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[thcsquad]

Brewed today and decided to geek out and input all three of my recipes up to this point on Hopville and see their stats. I've never paid attention to this stuff before, so it's enthralling to finally see stuff like IBUs and gravities and actually know how much alcohol is in my beer

Of note: this is the first time I've taken a gravity reading at the beginning, and it was spot on (0.52). Granted, there's less variability when it comes to extract brewing, but I was still proud.

55 IBUs for a stout that's not intended to be Imperial seems high, but after adding my Porter to Hopville, I see that it was 60+, and it didn't taste too hoppy, so I'm not too worried. Hopville rates all of my beers as 'bitter hoppy', but I think their scale is just messed up.

http://hopville.com/brewer/thcsquad

 

[Angry Grimace]

You're actually not too late (various things delayed it until tomorrow), but also misreading my recipe. All coffee entering the brew is cold-brewed. No coffee beans or grounds are touching the brew at flameout or any other time, and from what I understand the acidity comes from heating those, not the cold-brewed result.

I got the idea from this response to the Stackexchange question I asked on this very subject:

http://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/7952/adding-coffee-without-secondary

Anyway, I've had this cold-brewed coffee in the fridge for a week, and I'm wondering if that's too long. I might make a new batch tonight and use that tomorrow instead.

I guess I was a little unclear; I'm saying don't add coffee, cold-brewed or not, to the hot wort. Even cold-steeped coffee will get acrid if you pour it into a hot liquid since it will cause the oils in the liquid to become stale/taste less good. You don't want to heat it up at all. A tip I got from Societe Brewing (the brewers were relaying advice from from Jeff Bagby of Pizza Port who makes the extremely good Coffee Monster porter) was to cold-steep coffee in the keg/carboy itself, but of course that requires a kegging or cold-crashing setup.

Another interesting thing is that cold-steeping in an alcohol will also extract caffeine, whereas mere cold-steeping won't.

//

In other news, 2012 hop crops are starting to pour in. I got about 2 pounds of Simcoe on a lark, which means I'm getting very close to just being a hoarder.

 

[Cunning Stunt]

My dad got me a basic starter kit for my birthday, including a hydrometer. All I need to get now is sugar and bottles.

Can I use any sugar (it's a lager kit) and I was thinking of bottling it in old screwcap wine bottles, is this ok ? Any other tips for a complete newbie ?

 

[Angry Grimace]

My dad got me a basic starter kit for my birthday, including a hydrometer. All I need to get now is sugar and bottles.

Can I use any sugar (it's a lager kit) and I was thinking of bottling it in old screwcap wine bottles, is this ok ? Any other tips for a complete newbie ?

Need more information. Any chance you could look up and link the kit? If its like a Mr. Beer or something, just do what it says on the package, but I would strongly recommend getting a packet of decent ale yeast.

Wine bottles offer no protection against hop skunking, so I would not do that, I would use pry off beer bottles.

 

[Bigfoot]

Brewed today and decided to geek out and input all three of my recipes up to this point on Hopville and see their stats. I've never paid attention to this stuff before, so it's enthralling to finally see stuff like IBUs and gravities and actually know how much alcohol is in my beer

Of note: this is the first time I've taken a gravity reading at the beginning, and it was spot on (0.52). Granted, there's less variability when it comes to extract brewing, but I was still proud.

55 IBUs for a stout that's not intended to be Imperial seems high, but after adding my Porter to Hopville, I see that it was 60+, and it didn't taste too hoppy, so I'm not too worried. Hopville rates all of my beers as 'bitter hoppy', but I think their scale is just messed up.

http://hopville.com/brewer/thcsquad

Cool site. Thanks. Looks like it has a lot of recipes too so I'll be signing up once I get brewing in the new year. Hopefully they have an iOS app by then too.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

My dad got me a basic starter kit for my birthday, including a hydrometer. All I need to get now is sugar and bottles.

Can I use any sugar (it's a lager kit) and I was thinking of bottling it in old screwcap wine bottles, is this ok ? Any other tips for a complete newbie ?

In regards to your first question, any sugar will work. I have used both table sugar and corn sugar with pretty much the same results. Just make sure you follow the instructions on how much to use for the type of sugar you chose, you don't want to end up with bottle bombs!

 

[Angry Grimace]

In regards to your first question, any sugar will work. I have used both table sugar and corn sugar with pretty much the same results. Just make sure you follow the instructions on how much to use for the type of sugar you chose, you don't want to end up with bottle bombs!

