>>214079
Plastic jug (get it from distilled water, not an old milk carton), fuckton of honey/apple cider and sugar, packet of bread yeast, handful of raisins (or microwave an extra packet of yeast), some cinnamon/nutmeg if you like, and possibly some cut-up fruit. Throw it all together, shake the everloving piss out of it, snap a balloon with a hole poked in it over the top, and throw it in a dark cupboard for about two months.

[Radiofag No.214082]

>>214081
Proper brewing equipment to produce suitable quantities of liquid bread is like $20.

[Anonymous No.214085]

O2 turns wine into vinegar. Make sure the wine is sealed during the aging process

[Radiofag No.214086]

>>214062
This yeast was like $5.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214088]

>>214086
That's nice. I likey bread yeast, though :3

[Anonymous No.214090]

>>214086

>white labs

west coast fag detected, us easterners use wyeast

[Radiofag No.214091]

>>214090
Michigan actually.

Purchased at Bell's General Store.

[Anonymous No.214093]

>>214091

have you ever read chris whites book about yeast? its awesome, i definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about and understanding their yeast.

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2010/11/23/chris-white-on-yeast-and-his-new-book-bshb-podcast-4/

[Radiofag No.214098]

>>214093
Interesting.

Podcaster needs to adjust his EQ. If you're not Don LaFontaine, do not boost your bass to try to sound like Don LaFontaine. Pet peeve of mine, being a radio operator!

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.214133]

recipe from Le Menagier de Paris, c. 1393, (Power's translation, 1928, pp. 293-4)

"BEVERAGES FOR THE SICK - BOCHET
To make six sesters of bochet take six pints of very soft honey and set it in a cauldron on the fire, and boil it and stir it for as long as it goes on rising and as long as you see it throwing up liquid in little bubbles which burst and in bursting give off a little blackish steam; and then move it, and put in seven sesters of water and boil them until it is reduced to six sesters, always stirring. And then put it in a tub to cool until it be just warm, and then run it through a sieve, and afterwards put it in a cask and add half a pint of leaven of beer, for it is this which makes it piquant (and if you put in leaven of bread, it is as good for the taste, but the colour will be duller), and cover it warmly and well when you prepare it. And if you would make it very good, add thereto an ounce of ginger, long pepper, grain of Paradise and cloves, as much of the one as of the other, save that there shall be less of the cloves, and put them in a linen bag and cast it therein. And when it hath been therein for two or three days, and the brochet tastes enough of the spices and is sufficiently piquant, take out the bag and squeeze it and put it in the other barrel that you are making. And thus this powder will serve you well two or three times over."

[Anonymous No.214171]

>>214021

I have 5 barrels on the go, bro and I out of work, so helps kill time. We do not have your silly restrictions on beer production, so legit.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214249]

>>214171
Hmm? Restrictions? In America, I think the only restrictions are 1) no operating stills for the production of drinking alcohol, and 2) you can only produce 100 gallons of booze per year (in any form) per household if you're single, or 200 if you live with a long-term partner (otherwise you're classified as a microbrewery and you need a fuckton of permits).

[Anonymous No.214261]

Does anyone have that picture for DIY-brewing? I only remember some gallon-plastic-jugs and I think it was based on cheap orange juice.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214276]

>>214261
Please, at least make a batch of JAOM:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/joes-ancient-orange-mead-49106/

Incredibly easy. All you need for equipment is a 1-gallon jug of some sort and a balloon. Throw everything together, shake the hell out of it, balloon over top, DON'T FUCKING TOUCH IT. Brewing is not a complicated hobby. After the mead turns clear, you can rack (siphon so as to not transfer the muck on the bottom of the jug) it into bottles (preferably glass), or if you're a true barbarian, slowly pour it into bottles. Try to avoid pausing the pour between bottles so as to avoid stirring up too much dead yeast. Age for as long as you like (6 months preferred but not required), and get drunk as shit off of cheap but tasty mead. It has the same %abv of most wines.

[Anonymous No.214319]

>>213115

If my understanding is correct, it's a pretty safe bet that your vimto-wine there is not going to happen. The ingredients actively prohibit fermentation (again, no guarantee I'm right on this, but I'm pretty sure)

[Anonymous No.214334]

>>214319

Just double checked and yes. Sodium benzoate is going to leave you with a big bottle of fucking gross.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sodium-benzoate.htm

"The reason you will note sodium benzoate listed in the ingredients of so many foods is because it works very well at killing bacteria, yeast and fungi."

[Anonymous No.214336]

Frustration with shit sold at renfairs turned to DIY
DIY turned to business
Business outgrew home.


I'm proud of my fiends.

[Anonymous No.214340]

>>214336
Jealous.

[Anonymous No.214342]

>>214340
I'm just waitign for them to finally finish their blueberry brew, last time they sold all 18 bottles in a single day.

[Anonymous No.214348]

>>214342
I've had blueberry wine before (not mead, though) and it was goddamn delicious. I can see why it sold out in a day.

[Anonymous No.214350]

>>214348
They've got a Cherry one too, shit's dangerous, it goes down like lemonade, and always leaves you just a tad thirstier than before...

[Anonymous No.214414]

>>214319
Hmm that will be a blow as it seems to be bubbling away nicely at the moment. I added a fuck ton of sugar solution to it. I tried to set it off with a normal Cider yeast but had no joy so threw some superwineyeast into there and it seems to be fermenting as one would expect.

Worst case scenario I wasted £1 and a few weeks of my life but I will naturally post on here the results.

Going back to the Mead I cut the flesh out of on orange into cubes and added it to the Mead (I had read that putting the rind in can produce bad odours) and it's sat on top of the brew fermenting now, that will naturally sink to the bottom over time wont it?

It's my first mead and my first "real fruit" addition

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214417]

>>214414
It won't produce bad odors, but it will produce harsh, bitter flavors. These do mellow out over time, so either age it or cut out the flesh and use the zest. The white pith is what causes the bitterness.

The oranges may eventually sink, but your mead should be done fermenting before they do. You're good to go once it turns clear enough to read a newspaper through.

Congrats on making your first melomel!

[Anonymous No.214421]

>>214417
Cheers, Yeah I thought that was the case so it's just cubes of orange flesh in there, glad I made the right choice there. It's been going for about 12 days now and happily bubbling away, pic related

[Anonymous No.214426]

Bad photo of the vimto brew as well, you can see some of the bubbles rising, it seems to be fermenting great so far.

I'm more experienced with turbo-ciders but have had limited experience with cordial based brews, this is the first 100% one I have made

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.214437]

>>214426
Whatever happens, age it. If it's awful, let it mellow. If it's great, let it mellow. Age can turn the most disastrous clusterfucks into fine brews, provided they stay clear of bacterial infection and oxidation.

[Anonymous No.214438]

OP I like your setup. Not so much on the MR. Beers but more on the organization and labeling. This is what I am going to have to start doing with my brews. I recently obtained some gallon size glass jugs so I am going to brew more often with lesser volume.

[Anonymous No.214545]

heres the two diy brew pics i got

1/2

[Anonymous No.214546]

2/2

im only uploading these pics because they are what got me interested in brewing last month. After doin some research though, i decided to step it up a bit.

I bought a real airlock and legit yeast online and used brown sugar for my cider... still pretty cheap but hopefully it turns out better.

Since then ive been doing more research into it and am getting into this as more of a hobby.. i have more yeast packets so I will probably be brewing 5 or so more gallons of differnet flavored meads.

ill try and upload pics of my setup later if this thread is still going

[Anonymous No.214567]

was going to start some mead tonight on a first try here, was curious to try caramelizing but don't know how that'd work with the fermentation as far as cooking out the sugar goes. With 3lbs honey debated going 2 to 1 (cooking 2lbs, leave 1lb raw) or vice versa. help?

[Anonymous No.214592]

>>214414

Well, since it's bubbling, I'm kinda curious what'll happen with it. Keep us updated.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.214631]

Guess what i made tonight!!??
yay me!

Shit STANK up the fucking house... smelled like someone took a fucking flamethrower to the cotton candy section of a circus. Total burnt sugar smell.

and you can't see through a damn millimeter of it. Honey even cleaned up really nice after making it. Other then the smell, which forced a picture of burnt clowns in my head... it went really well.

[Anonymous No.214680]

Beer brewing. got 20 dozen 750ml aging.

[Anonymous No.214758]

>>214680
how the fuck are you laggering without temp control?

[Anonymous No.214911]

Just racked my 3 gallons of wine titled "Nigger Rigged" because I ended up using too much water per fruit and I had to substitute with grape juice concentrate.

[Anonymous No.214925]

dude that shit doesn't take 2 years unless you're really a snob. it's pretty damn good after 6 months, but usually a year is good enough.

