beer making

[steveh2112]

i'm a big home brewer. i'd like to make beer when on the road but obviously you can't do certain parts of the process on the move, but parked up for a couple of weeks it should be possible. using finings to speed up clearing is one thing that will help.

any one tried making beer on the move?

 

[mconlonx]

I've homebrewed, but it's nothing I would think to take on the road. Even if parking for extended lengths of time -- just storing or having to move around things like a big boiling pot, 5 gallon buckets/carboys, etc. seems like it would be a hassle, as would keeping things sanitized. But hey, good luck!

 

[minimotos95]

I was thinking temperature control may be the biggest issue. I don't know about beer but wine tastes bad if the primary gets too hot and of course if it gets too cold the yeast take a nap.

I've been experimenting with making a coffee wine, 1 gallon batches. But I'm immobile and have access to a full kitchen.

 

[steveh2112]

i don't bother with bottling (glass bottles), waste of time. i use drinking water bottles, no need to sanitize, just drink the water and use. just don't allow too much secondary fermentation in the bottle or boom!

i also use the big water cooler style water bottles for fermenting and clearing.

temp needs to be about 10-16degC, not sure what that is in F? i think about low to mid 60s? so depends on time or year but spring and fall in the mountains should be doable with a good insulation blanket around it to moderate day and night temperature

 

[steveh2112]

if i was making beer on the road i'd want simplicity and speed. use malt extract for sure, no equipment needed other than a big pot to boil in and a bucket or bottle to ferment in, so something like this
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/amber-malt-extract-syrup-maillard-malts.html
or this http://www.midwestsupplies.com/munton-and-fison-uk-amber-dme.html (DME easier for storage) and some hops and yeast
something like this for the water
http://www.walmart.com/ip/WATER-2GO-SPRGWTR-1LTR/32527920
then keep the bottles clean and use for finished product without additional cleaning. can be reused to save money next time.

you can get the fermenting over with in about 7 days if you keep it warm so on cold days your could stuff warming pads of some kind inside an insulating blaket to keep it moving along.
then if you use finings (or a filter) you can clear it in about 4-5 days (colder the better so long as its not freezing).
once it in the bottles, its no big deal shaking it around. so if you are camped up in a dispersed area for 14 days straight, i'd say no problem so long as you can keep the temperature under control.

i make beer now in Thailand so its all about temperature control here.

best part, even with the bottled water its only about $35 for 5 gallons, more like $25 if you filter and boil local water

alternately to using bottles, a keg, but they are expensive, need cleaning and take up a lot of space. i think the plastic bottles are the way to go.

 

[Lostinspace]

I had an aunt who made home brew out in the country. Her recipe was quite simple. I don't remember any boiling water.

She used a big crock; sugar, Fleischmans yeast, well water, white rice and that was about it. I may have forgotten something as this was in the late sixties. Cheese clothe covered the crock pot. She would check it periodically. When it was ready she would stick a siphon tube in the batch an suck on it to start it. She would then bottle and cap it. And it would finish working off.

Of course there was settlement in the bottom. So you would pour off the brew into a glass. She used the sediment in various stews, great stuff. My favorite aunt. I even bought my own setup and brewed a batch or two.

It was great brew, she said it was more an ale at about 15% alcohol. I know it would knock you on your ass. Definitely better than beer.

It wasn't particularly temperature sensitive. She kept in a closet to work off. Once bottled it was stored in the little shop across the carport. Nothing fragile about.

I seem to remember it produced about six cases per batch. I still have my crock pot, caper and I've started saving my Amber glass beer bottles. I'm on my way.

 

[wagoneer]

My kinda gal. Simple and effective.

 

[eDJ_]

I'm a brewer also. Not that much of a drinker though. I brew "home brew" usually the Dark Beers, Wines of red and white, Vinegar for cooking.....and I could speak to distilling too having grown up in West Virginia.

As far as taking that on the road, I think I'd rather do that at home where I'm safe. I could take my bottled stuff
along, packed away safe from prying eyes should that happen. But when I'd want a Beer I could get my teeth
in, I'd throw one of my Munchen Hofbrau's in the ice chest and get it good and cold to enjoy it.

Mine pours a head dense as a Merangue and I jokingly tell folks that it could be eaten with a spoon.

 

[ccbreder]

I make a cyder. Apple juice, ale yeast or white wine yeast, in carboy with air lock, when bubbles stop, siphon into empty juice jugs. If higher alcohol wanted, add some sugar with the juice. I don't think moving and shaking on the road would hurt to badly. On a cold night let slushy ice form and then strain the drink from the ice.

 

[ZoNiE]

Forget the process problems, That vat would probably qualify as the largest "open container" there is LOL