We are a little most sophisticated than this! Image via WikipediaHere in Hillsboro the go to location for everything beer is Main Street Homebrew & Bread Supply Company. They have anything you will need to brew beer, Not only does my husband get quality supplies, the owner gives very good advice when he needs help.
So I am here to tell you that brewing beer is not hard. You can do it! You can go online and learn everything you need to know as well as places to order supplies. Every person that ever has brewed beer loves to talk about it so there are many discussion site available too.
LINKS
- Starter Set (similar to the one my husband started with)
- Recipator
- Tasty Brew (recipes and discussions)
- All Recipes.com (beginners information)
- Beginning Equipment
- Beer 101 (what to eat with your specialty beers)
- Cooking with Beer
- Beer Recipes.org (beer mug choices)
- Gluten Free Beer
- Bottled Gluten Free (location)
- How-to Home Brew Magazine
- All About Beer Magazine
My husband and our children brewed their first beer in a warehouse over in Tigard. It has been at least 13 years ago. Someone one had the idea that if they set up enough carboys and big kettles for brewing they would come. And so they did...come that is. The family set up an appointment and went to the warehouse where they purchased ingredients and learned to brew their own beer. The rest is history. We have been enjoying the fruits of this lesson in brew ever since.
Back in the beginning the kitchen was our lab. Our children bought my husband a starter set of equipment at Costco for his birthday. We brewed, sanitized, stirred poured and waited...all in the kitchen. When the brew had fermented for the allowed amount of time we added the sugar, bottled the beer using a syphon and clamped lids on the bottles. The we put the beer in the garage and we waited for the brew to self carbonate.
The first bottles we opened of that homemade beer were served with a cheese soup. It was a crisp fall day and we had gone with our family and friends to pick pumpkins. It must have been October. I remember the beer was a little young but we could not wait. We raised the glasses in a toast and took a sip. The look of surprised around the room was something to see. OH MY GOSH! THIS IS REALLY GOOD! came out of mouth and we all cheered. My husband was a little insulted I think. Still who knew we could make this wonderful brew at home.
Since that time he has purchases coils for cooling, beer brewing books, a conical fermentor and equipment I cannot not even name or explain but have seen in use. We even have a special refrigerator with a carbonating system like the one used to give you soda pop at the fountain. I think he found these on Craigs List second hand. The result is draft brew served in our garage. He will brew a batch with our daughter-in-law in July.
If you are interested at all, buy a starter kit and give it a try...it really is fun and the cost for a bottle of beer will pay for you equipment or we tell ourselves it does. PLUS, you will be the most popular people on the block! How can any of this be a bad thing?
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Amazing saga! It sounds like a family affair of sheer pleasure!
ReplyDeletelove the information.maybe I'll give it a try. I don't drink that much beer anymore but it might be a good way to get my boys to come and help me paint my house. I'm absolutely sure my wife will let me put off the house painting while I'm learning how to brew beer.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that it is a whole family thing for you guys... and beer is yummy :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a whole load of work but I guess the result makes it all worth while!
ReplyDeleteloking for post on swappiong places but got the beer post again. that's OK...i am still waiting for my wife to geve me the pemission to turn her kitchen into a brewery
ReplyDeletegreat info !!!
ReplyDeletewhen my grandmother was a young woman, they made their own beer and stout. Sometimes her job was to go down and start the siphon to siphon the foam off. I don't know much about the process except that she hated doing that because she didn't even like beer. My great grandmother had a glass of stout every day and lived to be 102. Must be something to that stuff LOL Live long and drink up!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fun post. Learn something new every day! :)
ReplyDeleteI am a beer fan and I find some microbrews I have tried to be hit or miss. I am glad to hear that your brewing efforts proved to be a hit!
ReplyDeleteMy parents, although they weren't drinkers, brewed beer for the fun of it for quite some time. My daughter now brews? wine! :) Nice post.
ReplyDelete