Also Mr. Beer is brewing for babbys; it's a good way to start out but you need to start doing some 5 gallon brews after awhile (aside from paying way too much to make 2 gallons of beer through mr beer when you can make 5 gallons for about the same price)

[Anonymous No.214930]

>>214758

you don't need temp control to lager. just a basement or a room you know isn't going to go over mid 50's

[Anonymous No.214932]

>>214545
>>214546

I guess I would be motivated to do it that way if I were underage, seems like it would be interesting to try, but you can also brew the non-nigger way and get a 5 gallon kit online or at a brew supply store and do it right.

[Anonymous No.214934]

>>214021
I used to brew beer, but I moved and I'm an hour from the homebrew supplier.

I can, however, get fresh cider and honey at the Mennonite's shop 12 miles up the road. I bottle a yeast culture from the bottom of every batch and use that shit for starters.

This is why I brew cider and mead rather than beer.

[Anonymous No.214953]

>>214930
I suppose this concept is alien to me because of my location.

[Anonymous No.215108]

>>214953
Winter in NZ, no insulation and no central heating.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.215188]

>>215108

Go find a place to cook. It'll be worth it.

[Anonymous No.215205]

can i make some decent mead by december?
if i prepare it tomorrow?
i don't expect anything too awesome, just something that'll get you drunk and taste of honey

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.215208]

>>215205
yes.
6 months
is all you need
for a decent
batch of mead

[Anonymous No.215211]

>I'd be a lot warmer and happier with a belly full of mead.
couldn't resist..

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.215358]

>>215205
Yep, it'll take between 1 and 3 months to ferment. That'll leave you plenty of time to age it. Longer is obviously better, but hell, a lot of meads come out tasting phenomenal right after fermentation stops, especially if you keep it relatively simple and don't throw in a ton of harsh flavors.

[Anonymous No.215732]

>>215188

Looks like $28k a year to me ...

[Anonymous No.215817]

>>215358
>>215208
This is good news for me (the guy doing mead for the first time as well as Vimto-wine) as i will be hosting my first christmas for my family this year so will be good to have some mead to go round.

[Anonymous No.215819]

>>212099
Wait.
So you SHOULDN'T wipe your nutsack across the bottom of the keg?
No wonder my beer never turns out to be that good...

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.216031]

>>215819
ya.. that's actually a really common spot new brewers just don't think about when they first begin. The outside of a keg is sack-friendly, but you can't stick em INISDE is the thing.

after 3 days my Burnt-Ass Mead has started to send little crystals up around my airlock, and my airlock water has turned amber and tasted REALLY good a few times now. Just keep cleaning it over and over..

my Honningbrew has pretty much finished primary fermenting and it's only been 7 days.. what the fuck!?

[Anonymous No.216124]

>>216031
>my Honningbrew has pretty much finished primary fermenting and it's only been 7 days.. what the fuck!?

It looks pretty cloudy in that picture. Still, fermentation slows drastically fairly early and can fool you if you're not careful and/or experienced. It looks good though.

Also, there's more than just dead yeast in that 1/2". Different ingredients will generate different wastes in different amounts.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.216236]

>>216124
I'm going to let it firment and not mess with it till 30 days, then rack it. I think it's going to be hard with the Bochet, seeing as how it's going to remain dark no matter what. But I'll just give that 30 days and rack it also.

I'm going to keep messing with photoshop and finish season 2 of Br Ba

[Anonymous No.216254]

>>214021
Beer guy here.Just brewed a wheat and just bottled a rye.Ask away

[Anonymous No.216255]

>>214058
Lalvin EC-1118 for the win

[Anonymous No.216369]

>>214336
If that is your mead, could you please tell me how hard it was to get all the permits to sell it?
Considering starting something myself, but I was under the impression it was almost impossible to get the permits.
Great looking mead by the way.

[Anonymous No.216381]

I have a question about brewing.

I have a beer brewing kit. I'm concerned about water. Where I live the water is soft, but my building has old piping and the water tastes somewhat metalicy. Will this affect the beer? I know you need some minerals in the water for the yeast, should I run half of the water through a filter and then just tap water for the rest?

[Anonymous No.216382]

This may be a stupid question but do I need to worry about the fumes coming out of my brewing shit? I don't have a proper airlock just a balloon with some holes in it.

[Anonymous No.216385]

>>216381
The metal flavor from the pipes is probably a bad thing. Your best bet if you have poor water is to purchase distilled water and add Burton salts.

>>216382
Make a proper airlock from a tube and a glass (jar/jug/vase/carafe/...) of water. But no, the fumes shouldn't hurt you unless you concentrate them. It's mostly CO2.

[Anonymous No.216386]

>>216385
Care to explain how to make this airlock in slightly more detail?

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.216414]

>>216386
here you go
easy as shit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDjvAJbtWmw

[Anonymous No.216429]

First mead day for me today!
I just asked for assistance in an expired /diy/ mead thread some day ago and got help from Maria (thank you!) for my first recipe.
Since I never tasted mead in my whole life it is admittedly just a try with cheap honey to practice with the making.

- 900g (circa 2lbs) honey
- 4l (circa 1 gallon) tap water
- bread yeast
- white labs yeast nutrients

It is aimed for 8-9% abv dry mead, no deadline so plenty of time to let it clear and mellow as long as I want.

Pic related, it's it just ready to ferment.

[Anonymous No.216439]

Just got some stuff from a home brewing outlet, had no idea such a thing even existed, let alone in my area.

Gonna make some mead when I get a day, nothing fancy just some Honningbew I guess.

[Anonymous No.216457]

>>214028
with some practice you can learn to brew and then blend lambic style fruit beers. Lindeman's puts out an ungodly sweet framboise that's a decent lambic beer. If you're in the Pacific Northwest try and find a bottle of Stumptown Tart for a good taste of what's possible in the sweet scale.

[Anonymous No.216462]

>>214058
I'd also recommend racking off the lees every few weeks until it clears significantly. When dealing with meads and ciders (and combos) unless you're using field fresh materials you won't have natural bacteria to get a good natural finish. Consider picking up a vial of malolactic culture from White Labs once primary fermentation is complete. It will finish breaking down the complex sugars and help with the estery bite left over from the champaign yeast. Malo is what lives in a lot of barrels that commercial cider and meaderies use for aging. It also adds a pleasant mellow tart/sour finish to beers. Not nearly as strong as lactomyces or brectomyces (which is used in Flemish reds for a SUPER strong sour finish - think sour patch kids).

Lastly, I recommend fermenting multiple batches in stages for blending later before final bottling and conditioning.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.216487]

>>216429
Wheeeee congrats! It's looking pretty good. :) Some people suggest you rack it every so often, but I don't think it's necessary. Mine went crystal clear at just over two months. I went straight to bottling and never had an issue.

Now, if you do want to add certain flavors that are strong/overpowering/etc and you want them to be more subtle, you can rack into secondary, add your flavors, and test it until you arrive at the desired flavor.

[Anonymous No.216495]

>>216487
Thanks! Airlock started bubbling after just one hour or so and now is going steady! :)

I think I'll keep this just like it is, no flavouring. If it will came out ok there's plenty time to experiment! Thx!

[Anonymous No.216502]

>>216487
the reason it gets racked off of the lees every so often is that dead yeast tends to add a funk to the flavor if left too long.

[Anonymous No.216560]

>>216495

vid or didn't happened :)

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.216577]

>>216560

[Anonymous No.216636]

Love you Mead-Queen

[Anonymous No.216668]

I would love to get into mead making but I am a complete noob. I think mead doesnt even exist in my country.

How difficult it is?
Are there any risks, specially health hazard? heard something about metanol.

Costs? How much would a first batch cost me full DIY style.

I have a humid, warm basement, can I let it age there?

Thanks!

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.216673]

>>216636
D'aww, and I love you, random Anon ^_^

>>216668
It's pretty easy. All you need is a lot of honey, clean water, and yeast, as well as a way to sterilize a large container of some sort.

It's completely safe. A small amount of methanol is produced, but in concentrations that are nowhere near harmful. If you were to distill the mead (which is something entirely different), you could potentially concentrate the methanol to dangerous levels.

Cost really depends on the price of honey. I can make two gallons for as low as $14, but some places charge a lot more. You'll need around 2 pounds per gallon to get a dry mead.

Booze brews and ages best when it's cold, but if it's not too hot, you can age it there. Just keep it out of direct sunlight and try to keep it as cool as possible.

[Anonymous No.216678]

>>216673
Thanks I think Im gonna try it!

[Anonymous No.216783]

I made mead about 4 months ago, drank it after about 2 months, was absolutely drinkable. I used 6 pounds of honey, a whole orange, handful of raisans, 2 cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks. Found the recipe online somewhere. into brewing beer now, much faster, can make 5 gallons for about 15 bucks that tastes awesome.

[Anonymous No.216788]

>>216369

This also interests me. I'd love to get a small business going, but the permits are probably gonna rape my shit.

In the U.S. you can brew 50 gallons per person of drinking age in a household per year. That's 300 gallons I can legally produce, but my big hangup is that does the law state it's only for personal use, or can I sell it?