To add, the volume measurements on table sugar and corn sugar are not the same due to granule size, so just make sure the sugar is measured by weight (its the same concept as measuring kosher salt vs. regular salt).

There's supposedly a slight difference in fementability between the two, but most people find that you can use them interchangeably.

 

[sharkmuncher]

Turns out I have a Chocolate porter, Russian Imperial Stout and American Brown on tap. I needed something light, so I went all out:

Recipe: PCA	TYPE: All Grain
Style: Cream Ale
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 2.7 SRM		SRM RANGE: 2.5-5.0 SRM
IBU: 17.5 IBUs Rager	IBU RANGE: 15.0-20.0 IBUs
OG: 1.040 SG		OG RANGE: 1.042-1.055 SG
FG: 1.008 SG		FG RANGE: 1.006-1.012 SG
BU:GU: 0.444		Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz	Est ABV: 4.1 %		
EE%: 71.00 %	Batch: 5.50 gal      Boil: 7.31 gal	BT: 90 Mins


Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 8.0 oz	Total Hops: 30.0 g oz.

Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
5 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        58.8 %        
2 lbs                 Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)                   Grain         2        23.5 %        
1 lbs                 Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         3        11.8 %        
8.0 oz                Minute Rice (1.0 SRM)                    Grain         4        5.9 %         


Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 12.00 qt of water at 162.3 F        152.0 F       90 min        

---SPARGE PROCESS---

Batch sparge with 2 steps (2.08gal, 4.06gal) of 168.0 F water

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.034 SG	Est OG: 1.040 SG
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
28.0 g                Hallertauer [3.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min     Hop           5        15.2 IBUs     
2.0 g                 Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop           6        2.4 IBUs      


---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
US-05 - 65F


Should be a nice easy drinker. Not exactly "seasonal," but that's what all the stout is for.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Turns out I have a Chocolate porter, Russian Imperial Stout and American Brown on tap. I needed something light, so I went all out:

Recipe: PCA	TYPE: All Grain
Style: Cream Ale
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 2.7 SRM		SRM RANGE: 2.5-5.0 SRM
IBU: 17.5 IBUs Rager	IBU RANGE: 15.0-20.0 IBUs
OG: 1.040 SG		OG RANGE: 1.042-1.055 SG
FG: 1.008 SG		FG RANGE: 1.006-1.012 SG
BU:GU: 0.444		Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz	Est ABV: 4.1 %		
EE%: 71.00 %	Batch: 5.50 gal      Boil: 7.31 gal	BT: 90 Mins


Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 8.0 oz	Total Hops: 30.0 g oz.

Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
5 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        58.8 %        
2 lbs                 Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)                   Grain         2        23.5 %        
1 lbs                 Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         3        11.8 %        
8.0 oz                Minute Rice (1.0 SRM)                    Grain         4        5.9 %         


Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 12.00 qt of water at 162.3 F        152.0 F       90 min        

---SPARGE PROCESS---

Batch sparge with 2 steps (2.08gal, 4.06gal) of 168.0 F water

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.034 SG	Est OG: 1.040 SG
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
28.0 g                Hallertauer [3.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min     Hop           5        15.2 IBUs     
2.0 g                 Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop           6        2.4 IBUs      


---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
US-05 - 65F


Should be a nice easy drinker. Not exactly "seasonal," but that's what all the stout is for.

I just did something similar with some left over Cascade and Centennial leaf hops I found in the freezer. I had to make room for the utterly ridiculous amount of Citra hops I ordered to experiment with.

 

[fenners]

Moved my robust coffee porter over to the fridge for cold crashing. Will add some bloomin' gelatin tomorrow. Sample seems okay - I purposely didn't over-add coffee as this is my first coffee brew & will likely be sampled by a bunch of friends/family over the holidays so I didn't want to make it too harsh. Recipe is based on Recalcitrant Dockhand from Black Star here in Austin.

