🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <C0EIIA.n4x@ecf.toronto.edu>, toh@ecf.toronto.edu (TOH CHUN-KIT)
 writes:
>
>I teamed up with a few buddies in town to brew our own beer.
>This is to reduce the initial cost of getting the equipment. I am
>new to this subject and I am wondering if there is anybody out
>there with a working knowledge on home brewing. I would
>be most grateful for any suggestions or ideas. Please post or e-mail.
>

There any number of books out there, but Charlie Papazian (spelling?) has a
book out called "The Joy of Homebrewing" that pretty well covers the subject
for begining to intermediate to advanced homebrewing.  Travel to your local
homebrew supply shop- they need your business and will usually give you tons of
advice.  Stay away from beer kits which contain lots of corn sugar, if you wish
to have the best results.  I've found that 6 lbs. of malt extract
(light/amber/both), with 1/2 lb. crystal malt, an oz. or more boiling hops
(Willamette) and about an oz. of flavor hops (cascade) produces an adequate
fully malted N. American style ale, for the same price as one of those
gol-darned under-malted kits.  Corn sugar is OK for producing carbonation,
since it doesn't take that much.  Of course, fermentors, siphons, etc. add to 
the start up costs- let your supply shop advise you what you need.  I use 
Nottingham ale yeast- it ferments clean, and stays to the bottom of the 
bottle when you pour.  The main problem is locating non screw top beer 
bottles...

Happy homebrewing!

  RICHARD WINDER                    Title: Visiting Fellow
  Forestry Canada                   Phone: (604) 363-0600
  Victoria, B.C.                    Internet: RWINDER@A1.PFC.Forestry.CA

In article <C0EIIA.n4x@ecf.toronto.edu> TOH CHUN-KIT, toh@ecf.toronto.edu
writes:
>This is to reduce the initial cost of getting the equipment. I am
>new to this subject and I am wondering if there is anybody out
>there with a working knowledge on home brewing. I would
>be most grateful for any suggestions or ideas.

I second just about everything Richard Winder put in his post.  I find
Charlie Papazian to be irritating.  I think he spent most of the writing
time following his own advice: "Relax, have a homebrew!"  A more concise,
less giggly account is in a book by Byron Burch with a similar title. 
Visit the homebrew shop; they are usually very good once they know what
kind of beer you are trying to make.

  I don't know anything about brewing...but I'd suggest you post 
your question on rec.crafts.brewing, where I'm sure there are plenty
of knowledgeable people to help you.

-- 
Carl Fink          carlf@panix.com, C.FINK4(GEnie), or CF427620I@LIUVAX.BITNET
  "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our
  inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter
  the state of facts and evidence"     --      John Adams

In article <C0EIIA.n4x@ecf.toronto.edu>, toh@ecf.toronto.edu (TOH CHUN-KIT) writes...
> 
>I teamed up with a few buddies in town to brew our own beer.
>This is to reduce the initial cost of getting the equipment. I am
>new to this subject and I am wondering if there is anybody out
>there with a working knowledge on home brewing. I would
>be most grateful for any suggestions or ideas. Please post or e-mail.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
First of all, relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew.


The standard work is Charlie Papazian's _The Complete Joy of Homebrewing_.
Papazian wrote a second edition, _The New Complete_ or _More Complete_ 
I think, which adds new recipes. The book is informative and fun (the
first line of my message comes from his book,) and 
has tons of recipes.

Advice from this amatuer homebrewer:

The most important thing you can do to make good brew is to use two 
stage fermentation. Let your fermentation go to approx. 75% completion,
then siphon it into a sceond fermenter, leaving behind the spent yeast,
hops, and other junk at the bottom of the fermenter. This will
drastically improve flavor and clarity, and reduce sediment in the bottle.

The other thing I would recommend is using whole hops, as opposed
to hopped malt, hop extract, or hop pellets. Much better flavor, IMHO.
 You'll have to strain
the hop petals out of the wort prior to fermentation, but this is easliy
done with cheesecloth, and is well worth the small
effort, IMHO.

Papazian's "Rocky Racoon Honey Lager" recipe is excellent, BTW.

Also, there is a newsgroup dedicated to homebrewing. Would someone 
please post the name of this group? Thanks.

************************************************************************
*Leslie Lamont Jones          Bitnet and Internet:ljones@utkvx.utk.edu *
*Oh, my beloved ice cream bar! How I love to lick your creamy center!  *
*And your oh so nutty chocalate covering!                              *
*                                   -Ren and Stimpy.  Space Madness    *
************************************************************************

R

Carl Fink In article <1993Jan5.232152.17421@spruce.pfc.forestry.ca>, rwinder@PFC.Forestry.CA writes...
>In article <C0EIIA.n4x@ecf.toronto.edu>, toh@ecf.toronto.edu (TOH CHUN-KIT)
> writes:
>bottle when you pour.  The main problem is locating non screw top beer 
>bottles...
> 
>Happy homebrewing!
> 
>  RICHARD WINDER                    Title: Visiting Fellow
>  Forestry Canada                   Phone: (604) 363-0600
I've found that most bars will give you cases of Bud longnecks for
nothing or next to nothing. Beware of cigarette butts! Actually,
the biggest downside to homebrewing is washing the dang bottles. A
bottle washer that attaches to a faucet or spigot helps. The ultimate
solution would be to keb beer. I've tasted homebrew that was kegged
in coke dispensers, however, and it didn't taste so good. The same
brewer's bottled beer was noticably better. Can anyone recommend
any kegging tips?
Carl Fink emailed me the name of the homebrew newsgroup:

Rec.crafts.brewing

Thanks, Carl!
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Leslie Jones                ljones@utkvx.utk.edu                AOL:LeslieJonz

   Founder of the Naturalist Club and B.E.N., The Book Exchange Network. 

   University and private bookstores don't pay students enough for used books. 
They then sell the same books to other students at inflated prices. Ask me how 
a courageous group of University of Tennessee students are using computers to
beat the bookstores. Unlike the bookstores, B.E.N. is nonprofit.
><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 




I've found that most bars will give you cases of longneck Buds for
>  Victoria, B.C.                    Internet: RWINDER@A1.PFC.Forestry.CA