step1
|
Joined: 4/25/2006
Msg: 1 | |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/8/2007 12:47:15 PM | Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes or suggestions? Just wondering is it worth doing?
I am researching the topic if it is worthwhile doing. Getting the suggestion that if you are unsure of where to start their search for homemade beer recipes, you can always speak with a rep at your brewing supplies store or site. Just wondering is it worth doing? Does anyone have any suggestions on “Different Beer Making Kits”? Has anyone built a “kegerator”?
Are their any advantages of commercial versus independent homemade beer, wine or root beer making?
| |
|
| |
Dug01
|
Joined: 1/3/2007
Msg: 3 | |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/8/2007 6:01:10 PM | Here's an easy recipe for making fruit wine. Take the fruit of your choice and let it over ripen, note hard fruits like some apples, pears, etc. may take a little cooking to soften them up. You should be able to squeeze the fruit and it have the consistency of a well done baked potato, note let cool if precooked. There's no need to peel the fruit unless it has a bitter or otherwise bad taste, just cut into chunks. Fill your container approximately 2/3rd's full, not compacted, add 1 lb of sugar per gallon and about 1/4 teaspoon of wine yeast per gallon(if you can't find it use bakers yeast, but make sure you use a little less or you'll taste it). Give it a good stir or shake to dissolve most of the sugar. Cover the top of the container with cloth to keep anything out and to allow it to breath, t-shirt material works well as it stretches to conform to any opening. Secure the cloth with a rubber band, string, whatever and place beneath the sink (or cool dark area) and allow to work. When the mixture stops bubbling, approximately 10 to 14 days (might take longer if you didn't add enough yeast, but don't worry it will finish), strain, allow to sit to allow settling, siphon off leaving the dregs in the bottom and there you have it. You can use the leftovers for your next batch if the same flavor or discard. Your imagination is your only limit as far as varieties to be made. You can use any vessel for the working, but it's easier to use something somewhat clear so you can observe it working off. The big plastic containers you buy cheese puffs in at the dollar store makes a good vessel or a five gallon bottled water container.
I have even made some killer strawberry/kiwi champagne out of koolaid mix experimenting that friends didn't believe I had made it with koolaid.
Edited in: Note if you precook any fruit make sure to add the water it was cooked in as well.
Dug | |
|
Dug01
|
Joined: 1/3/2007
Msg: 4 | |
| |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/8/2007 11:28:39 PM | I made ginger ale for christmas, naturally carbonated, which is a fermented product. Here's a link for that and root beer as well as cheeses.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Ginger_Ale_Ag0.htm
It's the recipe I used. I made a cranberry mead once a german friend just loved. 3 1/3 cups honey, 3 1/3 cups cranberry plus yeast to a gallon of water.
Made a bunch of others but nothing really was superb drinking. You would be surprised how hard it is to balance all those acids. Some of it turned to vinegar and I had better results using that in my cooking that as wine.
Then.... sssshhhh... I found out the pressure cooker had a 1/2" npt fitting for which I had a tap and die. I made an adapter to some copper pipe and distilled the rest.
With homemade beer you have more control. My german friend made good stuff, he used the canned malt and grew his hops vine right by his patio in his house. He bought a special variety of hops and stuck with the german law of purity which only has four ingredients. the hops, malt, yeast, and water. No sugar.
Alcohol rises to the top because it has a lower density, about 4/5ths that of water, so if you use yeasts that sink to the bottom you get more alcohol produced before the yeast dies. This means lager yeast or sherry yeast. Two bottles of my friends beer would get a buzz going!
You don't really save any money doing it, but its a fun hobby. The best thing is to find a bunch of those grolsch beer bottles with the resealable tops. But you can get a capper or go with something like the kegerator. Beware the CO2 cartridges are artificial carbonation... not nearly as fine of bubbles and the carbonation tends to come out quicker. You can also chill a carbonated beverage to below 22 degrees F the carbonation stays in the liquid, then rebottle it and cap it quick before it warms up. This is true of beer, gingerale, and even champagne.