Recipe: BlackStar Recalcitrant Dockhand (5G)	TYPE: All Grain
Style: Robust Porter
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 30.2 SRM		SRM RANGE: 22.0-35.0 SRM
IBU: 32.4 IBUs Tinseth	IBU RANGE: 25.0-50.0 IBUs
OG: 1.056 SG		OG RANGE: 1.048-1.065 SG
FG: 1.018 SG		FG RANGE: 1.012-1.016 SG
BU:GU: 0.580		Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz	Est ABV: 4.9 %		
EE%: 70.00 %	Batch: 5.00 gal      Boil: 7.35 gal	BT: 60 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 2.0 oz	Total Hops: 2.75 oz oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.20 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
8 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        71.9 %        
12.0 oz               Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM)                 Grain         2        6.7 %         
12.0 oz               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)    Grain         3        6.7 %         
7.0 oz                Carafa III (525.0 SRM)                   Grain         4        3.9 %         
7.0 oz                Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)               Grain         5        3.9 %         
6.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)    Grain         6        3.4 %         


Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Saccharification  Add 32.56 qt of water at 162.5 F        156.0 F       60 min        
Mash Out          Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min              168.0 F       10 min        

---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 72.0 F/72.0 F
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
Remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.044 SG	Est OG: 1.056 SG
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
6.0 oz                Molasses (80.0 SRM)                      Sugar         7        3.4 %         
0.22 oz               Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min        Hop           8        10.0 IBUs     
1.24 oz               Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min      Hop           9        17.8 IBUs     
0.67 oz               Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min      Hop           10       4.6 IBUs      

---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
Primary Start: 11/21/2012 - 4.00 Days at 67.0 F
Secondary Start: 11/25/2012 - 10.00 Days at 67.0 F
Style Carb Range: 1.80-2.50 Vols
Bottling Date: 12/5/2012 with 2.3 Volumes CO2:

Going to do a quick easy Mild before Christmas Day if I can, just to keep the pipeline going & use some hops.

 

[Yaboosh]

Moved my robust coffee porter over to the fridge for cold crashing. Will add some bloomin' gelatin tomorrow. Sample seems okay - I purposely didn't over-add coffee as this is my first coffee brew & will likely be sampled by a bunch of friends/family over the holidays so I didn't want to make it too harsh. Recipe is based on Recalcitrant Dockhand from Black Star here in Austin.

Going to do a quick easy Mild before Christmas Day if I can, just to keep the pipeline going & use some hops.

I did a mild in five days from grain to glass once just for the hell of it.

 

[fenners]

I did a mild in five days from grain to glass once just for the hell of it.

Yeah, I'm aiming for a quick turnaround, but maybe not that quick

 

[Angry Grimace]

It might not be IPA season, but I bought way too much bulk Citra and other exotic hops, so I guess its IPA season for the foreseeable future =V (i.e. I have more than 4 pounds of Citra, most of it 2012 harvest )

 

[Bigfoot]

So I ended up being gifted a Mr. Beer and 4 of its refills for Christmas. I know Mr. Beer is considered the "pre-made cookie dough" equivalent of brewing, but it's a start and it works with the space I have and the amount of drinking I do.

I already brewed up one batch as is. I plan on adding some DME to the next batch to get more out of it, and then add DME + hops to the third batch. I may make the fourth in to a fruit beer. After that, I'll be finished with the Mr. Beer ingredients.

I've been doing a lot of reading at the home brew forums lately and it sounds like secondaries are old school thinking and only a primary is recommended for most types of beers now. In that case, the Mr. Beer fermenter will work perfect for half batches so I'll probably keep it around but use store bought ingredients. I've also read that doing half size (2.5 gallon) batches allows you to do AG BIAB brewing in your kitchen with pots most people already have instead of doing AG outside with a lot of extra equipment. That in itself sounds like a plus to me.

I'll report back in and tell how it all turns out. Maybe I'll end up with a normal sized brewing kit in the end anyways, but right now I don't see the need...

 

[fenners]

So I ended up being gifted a Mr. Beer and 4 of its refills for Christmas. I know Mr. Beer is considered the "pre-made cookie dough" equivalent of brewing, but it's a start and it works with the space I have and the amount of drinking I do.

I already brewed up one batch as is. I plan on adding some DME to the next batch to get more out of it, and then add DME + hops to the third batch. I may make the fourth in to a fruit beer. After that, I'll be finished with the Mr. Beer ingredients.

I've been doing a lot of reading at the home brew forums lately and it sounds like secondaries are old school thinking and only a primary is recommended for most types of beers now. In that case, the Mr. Beer fermenter will work perfect for half batches so I'll probably keep it around but use store bought ingredients. I've also read that doing half size (2.5 gallon) batches allows you to do AG BIAB brewing in your kitchen with pots most people already have instead of doing AG outside with a lot of extra equipment. That in itself sounds like a plus to me.

I'll report back in and tell how it all turns out. Maybe I'll end up with a normal sized brewing kit in the end anyways, but right now I don't see the need...

