Quote:

Originally Posted by Kristine You need a bottle capper.

WOW, don't I feel like a dummy ...

Oh well, I AM a blonde after all. Guess I have a built in excuse

Thanks for the book advice, I'm planning to hit the local library sometime today. Hmmm, this IS Utah, wonder if they allow home-brewing books in the library

Papazian's book is good, I've found a charismatic spoon to be an essential component in the process. And his constant advice to relax and have a homebrew is sage.

I have a nice collection of antique bottle cappers, the shops around here are full of them.

Can't wait to check out the beer brewing forum, I'll tell them you sent me and your name will be mud in no time. Make that trub.

LC beer be bubblin'. Its 1-1/2lb extra dark malt and 1/2lb corn sugar, a tea of roasted barley and a hint of coffee, 1oz Kent Goldings hops (3% alpha acid), for a 2.5gal batch. Added some Beano liquid, still debating on whether to add a little Splenda at bottling. USed a dry ale yeast (Nottingham) and added a bit of Champagne yeast on day two. I didn't do an initial gravity, although I checked before I dilited it and it was at 1.040. I think it's probably around 1.03 OG, a very lite beer indeed. The vigorous fermentation has largely subsided now, will probably rack it in a day or two and then let it clear up. I have high hopes for this little brew, the carbuoy is coming off the floor its so light.

I, too, have a very charismatic spoon.

I wonder why that editor of BYO (I forget his name) recommended adding Splenda. Why not just add plain maltodextrin? Splenda is so sweet. :-P I can't imagine it adding any good character to beer... though I might sweeten cider with it.

Mine has been sitting in secondary since the 11th. It was recommended that the beano be given a good two weeks to work, so I'll probably bottle it on Sunday.



I don't post too often over there, but if you see any posts by Brau Frau with a little South Park character avatar, that's me.

I hear ya on the Splenda, although I wonder if it might not kick my porter up a notch with a little sweetness. Certainly won't be adding a half-cup to my 3gal batch though, maybe just a few tablespoons.

I'll try and give the beano a couple of weeks, I usually try and let it sit in the secondary about that long anyway.

The results of my great carb-reduced beer experiment? Two thumbs up!

I just smacked my very first liquid yeast pack, Thames Valley. I feel like a kid with a new toy. I'm going to do a simple bitter. I'll re-use that yeast for the next project: a mocha porter with some coffee and chocolate.

Good for you, Kristine! My latest batch turned out well also. I put a little roasted barley in it to give a little flavor. I used Sterling hops for the first time. I think I will like them.

Sterling is a Saaz variant, right? I'd probably like that... though next on my experimentation list is either Chinook or Columbus.

Y'know, I made a nearly identical honey ale last year, though without the attempt at reducing carbs. It was my favorite batch, and this beer is almost indistinguishable. The fellow on the Northern Brewer forum insists that Beano doesn't change the flavour, and now I believe him. I need to register on that forum just so I can thank him.

The Beer Gods have been smiling upon me. My bitter is farting away happily, less than six hours after pitching. This was my first time using liquid yeast. I was reading some major complaints about the difficulties with Wyeast smack packs, but I had no problems at all. I just whacked it with a meat tenderizer. Ah, the inginuity of LCers!

I dont know if anyone is watching this thread anymore, but....

I GOT MY BREWING KIT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

We're starting with an Amber Ale recipe bought from the Brew-store and then we'll be moving on to a Cider....I will be a Brew-Master before I know it

I was so excited that I had to share~
Blond

Yay!!! I hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask away.

Did you get one of those package deals that includes the bucket, tubing, etc?

My bitter turned out really nicely, but the yeast has kind of a clove bite to it which I don't really care for. Still good beer, though.

I know what you mean about clove, it is phenolics I believe and I don't care for it either. It is a normal aspect of a lot of wheat beers though. I don't care for those either.

Woohoo JamesBlond, I got bottle caps and a case of new bottles (empties) for Christmas myself. Beats the heck out of buying the dirty ones from the distributor and having to wash them up. Which is what I normally do, being a frugal sort.

Don't forget to throw in a few drops of Beano liquid to make your beer lower carb.

Speaking of which, my LC porter came out real well. I can certainly tell the Beano did its thing, the stuff has very little body since I didn't add anything to restore that. But it is light and very drinkable, in fact I drank a six-pack on Sunday and had a bit of a hangover the next morning. Gotta watch that consumption. I think I'll stir in a bit of Splenda in the next one I drink, thats supposed to give it a little more body. And a bit of sweetness enhances the malt flavor. The wife liked it pretty well too, means I have to get busy on a new batch soon as this one was only a case.

Good brewing in the New Year folks.

Yep! I got EVERYthing! Bottles (2 different sizes), the kit, a bottle dryer (funky looking thing) and Monday we bought the Amber recipe.

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

I'll let you know how the first batch goes...
Blond

Cool, and you'll find that the amber and darker beers tend to come out better than the really light stuff. I think its that the extra flavor in the dark beers covers/goes well with the more yeasty taste of homebrew.

Kristine you ever try Centennial hops? I love those, they are a great all-purpose hop. Of course they are one of the few that Friar Tucks was out of last time I visited.

At the rate I'm consuming my LC beer, I'd better get another batch on quick.

Nope, maybe I'll try Centennial next.

Hey y'all!

Drummerboy and I brewed our first batch over the weekend! It's bubbling along in the basement

...I hope it turns out as we had QUITE the adventure trying to get the 'bubbler' (brain-fart...I can't remember what this is called.. I am SO embarassed ) IN the lid of the fermenting bucket.

I pushed and the rubber seal went INTO THE BEER! We had to pour the beer back into the brewing pot (the seal was on the bottom of the bucket; I thought rubber floated but apparently NOT), fit the d~mn thing back into its place, re-sterilize the lid, seal and 'bubbler'...UGH!

I'm really hoping no contamination occured here.

We followed an Amber recipe so we'll see how it turns out. If it turns out, <crosses fingers> we will attempt a cider next time.

OH! Almost forgot! Why the Beano to de-carb your beer? How does it work exactly?

We made this batch full carb; thought we'd mess around with THAT after we successfullly brewed a batch