I made champale once, oh that was awful stuff. If anything making homemade wine did for me was to be happy I did not have to make it and could buy it instead! I've been thinking about tinkering more with the root beer, maybe even concocting my own flavoring syrup. I like it strong in flavor and not so sugary. I tend to find the best root beers at my state fair. Birch root beer, sasparilla, old fashioned varieties of all sorts. Have fun! | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/9/2007 7:20:13 AM | | I have made beer, wine, and recently purchased a 2 oz. bottle of Durkee brand Root Beer Imitation Flavor, enough to make 5 gals. of Root Beer. The recipe is on the box. I haven't tried it yet, but will soon. As for homemade beer, it will ruin you for wanting to drink store bought beer, it is sooo much better, at least that is my experience. A world of info is available at MrBeer.com, and I just made a batch in my Mr. Beer 2.5gal. plastic keg. I ignored MrBeer's advice, and used 16 oz. Coors Lite non-returnable plactic bottles, with the original screw-on caps, and it I suspect that those caps let some of the carbonation escape. I have since purchased a supply of screw-on caps, (they come with cone-shaped plastic linings,) from Mecca Coffee Co., at 45 cents each, and hope that will take care off the carbonation problem in my next batch. They also have beer and wine making supplies, recipes, books, etc. Another excellent source of supplies and info is a place called High Gravity, (highgravity.com). Not being exactly a wine connoisseur, I am content to purchase a 5 liter box of wine for around $10 to $14, depending on the brand and type you prefer. Good luck. | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/9/2007 7:53:01 AM | my dad used to make root beer when i was a lad...it tasted better than store bought for sure...he also made ginger beer which was quite good...both these bevvies were non-alcoholic...as to the whereabouts of his original recipes...who knows where they got to...i recall the root beer having licorice in it tho...probably to add color and help retain a head...try googling the recipes...
oh yeah...if you do make it...dont use too much sugar when bottling to give it a 2nd carbonization...i did that with a batch of pilsner and almost all of the bottles blew up...of course if/when they do explode its always at like 3 a.m.what a freakin mess...the damn house reeked of beer for a month... | |
|
| |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/9/2007 10:58:18 AM | | I've made rootbeer before using a rootbeer extract. The recipe is on the bottle and it calls for water, brewer's yeast, and cane sugar. I followed the recipe on my first batch and it turned out alright, but still rather yeasty. On the second batch I used demererra sugar which has a higher molasses content than cane sugar, a yeast specifically for brewing ales, and I added a cup of natural vanilla extract and 2 cups of malto dexterin powder to give it a more creamy finish. I also fridged it after 4 days fermentation rather than the suggested 7. I found that it made for a smoother product. Next time I plan to ferment it in a bucket over night before bottling it, just to see what happens | |
|
Dug01
|
Joined: 1/3/2007
Msg: 10 | |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/9/2007 2:39:01 PM | Saki...
1 lb rice (not the quick cook, but raw rice)
1 lb sugar
1/4 teaspoon wine yeast (can substitute yeast for baking but just use about a 1/4 less)
water - add enough to finish filling the vessel to the gallon mark.
Cook the rice half the recommended cooking time, let cool and pour the rice and cooking water into your vessel. Add the sugar, yeast and water and mix. Secure a cloth over the top (see my fruit wine thread) and place in a dark area such as under a sink. Let the mixture work off, you will know it's finished when it stops bubbling (about 10 to 14 days). This time can vary according to the amount and quality of yeast used. When finished strain into a container you can seal (cloth strainers sold for making jelly in the grocery store work well) and tightly seal the vessel. Keep an eye on the vessel and if you see bubbles collecting on the top it hasn't finished working. If this happens remove the top cover with cloth and allow to finish working. It takes a long time for the dregs to settle, couple of weeks, when wine is clear (will have a very slight amber color to it, almost unnoticeable), siphon off the wine into containers and seal. This saki will knock your socks off, much higher alcohol content than allowed to be imported.
Dug | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 7:44:18 AM | Alright here is the root beer recipe:
The hardest thing about making it is finding the extract. Rootbeer extract and brewing supplies (bottles, caps and cappers) should be stocked at any brewing centre.
Rootbeer
Mix 1 bottle of rootbeer extract with the ingredients listed on the back of the extract bottle (yeast, sugar and water).
Instant Rootbeer
Place a block of dry ice in your ingredients until it stops fizzing/steaming and drink away!
(Dry ice can usually be found at trucking companies that transport frozen goods. You will have to call around. Instant rootbeer is the best as it doesn't have the yeasty aftertaste and you can drink it right away. It will loose it's fizz after awhile.)
