Hi Forum!

[JPhomebrews]

Whats up guys and gals my names J.P. I'm brand new to the forum and to home brewing. So I'm open to any and all the advice that i can get. I live in Southern New Mexico in an apartment and i want to start some home brews right away but i have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I don't have a room to regulate the temperature to brew in besides a closet will this pose any problems? Any suggestions on good literature i can start reading to get a little more familiar with the waters ill be jumping into? I really want to brew a Melomel(pear/sweet cherry) but i don't think i have the patience at this point to let anything age for a 8 months + . Would it be better to start with a cyder or something else? Keep in mind i haven't bought any brewing supplies yet and have nothing to do but learn on the subject. Thanks for all the input!

 

[mrphillips]

I, too, am new to the forum and to homebrewing. I can tell you from my MINIMAL experience that almost all ales are good to ferment between 62-72 degrees. Here in Virginia, it gets HOT...especially in my 3rd floor apt. Of the 3 beers I've brewed, I've kept my fermenting buckets in an ice/water bath, replacing the ice as need be (use a thermometer to check the water temperature daily). This has worked well for me.

If the temperature gets above 72, don't freak out (you probably will, but try not to), the beer might taste a little sweeter, but it won't ruin your beer. Heck, a lot of beers taste better that way. I just bottled a Witbier that was at or just above 72 for 3 weeks, and turned out really nice!

Brew on!

Oh, and your post has a few to many questions. Split them up across a couple different threads and you'll probably get more/better information.

 

[JPhomebrews]

Thanks for the help and suggestions mrphilips! Yeah i think it was 105° here a few days ago so i may need to keep brews on ice down here. Ill see if i can search out some threads for my other questions.