[Anonymous No.216794]

>>216788
You absolutely cannot sell it. The ATF and IRS will ruin your shit, for serious.

[Anonymous No.216797]

>>216794

Well, that sucks. Looks like I need to look up on how to get a permit.

[Anonymous No.216799]

Jesus fucking christ, the bureaucratic cluster-fuck on this page is just absurd!

Health department I understand, but the fire marshal's part? Footage law? Some of this shit was thrown in just because you have to pay big bucks for it and it crushes anyone trying to start out without a lot of cash. Fucking hell, do other countries have to deal with this shit?

[Anonymous No.216800]

>>216799

And I forgot the link.

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/ipl/LNP/ABC/Default.htm

[Anonymous No.216803]

>>216800
That's for being a restaurant/bar.
Can't give you any help on being a legit brewer that could sell your stuff to bars/grocers/restaurants

[Anonymous No.216804]

>>216803

Ah, so it is. Looks like Liquor license was the wrong search term.

Time to dig deeper.

[Anonymous No.216810]

I'm making a rhodomel for my next batch of mead. The first was a plain melomel without any spices or anything. Should I just use straight rose oil / hips / leaves, a combination of, or what?

[Radiofag No.216813]

>>216804
>>216799
You need a BATF manufacturers license. In this case, you may ONLY sell to a distributor, not a retailer.

>>216788
The maximum is 100 gal/person, 200 gal/household.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.216815]

>>216810
It takes a fairly massive amount of rose petals to produce a decent amount of oil. I would recommend rose water, which is a byproduct of the distillation process. It carries a lot of the rose flavor, and can be found online for relatively cheap.

[Anonymous No.216853]

If my mead moves around while its fermenting is that going to be a problem? Should I shake it every so often to oxygenate it or something?

[Anonymous No.216868]

>>216853
>If my mead moves around while its fermenting is that going to be a problem?

Maybe.

>Should I shake it every so often to oxygenate it or something?

Only if you're making vinegar. Otherwise you only want your brew to be aerated when you first brew it, if at all. DO NOT aerate a brew in progress EVER.

[Anonymous No.217069]

Alright, making my first batch of mead here, recently checked up on it because I thought it was finished. Still bubbling, but there's this weird, yellow-brown foam on the top of the batch. I searched the internet and double checked a bunch of websites, but I couldn't find a definite answer. So, what should I do?

>tl;dr: yellow brown foam on top of mead batch, what do

[Anonymous No.217105]

>>217069
That's yeast poo. Means it's working bra

[Radiofag No.217109]

>>217069
The silty, slimy stuff is called Trub.

The heavy foam is called the Krausen.

[Anonymous No.217129]

>>217105
>>217109
Okay, cool. So it's a part of the process, and doesn't signal that my mead is turning into poison?

[Anonymous No.217136]

>>217129
No real experience with mead (first gallon is fermenting) but smelling near the airlock should give some hint on whats inside. Mine smells almost like my previous beer batches: good.

[Anonymous No.217137]

>>217136
I did that, and it smelled fine - just a bit yeasty. So I guess I'm good.
Thanks for the help, all.

[Radiofag No.217156]

>>217129
Yes. It's perfectly natural. Stop worrying and stop messing with it.

[Anonymous No.217186]

>>217156
Sir yes sir!

[Anonymous No.217204]

>>216462
>Consider picking up a vial of malolactic culture from White Labs once primary fermentation is complete.

DO NOT EVER DO THIS WITH ANYTHING CITRUS OR TREATED WITH CITRIC ACID.

Malolactic cultures turn citric acid to vinegar. Unless you're putting your final product on fried fish, don't put citrus and malolactic cultures in the same batch.

[Anonymous No.217211]

What's the law like in England regarding home-brewing? I read on Wikipedia that there's no limit on the quantity you can make for personal use, does anyone know if that's true?

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.217249]

>>217211
It varies by state and by country, so god knows what it is in England. I'm going to go ahead and assume it's perfectly legal to brew more than you can possibly drink as long as you don't sell it, ship it, or otherwise make yourself interesting to the government.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.217390]

i'm making another batch.

i made a logo for it

[Anonymous No.217415]

>>217390

Its fun to trace

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.217433]

>>217415
yes, as you can see by all my breaking bad posts I am completely encompassed by the show right now.

That bee is from the phenylacetic acid barrels they get shipped from japan in the show. they are fictitious but the logo worked PERFECT to use for mead!

[Anonymous No.217464]

>>217390
>>217433
I'm stealing your idea.

[Anonymous No.217582]

Does anyone else rack into 1 gallon jugs? I do it because they are easier to store than one 5 gallon carboy.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.217669]

>>217433
please don't steal my idea.

[Anonymous No.217670]

>>217582
I only have 1 gallon jugs anyway.

[Anonymous No.217674]

>>217582
first batch racked into 1 gallon (well, it's 5 liters) wine demijohn

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.217686]

>>217582
i only have 1 gallons. besides, i'd think it's better to be able to test out of just one gallon and not risk contaminating the rest.

besides with 1 gallons you can add cinamon to one, and strawberry to another, and extra honey to the third and leave the last 2 alone, and now you have tons of different good mean

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.217691]

>>217686
That's how I brew. Small batches are a delight to work with. Who wants 25 bottles of a single kind of wine when you can have a whole lot of variety? Unless you plan on selling the stuff or giving most of it away or you've discovered the recipe for liquid orgasms, it seems kind of like a waste.

[Anonymous No.217702]

>>217691
having brewed 5 gallons beer batch I'll add that smaller batches are waaay easier and faster to handle and, if something goes horribly wrong to the point of letting the toilet drink your stuff, it's even less economically painful. Been there, done that: 23 liters of India Pale Ale gone down the ceramic throne. It still hurts after so many years...

And my first mead is still bubbling after two day, just here beside me! :)

[Anonymous No.217714]

>>213115

Vimto guy here. My mead is bubbling nicely and Vimto is slowing down, I go away this weekend and hopefully when I get back on Monday that will be ready to bottle with some priming sugar to make it nice a fizzy for a few weeks time!

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.217852]

>>217714
Congrats! Just make sure you don't add too much, unless you're fond of bottle bombs. ;)

[Anonymous No.217856]

Don't bother with home brew, chances are you get better quality alcohol from china and for much cheaper. China has been making alcoholic beverages for thousand of years and have it down packed.


Don't bother, china makes it for cheaper and better quality.

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.217884]

>>217856
If you're going to troll, you can at least put some effort into it. Furthermore, if you actually read through the thread or cared to spend five minutes on Wikipedia to educate yourself on the subject, you'd already know that it's entirely safe. And finally, if you knew anything at all about the subject, you'd know that homebrewing is an excellent way for people to make their own custom brews and blends that are tailored to their own tastes. You can't find that in a store.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.217934]

>>217884
Speaking of not finding stuff in a store. Guess what i JUST made from a store? Some inmate hooch! yay! it should taste crazy.

as you can see, my 6½ bung just -barely- fit in the opening, so i seran wrapped it just in case.

i'm going to drill the screw on top and stick my airlock onto that.
help from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEZDeRSrdEY

[Anonymous No.217941]

I just finished brewing my 5th 5 gallon batch of beer and it came out amazing ... Im not a genius or expert but like anyother cooking it comes down to the quality of your ingredients

[Anonymous No.217967]

What in the fuck is Vimto?

[Anonymous No.217976]

>>214545
I've never brewed anything in my life but this looks like a good cheap starting point. Any suggestions? Also I would like to brew it in my closet in my home (No basement) so how bad will it smell?

[Anonymous No.217983]

>>217976
not really much of a smell.

[Anonymous No.217995]

>>217967
>>217967
It's a Cordial drink available in the UK, mixed berries, very yummy

>>217852
I have been stung by the sugar before! I find 2 tsp per 1 litre bottle is plenty enough

[Anonymous No.218043]

>>217976
>I've never brewed anything in my life but this looks like a good cheap starting point.

It's a cheap starting point, but it's a terrible one. Apple juice is fine, if it contains no preservatives; baker's yeast is fine if you have no other choice, but you should use fresh-pressed apple cider ("unprocessed juice" to the barbarians in the UK)
and wine or champagne yeast.

>Any suggestions?

Buy or build a proper airlock and get what you need to bottle and age your final product. Be sanitary. Be patient, don't worry it to death. Be ready for a wild ride. Your first several brews will hit you with some seriously unexpected shit, but it will likely be a good surprise if you remembered to be sanitary. Bleach, StarSan, or clean with iodophor any object coming in contact with the brew or surface you plan to work on. Be patient. Let that shit do it's thing and don't worry it to death.

No, I'm not being redundant, I'm underscoring the importance of patience and sanitization in brewing.

Don't forget to be patient and sanitary.

>Also I would like to brew it in my closet in my home (No basement) so how bad will it smell?