Brewed Rootbeer
With the rootbeer mix, fill sealable bottles (pop bottles, beer bottles, etc.) two inches below the top (when it is brewed, it does expand and you don't want the bottle to break) and seal.
Place bottles in a warm area (above 20 degrees Celsius) for one week to carbonate. To test for carbonation, chill one bottle for 6 to 8 hours and taste. If more carbonation is required, brew longer (but not too long). Once you are done brewing, put the bottles in a cool area for one to two weeks to age (or longer if desired, but not too long). Refrigerate atleast for 6 hours before serving. Pour into mugs leaving sediment in the bottle.
NOTE: You can calculate how many bottles you need by reading the amount of mix it makes on the back of the extract bottle (e.g. if it makes 25 litres of mix, you will need at least 12, 2 litre bottles.) | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 9:31:03 AM | dug01 that does work here is another twist on it
Instead of a piece of cloth you use a piece of soft string to tie a helium style balloon to the top of the jar. As the fermentation process continues the balloon will swell up so on a shelf with a lot of overhead room is required.
Mid way through the process you will want to gently give the jar a shake to reactivate the yeast.
When the balloon goes back down the yeast has slowed working . Give the wine time to settle as you will still see little bubbles rising as long as the yeast is working.
When the wine has completely settled and cleared siphon off the wine making sure that you don't stir up the sediment that has accumulated on the bottom. If that sediment gets stirred up you will have to let it settle again. | |
|
Dug01
|
Joined: 1/3/2007
Msg: 13 | |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 12:19:06 PM | Yea, I've used the balloon method as well. I just used the cloth method as that's how it was done centuries before baloon's were available and I like to hold on to some aspects of the past. Of course the balloon method would avoid loss of alcohol content if the maker wasn't paying attention and missed the beverage had stopped working. I don't have any written down recipe's, but can make vodka, whiskey, brandy, wines, beers and liquors. Some of my deceased relatives use to make moonshine and of course made the rest for personal use. My father and uncles use to haul moonshine to McNairy county in Tennessee... ring a bell? Also I see some putting specific times to the brewing period, this is fine if your yeast is tested for consistency. If not it could take less or more time to work. The last saki I made took three weeks to work off, but I just kept shaking it up to keep the yeast active and reproducing (yeast will reproduce as long as it has available food) and persevered.
Dug | |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 2:32:06 PM | Without a still you can only really get to about 22%, using a special high alcohol wine yeast and carefull addition of sugar. Bakers yeast is a less efficient alcohol maker! I would also recommend some yeast nutrients too. A bit of tubing and a heated vessel and you can make it a little stronger .........
In answer to the op there are loads of good beers (gives you bottle conditioned beers BETTER than you can buy! and some good copy recipes and about 50p a pint.
Recommended reading: Brewing beers like those you buy by Dave Line, (dated but still the best)
Clonebrews,
North American Clonebrews
I have tried quite a few and do the whole mash methods for the best results. They keep too, well until they have been drunk! | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 2:35:35 PM | Bears Brew
What you need:-
1 can of Coopers Stout
1 can of Coopers Draught
1 kg of raw sugar
1.5 kg of light powered malt or another 1 kg of raw sugar
What to do :-
As you would have guessed, a 60 litre fermenter is required. I found that after 3 years of continual use, a new fermenter is required or there will be a white scum forming on your brew (not good).
Boil 2 litres of water & place in fermenter. Then place malt in the fermenter. You will have to boil another 2 litres of water & place in the fermenter, this will aid the malt in dissolving. While the malt is dissolving, go to the fridge & grab a brew. You can also warm up your cans of Coopers in warm water. When the Coopers cans feel runny enough, add to fermenter & rinse out the cans with hot water, not the water you had the cans in, & never ever use water from the hot water tap. The sugar can be added at any stage, & keep stirring or swishing the fermenter around so the malt will dissolve.
