Anyone here home brew their own beer? Being in the wine industry, I decided to try something different and will be brewing my own beer this year. I even grew my own hops, and I just harvested them, and am now in the process of drying them out. Any advice from anyone who home brews? Any stores I should check out for supplies? Or websites/books I should scour for info?
Yes, I home brew. This is the best home brew shop in the Portland/Vancouver area. http://www.baderbrewing.com/ www.homebrewtalk.com is a great resource. Almost any question you may have has been discussed.
I home brew as well. Not sure of any specific advice, though I do recommend, if you want to add a little more equipment, of going whole grain versus extract brewing.
Agree, but extract is the way to go for a beginner. Easier, takes less time, and not nearly as expensive to get started. Make sure ya like home brewing before you go big and go all grain.
maybe so. I got started on all grain, and felt like I gained a better appreciation and understanding for the process as a whole. There is the added equipment, which makes it tough. I got started with two food grade buckets as a mash/lauter tun, and they aren't all that expensive. It's not the solid insulation of something better, but looking online for cheap DIY alternatives could make it reasonable. Because I like to cook, I liken it to making pizza. I can buy a can of sauce, and buy pre made dough, and make pizza, and it'll come out good. But I'd rather make the dough and sauce from scratch.
I'll have to check out the difference in equipment and cost. I don't think this will be a one-time thing. So, if the equipment isn't too much more expensive (whatever the different pieces I would need for all grain), I may have to give it a whirl. Thanks to you both for your help, BTW.
Another piece of advice... skip bottling your beer. Cleaning bottles, filling them, and capping them sucks! Spend the extra cash and keg your beer. Not only is it 100x easier, it also allows you to drink your beer about two weeks sooner, and it tastes much better and carbonation is more consistent. The kegging system will pay for itself when you factor in the money you spend on water, cleaning stuff, and caps for bottles. http://baderbrewing.com/products/corny-kegs-accessories/cornelius-double-gauge-keg-system
