Introduce Yourself.

[scooza]

Hi All,

Just stumbled onto the self intro thread and thought it rude not follow suit...
Newby to the brewing game, about 13 brews and a hand full of experimental ciders under the belt. Playing around with extracts, partials and heaps of different hops to get the feel.
Background as a food scientist in industry for a over a decade, retired to become a school teacher! Happy to be a homebrewer.
I am 90% set up for AG brewing (rough as guts set up-but i'm sure it will evolve as necessary).
Having a great time on my new learning curve...thanks to the entire forum for the experience and shared knowledge. Hopefully I can chip in!

hi and welcome.
this site has a wealth of knowledge.
you may need a good brew or 2 looking after the future. (mothers little darlings)
cheers scooza.
:icon_drunk:

 

[Fat Bastard]

G'day all.

Fat Bastard here. Homebrewed last a long time ago and I'm returning to it once again, but intend on making life as difficult as I possibly can by doing AG for my second brew (Kits & bits already done and out of the way).

I live on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, work as an engineer, like old motorbikes, old aeroplanes, old surfboards, beer and heavy music between now and whenever it was that heavy music was invented.

I've read the forum for a few months planning the most difficult way to return to homebrewing moderated my the space available in my flat, and I just know I'll learn heaps from y'all!

 

[Spork]

Welcome everyone.
Fat Bastard - go for it mate. An average AG BIAB tastes better than the best kits and bits IMO. Haven't even tried a good one (AG) yet, only my own efforts, but I'm sure once I nail it I will produce nectar!
Read NickJD's "All grain for under $30" thread. Watch some u-tube vids. Try Dr Smurto's golden ale recipe. Think of any failures as learning experiences, - and don't look back!
While your beers might not have the clarity of commercial brews, and the carbonation may or may not be consistent etc (speaking from personal experience here...) they will soon taste better than the megaswill, and even compare to some of the craft beers you may have tried. Then there is the knowing that you made that beer yourself from "raw" ingredients, and that makes it taste even better.
Cheers.

 

[Aleosaurus cervisiae]

Welcome. I am also fairly new to the game. I started with the kits, then kits with addition of hops and steeped grains (aka kits and bits), then fresh wort kits with hop additions, now doing partials in a bag. I liked the step by step approach, because it breaks down the process into small chunks. For example, I learned about fermentation and sanitation in the kit phase, then about steeping when I moved on to the second phase, and then about mashing when I moved on to partials. Small, bite-size chunks. Otherwise, things may seem too complicated and off-putting .

 

[Fish13]

Hi guys,

I am new to this brewing caper again. I tried about 5 years ago and i may of registered here under fish............ but maybe no.

I bought myself a new kit from BigW. a Toohey's kit and the next thing inline is a new bottle capper. used the kit in it and its not too bad bit flat as i think i left it in the fermenter for too long...... But it is a nice strong colour and is about 4%.....

The aim is to make my own toohey's old style beer that is really nice.

Anyway. i am from bunno down in the south west were we are spoiled with microbreweries! the missus asks when we go to Margaret river. Are we going down here because there is a brewery there?

Anyway any hints and tips would be welcomed with a cold brew!

 

[Shed101]

Hi guys,

I am new to this brewing caper again. I tried about 5 years ago and i may of registered here under fish............ but maybe no.

I bought myself a new kit from BigW. a Toohey's kit and the next thing inline is a new bottle capper. used the kit in it and its not too bad bit flat as i think i left it in the fermenter for too long...... But it is a nice strong colour and is about 4%.....

The aim is to make my own toohey's old style beer that is really nice.

Anyway. i am from bunno down in the south west were we are spoiled with microbreweries! the missus asks when we go to Margaret river. Are we going down here because there is a brewery there?

Anyway any hints and tips would be welcomed with a cold brew!

Jaysus Fishy. Go and see Malcolm Secourable at Colonial and ask him how to knock up a porter like he does and you'll never touch another Toohey's old for as long as you live®

 

[Fish13]

Jaysus Fishy. Go and see Malcolm Secourable at Colonial and ask him how to knock up a porter like he does and you'll never touch another Toohey's old for as long as you live

Oh i love there porter and old coast brewery has a nice porter too.

I have to make a trip back to colonial to fill up my 2L flagon again.

When i was leaving in Mackay in was the beer of choice. You can stick that xxxx crap up ya arse! although i did get drunk under the table by a lady after a dozen.....

 

[MarcusA]

Hello there - I am completely new to this forum and I have to say that I am lucky I have found it for I am hopelessly trying to brew my first wine and beer and I only seem to have a clue on how to drink it but unfortunately not on how to make it. So that is why I am here - picking up tips and tricks, putting something in for discussion, asking questions, discussing with others and so on.

By the way - my name is Marcus just so you know - I guess it is easier to know the name

Cheers
Marcus

 

[Bizier]

Hi Marcus, decent beer is very easy to make, very good beer only slightly harder, and flawless beer significantly so.

