Galt's Gulch

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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 9 months ago
    Home brewing?
    I'm sure that it's an enjoyable hobby to some, As for me, so long as there are brewers willing to make it at a reasonable price and all I have to do is pop a long neck, well, that's the way I roll.
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    • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
      What beer do you like, Herb?
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      • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 9 months ago
        Bud, Coors, planning to try some of those flavored beers. Due to meds, I'm very limited to how much beer I'm allowed to consume, but one or two per week only shortens my life a wee bit.
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        • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
          Disclaimer- I am not advising that you do something to shorten your life. I enjoy your posts here!
          If you get the chance, try some from the micro-breweries. You may find the variety as refreshing as the beer ;^) Unfortunately the prices are somewhat higher than Bud and Coors. Trader Joes has some under their own labels that are tasty and start at $7/6-pack. In Phoenix (10 yrs ago) they would even let me buy a mixed six pack to try several different beers.
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  • Posted by teri-amborn 9 years, 9 months ago
    This is a must have!
    Thanks for the post!
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    • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
      Do you home brew?
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      • Posted by teri-amborn 9 years, 9 months ago
        No, but it is on my "to do list".
        Our Finnish friend grows currants and grapes and makes her own wine. She would love one too!
        With this machine I would be brave enough to try and maybe become an expert.
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        • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
          It isn't that difficult, but having someone who already home brews there to advise you the first couple times is helpful.
          Papazian's book is an excellent primer. It also has simplified explanations of the science behind brewing and good recipes, too.
          I learned from his earlier version, with a friend advising on the first brew. If you can follow a recipe you can make good beer. As Papazian says, "Relax, have a homebrew!"
          http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Joy-Ho...
          In my first year of brewing, I may have made 100 cases and 30-35 different beers (from malt extracts and grain.)
          Wonder if there is a market opportunity to teach home brewing using Skype ...
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          • Posted by teri-amborn 9 years, 9 months ago
            Sweet!
            Thanks for the input.
            Now...where can I carve out a space for it?
            Perhaps my pantry...
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            • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
              For the fermentation vessel (bucket/carboy) it should be a space that doesn't vary in temperature very much, won't be distrurbed (bumped), and not brightly sun-lit. Your pantry might be perfect. It will have an airlock on top that allows CO2 to escape but doesn't let any outside microbes to get in. It will sit there and ferment for at least a week for ale.
              Papazian's book covers all the equipment and supplies you will need. If you plan to bottle your brew, I recommend trying to accumulate swing-top beer bottles, like Grolsch or Fisher beer bottles. They can be used repeatedly, easily reseal (so your bottle doesn't go flat if you get distracted while drinking) and you won't need to keep buying bottle caps. (I bought lots of them online when I was brewing in Auckland at about $1 to 1.50 each.) Ebay has some but the sellers are asking prices as if they were still filled with beer. (Get green or brown, not clear glass.)
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  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
    For the beer lover who has everything and doesn't want the hassle of making beer the normal way.
    The equipment for the normal way of home brewing would cost $1500 less, but would not include the complete refrigeration control (a great feature) or the attractive easy-clean stainless steel look.
    (Could also be attractive to the craft beer lover enslaved by his wife's demands.)
    Knock the price down to $499 and it could be the equivalent of 3D printing for beer.
    That might be time to short Anheuser Busch and for Whirlpool to do a spin off..
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    • Posted by IronMan 9 years, 9 months ago
      FFA: There are some big elements missing for the home brewer in this process.I suppose you could make an extract beer with just this equipment; however, all grain has really picked up in popularity. I understand more than 1/2 of the home brew these days is all grain (if you include the brew-in-a bag) process. I bought two 11 gallon coolers and a false bottom three years ago and haven't looked back. Taste improved a lot, but the lighter color sealed the deal.

      Additionally, the risks of contamination in transfer are infinitesimal if you clean and sanitize. I've only lost one batch in the 50+ I've made and that was from using a smack pack of yeast that had gotten too hot in shipping.

      Big caveat. I live in Central Illinois and my basement allows me to ferment ales below 70F all year long. In the winter, I have to use a wrap for the fermenter to keep them warm enough, but a home made $25 controller does that just fine.

