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Author Topic: Howdy everybody!  (Read 145273 times)

Offline bluesman

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #180 on: July 28, 2010, 10:03:01 am »
Welcome to the AHA Forum Rob!

Let us know what's brewing when you get a chance.
Ron Price

Offline ullarsskald1989

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #181 on: August 09, 2010, 07:45:54 pm »
Hey all;

I'm one of the TT'ers who prefer the email list, though I have come here from time to time.  Looking through this thread, I realize I have not said hello properly. ;)

I started brewing during the summer of 1974 with "Blue Ribbon" malt syrup from the A&P "baking needs" section.  I used "Lena Pabst's" prohibition-era recipe for 5 gallons of beer, which was printed inside the label: (2) #3 cans of malt syrup (about 6# unhopped LME), 1# cane sugar, 2 packets bread yeast and enough water to make up 5-gallons....15 minute boil.  My fermenter was a 6-gallon frosting bucket from Dunkin Donuts.  Airlock, who knew a plastic bag over the whole thing wasn't good enough?  My mom bought me a capper at a garage sale for 75 cents, which I still use (it was made in 1921 and I found one on Ebay recently for the same price, plus shipping ,-).  I got a couple of cases of empties from the corner pub, where my dad and his buddies went; rinsed them out with Chlorox-water.  Found cork-lined crown caps at Mr Miner's hardware store.

It was, in no uncertain terms, undrinkable and I buried a case (minus the 1 bottle).  My brother said he'd keep the other and see if age would improve it.  My mom found the second case (minus 1 bottle) in a corner cupboard in her basement a few years ago (it was 32 years old); it got a decent burial near the other case.

I got better; found books on brewing at the library (and bought my own).  Discovered sanitation guidelines, dairy grade tubing, food grade tubs, glass water jugs...boiling.  Got my first packet of dried brewer's yeast.  Came across a supply of hops...found a mentor.  Bought an airlock...

I added wine in early '75 (I do a really good 1-gallon winemaker class) and mead in mid '83 (wrote a book on Mead Making in early '99).  I've been a certified judge in the SCA (medieval brewing, vinting and infusions/cordials) and (informally) for various home brew clubs.

After I married in 1982, I taught my wife how to brew, so the whole house is "infected".  ;D

After all these years, I am (we are) still brewing with extract (dried) with some specialty grains.  We like to quip that we've just hired someone else to do the mashing and sparging.

We rarely brew to style, preferring instead to brew to taste.  My wife's favorite to brew is her English style IPA with Oats.  For malt beverages, I really like my Irish style Dry Stout with Rye.  I mostly brew melomels these days.

We do gain a lot from the all-grainers and techno-brewers, but it ain't our thing.

Take care - Steven
Today is a good day; to learn, to do, to love, to be...

(Ale - 1974, Wine - 1975, Mead - 1983)

Steven P Robinson, AHA Member #175298

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #182 on: August 09, 2010, 08:17:20 pm »
Steven - After a few times it becomes familiar here, and you can find what you want quickly.  Welcome!
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline theDarkSide

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #183 on: August 10, 2010, 06:04:02 am »
Welcome Steven.  Man...that sure is some old school stuff.  Make me realize how lucky we are today.
Seacoast Homebrew Club - Portsmouth, NH
AHA Member
Stephen Mayo
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #184 on: August 10, 2010, 07:45:00 am »
Welcome to The Great AHA Forum.  Hope you find it to be your go to resource for your homebrewing needs.

Cheers!
Ron Price

Offline blatz

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #185 on: August 10, 2010, 09:09:51 am »
welcome!
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline euge

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #186 on: August 10, 2010, 12:16:37 pm »
Howdy Steven! We look forward to your input. :)
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline hammy2424

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #187 on: August 10, 2010, 03:45:27 pm »
Hello All,

I have really decided to jump in here after the untimely demise of Tech Talk.  While it was a bit antiquated, I really enjoyed the information.  I have to admit advice from Dave Houseman on a nearly daily basis didn't hurt either.

I've been brewing for about 5 years, and thanks to a podcast with Mufasa Ferguson on the Session I have been brewing all grain for the last 6 months.

