Homebrew Beer in an RV?

[steamyb]

I've been brewing since retirement (about 5 years now) and plan to go full-time in the RV before winter. I don't plan to give up my hobby, so I have been working on some beers that can be made in an RV. I called my first batch of 10 Liters (5 of the 2 Liter soda bottles fit the RV fridge one at a time), well, anyway, I called it Road Rage- seemed appropriate to me. Any of you folks make your own beer or cider?

 

[BinaryBob]

Indeed I do! Here's my setup.
What is your Road Rage recipe?

 

[glen54737]

Thats some kind of RV you got there Bob.

 

[BinaryBob]

Thanks Glen.
I gutted the bedroom. The wife sleeps out in a tent.....??

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A mobile brew room gives a whole new meaning to "toy hauler". 

 

[Molaker]

A mobile brew room gives a whole new meaning to "toy hauler". 

No, maybe you misunderstood.  It's "JOY hauler". ;D

 

[RoyM]

It brings up some interesting questions. What happens in say dry Kansas?  Are you legal? I can see the six o'clock news on CBS now. "I-84 shut down due to massive explosion. Initial reports indicate a mobile brewery" ;D

 

[PopPop51]

Bob,
Love the chest freezer/kegerator. Great idea!

 

[camperAL]

Hi,

Got to thinking about this. I used to do some brewing and the gases can permeate the whole downstairs (but man it smells super good). In the restrictive space of an RV, wouldn't it be overwhelming?

 

[Punomatic]

Hi,

Got to thinking about this. I used to do some brewing and the gases can permeate the whole downstairs (but man it smells super good). In the restrictive space of an RV, wouldn't it be overwhelming?

If it smells super good but is overwhelming, would that make it "overwhelmingly good?"  ;D  My concern would be, if you are in a campground boiling up a batch and using the exhaust fan over your stove, there might be a long line of your neighbors congregating in your campsite, steins in hand! OTOH, once it is in the fermenter, there isn't that much smell. Hmmm...I wonder if you could do the boil over a campfire??

 

[BinaryBob]

If it smells super good but is overwhelming, would that make it "overwhelmingly good?"  ;D  My concern would be, if you are in a campground boiling up a batch and using the exhaust fan over your stove, there might be a long line of your neighbors congregating in your campsite, steins in hand! OTOH, once it is in the fermenter, there isn't that much smell. Hmmm...I wonder if you could do the boil over a campfire??

A great idea! You could make a Rauchbier and not have to use smoked barley! 

 

[steamyb]

Really sorry to be so slack in getting back to this!
Road Rage uses Cooper's Ale kit & 2 lb. Of Dry Malt Extract with Cooper's Ale Yeast.
I prove my yeast & heat the Hopped Liquid Malt (still in the can) in hot water. Getting it warm allows it to flow better. I then add it to a gallon of boiling water that has been dumped into the fermenter. Stirring vigorously I then add the Dry Malt Extract making sure there are no lumps. Top off with cold water and if 68F-72F then I pitch the yeast. Give it a week, then bottle carb with sugar drops (all available at diybeer.com). Not as nice a 3-vessel set up in a garage, but works OK in an RV so far!
Again, sorry about the delay, but have been full-time RV since 12/16 & I have been everywhere. What a life!

 

[Back2PA]

Thanks Glen.
I gutted the bedroom. The wife sleeps out in a tent.....??

That's his story. The wife's story is that he sleeps in the tent!  ;D

 

[Hanr3]

I home brew, but not to the extent of bob. Wow nice set up.

Home brew on the road.
I've thought about it, my concerns / challenges.
Brewing odor in campground. My wife doesn't like the odor, I assume the same goes for others.
I would brew outside, not in the camper.
Fermenting- you planning on staying in one place long enough for it to settle out?
Will you have a cool dark place for it to ferment?
Assuming you will be brewing Ales and not Lagers so temps aren't as critical, but still needs to be under 70.
Kegging- How do you plan to sterilize the inside of those bottles? I kegging in 5 gallon soda kegs. My concern is where to put the fridge in the camper to hold the kegs, and where do I put the tappers?
IF a bottle should explode, are you prepared?

 

[BinaryBob]

For me, brewing from the motorhome would be too challenging. I have made some very good hard ciders while traveling, since there is no boiling or mashing. I simply find pure apple juice in the store. Careful it can't contain any preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate. (They kill yeast), and add my cider yeast of choice - Lavlin EC-1118. This is technically a champagne yeast and produces a very dry and crisp cider. If you like mainstream products such as Strongbow or Angry Orchard, you might be better off with something like Safale-05. Both of these are in powder form in easy to use packets.

Kegging beer is obviously not very portable. When traveling, I carry 2.5 gallon mini-kegs and put them on ice in a modified plastic cooler. A drilled hole in the side for a tap, and a CO2 regulator which attaches to a small 20 oz.  paintball CO2 canister which is refillable. The "beer cooler" has drawn some attention at RV parks. I'm always happy to share.

With many bars, restaurants, and liquor stores closing due to the coronavirus, it seems my homebrew demand has quickly increased !!

Edited to add photo...

 

[Lou Schneider]

Escapees tech guru Mark Nemeth is an avid home brewer.  He gave a well attended seminar at the Xscapers Annual Bash last January where he demonstrated how to home brew mead (fermented honey) in your RV.  I can't find anything online about it, though.

 

[SeilerBird]

Beer and an RV, what could go wrong :