BIAB for the win. It's what I do & love it as a process & the lack of extra equipment necessary. It's overlooked by a lot of people doing small batches (though I do 5 gallons).

 

[Davedough]

Little late on this topic (because I'd forgotten it existed), but I took the plunge and asked Santa to deliver good stuffs to me. My haul over the holidays was:

Northern Brewer Basic Starter Kit -
- 1 6 gallon fermenter bucket
- 1 6 gallon secondary bucket
- 1 airlock
- 1 auto siphon w/ tubing
- Capper and caps
5 gallon stainless brew kettle
Huge stainless stir spoon
Bayou Classics burner and stand
IR thermometer
Hydrometer
48 bottles
32 oz Five Star San
NB Irish Red Ale extract kit w/dry yeast
NB India Pale Ale extract kit w/dry yeast

All in all, I'm pretty excited to get brewing, but I have to wait until I get into my new house which closes on the 18th. I should have beer ready somewhere around the end of February.

I've read so much on this on various forums that I'm so excited to finally put all this theory to practice.

 

[Angry Grimace]

So I ended up being gifted a Mr. Beer and 4 of its refills for Christmas. I know Mr. Beer is considered the "pre-made cookie dough" equivalent of brewing, but it's a start and it works with the space I have and the amount of drinking I do.

I already brewed up one batch as is. I plan on adding some DME to the next batch to get more out of it, and then add DME + hops to the third batch. I may make the fourth in to a fruit beer. After that, I'll be finished with the Mr. Beer ingredients.

I've been doing a lot of reading at the home brew forums lately and it sounds like secondaries are old school thinking and only a primary is recommended for most types of beers now. In that case, the Mr. Beer fermenter will work perfect for half batches so I'll probably keep it around but use store bought ingredients. I've also read that doing half size (2.5 gallon) batches allows you to do AG BIAB brewing in your kitchen with pots most people already have instead of doing AG outside with a lot of extra equipment. That in itself sounds like a plus to me.

I'll report back in and tell how it all turns out. Maybe I'll end up with a normal sized brewing kit in the end anyways, but right now I don't see the need...

Brew in a Bag stuff is definetely do-able on a Mr. Beer kit. Just make sure to get any recipes you want scaled down appropriately. If you have the capability to do full boils in your kitchen (i.e. you can boil all 3 or 3 1/2 gallons before evaporation), I would do so since I think that full boils were one of the biggest improvements I got in making beer.

 

[Bigfoot]

In reply to Grimace, I will look in to doing a full boil if I ever try a BIAB. I'm not sure if my biggest pot will handle it but I'll check it out. I don't see getting to a BIAB in the near future anyways since there is lots I want to try first (DME with hop boil, DME with hop and steeping).

I am definitely caught by the home brew bug however. My first Mr. Beer batch is just going to be bottled tomorrow but I already went out and picked up more Mr. Beer fermentors so I can have a few going at once. I also am about to brew a 2.5 gallon cider. I just hope I enjoy the fruits of my labor when it comes time to drink them. I have low expectations however since they are my first brews using just HME so I know it will only get better.

Does anyone here keg? I was looking at some 2.5 gal kegs that would easily fit in to a mini fridge. I would love to get these and build a kegerator but that will have to wait until I have more space and money. The thought of having a keg tap at home sounds awesome though.

Finally, anyone have a good simple extract with hops recipe that would be good for a first time brew? It can be a 5 gallon recipe as I just have to half it to fit in the Mr. Beer fermentor.

 

[Yaboosh]

In reply to Grimace, I will look in to doing a full boil if I ever try a BIAB. I'm not sure if my biggest pot will handle it but I'll check it out. I don't see getting to a BIAB in the near future anyways since there is lots I want to try first (DME with hop boil, DME with hop and steeping).

I am definitely caught by the home brew bug however. My first Mr. Beer batch is just going to be bottled tomorrow but I already went out and picked up more Mr. Beer fermentors so I can have a few going at once. I also am about to brew a 2.5 gallon cider. I just hope I enjoy the fruits of my labor when it comes time to drink them. I have low expectations however since they are my first brews using just HME so I know it will only get better.

Does anyone here keg? I was looking at some 2.5 gal kegs that would easily fit in to a mini fridge. I would love to get these and build a kegerator but that will have to wait until I have more space and money. The thought of having a keg tap at home sounds awesome though.

Finally, anyone have a good simple extract with hops recipe that would be good for a first time brew? It can be a 5 gallon recipe as I just have to half it to fit in the Mr. Beer fermentor.

Small kegs are expensive.