If you use baker's yeast and no airlock, it will smell like vinegar (that's because it will BE vinegar). If you use an airlock, but still use baker's yeast, it will smell a lot like bread rising, but not unpleasant. If you use brewer's yeast, the smell will be less bready, but still a bit yeasty, and still not unpleasant. In any case, the smell will be somewhat faint unless the room has poor air circulation and the smells can build up, or if there is a problem with the brew (likely contamination) that will produce strong smells. Your brew should smell fine if you bothered to be sanitary.

[Anonymous No.218681]

bump

[Anonymous No.218771]

Hi guys, I've just tried the cheap apple cider method (I did 1L as a preliminary experiment) and it's been fermenting for about a week so I figured I would transfer it to another bottle to separate it from the sediment. Thing is, some of the sediment went with the cider into the new bottle and there's a little new layer forming at the bottom. Do you think it's worth trying to decant it again?

[Anonymous No.218775]

>>218771
1-2 weeks is the perfect time to rack, but don't worry about sediment beginning to form in the new jug, that's normal. You'll likely even end up with some sediment in the bottles if you bottle it. The trick isn't to keep all sediment off of the brew, but to keep old sediment from sitting around in it.

tl;dr: don't worry, have a beer.

[Anonymous No.218802]

>>218775
Cheers, mate.
I had a little taste of it. It's pretty good considering the ingredients. I found a sachet of yeast specifically for cider and I think it's bound to make a nicer product than bread yeast would for a very small price difference.


Has anyone ever tried making a cider/mead blend? Is it worth it or is it not quite as good as either?

[Anonymous No.218807]

>>218802
>Has anyone ever tried making a cider/mead blend? Is it worth it or is it not quite as good as either?

Mead containing apple juices is known as "cyser". I have not made one of these. I have, however, made a cider with a honey kicker. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very good either. But don't let my bad experience shy you away, the brew had much potential and would have been very good if I had... IDK. I will likely go back to it in a couple of batches, but I'm currently working on an oatmeal mead (braggot) and my next batch will be a blackberry variety (I forgot what they call it when it takes berries).

[Maria !LEsbiAnv62 No.219055]

>>218807
According to wiki, a berry mead counts as a melomel. :)

[Anonymous No.219153]

>>218807
I have made plenty of ciders with honey in and they're pretty good. You have to put about a 50/50 split of apple juice and honey melted in water though otherwise it's more one then the other. Throw a stick of cinamon and 2 cloves in there and it's gorgeous

[Anonymous No.219174]

>>219153
How concentrated is your must? I used 1.5 pounds for a 2 gallon batch of cider. I had originally put the honey directly into the juice, but I had thought that maybe I should make a must next time.

[Anonymous No.219711]

bump

[Anonymous No.219724]

>>216369
>>216788
It's in Denmark so can't speak for your legislation I'm afraid.

I know thy use another established brewery (ciders and wine is belive) to pasteurize and bottle the mead, but no idea of their inner workings.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.220080]

Just bottled my West Coast Nail Ale.. it tastes like honey... oh man it tastes soooo good. And it's not even carbed yet. I came out with 8½ liter bottles filled.

Honey in beer = Nectar of the gods

[Anonymous No.220100]

Could I just buy a bottle of organic, unpasteurised apple juice, throw some sugar and bread yeast in there, put a baloon on top and call it good? Also, would it put out a noticeable odour? I'm not looking for taste, really, so it would be done after a week or two, if I'm not mistaken.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.220274]

>>220100
You could. Unless you sanatize everything get ready for a real possibility of bacteria and rouge yeast.
Poke a pinhole in the baloon.
It will put off an odor, but it's not the worst smell, and it won't stank up the entire house.
If your not looking for taste what the hell do it for? (see pic)
Two weeks minimum. Then rack it or you'll be sucking yeast ass at the bottom, which tastes shitty, leaves a hangover.

[Anonymous No.221561]

bump

[Anonymous No.222772]

>>220100
I just drank some cider I made in an old plastic water bottle with cheap apple juice, a bit of extra sugar and some cider yeast (I'm lucky enough to live near a shop that sells kitchen/garden stuff and brewing supplies) and it didn't taste too bad. It smelled like eggs while it was brewing which I would attribute to either unwanted microorganisms and/or oxidation due to not having proper equipment.

It's a worthwhile experiment to start off with and if it goes wrong it's not a big deal.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.222824]

>>222772
eww eggs. I just FUCKED up racking my honningbrew mead last night, and i tasted it, it tasted like 8 flavors of asshole. But i assume because it's only a month old. The inmate hooch I brewed also tastes like porn star anus

[Anonymous No.223164]

>>222824
Don't feel bad. I just bottled my first try at oatmeal brewing and overestimated how cloudy it should be at bottling, which has led to a decent product with an inch of sediment at the bottom of each bottle.

[Anonymous No.223251]

>>222824

You bottled your mead after a month? Dude, you have to let it age and mature for at -least- six, otherwise it's gonna taste horrible. Yeah, it'll get you drunk since most of the sugar conversion takes place in the first month. But after that, you have to rack it and let it sit, so the off flavors mellow out and the other, finer flavors come through.

Right now my two gallon batch of melomel is ready to be racked, which I will do today. It's been fermenting for a month, and it has stopped bubbling, and is starting to clear up. I'll rack it off the sediment and into it's new jug which will be placed in a corner and not even looked at until October. Then, I will take a small taste test, and be amazed that it tastes like pure, godly amazingness. Not a word? Fuck you, it is now. I will then bottle this fine mead, and place the bottles in my basement where they will mature further and continue to get good. Then, maybe two years from then I will grab a bottle, open it and experience utter bliss.

Heed my advice, and you too will taste my bliss. Have a penis bone.

[Anonymous No.223397]

>>223251
My mead has finished the continuous bubbling after two weeks (it's this one: >>216429 >>216495 ) and now only farts every few minutes.
I was going to rack it (put it in another gallon jug) tomorrow but it seems you think it can stay on the yeast for at least one month...

[Anonymous No.223412]

>>223251
>You bottled your mead after a month? Dude, you have to let it age and mature for at -least- six, otherwise it's gonna taste horrible.

It should be noted that the smaller the container, the faster the brew will age. So, bottle aging will occur faster than carboy aging.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.223418]

>>223164
aww... check this out homie - i figure you've 'learned your lessen', but this should haelp if you keep getting tons of sediment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2PPBmJZFd0

>>223251
nah, i didn't bottle it.. i just racked it. and had some mead left in the thingy so decided to taste it.

Tasted like someone pissed in a heroin junkies infected arm hole and then it emtied into the street gutter, ran down an old disgusting drain, and then i drank that.

I can't wait to make melomel, I'm thinking delicious sweet strawberries.


>>223397
ya, my regular honey-mead stopped bubbling after two weeks, and another week to where it quit bubbling ENTIRELY

where as the same yeast (d47) and same amount of honey that i BURNT into bochet kept bubbling for about 22 days and is still trickling once every 39 seconds. I'm planning on letting it hit the 31 day mark and racking.

--=-=- I need racking advice hard. my last one was shit -=-=--

I'm getting an auto-syphon but i don't know aboot it, cause i get mixed reviews.

[Anonymous No.223449]

Posting coz I have made 30 bottles of wine at once during my sophmore year in an apartment and turns out everythings a sparkling/carbonated wine.

We didn't put anything else in but fruit concentrate, a few cups of sugar and made one gallon recipies. Why is there carbonation? We racked and drank after 4 months.

[Anonymous No.223470]

>>223418
>but this should haelp if you keep getting tons of sediment

He's talking about a lot less sediment than I am. I personally don't mind the taste of a little sediment. The issue I had with this was the volume of it. It's coll though, it was a test batch anyway. I had a feeling I was early to begin with. I'll crack one open in a few weeks and pour it off the sediment to see if that much at once made it taste like assholes and do it differently next time.

[Anonymous No.224002]

>>223418
if you want to be able to drink a mead young, I'd recommend not using a wine yeast or anything so alcohol tolerant. When yeast gets stressed the fuck out (either its working too hard at the wrong temperature, there wasn't a big enough starter, or it's sitting in too high an alcohol %) it starts to poop out alcohol byproducts that taste like ass and take a while to either settle out or be processed by the yeast. This is why wines and meads traditionally have to age a bit before drinking.

The alternative is to use a yeast that is more suited to ales - I'd recommend something like a California Common (like WP001) that will top out around 8% ABV and leave some sugars to make your mead taste better sooner. It won't put off all the junk that a champagne or wine yeast will.

With mead, it's also really important to provide proper nutrient to the yeast at pitching time since the honey isn't going to have enough of the stuff yeast needs to get really going. I'd use some fermaide k and yeast nutrient in the starter before pitching. The more comfortable your yeast is, the better it will perform and the mead will taste better.

Also, if you rack to secondary after about two weeks and get the mead off the lees (which is dead yeast) the flavor should shape up sooner.

[Anonymous No.224492]

>ask uncle about brewing
>gives me all dis plus some other shit
This is epic

[Anonymous No.224502]

Hydrometer

[Anonymous No.224503]

Corker, corks etc

Preserver tablets

[Anonymous No.224544]

>>224492
Most stylish airlock ever!

