The HQ of "New Brew"...

...The place where I make my own versions of 'the nectars of the Gods!' A dark, cool little corner of the basement.

All the full bottles are bottles I have brewed. I have nothing in the fermentors at the moment, but I have three fermentors, and three different brew mixes coming next week. It will be business as usual.

I also have three brews in the bottles you see pictured waiting to be tried. I will report on them when the taste-tests are completed. There is a High Country, Canadian style draft, and Grand Bohemian, Czech-style pilsner, and another batch of the one that started it all - a basic batch of West Coast Pale Ale. We'll see if it is as good as the first batch was!

Look for updates to follow. Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

And Then There Were Four!...

...four tries at brewing and four very successful beer-making endeavors completed! The latest, the deluxe Octoberfest Vienna Lager w/Mellow Amber Unhopped Malt Extract may be the best so far.

I am still partial to the Pale Ale from the first batch. I thought it might be beginner's luck, but so far the trend continues. I tried some of the Lager about 3 weeks into the process, after 2 weeks of fermentation and 1 week of carbonation. It was ok but nothing special, so I gave it more time.

Now, after 2weeks of lagering, this stuff is awesome! I highly recommend it. Give it some time, and enjoy your reward.

Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

How clean is clean?...

Every Mr. Beer refill comes with a pack of one-step sanitizing cleanser and detailed instructions on proper techniques for sanitization of your kit. Follow them in detail!

Proper sanitization is essential for good beer. Now, you won't get sick or die or anything if you don't properly sanitize. You will, however, introduce bacteria that can cause your beer to taste BAD! You have not spent all this time and effort to make bad beer. If that was what you wanted, you could have just went out and bought some Nasty Light (Natural Light) or some Beast (Milwaukee's Best) and been done with it.

Seriously, everything that comes in contact with the water, the ingredients or the beer mix itself should be thoroughly sanitized! A little bit of extra effort goes a long way. Don't skimp on being clean.

Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

The Heart and Soul of It All..

...is the "brew keg", properly known as the fermentor. It is the place where the mixed ingredients and water go, and where the yeast is added to work its magic. Fermentation is a slow process that is essentially temperature-dependent. The cooler your area, the longer it will take.

According to the instructions in the "Mr. Beer" kit, a 2 gallon batch of beer can be fermented in as little as 7 days. I have found patience in the beer making hobby to be only second in importance to proper sanitization - the longer you wait, the better the finished product will be. Brewers in the know recommend waiting a minimum of 14days, and I agree whole-heartedly!

So, if you think about it, at this rate, you are only making about 2 gallons of beer in a month - 2 weeks to fully ferment, at least a week to carbonate, and a bare-minimum week to condition. 5-6 weeks is even a more realistic estimate, allowing time for extra conditioning and more flavor.

If you only like to play around, the 2 gallon fermentor is enough to have fun with. f you are like me, and you want to experiment with different flavors (eventually some of the more advanced recipes that require 2-4 weeks conditioning), you will run out of your first beer long before your second batch is ready. Have no fear, though! Mr. Beer offers additional kegs for $10. I have two, and am contemplating a third. Three kegs=three varieties of beer=more fun and no empty bottles.

If you go this route, expect to be more popular than ever with your friends! I have brewed four different beers already, and have more ready to be made. Not a day goes by now where I am not asked, "When's the next beer gonna be ready?" When I answer, "Soon!", I always get, "Well, make sure I get some!" 'Nuff said! It's not just a hobby, it's an obsession!

Another successful endeavor...

...3 different beers made, and 3 that turned out way better than expected.I tried a bottle of the Englishman's Nut Brown Ale earlier today. It had only been carbonating for 6 days, and recommended carb time is at least a week with another at least 2 weeks for conditioning, so I wasn't really expecting a lot.

Guess what? This stuff is good! It still seems a bit rough, and some conditioning time in the basement will only improve the flavor more. Good beer is like fine wine -it only gets better with age!

If you follow the instructions, keep everything sanitized, and have a bit of patience, you can make good beer. I will continue to repeat that.