How to Brew by John Palmer is a good book to get you started, though the first ed is free on the net if you search. Read through the stickies for new brewers and you will get a lot of hints on common issues and solutions.

There are some good simple recipes involving modifications to kits and I suggest starting there, but you will also need to ensure you have good sanitation and cleaning procedures in place to ensure you aren't wasting your time.

Good luck on your journey mate.

 

[Dangor]

Howdy all

Only a new brewer, still on the K&K stage (about 6 batches so far). Enjoying so far and from what I have read, it can only get better.

About to put my first brew into a keg (I was shouted a kegging setup for the next several birthdays and chrissy's). Been flat out reading up on all the info that I can. My next challenge is going to be the carbonation stage and then experimenting to find the perfect pouring pressure! Only thing now is to keep the fermenting up to keep up with all the experimentation drinking!!! :beerbang:


Cheers

 

[pmunny]

Hey, Paul here...

Been brewing for about 12 months, few kits but mostly fresh worts from grain and grape as not far from me.
Have a one and a half year old son which has kept me out of AG but now that things have settled down i'm about to jump right in!
Would just like to say that i've been following this site for few weeks and everyone is so friendly and helpful, hope i can input soon...

CHEERS!!

 

[kelbygreen]

hey paul there is some good info on here and lots will be glad to help you out.

 

[kyleg]

Hey all, have been on this site for months now but have not introduced my self. Im 23 years old and started thinking about brewing my own beer over christmas 2010, decided to do a bit of research before i got into it and decided to skip the kit brewing and jumped straight into BIAB. Read palmers book on lunch breaks at work for a few months taking in what i could, and slowly started getting equipment. Im now 2 brews in, first was an american amber ale which turned out pretty good i thought, and currently have a rogue shakespear stout fermenting.

I would also second that people on this forum are really helpful and nice!

My next aim is to get a kegging setup and learn more of the details with malts and yeast and hops to be able to start designing my own recipes.

 

[fobster]

Hey all, Fiachra here from Ireland. Just getting started brewing my first kit and already the getting a buzz from it. It's a mix of science, tinkering and craft that is highly addictive, plus the fact that you get beer at the end of it all. What's not to love!

Looks like a great site!

 

[Greenbrew]

Hi all,
i've been lurking this site for a while now, great resource, great communty
im 6 beers into my obsession, soaking stuff up like a sponge, im a sack of grain away from BIAB and champing to get into it, currently have a strong english ale ready for bottling and tasty lawnmower bubbling away......not counting the few juice in a jug wines i've played with and the failed first ginger beer with bread yeast that got me started

-Hamish

 

[kurtism]

hello everyone-

i'm kurt. i came across this forum from an advert on youtube (a canadian named craig with his home brew videos)

i have been interested in brewing for some time, and have toyed with the idea of starting with anything from hard cider up to beer kits or even just going for home brew spirits (by buying a still).

at this point, however, i am starting with a simple hard apple cider recipe, but i've going at it from a high gravity/high ABV standpoint because I have no problem back sweetening. that's the forum that I am off to read now, but I just wanted to introduce myself.

this is an excellent resource site that I hope the learn from and contribute to as well.

that's all folks!

 

[justa6]

Hi guys , Marty here.

Was concerned how my brew had stopped bubbling after only a couple of days. Was reading through books, checking temps, then said to my wife "I bet there is a brewing forum". Ha ha well, there sure is.

Have only been brewing since Christmas (6 brews or so) and enjoying it a lot. At the moment I'm only using kits from my local brew shop, and am happy with them.

So back to the original problem. I did a search and it said not to worry to much and to check gravity. So will do that.

See you round

 

[bconnery]

So back to the original problem. I did a search and it said not to worry to much and to check gravity. So will do that.

Marty, one million bonus points for you!
Had a problem, (a common one when we all start out) did a search, found a solution. Exactly what a forum is all about!

Welcome to AHB!

 

[big78sam]

Hi guys , Marty here.

Was concerned how my brew had stopped bubbling after only a couple of days. Was reading through books, checking temps, then said to my wife "I bet there is a brewing forum". Ha ha well, there sure is.

Have only been brewing since Christmas (6 brews or so) and enjoying it a lot. At the moment I'm only using kits from my local brew shop, and am happy with them.

So back to the original problem. I did a search and it said not to worry to much and to check gravity. So will do that.

See you round

Welcome.

Look out - if you keep reading here you'll be brewing all grain beers before you know it.

 

[justa6]

Ha ha cheers guys. There is a lot to learn on here and the forum has a friendly feel to it, so am happy to be around.

 

[sgjonno]

Hi All, Jonno here.
Got into this very recently as my Father in Law home brews a bit. I thought he was pretty good until I read about 6 hours worth of topics on here .
Only brewing from kits at the moment and I'm pretty much puting one down as soon as I've finished the previous one, having said that though, I'm only into my third batch. I have the patience to leave them though so hopefully they'll be okay.
I've already learnt from this site that even with the best of intentions, I've alredy made a stack of mictakes so far, so I am looking to rectify that and start to take more care. One thing I can say though is that I have started off with a very OECD approach to sanitation so that can only be a good thing.