Equipment looks old to say the least: clean, rinse, clean, rinse again and sanitize with bleach before use.
Welcome aboard!

[Anonymous No.224580]

>>224544
Thanks!

I think there's 4 airlocks in total, the others are plastic and way smaller.

There is a book too, some weird recipes, the one for mead requires 2 egg whites

[Anonymous No.224755]

>>224492
That is some pretty cool old supplies. I wish I had that.

>>224580
Also. I once heard an older cat mention 2 egg whites in one of his wine recipes. I must now investigate.

[Anonymous No.224831]

there was a recipe in the first homebrew book I read. the new complete joy of homebrewing I think it was called. Anyway, he had a beer recipe in there that called for a cock in the fermenter.

I wonder how that would taste in a chicken marinade.

[Anonymous No.224881]

>>224580
>>224755

Egg White or albumen is a common fining agent for red wines because it reduces the harsher tannins. Some winemakers claim that it imparts a silkiness to the wine. Egg whites are used at the rate of 3 to 4 per twenty-five gallon barrel. Since egg white contains both albumens (soluble in water) and globulin (insoluble), a bit of salt is necessary. Whip the whites into the water and salt until a smooth mixture is attained without foam, which will float on the surface of the wine and be ineffective.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.224964]

>>224492
>>224502
>>224503

Thats so cool. I mean, i would soak those in radioactive glowing industrial cleaner for a few days, but thats awesome how your getting support.

my dad keeps calling me a faggot for trying to make stuff. He says all of it is going to turn out tasting like shit. enjoy being supported dude, it feels good

I noticed one of those bottles was even in a competition.. how cool is that shit

[Anonymous No.225008]

>>224964
Actually, all four of those bottles were used in competitions. Apparently my grandad liked wine making a lot, all this stuff was his. I'll probably buy other bottles to avoid the labels coming off when washing them, but they're still really awesome.

That sucks that your dad is saying that. You're still going to brew, right? Don't let him put you off.
>>224881
That's interesting, though still sounds pretty weird. Might try after a while as an experiment, though not with my first batch since I'm trying to play it safe.

[Anonymous No.225013]

I like that OP's image has Honningbrew Mead, I think Skyrim helped make mead making fairly popular.

That said, I just had my first taste of my "Black-Briar" mead I made several months ago. It's fairly bitter due to the blackberries I think, but god damn does it pack a punch. I've had four wine glasses so far and I think I need to go lay down for a while. Which is odd, as I used bread yeast (not sure of the alcohol tolerance) as opposed to the champaigne yeast (18% tolerance) I would normally use.

Here's the recipe I used for it: http://manlyprojects.blogspot.ca/2012/03/i-used-to-be-adventurer-like-you.html

[Anonymous No.225131]

Sorry to hijack the thread but it's related and I don't feel it's appropriate to have 50 million brew threads.

I'm a chef. I've been making mead for a few years now. One of the things i occasionally run into is an overflow of sauces. I provide all of our desert sauces for our restaurant, I make them from fruit that I grow in my garden and sugar or glucose depending on the recipe. I figure the consistency and sweetness is very similar in my sauces compared to honey. I think this would make great "mead" but I don't know what to call it. I understand wine is made from fruit. What is made from fruit syrup? We ran into the glut issue when we found we currently have a 6 month supply of my strawberry and cherry sauces, this years harvest came and now I have something like 30 lbs of strawberry sauce and 12 lbs of cherry sauce that isn't going to get used at the restaurant.

[Anonymous No.225154]

>>214426
>>213115

Vimtoguy here. Stopped fermenting yesterday and decided to bottle up.

After tasting the brew I decided against carbonation on 3/4 bottles. Having a little glass now with the missus, it's super strong and has retained it's Vimto taste

[Anonymous No.225164]

>>225154
>Vimto
Why? Just, why?
I'm pretty sure I asked this same question like a month ago without answer.
Do you really like that? I mean, seriously?
I don't think I've never met anyone else who does and I nearly threw up when I tried it myself.
The store I've visited that purchased a few batches of them nearly gave them away in the end because nobody would buy it.

What other sodas do you like?
I'm intrigued.

[Anonymous No.225241]

>>225164
It's not a soda it's a cordial soft drink and it's very popular in the UK. I'm not sure what the issue is when people make alcohol out of lowest quality apple juice etc It's just a different kind of sugary base for fermentation and the initial taste I had (a small glass in fact) tasted delicious and also very strong.

Vimto haters gonna hate

[Anonymous No.225253]

>>225241
Okay, cool, to each their own.

[Anonymous No.225664]

Me and one of my old teachers were talking about brewing, he offered me his old pressurized keg he used for making beer

I'm more interested in mead, could it come in handy? I don't want to take it and not use it.

[Anonymous No.225703]

>>225664
If you want a keg of sparkling mead, go for it.

[Anonymous No.225718]

>>225703
Ah, I see. I'll probably leave it then.

[Radiofag No.225734]

>>225703
Mmm. Sparkling mead.

I'm going to try to do a dry hopped sparkling mead this year.

[Anonymous No.225760]

>>225734
I'm making a blackberry mead that I plan on making into a sparkling variety. I'd kill for a keg.

[Anonymous No.225761]

Forgot to add pic of blackberry must. I made it yesterday and it's bubbling like mad already.

[Anonymous No.225818]

Hey,reading this made me think about getting started on stuff,gonna try making some mead soon.

http://www.amazonsupply.com/dynalon-405604-gallon-weight-carboy/dp/B004AHL7T2/ref=sr_1_2?sr=1-2&
qid=1338322969

Would these be OK to use if my first smaller batches go well to make mead in? $70 for a 4 pack of 5 gallon containers seems pretty good.

[Anonymous No.225836]

>>225818
The link shows a plastic carboy and the item description says it's stainless steel. If plastic, be sure it's food-grade before brewing in it.

[Anonymous No.226121]

>>225664
is it a 5 gallon "corny" keg? You don't have to make your mead sparkly when using one of those - it's just a nicer way to store and serve it once it's done rather than bottling.

You can also make one of these.

[Anonymous No.226122]

[Anonymous No.227204]

wat

[Anonymous No.227264]

Let's say that I continue to brew ale's and hard liquor until I've mastered the art. How do I go about selling it?

[Anonymous No.227428]

>>227264
Talk the feds into giving you a liquor manufacturing license.

[Anonymous No.227701]

So,I tried making my first batch of mead with a combo of ingredients in a few of the instructable posted on here. I think I may have killed the yeast though. It's been a half hour,and their is this stuff at the bottom along with the raisins slightly darker than the liquid. The "must" or whatever was still pretty hot when I added in the yeast(I could hold the jug just fine,no scalding,but think of it hot shower). Think I damaged it?

Also,the airlock thing,I guessed you are supposed to put a little bit of water in the tube between the two chambers...is that right? That way any positive pressure would push it up so bubbles can get out while keeping air out.

[Anonymous No.227778]

>>227701
>I think I may have killed the yeast though.
I doubt it. What you describe is hotter than I'd normally pitch yeast, but opening it just allows more chance for contamination. Give it the night before you take any actions.

If it's still not going in the morning, add a starter. Also, if you didn't add yeast nutrient, you should probably do that now. If you don't have access to any then you can boil some bread yeast and then add that to the starter AFTER IT COOLS. The dead yeast act as yeast nutrient.

>Also,the airlock thing,I guessed you are supposed to put a little bit of water in the tube between the two chambers...is that right?

Yep. Vodka doesn't hurt either.

Aerobic (oxygen consuming) fermentation is good for yogurt, kimchi, and vinegar, but not for much else. Keep the O2 off your brew. Liquor will keep any contaminants from growing in your airlock, but that's not a reasonable concern if you're not aging your brew in the carboy (or whatever you're fermenting in).

[Anonymous No.227845]

>>227778
seconding this anon. You probably didn't kill all of it but nutrient is key to making sure it can get going properly in that environment. Also depends on the yeast used. Cry Havok, San Diego Super, California Common and most Belgians will easily survive pitching way up into the mid 90s - but it will make for a slow start and lots of extra work for the yeast and longer wait times for you.

[Anonymous No.227850]

Would a gallon of simple honey/ citrus mead smell up my friends apartment ? We can get ingredients fine but not getting caught is most important.

[Anonymous No.227855]

>>227850

nope, nothing too noticeable.

[Anonymous No.227923]

>>227850
Getting caught should not be an issue if you're 21 or older (unless you're in Iraq). It's not illegal to brew small amounts.

[Anonymous No.227927]

>>227850

>he thinks its illegal to brew

[Anonymous No.227959]

>>227778
>>227845
Thanks guys,I was worrying too much. Just woke up,and I've got a little bit of the must in the airlock(overflow) and it's bubbling away in the jar. I didn't quite understand how energetic it could be :O

Pictures later after work!

