The All Encompassing Beer Thread


 
Jon Des. said:
That surprises me. I've only done 2 batches of beer and a hard cider, but it seems to be getting a lot cheaper now that I've purchased all the little things (and big things) to brew. Are you brewing all grain or extract?
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Jon, I've only done extract so far. I've done 4 brews - the first batch was "drinkable", the second through fourth batches were good to very good. The extract kits I like run around $40-45 plus shipping and I get about 48 bottles per kit. All grain sounds intriguing but confusing for a beginner like me.

I'm thinking that going to kegging and eliminating the bottles may change my attitude... all the sanitizing, cleaning and storing of bottles is a pain. I need to talk to people that keg their homebrew to get the pros and cons of kegs.
 
Mike,

All grain isn't bad. It's like making oatmeal, really. Only you have to separate the grain and the liquid at the end. Look into a concept called Brew-in-a-bag. That simplifies it even further. It's almost like making tea.

Jim
 
Thanks Jim, I'll check it out! The last two batches I made had grain included (just one type, added at the start of the boil then removed), but I know it's a big step to go to all-grain brewing. I'll look up Brew-in-a-Bag!
 
I'm cooking a Bruxelles Black from Brooklyn Brew Shop as I type this. Ya gotta love the smell of beer brewing in the morning. :)

Mike: I believe Northern Brewer sells the B-I-A-B stuff.
 
Brew in a Bag (BIAB) is the way to go! I've been using $2 nylon paint strainer bags from Lowes/HD. I learned a lot about it on homebrewtalk.com.
 
Home brewer here too. I'm finding more and more of us are around when it comes to outdoor culinary experimentation locations on the internet.

Right now, I have nothing fermenting or conditioning. Have a kit or two on the way though. Gotta try out the new brew pot and burner. I can do full boils now! Just a few odds and ends to get.

I'm drinking Leinenkugel's Snowdrift vanilla porter and Ommegang's Abbey ale.

Had a Sam Adam's Thirteenth Hour over the holiday that was pretty good.


If you can find the vanilla porter on tap do yourself a favor and get one or two. It is a seasonal so supplies are limited. It's good in a bottle, but a different beer altogether on tap.
 
Jerry, the only Vanilla Porter I've tried has been from Breckenridge Brewery and it was REALLY good! It was in the bottle... if I could find it on tap I would definitely get it, but I have been such a "hophead" for the past few years I don't know if I could fully appreciate it!
 
'Nother homebrewer here.
I've been brewing for about 2 years - 1 year doing All Grain.
I'm in the process of going electric.
Hope to have my eBrewery up and running by this time next year.
 
I like to taste new beers as well and have found that the IPA's out there that I have tasted are too appley and bitter, all depending on the company, the Arrogant Bastard IPA way to bitter for me. But I hear the best out there is Bear Republics Racer 5? My favorite beers thus far as follows in no particular order:
Shiner Bock
Shiner Black
Shiner Light
Shiner White Hare
Shiner Pilsner
Shiner Farmhouse Ale
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is amazing, has a great aftertaste.
Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan
Warsteiner
Spaten Optimator
Sierra Blanca's Roswell Alien Ale if you can find it.
Moose Drool not sure of brand had it in Colorado about 6 years ago.
Arrogant Bastard
Anything German.
 
I work for an Anheuser Busch Distributor and have done so for the last 20 years. From what I understand, Goose Island will remain its own entity and still produce the same beer using the same standards it has always used.

I understand the feelings people have toward ABInBev. They produce beer for the masses. There beer is not "bad" by any stretch. It is also not as complex as many of the microbrews on the market. Trust me, if a microbrewery could make a beer taste like a microbrew and sell like Bud Light, they would do it. The masses just don't drink that kind of beer in those quantities.

We started selling New Belgium and just finished up our first year doing so. I think we sold about 15,000 cases of all their brands mixed in our first full year. When Bud Light Platinum came out, we sold 15,000 cases in two months. Trust me, we want to sell that much NB. I work commission.

Somebody out there is drinking all that "AB" beer. Can't be all that bad.
 
Just had my first goose island a couple weeks back, winter warmer I believe, and it was excellent. Hope it stays that way for the long run. AB's other partially owned craft brews (widmer, redhook, kona) aren't exactly my favorite.
 
Bells Two Hearted Ale is an excellent IPA. Little pricey but is a good one, especially on draft.
 
JSMcdowell said:
Just had my first goose island a couple weeks back, winter warmer I believe, and it was excellent. Hope it stays that way for the long run. AB's other partially owned craft brews (widmer, redhook, kona) aren't exactly my favorite.
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Widmer has been introducing some nice beer lately. http://widmerbrothers.com/
I think their "intro" to craft beer line is in nice but nothing special.

Redhook is ok but not great agreeably. Kona makes some decent stuff.


It seems the new thinking in craft brewers is to have a sessionable line of beer for the masses. Nothing too offensive and in the 8.99-9.99 sic pack range. This is for those people who think drinking a craft beer is drinking a Yuengling or Sam Adams Lager.

They then have more tiers where the beers become more complex, pricey and to some people offensive.
Not too many people can sit down and drink a 6 pack of an 11% trippel or an over the top double IPA. The beer is just too big for most.
 
Here's a great article about the current state of craft brewing: http://business.time.com/2012/12/27/trouble-brewing-the-craft-beer-vs-crafty-beer-cat-fight/

It's very interesting to learn not only that a lot of microbrews have been swallowed by the macrobrewers, but that there are a lot of fake craft beers being created by the big guys as well. I guess that's the growing part of the business.


Robert Clark said:
It seems the new thinking in craft brewers is to have a sessionable line of beer for the masses. Nothing too offensive and in the 8.99-9.99 sic pack range. This is for those people who think drinking a craft beer is drinking a Yuengling or Sam Adams Lager.
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I would have to argue that Sam Adams is just a very successful craft brewer, and the opposite is probably the case for Yuengling. They do make a couple beers that are pretty good, but I bet nobody on here has had a Yuengling Porter or Lord Chesterfield Ale.
 
Jon Des. said:
Here's a great article about the current state of craft brewing: http://business.time.com/2012/12/27/trouble-brewing-the-craft-beer-vs-crafty-beer-cat-fight/

It's very interesting to learn not only that a lot of microbrews have been swallowed by the macrobrewers, but that there are a lot of fake craft beers being created by the big guys as well. I guess that's the growing part of the business.




I would have to argue that Sam Adams is just a very successful craft brewer, and the opposite is probably the case for Yuengling. They do make a couple beers that are pretty good, but I bet nobody on here has had a Yuengling Porter or Lord Chesterfield Ale.
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I have had both of those beers. I know I'm the exception. Being in the beer business, I have the opportunity to try almost everything at least once.

One could equally argue that Anhesuer Busch is just a very successful brewer. Not sure AB ever started out with the idea of being a craft brewer. Not even sure the term existed then.
 
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