So who here brews their own beer?

[Josh L.Ac.]

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So I was talking with one of the pain docs I work with about the fact I just [finally] started brewing my own beer and he told me that many anesthesiologists he knew [from when he practiced as one] brew their own beer, which led me to wonder how many on this board brew their own beer.


Holla if you do.



Also, should I mention it as a "hobby" during my interview for anesthesiologist assistant school?



Primary: Waiting for the store to open Tuesday, but probably going to be a porter or coffee-stout.
Secondary: Belgian Wit Beer with a temperature-corrected specific gravity of 1.018 after 2 1/2 days, starting from 1.047.
Bottling / Conditioning: Nothing for 12-14 more days.
Drinking: Bottles of my favorite commercial beers so that I don't have to buy empty bottles at the local home-brew supply store.

 

[Kubed]

I started last year and really got into it. Mostly beer and cider, but I've done a few wines. ... although away rotations have cut into brewing time somewhat 🙂 If you recognize what's in the primary, you'll instantly know what BB i play on:

Primary: Apfelwein w/ fructose, Apfelwein w/sucrose
Aging: Matt's Mega Cider, Raspberry wine, Unfiltered Apple Cider
Bottled: IPA, Hefeweizen, Magic Hat #9 clone, CCA, Apfelwein, Panty Dropping Apple Cider
Kegged: Belgian White PM, Orfy's Hob Goblin


I'm telling you man, kegging is the way to go. Totally worth the investment.

 

[jetproppilot]

I dont.

But it sounds like a cool hobby to get into!

Think I'll look into it.

Anybody out there have any tips for a beginner wanting to make their own wine or beer?

 

[Gimlet]

So I was talking with one of the pain docs I work with about the fact I just [finally] started brewing my own beer and he told me that many anesthesiologists he knew [from when he practiced as one] brew their own beer, which led me to wonder how many on this board brew their own beer.


Holla if you do.



Also, should I mention it as a "hobby" during my interview for anesthesiologist assistant school?

I do! Haven't had a chance to brew a whole lot for the past couple months because of busy rotations, but now that I have a lighter schedule I'm planning to do something in the next weekend or two....probably an American Pale Ale or maybe an amber ale. I actually think the hobby does use some of the same skillsets an anesthesiologist needs in the OR (e.g., lots of multitasking during the mash and boil, monitoring of equipment throughout the brewday and fermentations, attention to detail when sanitizing, etc.)

Are you brewing extract or all-grain? With my last batch, I started doing a "countertop partial mash," with about 4 lbs. of base and specialty malts providing about half of my fermentables, and made up the difference with extract. Once I get a larger brew kettle and a propane burner, I'm going to transition to all-grain.

I was wondering the same thing about mentioning homebrewing during residency interviews. With all of the issues Anesthesiology has regarding clinicians with addiction problems, I don't want to falsely raise any red flags during an interview by talking about a hobby that revolves around alcohol!

Since I don't have anything going in my primary or secondaries right now, I'll just list off what I'm still drinking from my last few batches:
Belgian "Grand Cru" - a 7.8% ABV Belgian pale ale
Raspberry Red - an Irish Red Ale with 3 lbs. of raspberries added to the secondary
Bavarian Hefeweizen
Newcastle clone
Apple Ale - topped up the primary fermenter with 2.5 gallons of fresh apple cider, waiting for fall to finish up the last of it!

 

[Gimlet]

I dont.

But it sounds like a cool hobby to get into!

Think I'll look into it.

Anybody out there have any tips for a beginner wanting to make their own wine or beer?

Jet,

This is an awesome hobby, and something I would encourage anybody to try! Just be careful - it's easy to get sucked in and become obsessed with obtaining perfection. 😀 Since you probably have the money to spend, it's likely not an issue, but the hobby can definitely eat up a lot of capital as you continuously upgrade your equipment to keep trying to make better beer or wine.

