Collectible Beer Steins

The History Of American Home Brewing

At first, home beer brewing was illegal in America, before the laws changed and made America one of the top producing beer countries on the 90′s… and now we see the decline once again with the tough economic times forcing many companies out of business and into bankruptcy. This has of course led to more and more people drinking to drown their sorrows, so to speak, but many more are actually turning this lust for beer into a productive past time by starting their own home brewery… and what a way to go!

Now we all know that back way way in the olden days, home beer brewing was a major and accepted pastime practiced by the colonial people. One thing you might not know that even famous people such as the Great George Washington was an avid home beer brewer, as was Thomas Jefferson and friends!

During the prohibition, no one was allowed to brew their own drinks at home. A penalty of one thousand dollars was imposed on those who were caught – and back then one thousand dollars went a long way. Either that or they were sentenced one year imprisonment. Everybody had to content with a watered down lifeless beer – well not really beer but something which was a very poor substitute for it. Nothing substantially alcoholic was allowed and few took efforts in making their drinks less alcoholic but tasty. Thirsty daring beer lovers stealthily bought ingredients and beer brewing equipment. Some very enterprising shop owners found ways of selling them without associating them with beer making or anything about beer at all. Beer ingredients, after all, are as normal as other ingredients – grains, yeast, etcetera, and the equipment – buckets, vats, what really is there to question when they are put up for sale? The situation varied from state to state. In some states, only those selling home brews were caught while in some, brewing for personal consumption also meant facing legal charges. And since ingredients and materials had to be sold and bought discreetly, there really was nothing much to experiment on. Those years could probably be considered the dark ages for home brewing.

In 1935, the law was improvised a bit. Home wine making was allowed without taxes but to brew beer, the interested party must first secure permits and comply with regulations. But despite the heavy regulations, some beer advocates pooled their efforts to promote home brewing. One of the greats in the field, Charlie Papazian first entered the scenario during this time and taught home brewing classes. However, government maintained that unregulated home brewing was still unlawful as any type of brewing could still be employed by moonshiners.

Jimmy carter was responsible for lifting prohibition and giving home brewers the opportunity to brew beer in their American homes without any problems. Today, there are over 1,463 breweries in the United States, a much improved American home brewing state… this is much to the efforts off Jimmy in 1978… bless his soul!

American Home Brewing is alive and booming today, so naturally it’s time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a home brew. For those still not up to speed with home brewing beer, follow the link to discover more!

Home Beer Brewing Supplies 101

If you brew your own beer, or would like to start this great hobby… you need to acquaint yourself with the home beer brewing equipment that you will require. There are kits and tools of the trade for all skill levels, it’s just a matter of picking the right ones.

It is advisable for you to ask someone who works at the shop to help you if you need clarifications regarding home brewing products. Some kits will allow you to brew a small batch such as 5 gallons, and others will allow you to brew much larger batches (for the more experienced)… so before you start buying equipment willy nilly, decide on how much beer you would like to brew and that will determine what equipment you will need.

Second, your home brew supplies must include buckets for fermenting and bottling. Your fermenting bucket must have an airlock so that bacteria and oxygen cannot get into your supply of unfermented beer. It is recommended for your bottling bucket to have a spigot because the spigot makes it easier to transfer the beer from the bottling bucket to the beer bottles or beer keg – if bottles are too much of a hassle for you. You may also use kettles and various pots for brewing, boiling and mashing the ingredients for your homemade beer.

In addition to the above, you need a siphon in order to transfer your fermented beer from the fermenting bucket to your bottling bucket. Automatic siphons are good home brew supplies because they are more sanitary than non-automatic ones. Quality cappers and caps are also items that you should add to your home brewing kits.

Then there are your actual ingredients to make the beer that you desire, as without these basic building blocks, you have the capacity to brew nothing at all. Apart from the basic ingredients off yeast, water, hops, and malt… you might like to experiment with different flavorings such as chili, or licorice to really spice things up and create a truly unique brew!