[Anonymous No.228026]

>>227927
Or maybe his landlord doesn't allow it.

[Anonymous No.228047]

>>227927
It is on school/campus grounds when not for a class project.

[Anonymous No.228048]

>>228026

What kind of landlord disallows it and on what justification?

[Anonymous No.228053]

>>228048
>What kind of landlord disallows it

An asshole, a religious asshole, and/or a campus dorm asshole.

>and on what justification?

Law or shitty contract you sign.

[Anonymous No.228191]

>>227959
Clean your airlock. The must in it will pick up a nasty infection that you could transfer to your brew.

Sounds like you got a winner. I can't wait to see the pics.

[Anonymous No.228233]

>>228191

Haha,almost totally forgot about the thread.

Sorry for shitty pics. Maybe dumb question...but how am I supposed to get the oranges out? Jar only cost $5,so not a huge deal...but just wondering.

[Anonymous No.228326]

>>228233

after i racked it into another 5 gallon, i just turned it upside down and used a little longish fork, and they squoze oot. enjoy your mead

[Anonymous No.228356]

>>228326
I did the same with a butter knife.

Careful with those peels. Some people have reported a bitter flavor. I've personally had a problem with the fermented peels smelling like compost. The brew was good, but you had to drink it with your nose plugged.

[Anonymous No.228466]

Sup guys,

does anyone have an idea what I can do against major foaming?
I have Nutella as base (It smells wonderful atm) and the foam does not collapse and just wanders up into my airlock (which is just a balloon). I think the solution might be too thick, though when I put everything together is was really watery.

[Anonymous No.228640]

>>228466
>nutella

why?

[Anonymous No.228643]

>>228466
Next time try cocoa powder and ground hazel nuts.

[Anonymous No.228688]

>>225131

Fruit mead is known as Melomel.
Another option is to add your sauces to a cider brew.

There is a Apple Juice glut here at the moment, 3l of juice 2 for NZ$5, so can get a 24l cider barrel fermenting for $25, cheaper than the $10 the supermarket wants for a 1.125l bottle.

Good luck with your brew!

[Anonymous No.228976]

>>228466
>I have Nutella as base

[Anonymous No.229110]

>>228466
>nutella as a base

Thank you for brightening my day, you ingenious man.

[Anonymous No.229658]

Alright people, Nutella man here. It has finished.
It looks and tastes like common honey mead, maybe a tad white-winey since I'm afraid some air has gone inside at the end and there's a bit acid in it.
Anyways, the experiment is over.
Conclusions: One can use Nutella for brewing, but it won't come off as Nutella mead, but just mead.
Thanks for your attention.

[Anonymous No.229888]

>>229658
So can I use chocolate/ peanut butter/bananas in mead?

[Anonymous No.229911]

>>229888
You can use everything that's containing sugar. So I am not really sure with the peanut butter.

[Anonymous No.230162]

In regards to the question about overly vigorous fermentation with the Nutella mead and foamy fermentation in general (as I see that the Nutella mead is already complete, well done good sir!) I would recommend a blowoff assembly. It is quite simple, you just replace the fermentation lock with a length of food grade flexible hose that ends submerged in a container of sanitized water. That way, the foam can travel down the hose and into the water and not muck up your fermentation lock yet you maintain the function of letting gas out and not in.

[Anonymous No.230320]

>>228233
after racking mead, put more sugar and water.
seal container
allow pressure to build as yeast ferments sugar
turn upside down unseal and STAND THE FUCK BACK as oranges come shooting out the bottom

[Anonymous No.231235]

Making my first brew this summer. The owner talked me into just getting a non-boiling kit to give myself a run through of what it's like and what to expect at various stages, which seemed fair enough. Getting a huge discount for being a first time customer so I am not going to complain.

I'm getting a full set: carboy, fermenting bucket, airlocks, thiefs, siphons, etc. as well as a beer kit and a capper/loadsa caps.

Is there room to play around with the ingredients, though? Or should I only add the mixer and whatnot to get a feel for my first batch ever?

[Anonymous No.231295]

I didn't read the whole way down but I'll try to answer some questions that were asked

>is making beer/wine/mead/cider dangerous
No it is not beer was used as a substitute for water for ages before we were able to learn how to distill properly.

Yes it can cause small amounts of methanol but not enough to harm you unless you try to make shit like moonshine.
semi related note ethanol the type of alcohol that gets you drunk is used to treat methanol poisoning

>I want to sell my beer/wine etc
you can't the ATF will kill and rape you

>No I really want to

try probrewers forum theyre a group of people who own brewpubs micro and nano breweries. Understand that after prohibition americas beer industry was decimated and only a few survived and gained the legislation to keep them at the top with the 3 tier system and other laws. thats why 2 companies inbev and millercoors have about 98% of the market in america

>is brewing beer hard
No and I would not recommend buying a kit you can go to home depot or a resturant and ask for a food grade bucket with a lip get a hose for a syphone and you have everything you need except for a pot extract and hops

Ive been brewing for awhile now don't know shit about wine but if there are any other questions ask away I have an all grain system just brewed a serria nevada clone and drinking ssome cream ales now

[Anonymous No.231391]

>>231235
Get a feel first, then play with ingredients.

[Anonymous No.231994]

If if was going to try a blueberry mead would it be better to use fresh, frozen or blueberry juice?

[Anonymous No.232016]

>>231994
Fresh, if possible. Smash the shit out of them when you boil so your must is full of juice.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.232336]

>>231994
that sounds good. I'm going to do a vanilla-cherry mead.... mmmmhmmmm

[Anonymous No.233267]

2/2

[Anonymous No.233264]

My latest. Blackberry melomel.

1/2

[Anonymous No.233316]

So I've made pretty good Mead in the past, now I'm trying to make rice beer. I cooked up rice until it was a very thick and oatmeal-y consistency, added a little water, let it cool, then added mead yeast and a proper fermentation lock.

How good are my chances it's ever gonna ferment?

[I dont even No.233322]

ITT: Kids going to da hospital with wood alcohol poisoning.

[Anonymous No.233333]

>>233322
What's wood alcohol?

[Anonymous No.233335]

>>233333

Whats google ?

[Anonymous No.233338]

>>233335
I was referring to the fact that you can't possibly get enough Methanol out of simple sugar fermentation to poison yourself. (unless you get a general alcohol poisoning, where the methanol isn't a problem)

[Anonymous No.233349]

>>233338

and I was referring to google.

My statement holds its clarity, while yours does not.

Therefore. I Win

[Anonymous No.233353]

>>233316
I think you have to have some kind of malted grain with the rice in order to get sugars instead of starches. If you had malt in it, then it depends on your mad starch conversion skills if there is enough sugar to ferment.

But I've never brewed rice before either. Maybe you did shit perfect.

[Anonymous No.233361]

>>233353
I couldn't get any malt, so I'm trying to do just rice. Since I'm currently using a mead yeast, I'll try a beer yeast (or in lack of that, baking yeast but hopefully not) if this doesn't work out.

I'll keep you guys updated.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.233660]

Just got some Motts Natural Apple Juice, added some Yeast nutrient and about 2½ cup brown sugar then used a half a pack of lalvin 1118

going to be apple drunk in 4 months

[Anonymous No.233675]

>>233361
You can but just rice alone will taste like shit things like bud miller and colors use a lot of rice and corn because it's cheaper here is my lawn mower beer recipe you can get a real smooth beer all your friends will enjoy most people don't dig on my house pales or dunkle munichs but BMC and craftys both will like it

6lb 2 row american
1 lb flacked corn
2 lb 10 oz minute rice

Willamete 1 oz 60 min
Crystal 1 oz 60 minute

8 oz sugar 60 min

Mashed 60 min
Boiled 60 min

Salafi-5 yeast

Og 1.050

[Anonymous No.233864]

>>214545
Okay, I want to try my hand at brewing. At this looks nice and simple. Thing is, I have an absurdly bountiful pear tree in my garden that gets easily 30kg of pears a year if not more. I also have access to a juicer and a shitload of empty 5 gallon water bottles. I also have a decent airlock from my parents wine brewing days kicking around.

If I followed the instructions in your pic would I get a half decent perry/pear cider?

[Anonymous No.233894]

>>233864
Use a proper airlock or blowout tube and it should be fine. The biggest problem I had was that using bread yeast makes for a really dry product, so you should either over-pour your sugar or you should get some weaker yeast. I switched to ale yeast and it's fine now.

[Anonymous No.233897]

>>233894
Yeah I got a proper airlock. Gonna be a while before I can start juicing pears, but I should have enough to get at least 4 gallons of juice as these pears are juicy as fuck.

Paid £5 for the sapling back '95 and everyone told me it was crap and would never bear fruit. Ever since it matured I've gotten easily over 30kg of fruit from it each year. Have to give them away by the bucketful because I can't do anything with them.

Not this year.

