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The Beer Home Brewers Thread

I think I'm only going to be able to brew 1-2 more batches this spring. Will be out of bottles and kegs after that. Was hoping to brew a Russian imp stout for next winter, a honey kolsch, and a Belgian IPA. I think I'll brew the Belgian IPA since I have yeast that expires in March. Crossing my fingers for the honey kolsch.
 
Beers brewed in the White House:

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White House Honey Porter

Ingredients

2 (3.3) lb. cans light unhopped malt extract
3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)
1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)
6 oz black malt (cracked)
3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)
1 lb White House Honey
10 HBUs bittering hops
1/2 oz Hallertaur Aroma hops
1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling
Directions

In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚ water. Mix well to bring temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚ for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚ in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165˚ water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.
Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60 minute mark.
Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.
Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.
Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.
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White House Honey Ale

Ingredients

2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
1 lb light dried malt extract
12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
8 oz Biscuit Malt
1 lb White House Honey
1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets
2 tsp gypsum
1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar for priming
Directions

In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.
 
You can try Joe's Ancient Orange: Invalid Link Removed

I've never made it but it's supposed to be good and ready much more quickly than usual. You also won't have to worry about racking at all.


joe

have two batches of that going in the closet as we speak. my first ever try at fermenting anything. they're both bubbling away nicely

the first gallon is exactly as the recipe says to do it. the second gallon I zested and peeled the oranges, substitued cranberries for the raisins, and used mead yeast instead of bread yeast.
 
Brewing situation:
Bottled my Northern Brewer Number 8 (Rochefort 8 kit)
Secondary and lagering for my California common and room temp secondary for dark mild
Will likely rack my barley wine to secondary tomorrow.

I'm thinking a Belgian IPA will likely be the last brew of the spring. I'm absolutely full. Was also hoping to make a honey kolsh and another RIS.

Bottled/kegged
Pale ale, a few RIS, a few IPA, double IPA, a few saison, a handful of 2 old ales, a new batch of old ales, a few smoked porter, a few Christmas beers, a few saison, sark saison, sweet stout. I might be forgetting one or two.
 
I just ordered the goods to brew an Imperial IPA for my second batch. My first is almost ready to bottle, and I don't want my fermenting bucket to get lonely. I'm breaking away from a kit somewhat and ordered my ingredients separately. I followed the kit ingredients to a degree, but did tweak it a little. I want this beer to be *mine*, and not a pretested kit.

Now I'm getting anxious all over again! :D
 
You can always taste one or two to check on carbonation.

Last night I had a Northern Brewer dark mild. Excellent session beer.

I had been having carbonation issues with my higher gravity beers. I added some T-58 to my Northern Brewer Number 8 kit. I think it was only 2 weeks out, but carbonation is already nice. It'll need to condition a while. I quickly got buzzed, but it was a little rough at the moment.

I'll check on my golden strong in a week or so.

Probably bottle my barley wine in a month or two.

Hope to brew a Belgian IPA this weekend.
 
You can always taste one or two to check on carbonation...

I refrigerated one this AM and just cracked it open. I was greeted with that awesome "kssst" sound when I popped the top followed by the whisp of CO2 lingering outta the bottle. On pour, I had no head, and it left almost no lacing.

It tasted fantastic, but is only lightly carbed so far. It was good enough that I'll probably have a few more later tonight. In two more weeks it should be perfect!

Thanks to you guys for your threads on home brewing. I'm now hooked!!