I don't have much experience with home winemaking, but my impression is that even though the winemaking process is easier, it's much harder to make good wine of comparable quality to what you can buy in the store. For someone who's as into wine as you are, I could see you either being really stoked about your own wine no matter what the quality, or just disappointed that you can't make a really great wine like you can buy. On the other hand, if you're into good beer and not just Bud/Miller/Coors, you can make some really interesting and spectacular beers that will rival many of the microbrews available in stores.

You might want to find a buddy who brews who you can hang out with on a brew day to see if it's something you would enjoy before sinking money into buying equipment for a hobby you're not sure you will like. You can get setup to start brewing with a good set of equipment for $100-150, though. I would recommend visiting my favorite homebrew shop's website: www.midwestsupplies.com. They have great prices on good quality starter equipment sets (although I would start off with intermediate kit if you think this is something you will enjoy). They ship all over the US, and have a very loyal customer base that extends out to California, so I wouldn't hesitate to order from them in NOLA. They also have an SDN-like homebrewing forum at www.brew-wineforum.com that is great about answering newbish questions.

 

[Kubed]

I dont.

But it sounds like a cool hobby to get into!

Think I'll look into it.

Anybody out there have any tips for a beginner wanting to make their own wine or beer?

A good and friendly intro (although there are a few parts of his technique you'll want to avoid (bleach, dumping all the grains in)

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlv1wBy7Z5w
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7jQ6Wwnqk

... and when you're ready, every question you could ever think of answered: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/

 

[Kubed]

...
I don't have much experience with home winemaking, but my impression is that even though the winemaking process is easier, it's much harder to make good wine of comparable quality to what you can buy in the store. ...

Totally. You can make drinkable wine, but there's just to much great wine out there that is commercially produced, it's hard make something to that standard.

 

[jetproppilot]

Thanx Gimlet and Kubed!

Searching right now...

 

[usnavdoc]

Have to check this out as well. Interesting topic guys!

 

[Gimlet]

Have to check this out as well. Interesting topic guys!

This was something I thought about doing for a couple of years before I actually pulled the trigger on it. (Actually, it happened when the wifey decided that she wanted to try it, I jumped at the chance once I had her on board. 😀) So glad I finally tried it, because I really liked it...I'm kicking myself for not starting sooner because I could have had a couple more years experience under my belt by now! It definitely can be a lifelong hobby that you refine throughout the years.

 

[core0]

I dont.

But it sounds like a cool hobby to get into!

Think I'll look into it.

Anybody out there have any tips for a beginner wanting to make their own wine or beer?

Try this for starters. You only need a carboy, a big pot and some malt extract to start:
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

As you become more addicted to real beer you can increase your involvement. Eventually you can move up to something like this:

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[Gimlet]

Is that yours, David? If so, NICE! 👍

Someday I'll have enough money to get all the equipment I need to build a single-level HERMS (Heat Exchanged Recirculation Mash System). That's a long way off, though:

 

[Kubed]

Oh... sexy rigs guys.

Hey Gimlet, what's the hop status over at midwest? I've been very happy with austin homebrew supply and a local shop I stop at when I'm in phoenix, but times are getting tough and supplies are starting to get thin. Are they good at getting their recipes together or substituting something pretty equivalent?

 

[jetproppilot]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

uhhhhhh......WHA???

HEAT EXCHANGED RECIRCULATING MASH SYSTEM????

GIM, DUDE, YOU KNOW THE LINGO HERE.

Next time I'm at a microbrewery I'm gonna say

"DUDE! MY HERMS IS ROKKIN OUT SOMETHIN BETTER THAN BLACKENED VOODOO!!"

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

I started last year and really got into it. Mostly beer and cider, but I've done a few wines. ... although away rotations have cut into brewing time somewhat 🙂 If you recognize what's in the primary, you'll instantly know what BB i play on:

Primary: Apfelwein w/ fructose, Apfelwein w/sucrose
Aging: Matt's Mega Cider, Raspberry wine, Unfiltered Apple Cider
Bottled: IPA, Hefeweizen, Magic Hat #9 clone, CCA, Apfelwein, Panty Dropping Apple Cider
Kegged: Belgian White PM, Orfy's Hob Goblin


I'm telling you man, kegging is the way to go. Totally worth the investment.

