Brewer's Guild

[debuenzo]

up next: cream ale


currently enjoying a southern tier oak aged unearthly IIPA
woah...11% malty, boozey, hop-resiny, oak IIPA

last year's was better, but this is good

[Bronek]

I see that the last post to this was some time back so I was wondering whether the guild is still in operation and whether i might apply? i'm actually more of a vintner than brewer, but i could do that as well if needs be.

[Bægsecg]

http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe
it does not have all the fruits and flavors i like to use [exotic tropicals such as the leechy nut which has a VERY floral white grape flavor and lends itself beautifully to champagne yeast (you do not need anything else with it!)] but it does have more than enough! even dr.pepper!

[winter]

Has the idea of a brewer's guild progressed at all? One of my roommates and I have been brewing using kits for about a year, and are about to switch to AG. I hope to have a batch to bring to Chaos this year, and would love to have a group to hang out with and discuss and compare notes. Anyone?

[Bronek]

Has the idea of a brewer's guild progressed at all? One of my roommates and I have been brewing using kits for about a year, and are about to switch to AG. I hope to have a batch to bring to Chaos this year, and would love to have a group to hang out with and discuss and compare notes. Anyone?

i'll be coming to chaos also and should have something ready for it. i don't do much beer making but i would totally be up for testing your batch and giving notes!

[Mekoot Rowan]

I feel like I should point out that one of the board rules refers to the avoiding discussion of illegal activities. While brewing and vinting are perfectly legal distillation of alcohol is NOT.

Distillation is heavily regulated by the BATF and should probably not be boasted or posted about unless you want tax men knocking at your door with axe in hand asking to see your still.

[Bronek]

I feel like I should point out that one of the board rules refers to the avoiding discussion of illegal activities. While brewing and vinting are perfectly legal distillation of alcohol is NOT.

Distillation is heavily regulated by the BATF and should probably not be boasted or posted about unless you want tax men knocking at your door with axe in hand asking to see your still.

thank you rowan, and you are 100% correct. BUT it also depends on what state you're in. some states do allow distillation. i believe my state is on of them.... i think so... i hope so.... hmmmm.....

[irenicus]

I feel like I should point out that one of the board rules refers to the avoiding discussion of illegal activities. While brewing and vinting are perfectly legal distillation of alcohol is NOT.

Distillation is heavily regulated by the BATF and should probably not be boasted or posted about unless you want tax men knocking at your door with axe in hand asking to see your still.

thank you rowan, and you are 100% correct. BUT it also depends on what state you're in. some states do allow distillation. i believe my state is on of them.... i think so... i hope so.... hmmmm.....

Distillation is prohibited in Illinois under statute Chapter 235, Act 5, Article II, 2-1:
"No person shall manufacture, bottle, blend, sell, barter, transport, transfer into this State from a point outside this State, deliver, * or possess any alcoholic liquor for beverage purposes...provided, however, nothing herein contained shall prevent...by simple fermentation and without distillation"

I would, however, like to point out that a reflux still is not necessary for distillation. A very simple form of distillation can be performed via freeze distillation. So if I wanted to distill my mead, all I would have to do is stick it in the freezer and pour off the alcohol, since water freezes up. It could be argued that the definition of distillation is limited, as evidenced by these examples:

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/we ... stillation
http://science.education.nih.gov/supple ... ossary.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... stillation

All of the above refer to boiling points and vapors and are from respectable sources. Nowhere is distillation via difference in freezing points mentioned.

[Bronek]

I feel like I should point out that one of the board rules refers to the avoiding discussion of illegal activities. While brewing and vinting are perfectly legal distillation of alcohol is NOT.

Distillation is heavily regulated by the BATF and should probably not be boasted or posted about unless you want tax men knocking at your door with axe in hand asking to see your still.

thank you rowan, and you are 100% correct. BUT it also depends on what state you're in. some states do allow distillation. i believe my state is on of them.... i think so... i hope so.... hmmmm.....

Distillation is prohibited in Illinois under statute Chapter 235, Act 5, Article II, 2-1:
"No person shall manufacture, bottle, blend, sell, barter, transport, transfer into this State from a point outside this State, deliver, * or possess any alcoholic liquor for beverage purposes...provided, however, nothing herein contained shall prevent...by simple fermentation and without distillation"

I would, however, like to point out that a reflux still is not necessary for distillation. A very simple form of distillation can be performed via freeze distillation. So if I wanted to distill my mead, all I would have to do is stick it in the freezer and pour off the alcohol, since water freezes up.

doh! editing it all out. thanks guys.

[irenicus]

doh! editing it all out. thanks guys.

Read my "loophole section" at the bottom of my post.

[Mekoot Rowan]

Irenicus, you are correct. The laymens term for freezing to concentrate alcohol is known as jacking.

The thing about it is that you are not just concentrating alcohol, but everything else that is in your mixture including sugars and residual yeast. I can tell you from personal experience that this can make for some funny tasting end products.

Furthermore, it doesn't matter what your state says about distillation it is regulated by the Federal Government.

Federal law prohibits the manufacture or production of distilled spirits in the United States at other than a registered DSP for which a permit has been issued by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). While Federal law allows for the limited home production of wine and beer, no such provision exists for distilled spirits.

Full context of above quote here

[irenicus]

Irenicus, you are correct. The laymens term for freezing to concentrate alcohol is known as jacking.

The thing about it is that you are not just concentrating alcohol, but everything else that is in your mixture including sugars and residual yeast. I can tell you from personal experience that this can make for some funny tasting end products.

Furthermore, it doesn't matter what your state says about distillation it is regulated by the Federal Government.

Yes, it produces a product that is everything minus some water. But fractional freezing only produces funny tasting end products if:
1) Fermentation was carried out incorrectly
2) You're using grain mash and not malt or fruit base.

The funny tasty end products are from fusels and higher-order alcohols produced by either too high fermentation temperature, insufficient nitrogen available for the yeast, or a large proportion of complex starches in the mash/wort/must rather than simpler sugars and carbs.

The only reason the government taxes alcohol because they want money. But in the case of distillation via fractional freezing, screwing up on one or more of the things I mentioned above can actually harm your health. Poor technique can lead to excess methanol and propanol accumulation in your distillate.

[debuenzo]

Bring your stuff to Okfest. I should have some growlers and what-not to share. Beer, mead, wine, cider...it's all good.

[Frozgaar]

Necroing this thread in the name of the upcoming Okfest.

I started homebrewing earlier this year and I have my second beer, a hefeweisen fermenting right now. I expect it to be ready for fest.

I will also be bringing some bottles of my first batch (Irish stout).

I propose a meetup where we share our homebrews and talk brewing.

Anyone else up for this?

[Bronek]

i'm there, dude! might not have anything to offer, but i always love talking shop!