A couple of other essential items to have in our home brewing kit is a thermometer and hydrometer. The best thermometer is one that sticks to your fermentation bucket from the outside, allowing you to check on the beer’s temperature as you go through the fermentation process. The hydrometer is of-course to determine your freshly brewed beer’s alcoholic content.

Then most importantly, the proper cleansers and sanitizes to clean all of your equipment before you use it. Even the slightest microbe to infect your beer will result in a bung batch… so be thorough and follow the instruction.

In sum, brewing your own beer can be a whole lot of fun… but before you can engage in it you must know the 101 on home brew supplies.

If you want to home brew beer, then you better have the correct home brewery supplies and equipment. Miss out on the essentials and you will have a random set off undesirables good for nothing!

Making A Large Home Brew

Typically, people make small home brews, and so if you are planning on making a large home brew, then there are several pointers that you are absolutely going to want to take into consideration.

Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. For any other reasons you would probably be best just to stick with making smaller more frequent brews.

As with most other things in life, the bigger you want something to be, the more time and effort it takes. The same principle applies to home brewing. Therefore, make sure that you have the basic processed down to an art before making a large brew to avoid wasting your time and efforts.

Another thing that you are going to want to think about before making a large home brew is the fact of whether you have the space to do it. As with a small home brew, a large home brew can be made in a standard sized kitchen. The difference with a making a large home brew is that you may have to temporarily clear out of the way any none essential items.

Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.

You basically have 2 options should you unfortunately not have the required amount of space available to you; either you should stick to making smaller brews so that you have more free space to work with, or find a friend or family members home during those one or two times that you need to make an especially large brew.

In terms of the actual brewing process, it is exactly the same to make a large brew as it is to make a small one. Just make sure that you increase the quantities of the ingredients in equal measures.

Homemade Wine Tips

An awesome hobby that is a lot of fun is making homemade wine. Imagine the feeling you would get by opening a bottle of your very own homemade wine and finding that you have made something that tastes better than a lot of more expensive wines. Making wine is definitely fun, but be prepared because there are some things to learn first.

Before beginning your wine making endeavor, there are some important things that you need to have a real understanding of. There are plenty of experts, websites and books where you can learn the basics and nuances of wine making. There are a lot of places where you can pick up all the equipment needed at reasonable prices both online and at a brick and mortar.

Utilizing a wine kit is most likely the best way to begin making wine at home. These kits make it easier for beginners to succeed.

Ingredients for wine making are something that are a little more delicate in nature than the equipment. It is important to get quality ingredients if you wish to make a higher quality wine, but you can also make wine from juice concentrate!

Different wine varietals will take a different time to process, but usually the time span is anywhere between eight and ten weeks. It is essential that you do not spoil your wine by drinking it too early, wine tastes better the longer it ages.

To find tasty recipes for homemade wine you can look in all places like websites and books and find recipes for wine from cherry wine to pinot grigio. A great idea for your wine is to give it as gifts and tailor the taste for that person. For a wine lover, nothing is better as a gift than some personalized wine.

An essential part of the experience of making homemade wine is the packaging. The bottle on down to the cork and even the wine label will give your wine that special va-va-voom. In fact, wine labels are the best way to personalize your wine.

The wine label will give one the overall impression of the wine. Wine labels are used for logos, the name of the wine and putting personal messages on the bottle that is used as a gift. Sounds like so much fun!

Beer Brewing : Join A Home Brew Club

Making your own alcoholic drinks is something that everyone should. Not only is it fun, but it doesn’t take up much time or space. Usually one burner on your stove will be enough space, except for storage, and in about two hours, up to five gallons of home brew can be in the keg or ready for bottling.

Those getting into the hobby of home brewing their own alcoholic beverages may want to consider joining a home brew club, geared toward the type of home brew in which they are the most interested. Whether your beverage of choice is beer, wine or grain alcohol, and regardless of where in the country you reside, there is going to be a home brew club to match your interest.

