Quote: (12-16-2013 12:42 AM)Art Pimp Wrote:
My friend used to do quite a bit of brewing and I'd occasionally help him out. It's a decent amount of work but definitely rewarding when you taste that fresh beer you made all by yourself.
Bottling takes up a lot of time, but a kegerator takes up a lot of space. Probably best to stick to bottling unless you really plan to brew a lot. Looks like the kit in the post above mine has everything you need to get started as well as positive reviews.
My friend always said there were two keys to brewing: sanitation and patience. He said any little bit of bacteria can ruin an entire batch. Also that if you crack one open and it doesn't taste right, you can always just sit on the beer and hope it gets better over time.
He also made some meads and ciders, which I had the pleasure of drinking after they had been sitting for 5+ years and they were very good.
It's usually easy to find a friend or two to help out, as they'll be eager to try the beer when it's done. Not a bad date idea either, really. Also, good bait to bring a shortie back to your pad and get her drinking.
Good comment.
I've looked into this a little bit, and am surprised by the amount of effort needed to carry it off correctly. On the other hand, being able to make your own beer of any variety would be impressive. I am a beer fanatic and see it, as the medieval Europeans did, as a form of "liquid bread" (!).
I've seen a few YouTube videos and watched the FoodTV geek Alton Brown try to explain it, but I get the feeling that you need to experiment a few times to get your stride.