I am thinking about brewing my own beer or making my own wine any one have any thoughts?!
The equipment you will need can be purchased as a 'starter kit' from your local homebrew shop or online at http://www.midwestsupplies.com or http://www.austinhomebrew.com . These kit will include all the equipment you need, short of maybe a kettle and bottles. As far as the brew kettle goes, many homebrewers start with a basic propane turkey fryer setup.
For ingredients, the same homebrew shops listed above carry recipe kits for just about any style you would want to make. The kits generally run about $30, and that will make you 5 gallons of beer.
For wine, you would use most of the same equipment, except you don't need to boil anything. They also make recipe kits for wines, although they are a little more expensive. You can also check out http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/ for more information on home winemaking.
Feel free to email me anytime if you need help or have any further questions.
Answers: If you are interested in homebrewing, I would recommend you first check out http://www.howtobrew.com and http://www.homebrewtalk.com//index.php?r... , the two best sources online for brewing information. I would also recommend you pick up a copy of Charlie Papazian's book 'The Complete Joy of Homebrew', the quintessential bible of homebrewers.
The equipment you will need can be purchased as a 'starter kit' from your local homebrew shop or online at http://www.midwestsupplies.com or http://www.austinhomebrew.com . These kit will include all the equipment you need, short of maybe a kettle and bottles. As far as the brew kettle goes, many homebrewers start with a basic propane turkey fryer setup.
For ingredients, the same homebrew shops listed above carry recipe kits for just about any style you would want to make. The kits generally run about $30, and that will make you 5 gallons of beer.
For wine, you would use most of the same equipment, except you don't need to boil anything. They also make recipe kits for wines, although they are a little more expensive. You can also check out http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/ for more information on home winemaking.
Feel free to email me anytime if you need help or have any further questions.
May I have a sip :)
I have a freind who brewed his own beer and enetered it in a competition around here.... so my thoughts are go for it
Go for beer. Beer is easier to make, there are more stores selling more supplies for it, and it doesn't take as long to age.
The easiest/biggest factor to making good beer is to use liquid yeast instead of dry yeast. Liquid yeast strains are more refined and will impart a distinct flavor to the beer. Dry yeast is an amalgam of several yeast strains and will result in non-descript, dull beer.
Read alot about it first. Talk to people who run the 'do it yourself' shops. You could invest alot of money for nothing. Start small, I would say. But, have fun with it too! I have talked to some people who say it is fun. My husband works with a guy who owns a shop, he loves doing it too!
Do it.
Go for it. I brew at home.
Read "How to Brew" by Jim Palmer and listen to the Basic Brewing Radio Podcasts each week. You'll be up to speed in no time.
As long as you make sanitation a priority, beer is pretty hard to screw up.
Great idea. I do both.
Read up first, before buying any supplies on equipment. You can't do much better than Papazian on beer or Berry on wine, although the "For Dummies" books are pretty good.
Start with a basic kit. You might be able to get a good deal on eBay or at a flea market or garage sale. You can add refinements later.
If there is a homebrew store nearby, you are golden. You will get good advice from the proprietor, who will see you as a potential repeat customer, if your first batch is good. He may start you out on a wine kit or an all-extract ale.
About the only thing on which I disagree with previous posters is which is easier. Wine is a bit more forgiving than beer because of its acidity. Just don't start with a lager until you have more experience.
Check out www.beertown.org and www.byo.com for a list of homebrewing shops in your area. The person at the shop will be able to steer you in the right direction. If there isn't a shop close by, you can always try shopping online. Northern Brewer (www.northernbrewer.com) has excellent online and phone support for homebrewers wanting to get into the hobby.
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