Why does everyone go crazy after Apfelwein over at HBT? Is it really that good?

Plus, that is an amazing amount of brew.


As for the kegs...yeah...I think my wife will flip if I buy kegging equipment AND rockband 2 special edition in the same month.

 

[core0]

Is that yours, David? If so, NICE! 👍

Someday I'll have enough money to get all the equipment I need to build a single-level HERMS (Heat Exchanged Recirculation Mash System). That's a long way off, though:

Thats from the beertree manufacturer. Mine was similar. I had a three level HERMS that worked pretty well. Not that big though. We used Wine kegs for it 15 gallons I think. Poured into 2 7 1/2 gallon carboys. Now unfortunately its in storage since I have an apartment. Brew scene isn't bad here but not as good as Colorado. Need to get back for the brew fest.

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[Kubed]

Why does everyone go crazy after Apfelwein over at HBT? Is it really that good?

Plus, that is an amazing amount of brew.


As for the kegs...yeah...I think my wife will flip if I buy kegging equipment AND rockband 2 special edition in the same month.

Yeah, it's really that good. Think of a mix between sparkling apple juice and a riesling. Most batches run 8.5% abv but it drinks amazingly smooth. I make it mostly for my GF and our friends who "don't drink beer," but I haven't met anyone who hasn't loved it yet. It's by far the most popular drink I make. It will set you back about $30 and it's absolutely worth making a batch just to try.

 

[usnavdoc]

Is that yours, David? If so, NICE! 👍

Someday I'll have enough money to get all the equipment I need to build a single-level HERMS (Heat Exchanged Recirculation Mash System). That's a long way off, though:

We are gonna need a bigger house! lol

 

[Gimlet]

Oh... sexy rigs guys.

Hey Gimlet, what's the hop status over at midwest? I've been very happy with austin homebrew supply and a local shop I stop at when I'm in phoenix, but times are getting tough and supplies are starting to get thin. Are they good at getting their recipes together or substituting something pretty equivalent?

Midwest actually just lifted all of their restrictions on hop purchases (they were limiting to 3 oz. per variety per purchase) now that they have their full 2008 shipment in. I think they have done a good job with any substitutions they needed to make in their recipe kits.

For those of you who don't know, there is a global shortage of hops affecting the beer industry. It was tight there for a while for homebrewers, but seems to be getting better, although we won't be back to normal for a couple of years, probably. With the hop shortage combined with a global reduction in acreage planted with barley, look for beer prices to be rising over the next few years.

 

[foil]

high octane

Check out page two,

some guy is using a water heater



http://www.stillcooker.com/modern_pict1.html


foil

 

[fakin' the funk]

Primary: Apfelwein w/ fructose, Apfelwein w/sucrose

If you wanted to market to anesthesiologists, you could brand it the
"Christian Apfel-wein, now with less PONV!"

I think I went off the nerd deep end with that one.

 

[Schooner]

I dont.

But it sounds like a cool hobby to get into!

Think I'll look into it.

Anybody out there have any tips for a beginner wanting to make their own wine or beer?

Don't go crazy. Just get the hang of it first. The keg set up people show down below is rediculous unless you're gonna sell it or have a LOT of people who want to drink it. I like making smaller batches anyways. I got the grolsh-style (ie. flip cap bottles) bottles and a starter kit such as this: http://www.letsdowine.com/beermakingkit.html

It makes about 5 gallons of beer. They have premade kits with a recipe already included that you can buy at brew supply stores. I started with those before branching out and trying my own recipes. Thats another reason i like the smaller batches...i get to try more styles and I don't feel like I need to brew and then drink a whole keg.

You need to invest in a good, large pot to boil everything though...not too hard, but usually only available at a kitchen supply store.

 

[cchoukal]

I think you should mention it on applications and interviews. It makes you more interesting and gives you something to talk about at your interview beyond just the typical "Oh, I reviewed charts for this study, and I really like pharmacology" BS.

