Jump to content

Homebrewers - What’s on Tap?


Dark Horse

Recommended Posts

I brewed a Maibock yesterday.  I called up the homebrew store (in Richardson) on monday and they were still open.  The guy would mill the grain and package everything up you ordered, so was in and out of there really fast.  Only one other person in there at the time.

He did say that some guy came in in Sunday and bought 30 bags of grain.  not pounds, bags.  Even stuff like 5lbs Chocolate grain.  WTF is anyone going to do with that much?

Trying out that Tilt automatic gravity reader for the first time.  Seems to work OK and will keep me from opening the fermenter to check gravity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Great thread. Anyone remember Austin Brewing Supply back in the 90’s on North Loop? Or the Southwest Brewing News? Our kitchen ceiling had molasses on it back in those days. Some of those guys are still brewing fine beers today. See Chip at Live Oak.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Brewed for the first time in a long time. I’ve got wlp029 Kolsch in the ferm chamber at 58 just waiting for it to kick off.

 

I had been doing biab for a long time but ended up having efficiencies all over the map. I decided to go back to mashing in a cooler (still with a bag tho). At the same time, I also went with changing out the brew stand configuration. I nailed the OG that abw called for as well so I’m pretty happy.

 

c5b2df482737a8cedfe6528b2fd8330e.jpg

Here it is before I started and set up my hoses. Still loving electric brewing though the auber ezboil PID is confusing as shit to use.

 

 

Edit: pitched the damn stir bar into the wort......again

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/25/2020 at 8:58 PM, deft said:

Brewed for the first time in a long time. I’ve got wlp029 Kolsch in the ferm chamber at 58 just waiting for it to kick off.

 

I had been doing biab for a long time but ended up having efficiencies all over the map. I decided to go back to mashing in a cooler (still with a bag tho). At the same time, I also went with changing out the brew stand configuration. I nailed the OG that abw called for as well so I’m pretty happy.

 

c5b2df482737a8cedfe6528b2fd8330e.jpg

Here it is before I started and set up my hoses. Still loving electric brewing though the auber ezboil PID is confusing as shit to use.

 

 

Edit: pitched the damn stir bar into the wort......again

Check out George's (Barley and Hops) PIDs on Youtube.  He's in Coppers Cove.  He's more into distilling, which is where my interests are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Gonna do a double batch this weekend of the famous cream of three crops beer. I’ll pitch us05 for one carboy but I’m thinking maybe saflager k97 for the other? Anybody used this? I have a ferm chamber but would prefer to do both of them in the same chamber.


I mean I could just pitch a kveik slurry or my oly saisonmonster slurry and just let that fermenter rip and run in the garage heat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

jumping into the game.  training wheels locked and loaded.  luckily my buddy helping out is a biochemist or some shit like that so ill sit back and watch.  ordered the alaskan amber clone from homebrewers website as our trial run.  have you guys tried the clone recipes?  do they work well?  thinking about tank 7 for our next run and want to figure out octoberfests and christmas ales before it cools off.  anyway, just looking for some tips on recipes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't brewed in forever.  Did a one gallon biab fuck around IPA to tinker with the grain bill for my IPAs a little bit.  Hopped it with columbus, citra, and sabro.  Efficiency was for shit and my gravity reading was a little low so we'll see how it turns out. 

Edited by Continental Op
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/21/2020 at 6:13 PM, chesthair said:

jumping into the game.  training wheels locked and loaded.  luckily my buddy helping out is a biochemist or some shit like that so ill sit back and watch.  ordered the alaskan amber clone from homebrewers website as our trial run.  have you guys tried the clone recipes?  do they work well?  thinking about tank 7 for our next run and want to figure out octoberfests and christmas ales before it cools off.  anyway, just looking for some tips on recipes.  