I use the closed fermenting method & the lid should be on the fermenter in-between adding the ingredients, so as to keep out dust or anything else that wants to spoil your brew. When everything seems mixed, check with your stirrer to see if you can feel any sugar or resistance from unmixed wort. If everything seems mixed, fill the fermenter to nearly the 60 bottle mark, with tap water, I use a short bit of garden hose that I have run hot water through it first. You may have to place more hot water in the fermenter; it just depends on where you live & what time of year it is. The brew should be stirred as the water goes in so as to get an even temperature & the gauge reads between 21-22 degrees, then add both packets of Coopers yeast & stir like crazy. I like to have my brew starting at a low temperature of 21-22 degrees, this will stop it coming out of the air-lock.
In the next few days the temperature may rise slightly, this is O.K. As the fermentation process slows down, check the lid for correct sealing. It does not matter if I use an old or new “O” ring or if I screw the lid on tight or loose, as after a few days it will always leak around the “O” ring. When the fermentation slows down & the lid is tight I will let the temperature rise to 25-27 degrees.
All up, I leave it in the fermenter for 10 days before bottling. When I bottle the brew I will prime the bottles with 6 grams of raw sugar. After you bottle the brew it is most important that you keep all 60 bottles warm for 10 days. Keep the bottles off the ground & near a fire, it has to stay warm; I keep mine in a cupboard which is kept warm by the electric hot water system. After that keep it for 10 days anywhere before it gets drunk. Did you pick it up, 10 days in the fermenter; 10 days warm somewhere & then 10 days somewhere else. I always bottle & brew every 10 days, so that gives me 6 bottles of Bears Brew to drink a day.
WARNING: DRINKING BEARS BREW IS ADDICTIVE  | |
|
Dug01
|
Joined: 1/3/2007
Msg: 21 | |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 2/11/2007 2:35:36 PM | More tips... sugar and yeast = alcohol... some fruits contain natural sugars and some natural yeasts... more sugar = higher alcohol content... less sugar = lower alcohol content... more sugar - less yeast - not stirring to keep the yeast active = a wet (sweet) wine... more sugar - adequate yeast - stirring to keep the yeast active = a dry wine
Your imagination is your only limit in making wine. As stated Koolaid can be used as flavoring producing some fine wine (remember the loose 1lb sugar per gallon rule), the only downside is the coloring isn't as distinct as when using fruits. If you taste yeast, it means you used to much or didn't let the wine finish working off. Remember to stir or agitate to keep your yeast active while working (brewing). Remember it sometimes takes a long time for the dregs to settle. But with practice and care you will get comments of unbelief from friends that you made such a delightfully wonderful wine with such little effort. No need to go out and buy costly kits, this isn't rocket science. Our ancestors have been doing this for thousands of years with fine results.
Dug | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 4/18/2009 8:46:19 AM | I remember my father making beer, when I was a child. There was a lot of sediment in the bottom of the bottles. They would have to pour carefully so they didn't drink any of that. Nobody really liked it, but, if they didn't have any from the brewery it would suffice. hahaha
Several years ago, I was at an Italian friend's home when they had several huge jugs of wine on the go. The whole house reeked!! The only wine I've made was at one of the, "make your own" stores. It wasn't bad.
I am not a fan of rootbeer so I am not sure if I would like the homemade.
Cheers!! | |
|
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 4/18/2009 9:41:45 AM | I make both beer and wine and keep a small brewery in my basement. It's really too complicated to throw all this information in one post. All I can recommend is start small with a brewing kit that costs around 125 and stay away from all canned malts. Most canned causes the beeer to taste like metal and tin. Coopers is probably the worst.
To answer your other question. Is it worth it? Depends on you. If you want a hobby of making beer and calling it your own then yes. If you think you are going to make a better product then whats already out there? probably not. Is it cheaper? NO!  | |
|
| |
| Has anyone made homemade beer, wine or root beer? Does anyone have any good recipes and suggestions
Posted: 4/18/2009 3:33:08 PM | Grapes have the highest sugar so you'll end up having to add less sugar if you make a grape wine. But, not all grapes make good wine. Get some vinifera (wine grapes) either fresh, if you live in an area where this is possible or you can get the juice already pressed. Table grapes make some nasty wine, so don't even bother with the concord or thompson seedless.
One very important thing about grape wine is that you MUST break up the cap that floats up and keep it wet. If you allow it to dry out as fermentation progresses, you're going to get all kinds of funky microbial spoilage that ruin what would otherwise be a nice drinking wine. But, you may end up with a really fancy vinegar, so ya never know! LOL! | |
|
Home
login 
