Can you describe how you go about making your own beer? I am fascinated with your good results
No problem! I start with 15 lbs of 2 row pale malt, and 1lb of #30 crystal. I mash in a ice chest (holds the heat @ 155 really well). Rinse with 165 degree water for the best extraction I can get. The wort goes on the stove in a canning tub and brought up to a rolling boil. Add hops. Hops are usually Kent Golding, about 4 oz, but I don't dry hop. I like hoppy beer.
After cooling the wort (home made cooler) It's poured into a 6 gal. acid "jar". Now it's time to pitch. I usually use dry yeast, what ever "English Style" is on hand with a good alcohol tolerance. Usually I'll get an SG that'll get me somewhere in the 7% + range, so I need good yeast.
I do a 2 stage fermentation (6 gallon to a 5), which usually takes about 5-7 days to run out "dry".
Then I bottle.
Most of the time this beer takes about 2-3 months of bottle conditioning to come around.
My next batch I'm going to cut back on the 2 row to probably 10-12 lbs, and maybe up the crystal by about a lb. I don't want it quite as "thick" as the last batch and I want a little more color. I'm still tweaking the recipe.