 

[Gimlet]

I think you should mention it on applications and interviews. It makes you more interesting and gives you something to talk about at your interview beyond just the typical "Oh, I reviewed charts for this study, and I really like pharmacology" BS.

Thanks for the input...I just hope I don't come across as some crazed, alcohol-obsessed zealot!

 

[jetproppilot]

Don't go crazy. Just get the hang of it first. The keg set up people show down below is rediculous unless you're gonna sell it or have a LOT of people who want to drink it. I like making smaller batches anyways. I got the grolsh-style (ie. flip cap bottles) bottles and a starter kit such as this: http://www.letsdowine.com/beermakingkit.html

It makes about 5 gallons of beer. They have premade kits with a recipe already included that you can buy at brew supply stores. I started with those before branching out and trying my own recipes. Thats another reason i like the smaller batches...i get to try more styles and I don't feel like I need to brew and then drink a whole keg.

You need to invest in a good, large pot to boil everything though...not too hard, but usually only available at a kitchen supply store.

Good advice! Thanks.

 

[anesonia]

Been brewing beer for about 9 years now...also got into wine for a while, but the wine is just "ok", whereas the beer is awesome. It definitely took several batches before it was drinkable to anyone except college dudes (read: occasional exploding bottles), but I've gotten to the point now where I feel comfortable trying to clone just about any beer on the market.

Glad this post was started, reminds me that I need to get a good stout going for those cool fall evenings...

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

I am finally going to have the opportunity to use my degree in Chinese herbal medicine to work by brewing herb-infused beers. I am obviously going to get a few brewkits under my belt first, but I am researching now on how to make beer that tastes good and is "medicinal".


Ren Shen Ale.
Yin Yang Huo Porter [common name of Yin Yang Huo - horny goat weed, which gives a clue to it's purported effect].
Huo Xiang Wheat beer.
Shan Zha red ale.

 

[Trisomy13]

i'm sold. buying a kit tonight. having a beer-tasting party mid-october.

thank you for reminding me that i wanted to do this at some point.



i don't think i have a local home-brewing store.. was looking online at www.midwestsupplies.com and might just order the equipment from there. anyone have past experience with them?

 

[Kubed]

Midwest actually just lifted all of their restrictions on hop purchases (they were limiting to 3 oz. per variety per purchase) now that they have their full 2008 shipment in. I think they have done a good job with any substitutions they needed to make in their recipe kits.
...

Sweet, thanks man. I'll check them out. I hit them up once on one of their daily deals, but I haven't been back.

If you wanted to market to anesthesiologists, you could brand it the
"Christian Apfel-wein, now with less PONV!"

I think I went off the nerd deep end with that one.

 

[Gimlet]

i don't think i have a local home-brewing store.. was looking online at www.midwestsupplies.com and might just order the equipment from there. anyone have past experience with them?

I'm a regular customer of theirs...I think they're superb. Better prices than Northern Brewer, and better recipe kits IMHO. High quality, fresh as you can get ingredients and a great selection - they have anything and everything you could need. Spectacular customer service, and fast shipping times with cheap rates, too. I would start out with their Intermediate Brewing Kit with the Better Bottles. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

Since I'm a hippy, I [over]payed for my starter kit, additional supplies, and first beer recipe from a local homebrew store. I got sucked into the whole "support your local homebrewer" mantra.


But he did give me good advice [I think] and answered all of my questions. If I need something outside of what I can get locally, I order from Midwest because I've heard they rock.

 

[core0]

Don't go crazy. Just get the hang of it first. The keg set up people show down below is rediculous unless you're gonna sell it or have a LOT of people who want to drink it. I like making smaller batches anyways. I got the grolsh-style (ie. flip cap bottles) bottles and a starter kit such as this: http://www.letsdowine.com/beermakingkit.html

It makes about 5 gallons of beer. They have premade kits with a recipe already included that you can buy at brew supply stores. I started with those before branching out and trying my own recipes. Thats another reason i like the smaller batches...i get to try more styles and I don't feel like I need to brew and then drink a whole keg.