I hope to share some good info and good times :)

Hammy - BN Army Member

All Grain brewing thanks to a pep talk from Mufasa Ferguson

Drinking:
American Brown Ale (Messed Up Mirror Pond Clone)
BCS Dark Mild
Late Hopped Imperial Red Ale

Fermenting:  Nussink

Upcoming:
Ginger Pilz
Oatmeal Cookie Amber
Black Butte Clone

Offline dbeechum

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #188 on: August 10, 2010, 03:53:07 pm »
thanks to a podcast with Mufasa Ferguson on the Session I have been brewing all grain for the last 6 months.

Howdy!

And I wonder just how many people have decided to go all grain about Fergie went on his rant. :)
Drew Beechum - Maltosefalcons.com
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Offline denny

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #189 on: August 10, 2010, 07:10:18 pm »
Hey, hammy!  Good to have you here! 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

boulderbrewer

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #190 on: August 10, 2010, 09:09:03 pm »
Welcome to all you TT menand women. I could never figure out TT so I never posted there.

Offline hammy2424

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #191 on: August 11, 2010, 08:14:30 am »

Howdy!

And I wonder just how many people have decided to go all grain about Fergie went on his rant. :)

It was pretty funny, because the first time I listened to it I was like F that, I work my butt off just to make good beer with extract and steeping.  The second time I went "He's right, suck it up and take control of your beer."

That said, first AG I learned a valuable lesson - DO NOT keep checking temperature and stirring your mash when using a cooler mash tun and single infusion batch sparge.  My Dark Mild is much more like brown colored water with grain dust in it, but my second batch hung right at 154 where I wanted it after the initial mash in, and is pretty respectable.

Besides now I get to make a bunch of new equipment.  My 3-roller monster mill (thank you wifey) should be up and running by weeks end.
Hammy - BN Army Member

All Grain brewing thanks to a pep talk from Mufasa Ferguson

Drinking:
American Brown Ale (Messed Up Mirror Pond Clone)
BCS Dark Mild
Late Hopped Imperial Red Ale

Fermenting:  Nussink

Upcoming:
Ginger Pilz
Oatmeal Cookie Amber
Black Butte Clone

Offline bluesman

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #192 on: August 11, 2010, 11:11:30 am »
Welcome to the AHA Forum Hammy!

I think you'll be able to get your brewing fix right here.
Ron Price

Offline The Professor

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #193 on: August 11, 2010, 02:13:05 pm »
...I started brewing during the summer of 1974 with "Blue Ribbon" malt syrup from the A&P "baking needs" section.  ...

Great that you jumped on board here Steven.
Always nice to see another old timer here (looks like we started around the same time more or less). ;D
cheers!
AL
New Brunswick, NJ
[499.6, 101.2] Apparent Rennerian
Homebrewer since July 1971

Offline ullarsskald1989

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Re: Howdy everybody!
« Reply #194 on: August 11, 2010, 04:40:39 pm »
...I started brewing during the summer of 1974 with "Blue Ribbon" malt syrup from the A&P "baking needs" section.  ...

Great that you jumped on board here Steven.
Always nice to see another old timer here (looks like we started around the same time more or less). ;D
cheers!



"Style guidelines" What's that?"  :)

A brewer after my own heart.  One of my favorites as a little tyke was Ballantine IPA.

When I started you basically had beer and ale, in the more elder senses of the words...in my area, Beer was what the big boys made, Ale was what the more local/regional brewers made (I grew up in western Massachusetts).

Beer was German.  Ale was English.  The Irish, well, they drank that funny black stuff.

French and Italians...vin ordinaire and vino rosso...

Russians...vodka...

And there you have much of my ethnic background ,-)

I look at "styles" and recipes as fluid guidelines to help me make something I like to drink.

And that for me is the heart of the hobby, not I having an "I Love Me" wall of ribbons and certificates.  Hell, I didn't enter my 1st AHA competition until 2 or 3 years ago.

But, I see TT may get a reprieve, if we can come up with sounds ideas to keep it useful.

But, I'll likely be around here a little more, as I like to strike up conversations.

take care - Steven
Today is a good day; to learn, to do, to love, to be...

(Ale - 1974, Wine - 1975, Mead - 1983)

Steven P Robinson, AHA Member #175298