Ah! I’ve been waiting for a show like this. Thanks Jack.

Ahh.. so a few weeks time and how to make Alka-Seltzer with a hangover.

I wanted to add some info on the Better Bottle ( better-bottle.com) I like glass and not plastic buckets but these are great! I have not had any problems with these and they are handy for Brew days with the local brew clubs. Lugging around glass carboys with 5 gallons of beers is kinda lame. Just wanted to add that =)

Another comment about saving money doing home brew: In Canada, all alcohol is outrageously expensive, meaning that making your own beer at home will be far cheaper even than the “swill” you describe.

You mention stainless steel pots. I use an enamel canning pot as a brew kettle, and I’ve been happy with it. It costs about one fiftieth of a stainless steel pot!

-I love the term “buttwiper” for budweiser!

Jack, I’ve heard you say many times how it amazes you that we (TSPers) often follow the same train of thought, but this time it amazed ME! I’ve just spent a good part of the morning looking for Cascade Rhizomes (no luck so far) and IMing a friend that’s a master brewer researching in hopes of getting my own hop vines going, and then you do this show today! Sweet!

I concur with Trevor, Canadians pay very high taxes on liquor. I’ve been brewing for about 24 years. I use the canned kits, coopers, muntons etc. But cider and mead are now of interest. Have not listened to the show yet, but look forward to hearing anything about ‘all grain’

Loving this show so far!

I gave up brewing in favor of winemaking about 5 years ago but the equipment is somewhat universal. You’ve got me hyped up again. Now I just need to go drop some money for some ingredients. The wife will not be happy but I’m telling her the voice in my ipod made me do it. HAHAHA

Jason

This is #1 on my list of skills to learn. I was just thinking recently that I needed to search TSP for a past show like this. About to listen to it again

Kevin

Very timely show, as my daughter, son-in-law, and I started brewing our own beer a couple of weeks ago. We live in MN, and my daughter and I went to Midwest Supplies a couple weeks ago to pick up the supplies to get us started. They were very helpful.
My wife and I used to make wine, so we had a lot of the supplies that can be used for beer.
Last weekend we started 6 gallons of Chianti, and are looking forward to sampling some of that on my birthday this August.

Finally, after two years a follow up. And this time no one was banned from the forum and no ice storm.
I have only heard the first one about 20 or so times.
So I am sure I’ll listen to this one a lot as well, I definitely enjoyed this one. Gets us away from the doom and gloom.
By the way, you still owe us a show on wine.
And how about another show on solid values in fire arms?
That was another goodie. And I am sure things have changed a bit in the surplus market.
But I digress. Keep up the good work. I am looking forward to part 2.

There are not words to describe the feeling of satisfaction one gets from pouring a fine beverage of one’s own creation at the end of a hard day’s work on the homestead!!!

Would a turkey fryer work to boil the wort? There are some on Craigslist for dirt cheap and it seems like the same idea – massive stainless steel pot and a burner, or am I missing something here?

@Jared – About the Barrel. If you are just starting out then STAY AWAY FROM BARRELS!! Gary was right that sanitation is a major issue, and so is Oxygen!
You want lots of oxygen in the wort prior to pitching yeast, because it is a yeast nutrient. As the yeast eat up that oxygen and sugar they produce CO2 and push all the oxygen out of the wort and the fermenter.

Barrels are usable, but only in certain circumstances. First you can only use fresh barrels. They either need to be freshly made or freshly used from either a winery or a distillery. Like you need ascertain the barrel, rinse it thoroughly with 160 to 170 degree water, then be ready to put the beer in almost immediately.
Next you have to consider the type of beer and size of the barrel. Beer doesn’t ferment well in a barrel, but aging a beer in a barrel there are only a few types that allow for strong oak flavor and high oxidation rates and they are usually sour beers like Gueze, Lambic, Flanders Red, ect…
Also the typical barrel is 55 gallons, some are smaller, but as you go down in gallon size the surface area of contact for beer on oak increases and so does the speed at which the beer gathers oak flavor from the barrel, which can be bad in a short period of time.

The best way for an oak character in your beer is Oak chips. The home brew shops sell them. Use a big metal tea strainer and put about an ounce of oak in for the last week of your fermentation/conditioning.
Prior to putting the oak chips in the beer put a little 170 degree or higher water on them for a minute or microwave them with just enough water to cover them until it bubbles once that will kill anything then put the oak in your sanitized metal tea strainer and put it in the beer. 🙂

I always will put my bottles in the dishwasher to sterilize them. Put the high heat drying on it and as long as they are clean you are good to go. Faster for me and never have had a problem.
For siphon’s dont screw with anything but a Auto-Siphon http://www.midwestsupplies.com/1-2-auto-siphon.html. You can use these to bottle and rack real easy and if you lose your siphon just pump it and you are off and going again.
Jack you have one of the best homebrewers also in your town. James Spencer had DVD’s out on how to along with a great pod-cast also. Would be great to hear him on an interview.