[Anonymous No.233914]

Can I spice my mead after it's done fermenting? I made a batch of mead a year ago, and it's ok but very bland and boring. From the little info I've found I can make extracts from spices, but what about fruit? Any info/personal experience is welcome.

[Anonymous No.233937]

so in a month imma have access to about 3 bags of apples, thinking of juicing and making cider. my question is, what does yeast nutrient do for the cider and what are the benefits of making with/without? thanks guys.

[Anonymous No.233944]

>>233937
Yeast nutrient makes yeast healthy. Without it the initial fermentation takes longer to get going and fermentation can get stuck later. Healthy yeast also produce less off-flavors that take time to mellow out.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.234922]

>>233660
weird, it's only been two days and i've already got a SHIT TON of lees on the bottom of my cider

[Anonymous No.234980]

>>234922
That looks about like what I get when brewing fruit. And yes, I'm taking the short time-frame into account.

[Anonymous No.234990]

>>234922
>>234922
You should use some pectic enzyme with that, or else you'll get a cloudy cider. Try making it with apple juice concentrate, provided its 100% apple concentrate, it makes a lovely hard cider, very tart, similar to white wine almost. In Germany they call this "Apfelwein", you often see people using a recipe called "Ed Wort's Apfelwein", because its an awesome and easy recipe to make a great German Hard Cider, that's good carbed or flat.

[Anonymous No.235166]

Im having a hard time finding demijohns.. Anyone know where i could find some at a reasonable price in Australia?

Im gonna make a few small batches of cider.. maybe 5 different fruits, seperate of course. I have access to infinite raspberries and peaches/ nectarines, so im looking forward to making a few bottles of each. But, yes. I'm finding it hard to get demijohns. are the large plastic bottles from water coolers ok to use? You may have guessed that I'm a complete novice.

[Anonymous No.235190]

>>214249
I love laws that you can laugh at.

[Anonymous No.235191]

>>217433
You are one clever motherfucker.

[Anonymous No.235192]

>>226121
Nice! I'm dying to make a 4-tap keezer but I'm a bit short on funds at the moment.

[Anonymous No.235234]

>>214249
You only need one license for brewery status, especially, if x% of the fruit or grain is farmed from the property. It is really easy to get.

However, selling it and transporting it is another matter.

[Anonymous No.235325]

>>235234
>>235234
>You only need one license for brewery status... It is really easy to get.

Then please enlighten us. The feds want me to have two degrees and submit to all kinds of background and drug tests before they'll give me one, then they want to let the FDA /and/ the ATF live in my pocket for the duration that it's valid. I wouldn't really call that "easy".

[Anonymous No.235435]

>>235325
Eh, I've never had that problem where I live. Perhaps it differs from state to state? Here we don't have ATF. I just call the state bureau of alcohol, tell them what I want to do, they as some questions, send me forms, I fill them out, and send them in. Later I get the license in the mail. Depending on what I do depends on the processing fees. Farming is the way to go though since you can get the absolute cheapest licenses to brew and sell.

Having a distillery requires more work because the distillery needs to be fully approved and all that.

>However, selling it and transporting it is another matter.

The FDA do not get involved unless you want to sell the products.

[Radiofag No.235446]

>>235435
That's not legal by Federal law. Unless you have filed with the BATF, you could have your door kicked down by Federal agents at any moment for violating federal liquor laws.

[Anonymous No.235479]

>>235435
>I just call the state bureau of alcohol, tell them what I want to do, they as some questions, send me forms, I fill them out, and send them in.

The state isn't a problem. I live in Kentucky, where they'll give you a distiller's license just for asking. The problem is the feds.

>The FDA do not get involved unless you want to sell the products.

This is correct, but asking for a brewer's or distiller's license implies you plan to sell beer or whiskey (or whatever) and having a license without selling your product is pointless and a waste of money.

[Anonymous No.235530]

>>235446
I think you misread my post.

>However, selling it and transporting it is another matter.

>>235479
>asking for a brewer's or distiller's license implies you plan to sell beer or whiskey (or whatever) and having a license without selling your product is pointless and a waste of money.

No, it isn't a waste with the farmers brewery license. You get a massive discount. It is worth it. I can easily brew 500 gallons of wine a year.

[Anonymous No.235568]

>>235530
>I think you misread my post.
I doubt he did. Transport need not be involved for the feds to still require licensing.

>I can easily brew 500 gallons of wine a year.
Whoop-de-fucking-doo can you drink that much? It's still a huge waste.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.235689]

>>235568
WHO CARES ABOUT ANYTHING... christ. Just brew something delicious.

Today, I got some white grape juice, added 1 cup of sugar, and used some ec-1118 yeast. Should be good, I'm going to try to carbinate the resulting brew.

And then I had 4lbs of Wildflower Honey laying about and I couldn't help it anymore. So I used all 4lbs and chopped up a shit ton of cherries, de-pitted them, and added them RIGHT in, with some yeast nutrient.

Smells very honeyish and cherrish. I can't fucking wait. Although i used the scarry ec-1118 yeast instead of my workhorse d47. I can't get my closet down under 80 degrees, so i used 1118 because it can handle it.

[Anonymous No.235692]

This thread should just get stickied since we're all apparently brewers.

[Anonymous No.235701]

>>235530
>farmers brewery license

Since this isn't available to everyone, or even to the majority of people, why are you suggesting it as a viable piece of advice?

[Anonymous No.235702]

>>235692
You'll understand about looking into the legality of things after you grow up and get some responsibilities of your own. When this happens you'll realize that looking into something is not the same as getting that thing. Perhaps you should realize this principle and then reread the offending posts with the clarity that people are talking about seeking brewing licenses rather than having opened breweries for themselves.

[Anonymous No.235720]

Every year i make elder flower cordial with all the flowers and lemons that grow in my garden and i was wondering if perhaps i could brew something with this?

It's very high in sugar so perhaps it could be added to a mead or maybe made into something else in itself?

[Anonymous No.235728]

>>235701
Because it is available to everyone that lives in my state and any state that allows it; for which there is more than one state hat has a farmer brewer license.

It's not my fault your state or country has shitty laws.

>>235702
I have a brewer's license. I've had mine for a few years now. I don't have a distillery license. I've made about 2,000 gallons or more of wine and mead and have employed up to 3 temp employees to help me during harvest seasons. I don't sell my wine.

[Anonymous No.236094]

Anyone knows how mead after the first racking should taste?
Mine tastes like vinegar, should I just throw it out and start again?

[Anonymous No.236102]

wanted to know what is the optimum ambient temperature when fermenting/storing/aging the mead. where im at it is usually at mid to high 80F

[Anonymous No.236109]

>>235728
>Because it is available to everyone that lives in my state

I bet dollars to assholes that it's not available to EVERYONE, it's available to FARMERS. I have one acre, would I qualify where you live? What would I do with 500 gallons a year of brew? Why would I pay for a license that I could never possibly use?

[Anonymous No.236110]

>>236102
Fermentation temperature would depend on the yeast you're using. Storing and aging should be done at whatever temperature you plan to drink it, or at least as close as you can get to it with whatever storage you're using.

Sorry I couldn't be more exact, I like a little variety in my brew, so I eyeball, feel, taste everything. I don't so much brew as culture yeast and then drink their piss after it's sat a while.

[TOGTFO No.236111]

Fermentation temps are largely dependent on the yeast strain used. 80 is probably way to hot to get a good fermentation. It will kick off way to intensely then get stuck worse case scenario. Best case scenario is off flavors at that high of a temp. Think upper 60's for ideal temps.

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.236116]

>>236094
No worries dude. both my meads taste like a sack of assholes dipped in a vinegarish tangy dressing.

I'm thinking it's normal, and it's just because they are so young. I've heard young meads can have a vinegar twinge, so i've just stopped worrying, now that YOU have the same thing, i think we're all good.

Mead literally takes 6-9 months if you want it young, and a year minimum if you want it to taste good.

[Anonymous No.236137]

>>236111
>>236110

thanks, considering using bakers yeast. would putting it on the fridge work?

[Anonymous No.236155]

>>236109
> I have one acre, would I qualify where you live?

Of course. You don't need to be designated as a farmer. You only need 30% of your must to be made up of stuff you've grown personally.

>Why would I pay for a license that I could never possibly use?
>I

I have no clue what you'd do with it. I give it away to friends and family, host parties, and salons. It gets used up pretty quick.

>Why would I pay for a license that I could never possibly use?

No clue. Why are you brewing in the first place and why are you in this thread? Why are you so mad?

[Anonymous No.236174]

>>236155
>Why are you brewing in the first place and why are you in this thread?

I brew because I enjoy it. I brew because the biology and organic chemistry fascinate me. I'm in this thread because it's about something I'm interested in.

>Why are you so mad?
aintevenmad.jpg

[Anonymous No.236182]

And how do you even get a farm license if you're not a farmer?

