brewing

Am going to brew the cream ale this weekend, and decided to use the Nottingham yeast. This will be a fast brew...about 3 weeks from brew day to first glass. The Nottingham works fast and flocs out better than S-05 so with that and a good cold crash I think it will work OK.
 
I usually soaked in hot water + PBW. That said, some companies labels come off pretty easy and some are just a bitch no matter what you do.

Myself, I had a good line on bottles (friend working at bar would save the pry top bottles for me). When I encountered stubborn labels I didn't bother too much. In the end I think I had bottles mostly from Sierra Nevada and Summit.

If it's a plain paper label usually they're not too bad but if they're something else often they're the PITA ones.
 
I still have about 4 cases of the old returnable 12oz longneck bottles to work with- I worked at a local craft brewery and I'm familiar with the issues caused by inconsistent glass thickness and flaws in the typical bottles they use. I might invest in a couple of the small plastic type of kegs that will fit in my old fridge.
 
Yup, those are the only bottles I'm keeping. One case of old, Old Milwaukee returnables and the heavy duty Duvel bottles (oh, and the dozen 1L fliptops too).
 
Maybe I should invest in some of those big fliptops instead. I should have snagged a couple of the sixtel sized kegs when I was still at the brewery, there was a batch that were damaged from freezing one winter that would have been ok to use.
 
I know I'll regret asking, but; Whoaru99, what is PBW? In honor of the storm here, I brewed another Chinook. Used the Nottingham, man did it take off.
 
PBW = Powdered Brewery Wash. It's a commercial cleaning product you can order/buy from homebrew supply shops or maybe even restaurant supply places.

Some people use unscented Oxyclean instead, or a mixture of Oxyclean and TSP (trisodium phosphate).
 
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And so it begins...

A few degrees high on my strike water, but a little more body isn't all bad.
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Edit: And it was officially beer as of 3PM Central. For the casual observer/passer-by, it officially/legally becomes beer once you add the yeast.
 
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I've been thinking more and more about this so a couple questions from a total newbie:
What does it cost to get brewing, if I'm starting from scratch?
If i wanted to make a few small different batches and save them for the holidays how long does the brew last once it's bottled and kept in a cool basement?
 
Sorta depends how deep you want to jump in. A basic extract brewing starter setup is probably $50 to $150.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/equipment-kits?gclid=CPPEsdeN9M4CFZSPfgode8IIhg

Assuming one sanitized their stuff properly, bottled beer will last some months to more than a year. Depends on the beer style too. Hoppy/IPAs are best consumed fairly soon after ready. A strong, dark, heavy beer like a RIS (Russian Imperial Stout) could well be better after it has aged/conditioned for 6 months to a year. The last RIS I brewed conditioned a bit over a year before I kegged and drank it. It was excellent.
 
Thanks whoaru99 for the reply and link.
Over a year on the stout eh? I'm not sure if I could hold onto a beer for a year without the temptation.
 
Another option is Northern Brewer, although I checked out that link to Midwest and there are some excellent deals. That starter kit with the keg system for $400 is sweet.
 
As I understand it, Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies basically operate independently in their storefront businesses, but behind the scenes have some shared resources. I shop at both/am on both email lists.

If you sign up for their email lists both fairly regularly have some decent discounts or offers.
 
Thanks. Sam Adams labels are a bitch.

Feeling a bit remiss here inasmuch as I should have offered up all the delabeled bottles I had before putting them out on the curb. Don't know your location, but I should have offered just in case it would've worked out.
 
While I was rummaging through the fridge, I found an old packet of S-05 yeast I'd stashed away just in case of emergency. Best by date of 4/2014 on the package.

For shits and grins I rehydrated it in a 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and it bloomed up nicely. Not that I necessarily suggest keeping and using more than 2yrs old yeast, but it is sorta nice to know that it probably would have worked in an emergency even to this date.

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Thanks for the offer. Funny you should mention the expired yeast; I used an expired pack of Nottingham, rehydrated in wort with excellent results.
 
Going to pick some fresh hops tomorrow. There is a winery not too far down the road that works with the University of Minnesota on occasion. The U folks planted some hops at the winery and the winery has no plans for them. So, they said I could pick as much as I want. Don't know the variety but that may be even more.interesting. Next batch up, "Mystery IPA". :)

Edit: Done deal. Pic attached. Ended up with a bit over 1lb of hops off the bine. They're in the dehydrator now. Probably end up with 3-4 ounces dry weight.

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