Here is a list of what is available for order this year.  Price is $6.00 a rhizome.  Orders need to be prepaid by March 12, 2016 so we can get our order placed.  Rhizomes should be ready for pick up at the store by late March (we will call you when the order arrives).  Call, stop by or you can order on line.

Order online click here

(*) means these varieties grow well in Pa

Brewers Gold
*Cascade
*Centennial
*Chinook
Crystal
Fuggle
Kent Golding
Mt. Hood
*Magnum
*Nugget
Willamette
*Columbus

These are beautiful barrels and will look great in your home or business!

For in store pick up only

We offer two choices:

1. Finished barrel with clear coat: $350.00

2. Natural Wood: $285.00

We refill 2.5 lb and 5 lb CO2 tanks here at the store.  Just stop by during regular business hours and we can have your tank filled in 5 minutes.  Cold tanks fill better so if you can have the tank chilled before coming out, it will speed up the fill time.

We charge by the pound, prices fluctuate so please call for current fill price. 717-517-8785.  Generally a 5 lb tank can be filled for $14 to $16

***NOTICE**  Aluminum and Steel tanks need to be re tested for safety every five years.  They also need the test date stamped on the tank.  We cannot fill a tank that is out of date.  For tanks that need retested, you can have this done locally by Graham’s Fyrfyter on Lemon St in Lancaster city or at Smokey’s Fire Protection in Holtwood, PA.

Has life gotten so busy that you feel like you don’t have time to brew?

Here are some tips to squeeze in a brew session and still enjoy this great hobby:

1. Have a good heat source for the amount of water you are heating. Ideally, you should be able to bring your water to a boil in 15 to 20 minutes.  Gas burners are a great upgrade from the stovetop.  In some cases you can knock off 30 minutes from your brew day with a good burner.

2. Cool down. It’s important to cool wort down quickly to get a good cold break and decrease the risk of contamination. A large wort chiller or plate chiller will do this plus save time!  Keeping the wort moving during the cool down will also greatly improve your heat exchange rate.

3. Partial mash: All grain brewing is fun but it really does complicate the brew day plus take more time. As my kids have gotten older and involved in more activities, I find myself going back to partial mash.  I mash a few pounds of base grain/specialty grain with the “brew in a bag” concept and then come in with a few pounds of liquid malt extract or dry malt extract to get my OG correct.  It’s simple, quick and it makes great beer!  It is completely false that an all grain beer is better than an extract beer.  If you want to make better homebrew, your efforts should be focused on yeast handling and fermentation conditions, but that topic will be saved for another discussion or feel free to stop by the store to learn more!

4. “Brew in a Bag” For those of you who choose to stick with all grain brewing, try this method. One big pot and a burner is all the equipment that is needed.  Put all your grain in a big nylon bag (which we sell here) and conduct your normal mash with a full volume of water.  Turn on the burner to maintain heat as needed.  Ramp up your temperature for a mash out at the end then raise the bag out to drain.  Boil with hop additions and your done.  It’s super easy and saves time without loosing control of your mash.  I encourage you to try this method next time your on a time crunch and  your beer reserves are dwindling!

5. Kegging. So this doesn’t save time on brew day but it sure does beat bottling come bottling day! The other added advantage is that beer in cold storage gets better and better within two to three weeks compared to bottled beer at room temperature.

Homebrewing is a great hobby but sometimes it can be tough to get the time.  Hopefully, one of these tips will help you get through your next brew day because the effort is always worth the end product!

Cheers!

WEEK OF CHRISTMAS

• Monday thru Wednesday: 10am to 7pm

• Thursday (Christmas Eve): 10am to 3pm

• Christmas Day: Closed

• Saturday: 9 to 3

WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS

• Monday thru Wednesday: 11am to 5pm

• New Year’s Eve: 11am to 3pm

• New Year’s Day: Closed

• Saturday: 9am to 3pm

We have a few Cascade and Nugget rhizomes left.  Call soon if you want any.  5.75 a piece

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a safe one too!  I sure have enjoyed meeting and getting to know everyone that has come by the store since we opened.  It’s hard to believe we are open 4 months already.

Keep an eye out for new events coming up in the new year.   We will be doing a wine social soon.

Also,  my very own sweet cherry stout, which won a contest at Iron Hill Brewery in Lancaster, will be on tap at the restaurant end of January.  As soon as I have the date for the tapping party I will let everyone know.

Peace,  Mark

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has come out to Lancaster Homebrew these first three weeks and thank you for your support.  It’s been great meeting everyone.  We are truly excited to be here and look forward to serving the Lancaster County area.  We will continue to expand our inventory to provide you with all your homebrewing and wine making supplies.