[ale] For all you beer drinkers...

[Jim Kinney]

On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 10:14 AM, Geoffrey <lists at serioustechnology.com> wrote:

>> I like drinking my own brew as I can generally make better beer than I
>> can afford to buy (with a few crappy-batch exceptions!).
>
> You mean with a few learning experiences... :)
>

I am pretty good cook so brewing was not that much of a leap for me.
The kits are really simple and always work. Custom recipes using
liquid and/or dry malt extracts are very reliable. All-grain is more
challenging but the costs drops greatly. $1.5-$2/lb for grain vs
$3.5-$4/lb for extracts.

My first all grain batch was a flop. weirdness occurred and the temp
went _UP_ when I add the grain to the hot water and it killed the
conversion enzymes. No sugars formed at all. Very strange.

I can regularly produce Sam Adams to Sam Smith quality at Budweiser
costs using liquid extracts. Hops have been an issue this past year.
Gonna grow some this year (and from now on - perennials are great!) -
cascade and a saaz hybrid called sterling.

-- 
-- 
James P. Kinney III