Craft beer

[klutz]

Not sure how much of a following there is on it here... but I know it's getting more and more popular in the Houston area. Just curious how many fans of craft beer there is around here... not only am I a fan I actually brew my own stuff here and there when I get a chance.

Feel free to share your favorite place.

The places I enjoy the most that I know of so far is:

Flying Saucer (washington st.) 100+ beers on tap
The Hay Merchant (westheimer) 80 beers on tap... bout 6 via cask
The Gingerman (rice village) 70 on tap
Boondoggles (clear lake) 50 on tap

I'm also a big fan of supporting local breweries.... we actually have a pretty excellent selection here in the Houston area if you didnt know:

Saint Arnolds
Karbach
Southern Star
Buffalo Bayou Brewery

Try em out... support your local breweries.

[Out_of_Bounds]

Now that I'm pussy free going on two months i need to find a new hobby.
Brewing my own seems as good as any.

[Trey]

I've brewed my own too for a while but when I moved I lost my keg fridge had three cornys in there at a time. No room sucked. I'm looking to get back into it when I move once more. The beer was good, well most times lol. Been a while since I went to delfalcos and got supplies, where do you go and are you in a brew club?

[Out_of_Bounds]

I'd like to know too.
How do i get started?
I'm a bit of a beer snob.
If i can see through it i won't touch it.
I like my beer just like my women. The darker the better.

[tbone2u]

There is another guy on the board that brews his own and is very good at it. I've tried his beer. Maybe he will chime in.

[Trey]

Once you make your own beer you really drop all that light beer shit. Oob if you want to do it have some space it can get larger then you think fast. I used kegs to cut down on time and space, fucking bottles suck. If you do bottles you need like 50 each batch you gotta save them clean them, a keg is more to start with but saves time and money in the end. Way back we went to the HK and took a five gallon corny think I had a maybock in it, sat that bad boy in a bucket of ice and got my boys and some of the girls fucked up. The keg is so great I want one of the half cornys but man they cost so much. It's a great hobby.

[O'Mike]

I have had a couple of glasses of this Apfelwein recipe and it's pretty dam good. Sneaks up on you.

Not beer, but pretty cheap, easy and does not take up a lot of space or time. Down side is time required to ferment. Might be a good experiment for a first timer, and it will be ready for the cold weather which may come eventually, LOL.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-...felwein-14860/

[Trey]

Seems like a hard cider to me, that is easy to make. Another easy make is mead but it takes a while to be ready. Mead is also a good baste for ribs on the smoker mmm good.

[Out_of_Bounds]

I'd like to learn how to make Meade.
It's hard to find a decently priced bottle.

[htowncowboy85]

I just started getting into homebrew. It's way fun stuff! No Label Brewing out in Katy is pretty good too.

[klutz]

I knew I was forgetting someone... I have 12 No Labels in the fridge I've been meaning to try out!

There's a few places where you get a kits together in the Houston area... I believe one is called Defalco's and the other is a Brewing Guild in Seabrook.

I know it seems a little mainstream but a great way to start is just by hopping on MrBeer.com and getting a kit.... that's how I started and I really enjoy it.... the only thing that sucks is pretty much having to wait 4 weeks for 2 gallons of beer... as fast as I drink the stuff it doesnt last long. I've upgraded to 3 kegs so I can keep up with my own demand.... I have to hide the stuff from everyone else though.

You're totally right in saying that getting into craft brews really screws your tastes... I laugh at anyone that I see who orders American piss beer. Shiner and Saint Arnolds are great beers to help you transition from a very light beer into the 2nd level.

The beer scene in Houston is getting much better... many beer festivals will be taking place in the next couple months... Karbach Beer Fest, Kemah Brewfest, Sugarland Brewfeast... and I'm sure there's plenty others.

Super excited about the pumpkin beers coming out!!! The good ones sell out really fast!

[Trey]

I had mr beer and another mini keg like it I can't think of the name of it but it made good beer. Once you upgrade your kit you will laugh at mr beer. Go to delfalcos and get a set up it ain't that much. But you have to decide on kegs or bottles. I say keg that shit.

[Out_of_Bounds]

I prefer beer on tap. So a keg is the way to go for me.

[htowncowboy85]

That's how I got started was a Mr. Beer kit as a gift for christmas. I have really started taking off. There is a supply store off 45N way up near the Woodlands mall that sells everything and even has brewing classes. I have upgraded from Mr. Beer to doing 5 gallon batch and have even started experiemienting with using my own grains and such. Hell with all the money I spend on my beer hobby, I could be hitting up the premo level providers on here on the regular. Hmmmm beer or good times....how bout both!

[Trey]

I haven't done an all grain batch yet most times I use an extract and small bag of grains like a tea bag to add additional flavor. Mr beer is a good way to start Oob, I will try to think of the name of the other one I used ad I think the beer was better. You could get mr beer and buy kit from the other supplier however. You can for sure start to put a lot of money into it. When I start back I expect to drop 2-300 on my setup upgrade.