You need to invest in a good, large pot to boil everything though...not too hard, but usually only available at a kitchen supply store.

This will start you out. The only change I would make is get rid of the fermenting bucket and get a Carboy locally:
http://www.leeners.com/ferment1.html
You want to get this locally because its tough to ship in one piece. Also be careful with the kits. If you use the 4 lb cans they only make about three gallons. The original instructions say to add 3-4 lbs of sugar (which makes piss poor beer). The way to do it is use 2 cans for a 5 gallon batch. One of the better kits which I've told people to use is the one on the bottom here:
http://www.leeners.com/brewery.html

The three gallon batch is just right for a 4lb can of extract. Also the small batches are nice when trying different things out. And if you screw up you don't feel bad about throwing out the beer. Also a stainless pot is nice but if you want to go cheap try an enamel canning pot (called a water bath canner). You can usually get one of these for $25-30 at Walmart.

Of course like any addiction the progression is pretty rapid. One day you are pouring malt extract into a pot and the next thing you know your grinding a 50lb bag of your own malt so you can feed it in to your 15 gallon three pot semi pro system.

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[foil]

(I am finally going to have the opportunity to use my degree in Chinese herbal medicine to work by brewing herb-infused beers. I am obviously going to get a few brewkits under my belt first, but I am researching now on how to make beer that tastes good and is "medicinal".)



Now that's a thought..............

Beer already stimulates the kidneys........well not as good as booze,
anyway, I bet This would taste good

So-yang ( Balanophera )
Hsu ( She-ch-uang) Cnidium Monnieri


So yang has a mild flavor....kinda flowery
Hsu very little taste.....but results when combined with others.


Foil 😛

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

Started a coffee stout on Wednesday. Going to add 2L of cold-brew coffee to the secondary when I transfer it over next Friday. My OG was 10 higher so hopefully this will translate over to a stronger beer at around 6.5%.


Plus it will have coffee.

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

Beer already stimulates the kidneys........well not as good as booze,
anyway, I bet This would taste good

So-yang ( Balanophera )
Hsu ( She-ch-uang) Cnidium Monnieri


So yang has a mild flavor....kinda flowery
Hsu very little taste.....but results when combined with others.


Foil 😛

Are those Romanization spellings instead of Pinyin, because I don't know what those herbs are.


How about Wu Gong Ale? Or perhaps Wu Ling Zhi Stout?


Probably not.

 

[core0]

Started a coffee stout on Wednesday. Going to add 2L of cold-brew coffee to the secondary when I transfer it over next Friday. My OG was 10 higher so hopefully this will translate over to a stronger beer at around 6.5%.


Plus it will have coffee.

6.5% is fairly robust. If you want fun try an imperial stout or a nice porter. Imperial stout usually runs above 10% (helps to add a champagne yeast to the secondary after the original ale yeast burns out). I've never added cold brewed coffee to the secondary. Usually a classic coffee stout involves the use of coffee malt with some people adding grounds to the mash. I would be interested to see how it works out. One of my favorites is coffee oatmeal stout. Black patent malt and 20% oat flakes. Very smooth with a nice bite.

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[Salt Creep]

I planted a couple elderberry bushes a few years ago, and just harvested them this year. We made a 5g bucket of elderberry wine, which I just sampled last night. It's excellent.

The cost was not much at all. We had a couple buckets already, and just needed some simple supplies, which totalled about $20.

We didn't take half the berries, so we should easily be able to double production next year.

One tip - be sure to measure the specific gravity prior to fermentation. We didn't, and now have no practical way of measuring etOH content. So we're drinking it up sooner than we would have, since it may not have enough to preserve it.

 

[foil]

(Are those Romanization spellings instead of Pinyin, because I don't know what those herbs are.)



http://books.google.com/books?id=yO...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result


Great book

foil

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

(Are those Romanization spellings instead of Pinyin, because I don't know what those herbs are.)



http://books.google.com/books?id=yO...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result


Great book

foil

I'd rep you if I could. Excellent find.

