Successful first brew!!

Don't even try! :D :D :D
If you start doing the math, you never come out. The only way you get even close to parity is by working at least a full day for nothing. We start chasing scales of economy and that's when we end up buying bigger and bigger brew pots and fermenters. :D
I guess when you get good at it and are brewing exactly what you want, big batches are better. Right now I'm happy with small batches because I have to drink it and if it's not what I like, then I have another batch on the way.
 
I guess when you get good at it and are brewing exactly what you want, big batches are better. Right now I'm happy with small batches because I have to drink it and if it's not what I like, then I have another batch on the way.
You can also brew a lot more and try a lot of different ingredients and techniques with smaller batches
 
I guess when you get good at it and are brewing exactly what you want, big batches are better. Right now I'm happy with small batches because I have to drink it and if it's not what I like, then I have another batch on the way.
I'm still brewing small batches. Except for the proven successes.
 
Thankfully my wife is pretty supportive of my new hobby...though she reminds me when i come home with beer, that i have a basement full of beer.

Craft beer and brewing has some pretty cool articles on "making your own" recipe. I've used those, in partnership with the BJCP guidelines to create my own recipes. Because I'm making my beer now, I believe it is a waste of time to brew less than 5% ABV, so i have a few summer recipes that are less than 5%. I figure, once I understand the principles of making a recipe, understand my equipment, and make some mistakes, I can go crazy with all the different styles, and hops!
 
My wife does wine and she likes Cider, plus the fruitier beers I make. So it works out. Plus a pint or two in her gets her as Austin Powers would say... randy.
 
Thankfully my wife is pretty supportive of my new hobby...though she reminds me when i come home with beer, that i have a basement full of beer.

Craft beer and brewing has some pretty cool articles on "making your own" recipe. I've used those, in partnership with the BJCP guidelines to create my own recipes. Because I'm making my beer now, I believe it is a waste of time to brew less than 5% ABV, so i have a few summer recipes that are less than 5%. I figure, once I understand the principles of making a recipe, understand my equipment, and make some mistakes, I can go crazy with all the different styles, and hops!

Don't be scared to make a low ABV beer, nothing wrong with that. My first 10 or 15 batches were closing in on 8% until I stopped trying to poison all my friends and aimed at the 5% range. A 3.5% session beer is nothing to turn up your nose at.
 
Don't be scared to make a low ABV beer, nothing wrong with that. My first 10 or 15 batches were closing in on 8% until I stopped trying to poison all my friends and aimed at the 5% range. A 3.5% session beer is nothing to turn up your nose at.

I have a few 8+ ABV batches but most of them are between 5 and 7%.

I have a lichtenhainer recipe I’m curious about. A Smoked sour beer sounds very interesting to me! Plus I want to make a Munich rye beer with caraway seeds in it.

A brewery outside town here make an experimental hefe this summer and dryhopped with Amarillo. I was able to try this out of the brite tank and it was absolutely amazing so I made a blonde recipe with Amarillo for my wife!
 
I've made smoked beer, i't a tricky balance, I still have some smoked malt, I think i'll throw it in my next brown for a kick
 
I've made smoked beer, i't a tricky balance, I still have some smoked malt, I think i'll throw it in my next brown for a kick

I made a smoked Hefeweizen this summer which was pretty cool. I kept the recipe and tinkered with it but a rauchbier is one of my favourites. I’m looking forward to trying to make my own!

That’s a great idea, to use up that extra malt! I made a wee heavy 2 months ago that same way and it is fantastic.
 

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