American Homebrew Association website is a good source for recipes.  Also, get something like beersmith and mess around with it.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Ok, first batch done.  It was a'ight but we learned where we fucked up so next batch will be this weekend.  Was going to do a marzen but that looks a little advanced so we are going to try a Whole Hog clone.  Happy enough with the results that i am going to order kegs and other equipment, we were old school this time, pot on a turkey burner, fermented in a plastic barrel and bottle conditioned.  I think the better equipment will help.  Anyone have any Christmas ale recipes?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Brewed up a plain old blonde today to be out into the group barrel in two weeks. Fun times, haven’t brewed since mid summer I think. In fact, I kegged the us05 cream ale I had posted about just a few posts up and racked the blonde on that. I guess we’ll see how lagered 05 beer tastes. Bettin on smoov

dc67587e290d27c67ba1df4432ee8461.jpg

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
On 11/28/2020 at 11:01 PM, Continental Op said:

Just got a saison in the can.  Pilsner/vienna/wheat in the grain bill.  Willamette and Amarillo hops.  WL Belgian Saison II.  Hoping for something in the ballpark of Tank 7. 

Next up:  English bitter.

I need to brew more. 

Just took the first tug out of the keg.  Probably my best batch of homebrew to date. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/30/2020 at 8:52 PM, Dark Horse said:

Any of y’all fucked around with Philly Sour yet? I got a couple of packets this weekend, will probably brew a simple American sour recipe to see how it does in a few weeks. I’m out of keg space at the moment. 

So this turned out shockingly well.  I made a simple "American Lambic" recipe, pitched one packet of Philly Sour for 5 gallons.  It soured over 2-3 days, then I pitched Belle Saison and it was done within 7 days.  

Maybe it's because I don't like really low pH, remove your teeth enamel sours, but I will definitely play around with this yeast more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Thought I'd bump this thread and see what the homebrew crowd was up to.  What'ya got brewing?

Haven't brewed in a couple of months, but, have a smooth adjunct lager made w/ WLP940 MX lager yeast (one of my favorite yeasts), a Spotted Cow cream ale clone w/ 2565 Kolsch yeast (very tasty), and a nice Pilsner, all kegged and lagering. 

They all definitely get better with cold/ conditioning time.  Going to need to bottle/ make room for summer beers soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got a Kegland all rounder and have been cranking out pressure fermented lagers: a Munich dunkel, a schwartzbier,  and a Czech pils. I really like this method for making fast lagers since my fermentation chamber is a bottleneck. 
 

Since then I’ve made a meh Saison and a tripel that’s conditioning. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Not a lot of traffic in this thread these days.  Thought I'd check back in, and see if anyone was brewing?

Sounds like Homebrew Headquarters in Dallas closed last month, which is unfortunate.  Loved that store.

Guess Haltom City/ Ft. Worth for brew supplies are the last brick and mortars in DFW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still homebrewing, just don't have a ton to share. 

I'm thinking about going to an all in one electric system to replace my two vessel RIMS set up.  They just seem to make brew day a lot easier.

Currently have a Munich Dunkel, peach philly sour, and raspberry philly sour on tap.  Planning on doing a saison brett next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

Still homebrewing, just don't have a ton to share. 

I'm thinking about going to an all in one electric system to replace my two vessel RIMS set up.  They just seem to make brew day a lot easier.

Currently have a Munich Dunkel, peach philly sour, and raspberry philly sour on tap.  Planning on doing a saison brett next.

I finally got to where 6--7 hour brew days in a 100 degree garage was less appealing than driving to the store for beer.  So I sold the 3 vessel gas fired RIMS and ordered an appliance (I forget which one, but the Microsoft guy was invested in it).  Anyway, that thing kept getting pushed back and during that time, I fell out of the hobby.  So I got my money back (they went bust and the appliance no longer has software support; so good for me on that decision), and used the money to buy a big induction cooktop.

I kept a fermenter and some kegs, and if I ever decide to do it again, I'm just going to do the Coleman cooler conversion and brew on a turkey fryer.  The beer was good and I didn't have to be in the garage for the natural gas hookup.  But truth be told, I need to sell that stuff because as good as the product was by the end of things, it's a lot of work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still consider myself quite green, but I'm still enjoying it using my pretty simple Mash & Boil electric setup.  Because COVID/everything sucks, I went through a dry spell for most of this year but restarted a couple months ago.  Chilling wort for a porter right now, with a stout in secondary, a saison carbonating, and an ESB, rye IPA, and grapefruit IPA currently on tap.