Many times people follow directions for so long they tend to ignore the possibility there are other ways of doing things. Different methods and different ingredients can be used to achieve a whole range of different results. By joining a home brew club, you will access to the successful methods and ingredients that other home brewers have come across. The associations are designed for this type of sharing as well as gathering and sharing their finished products as well as discussing potential legal issues surrounding the home brewing industry.

You will be able to ask questions to more experienced brewers and run ideas past them to see if they think a particular technique will work before you try it yourself. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.

Though competition is intense amongst experienced home brewers, newcomers are welcomed with open arms. Sharing knowledge and experience is part of the home brew club culture. Whether beer, wine or straight alcohol, sharing tips with new brewers are what some of the more experienced brewers do best.

Many times a home brew club will have local competitions where members can enter their brews to be judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!

Beginner’s Guide To Beer

“Beer” is the casual term used to describe a cold refreshing alcoholic beverage made of malt and hops. However, beer lovers around the world will heartily agree that there’s nothing generic about beer.

When it comes to types of beer, there are many, many options to choose from. It’s impossible to say which type is best, because they all have very different characteristics. You’d be surprised at how a pilsner can differ from a porter, or how a stout stands out from a cider.

The method of brewing tends to be somewhat similar for most commercially produced beers. However, the names given to different styles of beer generally reflect individual characteristics of the product, such as where it originated. Taste, appearance and aroma are just some of the qualities that make different beers unique.

Some common favorites include these:

Lager: Some of the most popular types of beer are lagers. These include American styles including basic lager, all-malt lager, light lager, double pilsner, malt liquor and low-alcohol or “light” beers. Germany and the Czech Republic are seen as the international leaders in the production of them.

Ale: This includes brown ale, American amber, porter and wild ales. Also falling under the category of “Ales” are Chile Beer, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian and French ales, English, German, Irish, Finnish, Scottish and Russian ales.

Cider: Not a beer in the strictest sense of the word but most beer drinkers wouldn’t mind it being called so. Favorites include standard cider, New England cider and many specialty ciders.

Hybrids: This term refers to experimental brewing methods and ingredients. Berbed, smoked, fruit and vegetable beer and spiced beer are all types of hybrids.

Those are the essentials that every serious beer drinker should have already ticked off their beer list. If you’re a beer drinker, you’re likely loyal to a tried and true brand, but remember that variety is the spice of life. Next time you’re in a beer drinking mood, try something different!.

Brewing Beer : How To Do It Yourself

If you are one of the many people out there who are a tried and true beer lover, then you are definitely going to want to know how to make beer at home. Not only is it fun to do, but it’s neither expensive, nor difficult.

So, how do you make beer at home? We will cover the main steps below. It really is that simple that you can learn the basic process involved in just 5 minutes.

Making beer at home requires you to only really follow a few steps. The first step of the process being to purchase yourself a beer kit, which you can find easily enough in online beer brewing stores. Make sure that you get a fully comprehensive kit, one that includes all of the different tools and materials required.

Then you need the four main ingredients, which are: water, malt, hops, and yeast. You might be surprised to know water is actually the most abundant ingredient, and makes up most of the final product. Malted barley is barley grain that has carefully been soaked in water until it sprouts and is then dried and used to make beer. The distinctive aroma and slight bitterness of the finished brew is determined by the hops. Yeast is the catalyst which makes it all happen.

The next thing that you need to do is add all of the ingredients together using the beer kit, and there are usually instructions that come with each different beer kit because each kit usually has some different aspects to it.

You can even add your own decided flavors to the beer if you like, however you just want to make sure beforehand that you know what you are doing so that you do not use too much or too little and end up ruining the beer.

Even if you do make a mistake, you can just throw that batch out and make a new one, as practice is going to be the only way that you will be able to learn. After a few batches, you are going to be quite good at making your own beer, and you will be surprised at the freshness and tastiness of it, especially compared to the beer that you are used to drinking.

