Midnight Pub

Homebrewing

~winter

This afternoon I'm bottling a bitter. Should clock in just over 4% ABV. Pale malt, bittered with Northdown and East Kent Goldings, dry hopped with Tettnanger.

Brewing is a hobby I took up around five years ago, something I'd always wanted to do. I love it. It makes beer cheap, gives a sense of pride in creation. I've never graduated from extract-with-steeped-grains to all grain, and I don't care. What I make tastes good. It makes me happy.

I've got everything gathered: bottles, long-arm capper, hydrometer, sanitizer. I'll pour myself a homebrew, clean and sanitize everything, fill my 40-50 bottles, cap them, and then, as always, wonder why I'm so tired. Sit down with a book. Have a cup of tea.


xiu

Your brew sounds delicious ~winter!

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winter

Turns out it was 4.73% ABV (1.048 OG, 1.012 FG). More ESB than ordinary bitter, for sure.

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ns

That reminds me. I have 64 pounds of honey waiting to be brewed. Weekend project!

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winter

How much mead does that make?

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ns

About 5 gallons at 3 lbs of honey per gallon of water.

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winter

Whew that's a lot of meade! Do you add and herbs or anything similar, or just the honey? And is it all for you? Do you end up giving some away?

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ns

Whoops, was a bit tired and did my math wrong. It's only 5 gallons :)

I've never added anything to mead before, this will be my first. I actually have 3 batches going right now. For two of my 1 gallon batches I want to try two different kinds of hops. For the 5 gallon batch of mead, not sure yet! And I usually end up sharing some with my friends. One of them got me into it, after all.

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winter

That was how I got into homebrewing, too! I'd always wanted to try, but it was a friend who helped me out with my first brew and got me started.

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