As for a hoppy recipe, just add enough pale dry malt extract to get to 1.050, add .3 oz of Columbus at 60m, add .25 oz of simcoe at 15m and 0m and .25 oz Columbus at 15m and 0m, and dry hop with .25 oz of simcoe and Columbus. Those amounts are for 2.5 gal.

 

[Bigfoot]

Small kegs are expensive.

As for a hoppy recipe, just add enough pale dry malt extract to get to 1.050, add .3 oz of Columbus at 60m, add .25 oz of simcoe at 15m and 0m and .25 oz Columbus at 15m and 0m, and dry hop with .25 oz of simcoe and Columbus. Those amounts are for 2.5 gal.

Yeah, I noticed the price for a 5 gal keg was only $10 more than the price for a 2.5 or 3 gal keg.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll give that a try in the next few months. I'm guessing I just boil as much water as possible and top off to 2.5 gal if I can't boil the full amount?

 

[Yaboosh]

Yeah, I noticed the price for a 5 gal keg was only $10 more than the price for a 2.5 or 3 gal keg.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll give that a try in the next few months. I'm guessing I just boil as much water as possible and top off to 2.5 gal if I can't boil the full amount?

Is that for new or used? If you find a small corny keg for less than fifty bucks jump on it.

Also, try to boil the full amount. Any stove top should be able to boil 3 gallons. Go get a five gallon canning pot from Wal-Mart and you are good to go.

 

[waxer]

In the process of building a fruit press with a friend thats fairly new to brewing(ive done none) Any recommendations for making a good cider. We have access to some apple trees and apples cost basicly nothing at the moment anyway here.
Im told cider is super easy and a lot of what I have read so far has been to basicly just add yeast to the apple juice once pressed but surely better results are had by using additives to kill of natural yeasts in fruit etc? More like winemaking. A homebrew beermaker suggested as much to me but admitted to not making ciders before.
I have a temperature controlled wine celler shed in the garden that I will be using as a brewing room so Im tempted to try some longer brews as well. Something 8month plus like edwort's apfelwein but im not sure its a flavour I would like as Im a bit of a sweet tooth.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

In the process of building a fruit press with a friend thats fairly new to brewing(ive done none) Any recommendations for making a good cider. We have access to some apple trees and apples cost basicly nothing at the moment anyway here.
Im told cider is super easy and a lot of what I have read so far has been to basicly just add yeast to the apple juice once pressed but surely better results are had by using additives to kill of natural yeasts in fruit etc? More like winemaking. A homebrew beermaker suggested as much to me but admitted to not making ciders before.
I have a temperature controlled wine celler shed in the garden that I will be using as a brewing room so Im tempted to try some longer brews as well. Something 8month plus like edwort's apfelwein but im not sure its a flavour I would like as Im a bit of a sweet tooth.

Just a heads up in regards to Edwort's recipe, as it is written, it is very dry. We make it regularly, and it's like a very dry apple flavored champagne. If you don't want it carbonated, you could probably sweeten it up nicely though! It is so easy to make, it really is as simple as dumping the juice, sugar (alcohol booster), and yeast in a carboy and leaving it alone for a few months.

 

[andylsun]

Vienna Lager fermenting in my basement.

makes 5 gal

8 lb Vienna Malt
1lb Crystal 60L
0.5lb Aromatic
38g (1.3oz) 4.8% AA hallertauer (german)

Yeast
Wyeast 2633 Octoberfest Lager - 2l starter

Mash: Multiple infusion

First step: 133F for 30 minutes
Second step: 154F for 45 minutes
Mash out: 168F

60 minute boil with all hops added at the start (60 minutes)

Ferment at 50F for 7 days, then d-rest for 3 days then keg and lager for 6 weeks.

I've been homebrewing for just under a year. Started with extract + speciality grain kits from a local homebrew store and then switched to all grain. Once I'd switched to all grain, I wanted to lager, so built a freezer with temperature control for lagering, and picked up 5 kegs + regulator off craigslist so I don't have to bottle anymore.

I like brewing old-world styles. I'm a brit living in the USA, so english bitter is usually brewed and on tap as it's so difficult to find over here.