Best Happy Hours in Cleveland

Lolita is one of Michael Symon’s (of the food network) first restraints. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is only $2 and there are several dishes for only $5. I went with my sister and we ordered the mac and cheese and The Lolita Burger. I have to say it is the best mac and chesse I have ever had. 5-6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to close Tuesday through Thursday; 5-6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to close Saturday. 4-6:30 p.m. Sunday

Lincoln Park Pub – Taco Tuesdays, 3 p.m.-midnight. The Tacos are made on homemade taco shells. If you like hot food try the morning after sauce. Tacos, $1.25; Mex beers, $2.25; margaritas, $3.25

Momocho is one of the hippest restraints in Ohio City. From 5-6:30 p.m. daily they have 1/2 off taquitos and margaritas plus a great deal on Tecate.

Blind Pig – Pizza and wings for $5; 23 oz. beers $2.50, 4-9pm daily. The pizzas are pretty big for $5, big enough for two people at least. The beer special includes imports. They have plenty of very large flat screen TV’s to watch the game on.

Light Bistro -4:30-7 pm, Cocktails starting at $3. Food plates are $5. This is one of the Best Restaurants in Cleveland. The food is excellent, everything is local and seasonal. Go for drinks and stay for dinner.

Sunset Lounge 4 – 7 p.m. daily, discounted drinks, half-off sushi and other appetizers. The sushi here is very good. The atmosphere is also good.

The Flying Fig – Happy Hour: Tuesday – Friday between 5PM and 7:30PM The Fig provides wine-oriented cuisine utilizing the finest ingredients available, sourced locally whenever possible. Beers start at $2

Putting The Home Bar Together The Easy Way

When you have your bar and your cabinets built, you’ll want to get to drinking in it…Now.  But, I’ve seen some make shit jobs that aren’t really all that great.  Then, I’ve seen some expensive setups that are way out of the reach of most of us.

So, here’s the home bar the easy way:

The kegerator is the first thing you put in your bar.  It keeps your keg cool and it adds style in an inexpensive way.

This kegerator can actually make the entire bar.  If you choose to use a kegerator like this to hold your kegs, you can make it a part of the bar’s counter top.  Then, you only need counter space on each side.  That’s a setup made easy, as easy as it gets. 

Grab a tap handle of your favorite beer and now you’ve got something to really get you bragging.  There are tap handles of all kinds, from your favorite domestic to your favorite import.  As a promotional tool, every beer you can think of has a beer tap handle for commercial uses as well as the home bar enthusiast.

But, just in case you have a beer of your own or some other “unrecognizable” libation, get the beer tap handle you can write anything on that you want. 

Tell people, “Try Me!”  Give your concoction a name.  Have fun with it and write, “Make Your Own Beer…” or whatever else you might come up with to prank your friends.

You’ve got the bar.  Dress it up in style.  The kegerator and a beer tap handle can turn any room into a bar.  Your bedroom, your dorm room (oops), your garage, your basement, your tree house…

Anywhere!

How To Make Your Home Bar More Bar And Less Home

When you are trying to create a bar in your home, of course you begin with the taps and the handles, mirrors and signs.  You built a bar!  It has to look right.  Right?

But when the bar is in place and you think you have it all, what kind of lame bar serves draft beer in plastic cups?  And I’ll be willing to bet that’s what you have.  Red plastic cups that you bought at the grocery store.  Hmm…all that work and then you tap out at the end.

Well, you can add some specialty glasses so that your friends are drinking in style.  This is where it gets tricky, but you can manage.  You don’t just want to get mugs of any kind.  You need to stock up your cabinets with mugs of all kinds.

Vintage mugs from old fashioned beers add such a touch of class.  Especially when you have friends asking you where you got the mugs.  That’s when you realize saving money on those red plastic cups wasn’t worth it after all.

But, don’t stop there.  You should have Pilsners and Pints, Dimpled Mugs and Retro Pubs.  Get mugs with different logos like Coors, Molson, Blue Moon and Killian.  It’s a blast to make sure that you drink out of the right glass for the right kind of draft.

Logo Beer Glasses