      The best tool I've run into is MUCH cheaper. FastFerment makes a food grade plastic 7.9 gallon conical for about $100. It is awesome. I can lull the trub off the bottom and then harvest the yeast. Secondary happens in the primary without worrying about yeast autolysis. For a really big beer it is easy to gravity transfer to another secondary if you want to get the FastFermentor back in the game for another batch. I have a second one that I use for making wine.

      Kegging is the next step, but I have 15 and 20 year old sons. It is much easier to track bottle inventory than the balance left in a keg....
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      • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
        Yes, all grain is a more complex process that this appliance is not designed to do. Still part extract, part grain is better than what the average beer drinker is accustomed to drinking, takes less space, too. Your setup sounds great, IronMan.
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    • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 9 months ago
      Most of that stuff is MSRP three times higher than wholesalers price.
      By the way Maytag/Whirlpool made in Mexico is sold in Mexico Home Depot's and they charge cross border duty for US to Mexico. Another very UGLY American way to cheat consumers in another country. Costco no different.
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    • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 9 years, 9 months ago
      Hmm...Freedom For ALL Beer!
      Would that be dark or lite?
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      • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
        Dark or light, yes. Lite, no, it's full calorie brew.
        I can't speak for the Whirlpool, but it should be capable of pils to stout, just as the normal way without the fancy hardware.
        If you can follow a recipe without grievous error(including sanitizing your brewing equipment) and watch to keep the wort from boiling over too much, then you should be able to make pretty good beer.
        I make a good one that I call Procrastination Porter.
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  • Posted by Hot_Black_Desiato 9 years, 9 months ago
    Interesting. Takes beer longer than 30 days. At least to get anything that tastes good.

    Unless of course the laws of physics do not apply to their machine.

    Magic "Beer" just like magic Grits?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Aqb...
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    • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
      You must have very discerning taste in beer.
      I have made many good beers:(from grain and extract) about 1 week in the carboy fermenting and 1 week in the bottle carbonating. Done in a corny keg with a regulator and CO2 eliminates the 2nd week. My award winning stout and porter were done in 3 weeks. Lagering does take more time due to lower temps and all grain recipes can add some time, but lots of excellent beer is made using malt extract without lagering. Some beers do get better with time in the bottle, too. Barleywine ale, for example, can improve over years in the bottle.
      I love that scene, too.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 9 months ago
    Second Law of Objectivism. Observe, Find, Examine, Test then "Is it useful?" YES Is it harmful "Not to an objectivist" Proceed to Third Law.

    Does it pass muster under your moral value system?

    That is up to you.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 9 months ago
    Credit where due: Jimmy Carter signed the bill that made it legal to brew up to 200 gallons a year.
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    • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
      Politics!
      He could have legalized home distilling, too, but he didn't. Wonder how much $ he got from the distillers...
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      • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 9 months ago
        Looks like Cacahuate struck out again. But he didn't make last place of Democrat Presidents since Truman. LBJ the worst due to his GI's killed for nothing war and when put in balance as to relative dollar value his most troops killed for nothng record and his anti civil rights Obama second worst but first in economic disaster and second in killing off US troops fo rnothing or less than nothing. Clinton third for his phony balanced budget with a surplus and his destruction of the women's movement and sexual predator status AND for giving us Waddle. Damn maybe Carter wasn't that bad after all considering....Naw I'll give him a tie for second place with Clinton and and give two worst places to LBJ and Obama. After all LBJ only killed out troops, Obama killed the Constitution.

        That's the best the Socialist Party has to offer then I'm sorry for the nation. Sanders,Clinton and Trump?

        For shame.


        You won't see the Wicked Witch of the Left coming in second place. How many lives and dollars will that cost the nation?
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        • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago
          There are so many Hill haters that she might not survive long enough to be sworn in. Besides the split that will happen in November will have con-gress doing the heavy lifting. No way a dem gets in there. How will GOP states vote? For the hated Trump, or for a likeable savvy former GOP governor? Could there be a method in Johnson chosing another GOP governor as running mate and arm twister? The hard part is that Johnson must win at least 1 electoral vote (possibly Nebraska or Maine.) What a great demonstration of the idiocy of the current system: a candidate who wins one electoral vote could be chosen president by the House.
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    • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 9 months ago
      Long memories I never paid attention to that anyway beer or wine or brandy. Brandy by the by is double distilled wine. You can make it on your stove top next to a sink full of ice. Carter can't buy his way out that cheap neither can his supporters.
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