[Anonymous No.236385]

>>236182
I googled. For that state, the criteria is far less. There's also a farm winery form there. It seems a mini distillery license is $50 and a farm winery is $50. That's dirt cheap. But, being a Wine Distributor costs $2,500 for that license. So, making wine and not selling or distributing it is only $50 and you can make up to 50,000 gallons a year that can be no more than 22%ABV. lol

http://www.abca.wv.gov/wine/Pages/FarmWinery.aspx

>Farm Winery, as defined by West Virginia statutes §60-1-5a means an establishment where in any year fifty thousand gallons or less of wine and nonfortified dessert wine are manufactured exclusively by natural fermentation from grapes, other fruits or honey or other agricultural products containing sugar and where port, sherry and Madeira wine may also be manufactured, with twenty-five percent of such raw products being produced by the owner of such farm winery on the premises of that establishment and no more than twenty-five percent of such produce originating from any source outside this state. Any port, sherry or Madeira wine manufactured by a winery or a farm winery must not exceed an alcoholic content of twenty-two percent alcohol by volume and shall be matured in wooden barrels or casks.

>The privileges, duties and responsibilities for the manufacture, distribution, retail sale and sampling of farm winery produced wine is detailed in Legislative Rule CSR 175-3 and authorized by West Virginia Code chapter §60.

So, you don't need to be a farmer with your land taxed as farmland in order to get a Farm Winery license in that state. You only need to grow 25% of the crops used in making your wine. lol

[Anonymous No.236649]

I know that this is a mead thread by I could use some help with my first beer brew.
I'm brewing a batch of hefeweizen, I have my malts, hops, carboys and brew kettle ready for the brew, the only thing that's holding me up is my choice of yeast. I got a hefeweizen specific liquid yeast, currently sitting in my fridge, that's ferments best at 65 F. How warm should I get it before introducing it, and what is the best way to do this?

[Anonymous No.236652]

how about distilling???? i have a few good whiskey recipies that were handed down from me and i've never tried brewing let alone distilling. what do?

[plasma !0hplasma3M No.236659]

>>236649
I love heffenweisen. sounds like you have everything you need. most yeast need to beat slowly introduced into lukewarm water or water that is about 109 degrees fort least 15 minutes.

I'm assuming it's Wyeast. go ahead and check the website of whatever's use for using to see specific instructions.

please send me a bottle.

[Anonymous No.236664]

>>236652
Lab tech with some limited brewing experience here.

I recommend you do some practice brewing to get a feel for things before trying distilling, which comes with its own set of pitfalls.Distillation is a separate process from brewing, requiring some expertise. In brewing, if anything goes wrong, you'll get sugarwater/vinegar/shitty booze you'll go ; - ;

If your distillation goes wrong, you'll wind up with methanol (among other things). If you don't notice, and try it anyway, you'll go blind/die (methanol is converted to formaldehyde in the GI...figure it out from there).

Not telling you not to do it, as it's in your blood, but you might want to look into getting a still somehow as opposed to building your own.

[Anonymous No.236674]

>>236664
thanks bro. also got any links to pertinent info???

[Anonymous No.236675]

>>236664
>methanol troll

lol No.

There's not enough methanol created during fermentation to have any adverse affect on you.

It is those faggots that think denatured alcohol is okay to top off their home distilled alcohol that cause people to dye or become blind.

[Anonymous No.236680]

>>236385
>You only need to grow 25% of the crops used in making your wine.

Exactly, you have to have land.

[Anonymous No.236693]

>>236680
There's been a whole group of people over on /ck/ dedicated to growing fermentable fruits in 5-gallon buckets in their apartments.

You must be on a real negative kick and want to make as many excuses to say something can't be done as you can possible imagine. Go strawman in /b/ or something, Mr. Icantdoshitsonooneelsecaneither.

[Radiofag No.236698]

>mfw people who have shitty brewing practices and improper equipment are producing shitty brew

My beer's are tasty after 30 days. Stop brewing with shit tier ingredients while cobbling together stuff with unknown gravity, and using breadyeast. I you cook with shitty ingredients, the final product is going to be just as disappointing.

[Anonymous No.236700]

>>236698
9 times out of 10 it is the poor sanitary methods and not the ingredients per se. Though using store bought extract is of course asking for shitty beer.

[Radiofag No.236705]

>>236700
Not in this case.

People in this thread are attempting to brew with commercially bottled juices and mass-produced honeys. These products contain preservatives that will kill the yeast and allow infections to thrive.

[Tepache !aO5Mv7EC6. No.236734]

>>236705
If you know what you are doing, bottled juice and store-bought honey can make some very good wine and mead. This is true even with ones containing potassium sorbate; though I recommend ones not containing potassium sorbate. I have done so on many past occasions. Now I use my own fruit (3 acres of crops) and honey (5 hives).

It's too bad you weren't in /ck/ during the Homebrewmen's hayday a couple years ago. amazing things were done.

[Anonymous No.236874]

>>236693
>You must be on a real negative kick and want to make as many excuses to say something can't be done

Where did I say a thing can't be done? I said that this thing is impractical. I don't need a five gallon bucket, I have an acre. I have several fruit trees out there now. that said, you're not brewing 500 gallons a year of product that you grew in 5 gallon buckets in an apartment. You're not brewing that much with shit you grew on an acre.

I still haven't seen ay reason to pay for a license to not sell my brew. Instead I'm going to keep on working toward a real winery permit and then actually do something with my shit. You have fun wasting shitloads of brew on other people getting a free buzz.

[Anonymous No.236876]

>>236705
>people are brewing with preservatives

Yet everyone who has mentioned store-bought ingredients have also mentioned ot look for preservatives and not use that stuff. Read the thread before you say dumb shit.

[Radiofag No.236889]

>>236876
>store bought juices
>no preservatives

Almost impossible these days. Unless you're juicing your own fruits, nearly everything that is already decanted will have something in it.

Every poorfag brewing attempt I've had tasted like a terrible version of MD 20/20.

I'll stick to my all-grain beers with locally grown hops. Even when fermented with wild yeast, they still taste pretty good.

[Anonymous No.236901]

>>236889
>Almost impossible these days.

You're not reading your ingredients. I have at least seven different brands of juice available to me that have no preservatives and are around $2 a gallon. I do prefer mead, simply because it's easier to get something palatable. I make it from 100% unfiltered, locally produced honey that I buy at a gas station.

You stick to your beers and with your locally grown earwax plants and I'll stick to actually reading shit before giving ignorant advice.

[Radiofag No.236910]

>>236901
>I have at least seven different brands of juice available to me that have no preservatives and are around $2 a gallon.

If it is in plastic and is on a store's shelf, it has something in it to prevent it from spoiling. Or the price is ridiculous, as transportation & turnover costs are high to prevent product spoilage / handle product replacement upon spoilage.

Remember, labels don't disclose everything. Monsanto made sure to that when they took over the FDA...

Congratulations on your locally purchased honey, but that's not a thermoformed plastic container of "Spartan brand 100% apple juice" that has been sitting on a store's shelf for over a month.

[Anonymous No.236932]

>>236910
>that has been sitting on a store's shelf for over a month.

Where do you live that store turnover is this long? I used to work at my local grocery store, and I know damn well that most drinks cycle within a couple of days. Juice, soft drinks and milk fly off the selves.

[Anonymous No.236957]

>>236889
>Almost impossible these days.

I'm not sure where you live or perhaps you don't know what is being used as a preservative. you only need to watch out for potassium metabisulphite and potassium sorbate. Even then, it won't matter much because they don't use very much and the length of time since they originally bottled the juice is usually long enough to drastically lessen the effects it has on a package of yeast.

>>236910
Dude, I think you just need to leave. You obviously don't know much about these things and you only know enough to make yourself look stupid.

[Anonymous No.236990]

Hello, I'm this anon:
>>216429
>>216495
>>216560

After more than one month of demijohn today I bottled the mead: vinegar taste for me too! Of course I plan to forget it in my basement for several months and came back next year.
Hope this experimental mead will be drinkable!

[Anonymous No.237072]

>>236990
>vinegar taste for me too!

There's an infection. This will only get worse the longer you leave it. You will end up with some fine vinegar, but no alcohol if you let it go further. If there's alcohol now and the vinegar taste isn't bad, you need to drink it now. There's no saving it now.

Somewhere along the line you screwed up your sanitation methods and some acetic acid bacteria got in.

>>236116
> I've heard young meads can have a vinegar twinge

Not true. Only screwed up meads have vinegar at all.

>>236094
Yes, unless you want vinegar.

[Anonymous No.237238]

>>236910
>Remember, labels don't disclose everything.

They do, however, disclose what preservatives are used in the ingredients list. The juice in question, I might add, has no trouble getting going.

[Anonymous No.238337]

>>236649
This Anon. Just started my first batch and things have gone okey but my concern is that I've messed up with the heating. I boiled by extracts with water for an hour and introduced them to to the rest cold water before witching my yeast in. The temp dropped pretty severely and my yeast pitch was below 100 F. Been watching for a while and not seeing any evidence of fermentation.
Am I over thinking this and should just let it do its thing, or did I mess something up?