Currently have

Green Flash West Coast IPA in a keg and should be ready in a week. Smells amazing, with a wonderful hop bill (not used Simcoe before, but I like it lots)
English Bitter (Humpty Dumpty bitter from Complete Joy of Homebrewing). It's really nice to have a 3-4% quaffible bitter on tap - I can have a couple of pints without getting hammered, and it's really refreshing. Cheap to make too.
Vienna Lager in primary - This is the second batch. The first batch went to my office Christmas party in a keg and lasted about 40 minutes. Lots of positive comments from everyone, including quite a few homebrewers, and it's also about the only beer my wife likes to drink.
Belgium Triple - been in bottles for 6 months and great as a one off beer, but at 10% it's a bit too strong to enjoy more than one
Pilsner - brewed with my dad, who is a former high school chemistry teacher - this one is a bit thin, but seems to be improving with age (strange), and the latest bottle of this had a better golden colour than early/green bottles.

Planing to make a Kate the Great clone, a Belgium wit and Courage Directors clone over the next couple of months, and then something for the summer (perhaps another pilsner)


Edit: just tapped the Green Flash keg. Tastes amazing, piney and also fruity in a way I can't describe (citrus isn't overwhelming the pine). On my second (uk size) pint and its pretty damn strong! Got a whole keg of this stuff to go. Going to bottle some and share with other local home brewers

 

[Bigfoot]

Is that for new or used? If you find a small corny keg for less than fifty bucks jump on it.

Also, try to boil the full amount. Any stove top should be able to boil 3 gallons. Go get a five gallon canning pot from Wal-Mart and you are good to go.

I was able to get three 2.5 gallon corny kegs for $70 each. A bit pricey since I've seen some 5 gallon ones go for $40 used but like I said, the smaller size fits better for my brewing and consumption.

Now it is time to build a kegerator. I found an online guide on how to build one, but does anyone have any general tips that might be worth knowing before I go out and purchase everything? Right now I'm thinking of converting a mini fridge in to a 2-tap tower kegerator with a 5 pound CO2 tank.

 

[Yaboosh]

I was able to get three 2.5 gallon corny kegs for $70 each. A bit pricey since I've seen some 5 gallon ones go for $40 used but like I said, the smaller size fits better for my brewing and consumption.

Now it is time to build a kegerator. I found an online guide on how to build one, but does anyone have any general tips that might be worth knowing before I go out and purchase everything? Right now I'm thinking of converting a mini fridge in to a 2-tap tower kegerator with a 5 pound CO2 tank.

Still a fine price. You should always be able to resell them for the same price at least.

Replace all the gaskets though.

 

[fenners]

First brew day of the year. Just a basic brown ale in the style of Newcastle Brown Ale to fill up the pipeline. The aim is for something sessionable & simple. I'll make something complicated & heavy next time, I need to get a keg filled to save money

 

[andylsun]

First brew day of the year. Just a basic brown ale in the style of Newcastle Brown Ale to fill up the pipeline. The aim is for something sessionable & simple. I'll make something complicated & heavy next time, I need to get a keg filled to save money

Love having a keg of something quick to make and easy to drink >4%, can have a couple and not feel slammed. Ordinary Bitter is my go to in this category.

My Monk Slayer 11% triple is nice and all, but its not exactly a leisurely drink!

I bought 5 kegs in one go, and they just sat in the basement empty and laughed at me! Three are full now so the pipeline is building... My wife doesn't understand why having 15 gal of beer on tap isn't enough.

 

[codswallop]

Someone suggest a style of beer for my next brew. It'll have to be an ale since my fermenting setup (swamp cooler!) isn't capable of lagers.

Currently thinking about a saison, Belgian blond, or American pale ale. Have a few Imperial IPAs and nearing the end of my witbiers. It's the middle of summer in Australia so something light is probably appropriate. Made a cream ale before the witbier so looking for something different.

Another question, I'm a pretty basic (all-grain, brew-in-a-bag, specifically) brewer: cheap 15L pot which I use on the stovetop, a single 15L fermenter with a tap (I don't secondary), and I use a swamp cooler or heating pad after. I do the 15L (4gal) because I can do it easily on the stovetop and the BIAB bag is easy to lift out after mashing. What do you guys reckon the best thing to add to this setup is? I'm thinking fermenting fridge is the single best addition I could add at this stage...

 

[Flek]

is this something you can do in a regualar basement?

 

[codswallop]

is this something you can do in a regualar basement?

If you're referring to my question, we don't generally have basements in Australia! I can keep my fermentation temp around 16-20c (60-68f) with a swamp cooler most of the time.

