Idaho Anyone?

[unaspenser]

Hi! I'm brand new to the forum and I live in Boise. It's great to see a few other Idahoans here. It's a wonderful place.

 

[angelib1]

I live near caldwell. Apperently I'm the only one in the valley who cooks on a wood stove, sews on a treadle machine, crochets, cans, dehydrates food (in the dehydrator I made), Homeschools, raises chickens and ducks (in the coop I built), grows food for them and us, brew my own beer (with the hops I grow), and belives I can turn 1/4 acre into a self sufficient homestead. Basicly I'm the local freak. But I don't care, I am doing what makes me happy.

 

[big brown horse]

I live near caldwell. Apperently I'm the only one in the valley who cooks on a wood stove, sews on a treadle machine, crochets, cans, dehydrates food (in the dehydrator I made), Homeschools, raises chickens and ducks (in the coop I built), grows food for them and us, brew my own beer (with the hops I grow), and belives I can turn 1/4 acre into a self sufficient homestead. Basicly I'm the local freak. But I don't care, I am doing what makes me happy.

Sounds like you will fit right in here! Ok, would you please tell us how you built your dehydrator?

I would love to learn how to brew beer!!!

 

[angelib1]

My dehydrator Made of scrap lumber.

I have 7 racks for it. In the pic. i'm making jerky, it can reach temps of 150 deg. I have to turn it out of direct sun light for herbs and such.
Making beer is fun you can really get creative. I've made pumpkin beer, peach beer, beer made with yarrow, lavender, chocolate, coffee, vanilla just to name a few. Oh yeah and they were all good.

 

[big brown horse]

My dehydrator Made of scrap lumber.
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/1051_img_0788.jpg
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/1051_img_0791.jpg
I have 7 racks for it. In the pic. i'm making jerky, it can reach temps of 150 deg. I have to turn it out of direct sun light for herbs and such.
Making beer is fun you can really get creative. I've made pumpkin beer, peach beer, beer made with yarrow, lavender, chocolate, coffee, vanilla just to name a few. Oh yeah and they were all good.

Uh, I'm speachless!! AWESOME!

And your beer sounds yummy! Does your beer contain any vitamins or minerals? I have been told that home brew is healthier. What is your take?

 

[big brown horse]

I just noticed the wheels on that puppy!! It is like a dehydrator tractor!!

 

[angelib1]

Wheels make it so easy to move and turn into the sun. I'm thinking about adding wheelbarrow type handle for even easier turning and moving.

Home brew has more vit. and min. than a loaf of home made bread.
The fermenting process increased protein by 8x and the benefical propertys of any herb, fruit or veg is increased up to 23x. This is why old timers made so many medicinal beers like blackberry beer for dysintery. A book I would recommend for any selfsufficient person wanting to learn about beer makeing after The Joy of Homebrewing of course is Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers .

 

[big brown horse]

That is what I thought about the vitamins etc.

Thank you for the books. I am truely interested in making my own beer. How hard is it on a scale of 1-10? How much of an initial investment?

 

[angelib1]

How hard is it on a scale of 1-10?
well, 1-10.
1-3 malt syrup aka;liquid malt extract,hops, yeast
4-7 malt extract, specalty grains,adjuncts, flavoring,hops, yeast
8-10 all grain

How much of an initial investment?
I bought a kit for under $100
carboy
racking cane( I upgraded to a self siphoning one)
bottler
bottling bucket
capper
blow off hose
bung cap
air lock
spoon (get the long one)
hydrometer and cylinder
2 cases of bottles
book (joy of homebrewing)

 

[angelib1]

oh yeah you will also need a large 3-5gal non aluminum pot and a large funnel.
you might get indvidual item instead so you can get what you really need first and add items later. I also have people save bottles for me brown only no twist offs. you could probebly save quite abit this way.