Brewing at home is a fun hobby. Nothing beats the Pfft! of opening the first bottle, pouring a glass, admiring the head that forms, and then taking a sip. I admire the color and watch the bubbles float to the top. Lots of bubbles means lots of favor!

Next up is some Vienna Lager, in about two weeks. Carbing is done, but I want it to condition awhile.I'll post the results.

Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

Bottles...Get your bottles...

I guess I was caught a bit unaware. I brewed my first batch of pale ale with some Grolsch bottles I was given and some Lager and root beer bottles I had saved. I managed to also save enough for the 2nd batch, the batch of red ale.

I didn't think of it at the time, kept giving bottles to people to drink and still have some in the fridge, but since I haven't been buying beer, I'm out of bottles! Guess I need to drink more or give away less, I dunno!

As it is now, I have two batches of beer that needs bottled today, and I need about 12 more bottles to do it. Guess I have to start 'making some empties!'

The moral to the story is that, if you arre brewing at home, make sure you save enough bottles, Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

Very bewitching...

...to say the least!My second batch came out about a week and a half ago. Again, it was very good. I used to be a lager-lover, but I can see myself getting into ales a bit more.

If you sanitize everything, have patience, and follow the instructions, you will get good beer. Trust me, it works!

The red ale is a bit stronger and a bit heavier than the pale ale. It is a bit malty, but not at all bitter. In my opinion, some hops might make it even better, but that is a project for another time (and there will be another time!).

I'm hooked on brewing. I'm trying a few basic recipes, and soon might start experimenting to craft some of my own!

Til the next post..."Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"

Success!...

...Lori and I were in Grove City the weekend after NewYear's, and we did some shopping in the mall there. In one of the stores, I saw a 'Mr. Beer Home Brewing Kit' for $30. I thought about it and passed. After we got back home, I did some research and decided I wanted one.

Now, I'm sure that, like in every hobby, there are purists out there who say, "Mr. Beer isn't real home-brewing!" If so, bring it! I start with water and ingredients and end up with beer! 'Nuff said!

I found a Mr. Beer kit nearby, and got to mixing. It came with the ingredients for a 'West Coast Pale Ale'. No problem, I thought. I'll make it and try it, but even if it's not good, I can always get something better and make it, too. I wasn't a big fan of Pale Ales, at least I thought!

Exactly 3 weeks before the Super Bowl I got to mixing and got to brewing. I wanted the finished product to be ready on Super Bowl Sunday. After 2 weeks in the fermentor and another week of carbonation, the end product was ready. How would it taste? We would soon find out!

I took a 6 pack to the pre-game party, and we tried it. Everyone was favorably impressed. This beer was good! Success in the form of some lil' green bottles!

I am hooked!I have a batch of Red Ale, that will be the subject of the next post, that is ready, and also a batch of Vienna Lager and a batch of Nut Brown Ale that are fermenting. They will be ready soon, and I will give you all the details when they are ready!

Say what you will, but if you want to make your own beer with low expense and only a bit of effort, Mr. Beer is the way to go! I give it two thumbs up!

Welcome...

...to my new blog. I recently acquired a new hobby, because it seems I don't already have enough! This one is all about beer, as I am now a home-brewer. I have two batches under my belt, a Pale Ale, and a Red Ale, which I have just tried. Both are very good, but so far, the pale ale is my favorite! I also have a Brown Ale and a Vienna Lager brewing in the basement.

In this blog, I will pass on ideas and suggestions as I learn them...what works for me and what I can do better. We will go through the brewing attempts together, chart progress along the way, and sample the results (well, at least I will, but I'll share my thoughts).

As I am learning, home brewing is fun and very rewarding. From the time I mixed my first batch until we sampled the final product on Super Bowl Sunday before the game, I could hardly wait! It took three weeks! Then, when I popped the first cap, heard the fizz and poured the beer, I still was a bit hesitant. What would it be like? As it turned out, it was great! My good friend Jim and I each had two bottles. Jim's girlfriend, Raequel, tried some and liked it a lot, as did my other friend, Karl.It was a very rewarding feeling! I hope to have such success in all my brewing attempts. Til next time, "Drink some beer, be safe not stupid, and have fun!"