If your question is more of a general nature, I say just go for it! I've found that even if you can't make everything (like mash temps, fermentation temps) perfect you still end up with something drinkable. It's pretty cliche, but a little extra time can make any homebrew beer much better.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Hadn't seen this thread before, will be no doubt come in useful for when I embark on my home brewing project. Home made biltong was supposed to be my next project but after many months of disagreement I've had to let the gf win.

The Op looks quite n00b friendly.

 

[codswallop]

The Op looks quite n00b friendly.

Trust me when I say home brewing (and indeed "all grain", the holy grail of home brewing) is pretty easy to get reasonable results. They may be different (possibly better than commercial beers, possibly worse, always different) to commercial beers, but it's really quite easy to make. The biggest commitment is time.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Trust me when I say home brewing (and indeed "all grain", the holy grail of home brewing) is pretty easy to get reasonable results. They may be different (possibly better than commercial beers, possibly worse, always different) to commercial beers, but it's really quite easy to make. The biggest commitment is time.

That's reassuring to know. One of the main things holding me back is the overwhelming amount of info out there and how easy most places make it seem to fuck up. I'm a relative newcomer to the whole craft beer scene too, only succumbing to their charms after a trip to Bruges a couple of years back.

My current favourite is probably Ska Brewery's Modus Hoperandi, I love it.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

I'm brewing my first lager (the Bavarian Helles kit from Northern Brewer), and last night I transferred the beer into a secondary, put it in the fridge, and hooked it up to my temperature controller. Here is my schedule, can any lager brewers tell me if it sounds correct?

Primary fermentation 2.5 weeks at 52-54 degrees (the gravity pretty much stabilized).
Diacetyl rest for 2 days at 62 degrees
Secondary lagering beginning at 50 degrees, dropping 2 degrees daily until 36 degrees.
Lager for 1.5-2 months.

Now I have to get started on their new Cascade Mountains Imperial IPA kit!

 

[codswallop]

That's reassuring to know. One of the main things holding me back is the overwhelming amount of info out there and how easy most places make it seem to fuck up.

There's a TON of info and terms that are pretty baffling to newcomers. Just like gaming I guess.

I do "brew in a bag"* which is a simplistic version of "all grain" brewing. Extract brewing is buying a tin of pre-made, concentrated "wort" (pronounced wert, it's basically beer that hasn't fermented yet) and diluting it. All grain brewing is where you steep (calling mashing) grains in water to release sugar, and then boil the water, adding hops and any other ingredients you want.

From then, whether it's extract or all grain, the process is pretty much the same: Cool the wort, put into a fermenter, then put in yeast and wait for a week or two.

Things can get way more complicated from there, but to begin with you don't need to.

* With brew in a bag, you put the grains in a giant bag and steep it in the water you'll boil for an hour or so (like a giant tea bag in a cup of tea), then remove the bag and boil it.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

There's a TON of info and terms that are pretty baffling to newcomers. Just like gaming I guess.

I do "brew in a bag"* which is a simplistic version of "all grain" brewing. Extract brewing is buying a tin of pre-made, concentrated "wort" (pronounced wert, it's basically beer that hasn't fermented yet) and diluting it. All grain brewing is where you steep (calling mashing) grains in water to release sugar, and then boil the water, adding hops and any other ingredients you want.

From then, whether it's extract or all grain, the process is pretty much the same: Cool the wort, put into a fermenter, then put in yeast and wait for a week or two.

Things can get way more complicated from there, but to begin with you don't need to.

* With brew in a bag, you put the grains in a giant bag and steep it in the water you'll boil for an hour or so (like a giant tea bag in a cup of tea), then remove the bag and boil it.

Thanks for the help. Will be investing in the two books mentioned in the OP and then I'll start!

 

[fenners]

I do "brew in a bag"*

What is it with Australian homebrewers & BIAB? I do BIAB too over here in Texas. It's a fantastically straightforward way to do all-grain without lots of different pots/coolers etc. Just need a big enough pot. Because it's relatively new as a technique, it doesn't get the coverage it deserves, but it does have a lot of fans on homebrewtalk.com (which is where I heard about it).

 

[Yaboosh]

What is it with Australian homebrewers & BIAB? I do BIAB too over here in Texas. It's a fantastically straightforward way to do all-grain without lots of different pots/coolers etc. Just need a big enough pot. Because it's relatively new as a technique, it doesn't get the coverage it deserves, but it does have a lot of fans on homebrewtalk.com (which is where I heard about it).

The worst is the Australian penchant for cooling naturally over night in cubes. Freaks me out man.

