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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 16, 2010 19:46:12 GMT -5
Hi,
Well, I already said where I'm from, so I'll say a little bit about me. I'm new to gardening, last year was my first. I actually started the garden to grow my own hops for my other hobby, brewing beer; the rest of the garden was just a bonus to my efforts. I'm looking forward to this years growing season since the hops are just starting to sprout. I'm not sure what the rest of the garden will have. I better figure out something soon, spring is coming.
Here's looking forward to learning from this forum.
Cheers.
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Post by spacecase0 on Mar 16, 2010 19:58:39 GMT -5
hi,
I brew beer as well,
I grow many other things other than hops,
but I will be trying to grow hops this year.
there are so very many things to be growing,
I a not sure I could help you decide at all,
and I don't know what grows well there either...
and I missed you in chat,
if you type something,
then I will here it.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Mar 16, 2010 20:52:52 GMT -5
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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 16, 2010 21:06:12 GMT -5
Thanks Liz!
BTW, who do you know in MA that brews beer?
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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 16, 2010 21:12:12 GMT -5
hi, I brew beer as well, I grow many other things other than hops, but I will be trying to grow hops this year. Great to see another home brewer here. How long have you been doing it? I've been brewing for 4 years. It's now an addiction, I gotta have one fermenter full at all times. Right now, I have two. there are so very many things to be growing, I a not sure I could help you decide at all, and I don't know what grows well there either... I have some chili seeds, so I know that much will be in there. and I missed you in chat, if you type something, then I will here it. I was just checking out the chat feature. I didn't stay long because I wanted to check out more of the site. A lot of this stiff is currently over my head, but I'll learn. |
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Post by JanetM on Mar 16, 2010 21:31:03 GMT -5
I just wanted to say Welcome. I don't brew beer but drink it sometimes. ..
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Post by Penny on Mar 17, 2010 5:54:50 GMT -5
Hello there and Welcome.
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Post by flowerpower on Mar 17, 2010 6:06:49 GMT -5
Welcome to HG.  Mass has a short growing season. If you want ripe tomatoes, now would be a good time to start seeds. And you can put peas and lettuce/greens in the ground as soon as it's workable. If you need any seed, just post on the trade page. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 17, 2010 9:22:43 GMT -5
Greetings! We don't do beer, we do wine and liquor. We aren't drinkers, but I can't stand waste and in the past, before we had a terra preta pit to feed, we would have left over mash from making jam AND my husband is a beekeeper so we had TONS of honey to boot. So, we make a lot of meade flavored with mash (well, technically when meade has a fruit component it's melomel) and we've been known to soak stuff in soju (Korean white likker). Blackberry in soju for a couple months becomes a lovely syrup that is stupendous over ice cream.
Anyway, I'd love to hear about making honey beers. It's one the "things to do before kicking the bucket" list.
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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 17, 2010 19:01:48 GMT -5
Thanks mnjrutherford. I added three pounds of honey to one of my beers a while back. It was interesting, but I was still fairly new at brewing, so I wouldn't call it "good". I plan on doing it again, maybe this year if I run out of beers to make. I haven't tried making a mead yet, but that's on my todo list too. My last batch of cider is just about gone, so I plan on doing another one this fall.
I'm not into wine, but I ran into a guy that built a small still. It produces about a gallon of rocket fuel. I'll be looking into that as well, could be an interesting addition to my hobby.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 17, 2010 21:45:32 GMT -5
There is a cool little book that tells you all about the history of meade of all types. Wine, beer, melomel, and tangelo (I'm not sure about the spelling on the last but it is spiced wine). I wonder if the problem with your ale meade was that it hadn't aged long enough. Wine meade needs a LONG time to get close to decent. Our wedding wine was pretty nasty until last year, our 10th anniversary. I saw that book recently... If I find it, maybe you would want it?
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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 18, 2010 20:29:38 GMT -5
I'm not so sure that aging the honey beer (as I call it, it only had three pounds of honey in a five gallon batch) would have made much of a difference. It was about 6+% ABV. Maybe aging would have taken some of the hop bitterness out, but that's about it. Now you have me thinking that I need to squeeze another batch in this year to set aside to age for a while. If I can find another fermenter, I'll definitely add it to the list.
That book sounds interesting, so yes, if you find it, I'd be interested. Thanks.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 18, 2010 21:51:42 GMT -5
Well, if you are inspired to give it another go, this is a good thing. I have to wonder how much the ABV affects the flavor. I'll see the book eventually, hope I remember this conversation when I do! I might have some time to give a looky loo for it over the next few days... hmmm...
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Post by homebeerbrewer on Mar 19, 2010 19:33:22 GMT -5
You're trying to talk me into brewing another batch, aren't you?  I'm now thinking of doing a 1.090ish honey ale later this summer. It would be about 9.5-10% ABV, so I'll have to age it at least a year. I'll work on it and see what I can come up with. I appreciate the offer of the book, but don't turn your house upside down to find it. |
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Post by raymondo on Apr 1, 2010 22:56:48 GMT -5
A little late, sorry, but welcome.
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Mass has a short growing season. If you want ripe tomatoes, now would be a good time to start seeds. And you can put peas and lettuce/greens in the ground as soon as it's workable. If you need any seed, just post on the trade page. 
I'm now thinking of doing a 1.090ish honey ale later this summer. It would be about 9.5-10% ABV, so I'll have to age it at least a year. I'll work on it and see what I can come up with.