Things I've learnt from two visits (but several hours) to this site:

Star San for sanitising already cleaned bottles. It's all about sanitisation.
Will probably invest in a bottle washer (would like your feedback on this if there are some obvious 'dont's')
Temperature, it's all about temperature. I have an outside shed that's brick built so great for storage and I'm also looking to move the whole process into there once I've made some room. Not looking to invest in a fridge just yet as I want to try and fine tune some of the other techniques and processes first. Am interested in this 75 can cooler technique though.
Seasonal. If you don't have a fridge, brew beers that are condusive to local temperatures and conditions, no point breaking your back to brew a lager when it's 40 degrees outside.
Yeast, I might invest in some good stuff as it seems not all is good that is provided in cheaper kits. It's also cheaper than buying individually at the LHBS.
Acronyms, it's all about bloody acronyms!!
Experimentation. It's all about brewing stuff you want to drink, and improving each time.
Reading. It's all about reading up on everything and anything, there's always more than a few tips in each thread obn here. A couple of books I've heard about on here that I might buy.
Patience, it's all about patience. Patience and attention to detail.

I think that's enough to be going on with, probably 10 years worth of work just in the above. Looking forward to reading alot more on here and possibly even indulging in the odd post, probably very odd at times.

Cheers in advance,
Jonno.

 

[ThirstyOne]

G'Day All,

Time to pop my posting cherry, can't stay a virgin forever I feel now is the right time to go all the way.
Been hovering around here for 2 + years and thought I better get my arse off my hands and say G'DAY. The info in the posts on here is awesome.
Got into this fantastic and satisfiying hobbie via a all grain demo at Grain & Grape and have been well and truly hooked from that day on.
This demo promted me to throw together a basic setup, 20ltr plastic bucket mash tun, plastic bucket HLT with 2400w element and a crappy boiler. Fermentation was done in my old mans 1974 Olinda fermenter that I still use every now and then.
These days my equipment is better and my beer is improving. The info. on here and joining the local brew club Westgate Brewers (great bunch) has definitely helped my brewing skills.
I now have 60+ brew under my belt, entered a few comps and always look forward to doing the next brew.
I'm only happy when both my fermenting fridges are bubbling happily.

ThirstyOne
Craig

 

[DU99]

And i must say craig you make some really nice brews

 

[ThirstyOne]

And i must say craig you make some really nice brews

One brew has seen the beer gods.

 

[Mud Gecko]

Hi all, I've just got into brewing, 4 k&k's so far, they taste okay I spose but I'm going to BIAB as soon as I have the gear. Love the site, tis a wealth of knowledge.

 

[cam89brewer]

Hi everyone i'm Cameron and have been brewing for a year all so and in that time gone from kit to extract to AG in that time and am pretty much addicted to brewing.... I also work as a Sales Assistant at a local liquor chain where my love for beer began....

 

[cam89brewer]

Hi everyone i'm Cameron and have been brewing for a year all so and in that time gone from kit to extract to AG in that time and am pretty much addicted to brewing.... I also work as a Sales Assistant at a local liquor chain where my love for beer began....

Maybe a little late to do this but only just came across this thread.... :lol:

 

[FuzzyDropbear]

G'day,

I'm Rob, I've been reading the forum since I started homebrewing a little over a month ago after the missus bought me a gift certificate to the Ballarat Homebrew shop for my birthday. I've bottled two brews at this stage, the first was the 'soverign gold draught' which the guys at the Ball HB shop mix up, that's turned out great, even the missus likes it (and she hates beer).

The stigma surrounding HB (cruddy, cheap beer) made me a bit reluctant to try it, but after the first batch, I can't wait to start fiddling around with a few kits.

This weekend I put together a temperature controller for my folks old chest freezer which they'd dumped in my shed a couple of years ago, so I can keep brewing into summer B) .



Apologies for the phone picture, but you get the idea

Cheers.

 

[PeltonPinch]

Hi All.

I'm new to the forum, and indeed to home brewing. Just thought I'd say G'day.

A friend got me into home brewing after showing me the obvious economic benefits, plus I figured anything he can do, I can do.....

So I started out two or three weeks ago with a copper tun starter kit (not expecting great results, but it fermented and settled at 1.007 so I'm happy enough for now) and have just been following the instructions for my first couple of brews. Then I discovered this forum this morning. Just the information I've managed to read today from this forum has given me more insight into what actually goes on, and the encouragement to experiment, so thanks for all your advice so far!

Hope to be able to share ideas with you in the future.

Mark.

 

[rehab]

Hi all,

Loving this site.

A mate from NZ got me into this Home Brew Bizzo a bit over 3 months ago now. Have got stuck into three brews and I am hooked. Great site and a great hobby with awesome rewards at the end of it.

Chris