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two questions: barley wine and Spirits

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  • two questions: barley wine and Spirits

    1st question:
    I am getting started in homebrewing as i plan on making my first batch of barley wine. Is it the same process just a longer fermentation period? DO they usually turn out good?

    2nd question:
    Are there any good sites on making your own spirits and is this even legal?

  • #2
    Hey Blaskos,

    Hopefully this helps...........

    Barley Wine
    Why start out with such a big beer? In my humble opinion, there are (3) things a homebrewer does that lead to sub-par beers:
    1.) Inadequate aeration of the wort.
    2.) Underpitch the yeast.
    3.) Start out by making too big of a beer.

    However, understanding that you really want to make a Barley Wine, then yes, it's basically the same process. Aerate a little more than a lower gravity beer and pitch a bit more yeast. Aeration is important, and no, rocking a carboy over your knee doesn't work well enough. Get a homebrew aeration kit and use oxygen. I would recommend pitching around a pint of yeast slurry per 5 gallons as well.
    Homebrewing is a skill/art like any sport or musical instrument; If you just start out on the guitar, don't expect to play like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Being what I think you mean as "good" comes with experience. However, you will make a drinkable beer, and with practice an award winning beer.
    Sometimes I think it's harder to make great beers at home than it is to do it in a full up Microbrewery since you don't normally have all the toys a professional has at their disposal.


    Spirits
    Yes, there are websites for this. Try "homedistiller dot org". Tony Ackland's site is a textbook unto itself.

    No. It is not legal in most of the Western World and probably even less of the East. New Zealand is the only country I'm aware of.....maybe Australia?......where it is legal. However, in the USA you can obtain fuel permits and experiemntal permits from the ATF. I think there's still a state or two where homebrewing is still illegal in the USA.
    The law states that no mechanical process can be used to increase teh alcohol content of a beer once the primary ferment has taken place EXCEPT ice beers, and I seem to recall the maximum percent "change" in content before and after is 5%.
    However, there is some interesting items on the market. At a food trade show I saw something I hazily remember being called "mocktails"...........mixed drinks (already mixed and bottled) that were 20% alcohol made from malt/rice fermentations using distiller's yeast. They start with a really light (color/flavor) malt ferment that terminates at a higher alcohol content and cut it down with flavorings. Some tasted a bit close, but no cigar. They were made so that Alehouses and bars that could/would not get their hard pop licenses (hard liquor) could still serve something akin to the real thing. Sounded a bit like buying a Yugo to me.


    BTW - If you are planning on making a Barley Wine and making a "spirit" from that, leave the hops out. It don't quite taste right.........or so a friend tells me.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for the response. Yeah ill have to wait a little on the barley wine and stuff as the aeration part i think i would mess up.

      Spirits: So if you dont mind i have another questiona bout spirits. So to make hard alcohol you make it from wine, beer, and what? This is totally a guess but to make tequila would you make a beer (lets say) out of agave then distill it to get the tequila. And vodka would be similar just different surgar source?

      Another quick question: I have a a nice little brew kit (the basics with 5 and 6.5 glass carboys and the rest of the stuff needed), but is there a way to make a simple kit using kegs and like a gravity system. One keg to make the grain tea and stuff then let gravity do its work to the 2nd keg for primary fermentation, then again using gravity to the third keg for secondary fermentation, then to a final keg with CO2. If you know off hand, what would the price be of these materials and is this a method possible?

      Comment


      • #4
        Blaskos,

        I'm going to sound like a bad guy here but I mean this with all respect and with sincere thoughts...........

        This really isn't the right forum for long discussions on home distilling. It is illegal in the United States and any Microbrewer doing it unlicensed can have their Operating Licenses permanently revoked and that's a very, very bad thing. There are other forums on the Internet for this and please go to the website I directed you to. The answers you seek will be adressed there.

        I think you need to further do some reading with regards to homebrewing..........I suggest Papzian's "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing" to start. What I believe you have described in your note is a recipe for an infection (again, with all respect). A little book reading will answer all your questions as this really isn't a beginning homebrewing forum, though homebrewers with an eye toward production do ask questions here.

        Regards, and good luck.

        Comment


        • #5
          For Professional Brewers

          Sorry to be the bad guy, but ProBrewer is a site dedicated solely to the professional brewing industry. If we allow homebrewing and home distilling conversations to take place, it distracts greatly from the ability of professional brewers to search and use this forum.

          I’ll leave this up for a couple of days if people want to contact you via private message.

          Cheers,

          Admin

          Comment


          • #6
            Diamond Knot:
            Hey i have that book it came with my homebrew kit and im on the intermediate section. I totally understand what you guys are saying about the legality issues.

            Admin:
            Again i understand the issue here and sorry for the post. I have one question? Is it ok if i ask basic questions or would it be better for me to find other forums to ask the basic homebrew questions (if so what are some good ones, i know of realbeer.com) I definately will keep up with this site because i think its great, but it is really advanced for me.

            Anyways sorry for the post and thanks for the replies!
            Last edited by blaskos; 01-10-2006, 12:04 AM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Realbeer.com

              It would be best, probably both for you and in the best interest of this forum, if you work with a homebrewing-specific site.

              Realbeer.com is our sister site, moderated by an extremely accomplished homebrewer and author. It is set up specically for homebrewers and beer enthusiasts. There are some pretty advanced conversations there, and it is searchable as well, so you can often search out answers to your questions without even posting.

              Maybe we will see you back here sometime in the future as a professional brewer!

              Good luck,

              Admin

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