newbie

I don't want to call myself a newbie since I have not started brewing yet. I want to learn as much as I can from this forum and the internet on how to start this process and have some knowledge before I start buying the materials etc. I hope to retire in 3 years and I love to drink beer, I...

So, a few months back, I was musing on how I would get a chest freezer into our basement, because I didn't want to put it in the garage - it's detached. The wife suggested putting it on our enclosed three season patio (last owner bricked it over, walled and roofed it, and put windows all around...

Hello there, I'm very much a newbie when it comes to brewing, this has been the first time I've tried it after being gifted a home-brew kit from my parents, I already expected that my first attempt wouldn't be completely perfect I've followed the instructions given by the kit and waited the...

So I started a cider recently but decided I would do it with honey as well. I took a gravity reading and thought it was low at 1.07 considering I'm aiming for at least 13% ABV so I added two cups of brown sugar to try to raise it (no hate please I'm new to this). I then realised that I didn't...

I got started with home brewing like many others had, with small Mr. Beer kits, and moved on from there. Many think that brewing is expensive and simply not worth the time compared to simply buying from a store. My first 6 batches from Mr. Beer cost me roughly $45; let me see you get 6 cases of...

Before I bought my first Mr. Beer kit, homebrewing was not something I had given much thought to. I mean, I drank in my younger days, but not after I got married. I enjoyed a nice cocktail every once in a while, but rarely did I ever drink beer. This was mostly because I knew nothing of craft...

So you want to make some beer, huh? You might be about to, or may have already, taken the plunge and purchased some basic equipment and perhaps a beer ingredient kit. Good for you! Welcome to the world of home brewing, and to what may very well, become an all-consuming hobby. Talk to most home...

Hi, my son and I have had a go at making our first ever home brew stout from a Wilko kit called "Artisan Brewing Chocomeister Premium Stout Kit". It was an impulse buy in the shop as I had bren thinking for a couple of years about doing it, but never got round to it. So I read the reviews...

I thought I'd say hello! I signed up after pretty much every Google search I made for info ended up here. Homebrew is a new hobby (i don't like the word hobby, but can't think of an alternative!) for me. I worked as a freelance photographer for over a decade until about five years ago, when I...

We made our first cyser in October using just apple juice, red star champagne yeast and honey. The honey we used was wildflower and a sage, alfalfa and sunflower mix. We racked it for secondary last weekend and it seems to have stopped fermenting. When we racked it, it smelled okay, just...

Greetings. Newest of newbies here. I have my first batch of homebrew bubbling away in the basement as we speak and am now doing my research and assembling the necessary parts to turn my beer fridge in the garage into a kegerator. Equipment gathered so far- Frigidaire 16.5 Cu. Ft. Top Freezer...

Hey, new here, been reading alot. I'm going to get bashed for asking this but I'm trying to brew a high ABV - 15-16% cider then run it through a through some sort of filter to get to remove as much color, flavour and taste from it (yes u read that correct lol) Planning on using a champagne...

Ok, I'm getting ready to ease back into fermenting. I've got some equipment from seven years ago when I made some mead but just dumped the additives and chemicals. I also dumped a bunch of very nasty smelling rubber bungs. I've got hydrometers a some racking canes and a few other items so I...

Hello all, Quick question, looking for opinions. I haven't brewed in ten years or so, and not with all-grain at all. I've made a couple meads and some beers with extracts. Should I jump back in with all-grain? I'll have to acquire new gear and the like but I plan on small batches until I find...

Hi all, just a few areas that I am not sure of. 1, I have brewed my first batch of coopers larger it appeared to stop activity after 6 days was this too early. 2, I bottled in 5 ltr mini kegs and 2 ltr Demijohns which I primed with 15g and 6g of sugar respectively was this enough sugar ??. 3...

I'm looking for some input on a recipe I am crafting for my next brew day. I have read about a lot about different hop combinations for NEIPAs, which has led me to go with a Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic. I have used these hops in the past, just not this combination. My question is what you do...

Made my first ever small batch with 1 gallon Whole Foods spring water and 3 Lbs honey, with 30 Whole Foods organic Thompson seedless grapes and 1/3 packet Red Star Premier Blanc yeast. Pitched on Nov 2. Primary seemed normal from what I've read online. Racked to secondary 1 gallon carboy on...

In all of my batches I have the same problem whether it is an IPA or a light beer with low IBUs: a harsh, lingering bitterness that tastes earthy or even almost ashtray like. This taste is present throughout primary and secondary fermentation, at bottling, and is still just as bad after 2 weeks...

A couple of weekends ago I brewed a red ale using ingredients that I bought from my local brewmeister. Followed instructions to the T. It was not until I had the entire batch in the primary fermenter that I realized the instructions and recipe related not to whole grain (as I intended) but for...

OK, the temperature in our basement has stabilized, and we're getting a new fridge soon, so I did my first kit, a 1 gal Winexpert pinot noir. Lessons learned: 1. Bentonite is like concrete. If you do not add it while stirring, it makes a lump on the bottom of the jug and you have to shake it...