Homebrewing, and not in the gaming way

[Zantos]

Ah, home brewing, moonshining, whatever-the-hell-you-call-it-ing. The brewing of alcoholic beverages in your own home for personal consumption. As I sit, several pints down on the pilsner of indeterminate strength, and slightly tasting of whatever was in the bottle previously, I wonder how my closest internet friends feel on this practice.

So, do you do this? Would you? What do you make? Are you someone who plays it safe with the cans of ingredients and ready-made kits, or are you the experimenter who lives on the edge?

 

[SugarSkulls]

My dad has a book filled with homebrew recipes. I might do it someday, and I would be making my own recipes.

 

[Colour Scientist]

A friend of mine tried it. It wasn't the best beer in the world but he gave it out for free and when you're in college that's greatly appreciated. It actually kind of tasted like Coors Light.

I think he got pre-packaged ingredients.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

My dad brewed a few ales when I was younger. I'd love to try it myself sometime, but I haven't had the chance yet.

 

[Esotera]

I once got really drunk on a summer afternoon with my housemate and made a redneck cider press. We mashed all the apples in our garden with a cheese grater, removed the juice with flannels, and then pasteurised it by boiling it on the hob. We then bought a couple of bottles of distilled water, emptied most of the containers, added lucozade sport bottles to the top and duct taped it on (obviously with yeast).

We think it actually worked quite well, but we never got to drink it as our other housemate threw it out a week before we were going to drink it.

 

[theevilgenius60]

I make mead. I'm no mazer by any stretch of the imagination, but my apple and orange varieties are damn pleasant(and intoxicating) if I do say do myself. When the economy crashes, I have a backup plan for keeping myself fed(along with a garden). I plan on buying some of the larger carboys with water airlocks when I have the extra cash, but for now I make do with plastic jugs and lightly punctured balloons.

 

[ThaBenMan]

I never have brewed anything myself, but I have a few friends that do and it looks fun. I'd like to try it sometime. And the beer they made was great.

One of said beer-brewing friends once showed me a recipe from back in colonial days in a book he had - it was for some kind of chicken beer. He's never dared to try making it himself.

 

[smearyllama]

My dad has given it a couple of shots, and has a cask that's been aging for a few years now. Apparently they're actually pretty good (I don't drink).

 

[Poerts]

Tried brewing a batch of beer once with some roommates. it ended up making an utterly shit batch of beer that everyone but me refused to even try a sip of.

 

[Klutzz]

I homebrew all the time. In my opinion, if you don't experiment, then you're doing it wrong. Have an Imperial Stout just bottled, with licorice, molasses, cocao nibs, and vanilla beans. It sits at about 12% though, heh. Have a Cinnamon Apple Ale in the works too. Once made a cilantro pale ale... that was a bit of a bad idea... Point is: Homebrewing is an amazing hobby.

EDIT: All hail the God-king Charlie Papazian!

 

[JoesshittyOs]

My brother did it in his Bathtub once. It was actually the first beer that I liked.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[manic_depressive13]

What the hell is wrong with me. This must be the fifth time I've noticed this thread out of the corner of my eye, and every single time I have read the title as "Hebrewing".

That's all. I know nothing about home brewing.

 

[Guffe]

Never done it.
It's illegal here so I probably never will.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I've never done it myself, but I've had local brews. A pub in town brews their own bitter and it's some premium stuff. Got a great bitter-sweet taste with a kind of spice to the hop flavour. Damn, now I want to try...

 

[lacktheknack]

I'd never play it dangerous, if you don't get the methanol out of your booze...

As for safe, my Dad used to make wines, but I've never cared for alcohol, so I never paid attention. I wouldn't do it except to make cooking ingredients.

 

[OneBrokePony]

I homebrew all the time. In my opinion, if you don't experiment, then you're doing it wrong. Have an Imperial Stout just bottled, with licorice, molasses, cocao nibs, and vanilla beans. It sits at about 12% though, heh. Have a Cinnamon Apple Ale in the works too. Once made a cilantro pale ale... that was a bit of a bad idea... Point is: Homebrewing is an amazing hobby.

EDIT: All hail the God-king Charlie Papazian!

Cinnamon Apple Ale sounds like something I would want, and even though I don't care much for stout that vanilla cacao one you're working on sounds good.
What was that cilantro ale like?