Home brewing kits for yachts???

[anansi]

Originally Posted by N0NJY

First off....

I've been making homebrew a few years now - and mead, and I started using the little "kits" like "Mr. Beer" and some of the others.

They... to be honest, suck. THe beer is not that good.

Hey, mate! Why no love for beer kits? I thought Mr. Beer is good? What was your experience with Mr. Beer?

[gulfcoastcruiser]

I homebrew at home, but I could not imagine trying to homebrew on my boat. You want to keep your wort in a dark place at a relatively cool and constant temperature during the fermentation process which might not be possible on a boat.

Also, a boil over in the galley would be pretty messy. I use a propane cooker on my patio at home.

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by anansi

Hey, mate! Why no love for beer kits? I thought Mr. Beer is good? What was your experience with Mr. Beer?

Good beer requires high quality ingredients, something you're not gonna get with a Mr. Beer-type kit.

[capecodphyllis]

Originally Posted by gulfcoastcruiser

I homebrew at home, but I could not imagine trying to homebrew on my boat. You want to keep your wort in a dark place at a relatively cool and constant temperature during the fermentation process which might not be possible on a boat.

Also, a boil over in the galley would be pretty messy. I use a propane cooker on my patio at home.

Many years ago when the engine in my old Cal 40 actually worked and I had refrigeration. I used ale yeast, a short 45 minute wort boil in the cockpit, and bottle conditioning -- no carboys. I would only brew a gallon at a time because I had a small ice- box. It was fun and the beer was delicious, but the cost of ingredients and propane was far far in excess of just buying the local stuff.

[anansi]

Originally Posted by Fstbttms

Good beer requires high quality ingredients, something you're not gonna get with a Mr. Beer-type kit.

Really? But I thought that they're good. Checked their site and found some good deals there. I don't know, man. But I think I'm gonna try Mr. Beer. Hope it goes well!

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by anansi

Really? But I thought that they're good. Checked their site and found some good deals there. I don't know, man. But I think I'm gonna try Mr. Beer. Hope it goes well!

In the end, whatever method you use, you're gonna end up with beer. It just depends on what your definition of "good" is.

[gulfcoastcruiser]

I would recommend the Cooper's homebrew kit over the Mr. Beer. I used the Cooper's malt for one of my first batches and it turned out pretty well. I did add additional hops during the boil though. If you follow the directions as printed on the can, your results may vary.

[svthefilthywhore]

we have been boatbrewing for a few months, the gentle motion of puget sound actually helps the fermentation. we use the 6gal bucket from a home brewing supply store and a 5gal glass carboy for secondary. we have been bottle conditioning this whole time, but are looking into a corny keg system to get rid of most of the bottles.

I started with the coopers brand kits for the first two and then moved on to recipes and bulk product, with a little tweaking of the recipe ( why make a beer you can buy in the grocery store). because of the small space onboard we choose to use malt extract rather than all grain.

all of the beer has turned out better than anything we can buy in bottles and because it is unpasturized and unfiltered we get more vitamin B complex than the alcohol distroys, so I dont feel like I stayed up late drinking the next morning.

boat brew is the way to go if you care alot about really good beer.

psst, glug glug glug, aaaahh, now thats a good beer.

joey

[anansi]

Originally Posted by Fstbttms

In the end, whatever method you use, you're gonna end up with beer. It just depends on what your definition of "good" is.

Haha! You're right! I hope I would get it right, though. Don't wanna spoil my first beer. But I guess it normally happens, right?

[roline]

Stick with the ales and stouts/ porters. The time for extraction/ rest and hr hopping boil time will test your patience and you will have to keep an eye on boil overs. Some porters and lagers require extended maturing time in the bottle prior to consumption. (Russian porter, Irish peat smoked stout) Alt ale with American ale yeast can go into a soda keg with CO2, for quicker consumption. About $28/5.5 gallons. Lots of flavor, yet smooth.