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That one word alone caan get many a man salavating like one of Pablovs dogs at the sound of a bell.
I not being a beer drinker any longer due to a minor health issue involving pills I must take to keep my heart happy have decided I want to attempt to create my own home brew. Just another branch of cooking to add to my life. I have made many hundreds of gallons of wine but never beer. So if you folks who indulge in this nobel endevour might provide a recipie or three I will be more than happy to give it a go some time in the near future.

Bullwnkl.

I've made beer in the past and am gonna start again...
My beer was either really good or vodka with a fizz....
My beer taste was vastly different then...I'm gonna try and brew up an English brown ale....Good luck to you and don't forget to bring some to Raton....

I love to brew. Let me give you suggestions from the school of experience.

-Get soda kegs and a CO2 bottle for carbonation and dispensing. They are known as Cornelius Kegs. Forget bottles and priming for carbonation. It's tough to get the carbonation just right in bottles. Bottles as a major pain to clean and sanitize.

-I use a Conical Open Fermenter. So much better than using carboys. Much easier to clean and sanitize. You can get kegs, CO2, and a fermentor all for about $200. If you're gonna brew, it's worth it to make tastey beer.

-Lagers are more involved to make than are ales. Lagers are not beginner brews. If you have your heart set to whip up a Pilsner Urquell clone your first brew, you might be disappointed.

-Ales are the place to start because they ferment a room temps. If you like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or similar, I'd brew that first.

-Start with an extract brewing kit. Go to www.annapolishomebrew.com or www.morebeer.com and pick one you like.

Want a Sierra Nevada Clone recipe?

6 lbs light DME
8 oz 40� Crystal Malt
2 oz Perle Hops
2 oz Cascde hops
West Coast Ale Yeast
Irish moss

Steep the Crystal malt in 2 gallons of water for 30 minutes at 155�F. Remove grains, add DME and bring to a boil.

Add 2 oz of Perle Hops

After 45 minutes, add 1 oz of Cascade hops

After 10 more minutes, add Irish moss

After 5 minutes, remove kettle from heat and add 1 oz cascade hops (fresh if you can get them, but plugs or pellets are fine).

Cool, place in fermenter, add water to make 5 gallons. OG should be about 1.055.

When wort cools below 80�F, pitch yeast. Ferment at 60-68�F. Fermentation should be done in 7-10 days.

Rack off beer into your keg. Gas it overnight at about 15 lb/sq in. Chill and drink. It will improve after 3 weeks in the keg, if you can wait. I never can.

Get one of Charlie Papazzian's books and do a little research. Brewing is pretty simple and easy. I prefer bottles and haven't found them to be a pain.

Don't know to what expense you're going to go...but it's worth a little extta jack to double fermint in glass...cuts way down on sediment...I like natural carbonation...because you can recap and it keeps making.

+1 on Papazzian's books. Homebrewing is great fun!

My son brews some pretty good beer. He worked for years at a micro Brewery in Denver.

My family has a long history of making whiskey back in the SW Virginia mountains.

Have only used bottles not kegs. Cleaning the bottles can be pain. The actual bottling process is not so bad thou. Well worth it in the end. Make sure everything is very clean! Pretty easy thou if you can follow a recipe.

Pappazian's book is a great way to start. Also, check locally for a homebrew club. Most clubs love to help beginners get started.