Homebrewers of ENWorld (A Thread About Beer, Wine, and Mead)

[CleverNickName]

Moved my cherry mead out of primary and into secondary fermentation. According to the refractometer, I've got 9.2% ABV. And according to my first taste, I've got every bit of that ABV...it's very warm on the tongue. But it also has a lot of good tart cherry flavor, with a floral finish from the honey.

It'll have to age for a year to mellow out the alcohol. But I think the final product will be very nice indeed.

Anyway. Three or four more weeks in secondary, and then I'll clarify and bottle.

 

[CleverNickName]

Anyone ever tried brewing their own non-alcoholic (or low-alcoholic, ~0.5% ABV) homebrew?

A friend of mine is on the wagon.

 

[Zaukrie]

Anyone ever tried brewing their own non-alcoholic (or low-alcoholic, ~0.5% ABV) homebrew?

A friend of mine is on the wagon.

Look for kombucha recipes.....I think that would work if you add hops.

 

[Pedantic]

So, I don't homebrew (or in fact, drink at all), but I have a truly absurd seltzer water habit that's landed me with a kegerator and a corny keg just to have enough available to economically support my consumption, and that's led me on a lot of homebrewing blogs trying to turn up details, where I'm learning that's a really common second tap item?

I'm curious, given the overlap, if anyone has any solid flavoring advice. I've been using some LorAnn's water soluble flavors, which work pretty well, and sometimes I'll just throw in citrus or a splash of a fruit juice. I've been considering looking into trying out flavored bitters (you end up with a negligible ABV at the dilutions we're talking about) and/or trying to make my own shrubs. Any thoughts on what I might try?

 

[CleverNickName]

So, I don't homebrew (or in fact, drink at all), but I have a truly absurd seltzer water habit that's landed me with a kegerator and a corny keg just to have enough available to economically support my consumption, and that's led me on a lot of homebrewing blogs trying to turn up details, where I'm learning that's a really common second tap item?

I'm curious, given the overlap, if anyone has any solid flavoring advice. I've been using some LorAnn's water soluble flavors, which work pretty well, and sometimes I'll just throw in citrus or a splash of a fruit juice. I've been considering looking into trying out flavored bitters (you end up with a negligible ABV at the dilutions we're talking about) and/or trying to make my own shrubs. Any thoughts on what I might try?

My wife and I really like adding bitters to our carbonated water.

I'll see if I can find some recipes for homemade bitters...

 

[CleverNickName]

Here's the first one that came up on a Google search. I've never tried it, and I'm amused that it is labeled a "basic" recipe with as many ingredients and steps as it has...but here it is all the same.

Discover How to Make Your Own Aromatic Bitters

Do you love DIY ingredients in your bar? Learn how to make your own cocktail bitters using this basic recipe and then have fun experimenting with flavors.

www.thespruceeats.com

 

[Zaukrie]

My wife and I really like adding bitters to our carbonated water.

I'll see if I can find some recipes for homemade bitters...

We add bitters to water all the time. Really is amazing (rhubarb seems a favorite for some reason).

 

[Sacrosanct]

Anyone ever tried brewing their own non-alcoholic (or low-alcoholic, ~0.5% ABV) homebrew?

A friend of mine is on the wagon.

I've brewed my own ginger sodas with ginger bugs. You have to be careful though, because if you don't cold crash them early enough, you end up with a hard soda lol.

 

[CleverNickName]

I've brewed my own ginger sodas with ginger bugs. You have to be careful though, because if you don't cold crash them early enough, you end up with a hard soda lol.

Or ginger hand grenades!

(Ask me how I know)

 

[CleverNickName]

Look for kombucha recipes.....I think that would work if you add hops.

Oh kombucha and I go way back...it's my sig-o's fermented beverage of choice so we've brewed several batches over the years. (My favorite so far is a jasmine+green tea+honey kombucha, really nice and herbal. Their favorite is a lemon+ginger kombucha...it's more like a funky ginger ale.)

I'm specifically looking for homebrew beer recipes that are low-alcohol or alcohol-free ("near beer"). I've stopped drinking alcohol out of solidarity with my buddy, and it has taught me two things above all else:

1. NA beers taste a lot better now than they did back in the 1990s, and
2. They are ridiculously expensive...almost twice the price of microbrews.

So I want to try making it at home, but I'm not sure where to begin. My dream is to someday clone the Clausthauler Dry Hopped, and then brew a whole garage-full of it because it's delicious.