I agree with the sentiment that it's nice to be able to just brew some simple basics that get easily overlooked.  One of my favorites last year was a barely >3% mild.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, Dark Horse said:

Yeah, you definitely have to enjoy the process. It’s definitely not a money/time saver. 

 

The New England IPA-ization of craft beer has made me appreciate homebrewing more. I really like to be able to enjoy a brown ale, English mild, a regular ass 6% non-flavored stout, etc. 

Ain't that the damned truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

bump

damn, for the Dallas surly the Homebrew HQ closed down back in Sept 2021.  I had just gone in a month prior to get supplies and finally checked back on it earlier this week.

Looks like the only other brew stores in the area are in Cowtown.  anyone been to those homebrew stores in the Ft worth area?  I want to brew this weekend, but don't trust getting liquid yeast shipped to Texas right now in this heat.

Google maps did show a new place that was slated to open in Plano in August.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Bump for the same reason as gyro

AHS closed their brick and mortar and their online ordering has gone to shit I see.  San Antonio's last home-brew shop (that I know of), Home-brew Party, just closed.  Sad world.

I brewed up a rye ipa last weekend and plugged in my Ferm chamber during the boil.  It wouldn't come down enough for me to pitch my slurry of ale yeast or a us05 packet so I brought the fermenter inside and pitched a slurry of saisonmonster at 75 degrees or so.  It took a day to take off but then shot off like a rocket.  Wtf knows what a saison ipa is going to teste like but I just threw 1.5 ounces of chinook in for dry hopping in primary.  It looks like it's stopped at 1.014 according to my tilt (awesome btw) so I'll let the hop oils soak in for another few days and then keg this frankenbeer.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

for Dallas peeps, the new Homebrew store in North Dallas is OK.  it's in a warehouse type deal that they have turned into a store front.  They don't have as much grain as HBHQ did.  I have been by about 3 times so far and the guys are friendly.  One knows brewing and one does not really seem to.  It's kinda east of Preston Rd between Campbell and Frankfort.  near my kids school at least.

@deft yes, tilts are awesome.  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had been meaning to bump this myself.  I had some time off a couple weeks ago and finally brewed for the first time since January.  Making a Kölsch, a kinda bastardized Kölsch recipe from AHS that's going to get serrano peppers, and the AHS recipe Kwiek farmhouse ale (love that one) that's fermenting at ambient garage temperature.

Very sad to hear about their storefront.  I almost always order online from them, and wondered what the hell was up.  Most of the stuff I've gotten in my last few orders has been Northern Brewer branded, and a lot  has been packaged all wonky.  I can't imagine they'd disappear entirely given their other affiliations, but I guess nothing is safe these days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So is SoCoHomebrew still open?  I was getting more impressed with their offerings as of the last few times I was brewing.  I made it up to the new AHS brick and mortar once to fill a CO2 bottle, and they stopped doing walk-in fills, rather you'd have to swap your bottle for a full one.  And I don't want to swap a good hydro bottle for one that's almost out of hydro, so I up and left and drove to SoCo Homebrew.

 

That said, I'm probably going to start parting out some of my homebrew supplies.  Mostly want to get rid of my Keggle and maybe a burner or two, as I've got very little time since going up to two kids these days (my Surly posting was highly affected, too!)   I'll try to get an inventory going soon as to stuff I'm parting ways with, and hopefully won't have to post it up elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been out of the hobby for a few years, but recently had the opportunity to help out a friend who's new to things, which is perfect for me.  Anyway, it reminded me that I still have some gear that's sitting around.  I sold the brew stand and controllers, but still some good stuff left over.  If anyone is interested, shoot me a message and I'll come up with a price.

 

What I've got (off the top of my head)

6 Corny kegs (pin lock)

15 gallon Corny Keg (used as a fermenter; dip tube cut off by about an inch)

10 gallon Corny Keg

1/2 Barrel Sanke Keg with Fermetor Adapter. 

7 Gallon SS Brewtech Brew Bucket (Brand New/Unused).

Bench Capper

Assorted Fittings, keg QDs, oxygen tank adapter with stone, magnetic stir bars, who knows what

 

I'm in Tyler, but I'm in Houston/Austin/Dallas on occasion and can throw it in the car if you're not in a hurry.

Edited by dcbc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...