No homebrewers?

[monkeykoder]

I'm pretty darned sure beer brewing would be a period topic why is no one talking about this wonderful artform?

 

[Blizzard of '93]

good Q, and while the thread is active how about wine makeing and 'corn squeezin''?

 

[monkeykoder]

I'd love to see some of the period recipes for all of the above (add cider and we've got a lot of good beverages you can brew (in camp if it lasts long enough)).

 

[monkeykoder]

Well I'll start since no one else is biting. Brewing is pretty easy actually. My favourite hard cider I've ever tried was the first batch I ever made. All I did was take a gallon of fresh juiced apples and added a packet of plain brewers yeast bottled in one month let age as long as possible (I lost one bottle and found it almost 2 years later and it was amazing).

 

[runes]

I used to brew a lot of beer but for the last year or so I have been brewing sake. Easier than beer and much higher octain. In glass container pour 4 and 1/2 cups sugar into one gal hot tap water, stir well, add 4 and 1/2 cups cheap rice and a small handful of dark raisins, add two packs of dry fleishmans yeast. Cover with plastic wrap to keep out stray yeasts, It should start bubbling very shorty. Wait about ten days and siphon into bottles. Drink hot or cold.
Now this stuff isn't as good as store bought sake but it's not bad. It is a lot cheaper though.

 

[rabjr]

I'm sure it's potent but to call that Sake is just wrong.

 

[rabjr]

Not beer but I do brew Hard Cider, Mead a wonderful Cyser and want to brew real Sake soon. I did just try one of the wine kits and bottled a "Spanish Rose" yesterday. /hic :grin:

 

[monkeykoder]

Got a recipe for that cyser? I've always wanted to try one.

 

[monkeykoder]

I mean seriously where is the kome-koji???

 

[rabjr]

:haha: I took the unit out of an old egg incubator and built a nice wood box that I then screwed the heating element into the cover. Just so I can maintain 86 degrees and grow the right mold on the Japanese short grain rice for Sake. :haha: :youcrazy:

 

[runes]

Where do you get your Komi koji?

 

[rabjr]

Sure, and heres a previous thread on it.

I use 4 gallons of fresh pressed apple cider, 8 lbs of honey, 1 lb of brown suger, half lb chopped dates, half lb chopped raisins. Lalvin D-47 yeast and enough water to bring the fermenter to 5 gallons. Left it alone for 6 weeks and then raked it. I let it remain in a carboy for about 3 more months then I bottled it. Gonna have to setup 3 batches at least next year cause every body here loves it. Down to two bottles left now after giving most of it away. :haha: :thumbsup:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/232973/post/704802/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[Lostrifle]

good Q, and while the thread is active how about wine makeing and 'corn squeezin''?

"Corn squeezin's" isn't brewing, it's distilling. As in "moonshine". And, unless you pay excise taxes, and are properly licenced by the state, it's illegal.

Now I brew beer and mead. It's legal to make 200 gallons of brewed beverage(for your own use, mind) per year. You can give what you make away to others, you're just not supposed to sell the stuff.

 

[rabjr]

You can get freeze dryed stuff at most natural food stores.
http://www.kushistore.com/acatalog/Organic_Rice.html
http://www.simply-natural.biz/koji-natto-spores.php
http://www.coldmountainmiso.com/coldmount.html

Or if you want to grow it you can get the spores here.
http://leeners.com/sake.html

 

[monkeykoder]

Now I brew beer and mead. It's legal to make 200 gallons of brewed beverage(for your own use, mind) per year. You can give what you make away to others, you're just not supposed to sell the stuff.

It's actually 200 gallons per household IF there are at least 2 people of legal age in the household otherwise it's 100 gallons.

 

[monkeykoder]

Sounds like quite the tasty beverage I'll have to try it.

 

[monkeykoder]

ç±³ is pronounced "kome" it means rice... (still busy looking up the kanji for koji...)

 

[dyemaker]

I don't know how HC it is but one of my relatives used to make beer from potatoes and hops and bring it to the family reunion. I never tried it but I know where there are plenty of healthy wild hops vines around here. I'd rather make it with barley and rice myself. The winter wheat is all around me but I don't like wheat beer that much. I tried it one time and it didn't even taste or smell like beer to me. Made Elderberry wine before. Dandelion wine and mead too. Mead.... the breakfast of Vikings.

 

[Mulebrain]

Brewing beer huh? :hmm:

Sounds good to me!

Been doing all grain, for quite a spell! If you need any historic recipes, just let me know!

I open ferment, and run 14 gallon batches.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

good Q, and while the thread is active how about wine makeing and 'corn squeezin''?

"Corn squeezin's" isn't brewing, it's distilling. As in "moonshine". And, unless you pay excise taxes, and are properly licenced by the state, it's illegal.

Now I brew beer and mead. It's legal to make 200 gallons of brewed beverage(for your own use, mind) per year. You can give what you make away to others, you're just not supposed to sell the stuff.

it's definitely illegal to transport non-taxed spirits under any circumstance but state-by-state on makeing up to 10 gallons for home use. IIRC there is a BATFE form to fill out to apply for permit.