Don W wrote:
Here are some questions wrt this thread:

Take it for granted that you could set up a gimbled arrangement for the
brewing keg--could be as simple as suspending from the ceiling in an aft
cabin with some bungees to keep it from swinging around too much...

1) Would you be able to brew a batch in a fairly quiet anchorage? How
long does the brewing process take?

Anywhere from a month to a year. A decent ale might take 6 weeks.
Mostly depending on temperature, strength and gravity. A cool anchorage
would be preferred, warm ferments can get funky and messy. Ideally
something in the 50-70F range for ales.

2) Is there something inherent in the brewing process that would cause
it to not work when the contents are constantly agitated such as at
sea? If settling is the issue, could you substitute filtration?

According to lore, one of the things that made the original India Pale
Ale unique was the fact that they underwent secondary fermentation and
aging in oak casks while sailing from England to India. Supposedly the
agitation increased the efficiency of the fermentation, converting a
higher percentage of sugars to alcohol than was the norm at the time.
Some scholars dismiss this as just lore however.

Also, in Burton-on-Trent they created the Burton Union system which
intentionally agitates fermentation to increase efficiency. This also
produces a surfeit of yeast which they dry and put in jars and sell to
Aussies who actually eat it for some reason.

In general I think it is safe to say that the agitation of brewing at
anchor would allow the fermentation to go on longer than usual,
producing a slightly lower finishing gravity and higher alcohol than on
land. Also, clarity would be slightly reduced due to the agitation and
increased yeast bed. Filtration works, but requires a pump and filters
and will make a hell of a mess when a fitting lets loose. A simpler
solution would be to use a clarifying agent and some patience. Racking
to a tertiary fermenter would also help clarify it. Dark beers don't
need much clarity, and a full-bodied stout can hide a lot of flaws,
especially after the 3rd pint.

3) Are ingredients (besides the water) such that they could be stored
fairly long term while on a cruise?

It depends on how you make your beer. Storing fresh grain and hops is
probably a pain on a boat. On the other hand, dry malt extract can be
stored like sugar and vacuum packed hop pellets are more robust than
fresh hops. You can even use hop extract if your beer doesn't need too
much hop character. Dried yeast packs store nicely.

Making beer from dry extract, hop pellets and dry yeast is not going to
yield a competition-quality homebrew, but with practice, and depending
on your taste, you might be able to develop a combination of recipe and
technique that worked for you.

Any successful homebrewers out there?

I'm a former award-winning homebrewer and BJCP Master Beer Judge.

Where are you thinking of brewing? I'm assuming there are some ports of
call where an onboard brewery would be frowned upon.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems - Synchro.com
,
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK