Anyone brew their own beer? I started about a year ago and I've just gotten to the point where I can consistently brew something better and cheaper than I can buy. Just wondering if anyone else has given this a try.
I tried it in college but it seemed like a lot of work for only a little reward. Plus, I didn't like the first batch I made (it was citrusy and I hate citrusy beer) so I just retired the equipment and moved on.
my dad and my best friends dad used to make home brew all the time when i was young. i dont know how it turned out cause i wasnt allowed any. (not that i didnt try my best to get to try it.) however, one year they decided to also make home made rootbeer for their daughters. im not sure what they did wrong, but lets just say that was some strong rootbeer. when they had four fairly tipsy little girls running around they destroyed what was left.:hihi:
Really? My Cajun grandfather gave me my first sip of beer before I was two. And I LOVED it. Growing up, I would go around at parties my parents would throw and see if anyone would let me sip their beer. I must've gotten pretty tipsy a few times--especially from looking at pictures of me after a family wedding reception when I was three. I look plastered in one of them.
we got sips of beer when i was growing up, but only the store bought stuff. (or from cheap champagne on christmas and new years.) daddy and uncle ben wouldnt let us have their home brew tho. maybe that stuff was super strong, i dont know. i had a few tips times very early on too. and not from the home made rootbeer.
The guy I bought my house from brews his own. Said he actually wants to open his own brewery one day. He offered me some on several occasions but I don't drink so I can't speak to how good it was.
This is in the category of something I've always wanted to do but never had / taken the time to. Our local wine and spirits store, Marcellos's, sponsors a club. I'm more of a wine drinkier now but I'd brew my own if I knew I would brew something good. How did you learn to do it ?
A lot of trial and error at first. When I first started I didn't know what I was doing and threw away a lot of crappy beer. Finally I picked up a few books and started listening to some podcasts and realized where I was going wrong. Since then the beer I make has improved dramatically. Like red mentioned it is a lot of work at first. Especially if you are bottling your beer. Bottling a beer and then waiting 3 weeks or more for it to carbonate really sucks. If you're really interested you should check out the club meeting in Lafayette. I think their next meeting is on December 9th. The guys there are really helpful and will help you get started and make sure you don't make some of the stupid mistakes that I did.