 

[nadk9f]

Josh, I live in Kansas City and I am an MS2 - maybe if you are interested I can try one of your brews. I am a huge fan of the Boulevard Brewing Co. - especially their smokestack series Double Wide IPA..

-Neal

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

Neal, my first batch is getting bottled tonight and won't be ready for 6 weeks...plus I have the feeling it is going to take awhile before I have a finished product that I will be confident enough in presenting to the public.

Lame, I know but it is kinda like bringing food for a work party - if it doesn't taste great, then keep it at home.


As for the smokestack series, I think it was a giant leap in the right direction and done at a great time. While I shy away from the double IPA [the only "hoppy" beer I regularly enjoy is Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye], the triple and quadruple are quite good while being relatively inexpensive.


For those that don't know:

http://www.blvdbeer.com/smokestack/

 

[KNC]

Everyone just send your samples to me.... I will be more than willing to give you an honest opinion of your brewing masterpieces...Dial 1-800- I - Tried - My - Best...It should patch right into me.......

 

[lfesiam]

don't brew my own but will have a PUB-ROOM in my home for my friends, teachers, students. 👍 with ESPN-HD 😀

 

[Trisomy13]

just bottled my first error-riddled batch.

forgot to stir in the sugar prior to bottling and most of it was on the bottom of the bottling pail.

and i broke my hydrometer.

i'm guessing if.. if the bottles don't explode, i'm looking at a very flat brown ale, ala Newcastle. which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but was not the goal when this project started 10 days ago.

ordering more supplies and preparing to try again. 👍

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

I store all of my bottles in rubbermade containers in case I get bottle-bombs. If you get one, then it is probably a good idea to cold crash the rest in order to prevent more because you have no idea which bottles got more sugar than the rest.



Homebrewing is definitely a comedy errors, but that's how you improve. My first batch of Belgian Witt I watered down and my second batch (Coffee Stout) had unstable fermentation temperatures.

But my third batch, a Scotch Ale turned out very well - just a little too much carbonation, probably from not allowing the Star San to drain enough. My fourth batch is still in the primary, based off of Boulevard's Porter. I added another 1lb of DME to increase the ABV and I'm calling it "Josh's Strong-Armed Porter".

I can hardly wait.

 

[Gimlet]

and i broke my hydrometer.

ordering more supplies and preparing to try again. 👍

Congrats! (You aren't a true homebrewer until you've broken at least one hydrometer.)

Boil your priming sugar in about a cup of water to have it dissolve, then put it in the bottom of the bottling bucket and rack the beer on top of it. I've never had any problems with bottle bombs or flat bottles using that method, because it ensures equal distribution of the sugar throughout the batch.

Keep at it! Every batch is a learning experience.

 

[Josh L.Ac.]

Is it a bad idea to use student loans to buy kegging equipment? I ask because I spend more time on bottles - cleaning them, sanitizing them, filling them, capping them - than any other step in the process of beer making.



Actually that was rhetorical. I'll probably do it and justify it in terms of time conservation.

 

[Gimlet]

Is it a bad idea to use student loans to buy kegging equipment? I ask because I spend more time on bottles - cleaning them, sanitizing them, filling them, capping them - than any other step in the process of beer making.



Actually that was rhetorical. I'll probably do it and justify it in terms of time conservation.

I haven't grown tired of the bottling process yet, although I do spend a LOT of time and effort on the cleaning aspect of it. I just like the portability of bottles, though, especially since I probably drink more homebrew away from home than at home (i.e. bring a 12-pack of homebrews to a gathering of friends or relatives).

That being said, once I have a sweet home bar setup, I'll definitely make the move to kegging and just get a counterpressure bottling system for my portable beer needs.

 

[Trisomy13]

48 hours and no bottle bombs yet.

 

[anesonia]

kegging is the way to go- been doing it for about 6 years. Has anyone ever used one of the bottle fillers to fill bottles out of the keg? I've never done it, but have heard its a pain.