 

[codswallop]

What is it with Australian homebrewers & BIAB? I do BIAB too over here in Texas. It's a fantastically straightforward way to do all-grain without lots of different pots/coolers etc. Just need a big enough pot. Because it's relatively new as a technique, it doesn't get the coverage it deserves, but it does have a lot of fans on homebrewtalk.com (which is where I heard about it).

Apparently it was "invented" in Australia.

Personally, for me, all it means is less equipment. I don't need a additional tubs of water to hold sparge water, or extra tubing or valves or whatever. Since I'm doing 15L or so batches the bag isn't particularly heavy anyway.

I have been looking around for a suitable cooler (RubberMaid ones would cost about $100 landed in Australia) so I can try my hand at batch sparging (as shown here) but I don't really feel I have the space to store a crazy setup. And I'm certainly not (currently) interested in brewing outside, even though the Australian climate is definitely suitable for such a thing mostly year-round.

The worst is the Australian penchant for cooling naturally over night in cubes. Freaks me out man.

I don't use an immersion cooler or chiller, but I do cool my wort as quickly as possible with ice baths etc. Usually about 30-40 minutes after flame out it's ready to pitch. Besides the potential for infection or DMS buildup if the wort is still hot and covered, I doubt there's much of a problem really. I imagine it's how wort was chilled in the ye olde days (except for steam ale, where it was pumped to the roof!).

Considering a chiller plate though. But my current planned upgrade list is a fermentation fridge/cooler, then cooler mash tun, then chiller plate, and siphon etc so I can rack to secondary. My setup is ultra-simple at the moment (I only bottle) and I'm still happy with the results, so I'm not in any rush to get a complicated setup going, but I do want to improve my brews.

----------

Any thoughts on this APA recipe? Haven't brewed an APA before. Aiming for something easy to drink, with a little bite, and a nice creamy mouthfeel. Remember it's a 15L (4gal) batch: Yippee-ki-yay Recipe

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

So I've been doing a little more reading and am worried about the temperature thing. My flat's ambient temperature is probably about 12 degrees Celsius at this time of the year as it doesn't have central heating. Will the fermentation process manage to keep the brews at roughly the right temperature or would I need to invest in a brew belt?

The starter kits I've narrowed it down to are these 4, can anyone with experience chime in with an opinion? Thanks.

http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/coopers-diy-beer-kit-new-with-vwp-sterilizer-red-brewbelt-965-p.asp

http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/brewsmarter-premium-starter-beer-kit-best-value-844-p.asp

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Home_Brew_Starter_Wherry_Woodfords_Kit.html#a4_21102694

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Milestone-Lions-Pride-Starter-Kit.html#.UR4TYh2BJ5U

The Coopers kit seems to be the go to for a lot of new starters.

 

[codswallop]

12c might be a little cold. You'll need to keep it above probably 15c (depends on the yeast, always listed on the packet) otherwise the yeast hibernates. It won't kill it if it hibernates for a little while, but going too high kills the yeast.

You can try an electric blanket or buy a heat pad or leave it near a heater or wrap in blankets. For the best fermentation you want the temperature stable but none of mine have ever been and the beer is always drinkable (just a constant temperature would make it potentially better). It also heats up as fermentation continues add that's how the fermentation works.

Usually the temperature inside the fermenter is 1-2c higher than the temperature just outside.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

12c might be a little cold. You'll need to keep it above probably 15c (depends on the yeast, always listed on the packet) otherwise the yeast hibernates. It won't kill it if it hibernates for a little while, but going too high kills the yeast.

You can try an electric blanket or buy a heat pad or leave it near a heater or wrap in blankets. For the best fermentation you want the temperature stable but none of mine have ever been and the beer is always drinkable (just a constant temperature would make it potentially better). It also heats up as fermentation continues add that's how the fermentation works.

Usually the temperature inside the fermenter is 1-2c higher than the temperature just outside.

A couple of those kits in my previous post come with a brew belt so I'll use that if needs be. Do you have an opinion on any of those kits for a new starter? Thanks.

 

[operon]

A couple of those kits in my previous post come with a brew belt so I'll use that if needs be. Do you have an opinion on any of those kits for a new starter? Thanks.

Just keep an eye on the temperature, the brew belt can be good I have one but you don't have any control over the temperature and you don't want hit going to high. I visit a few home brew forum here and a lot get a builders like trub place the ferment in it and put some water in the trub. Then they use a aquarium heater to heat the water around the fermenter. The advantage being that the heater isn't in the fermenter so doesn't need cleaning and you can control the temperature.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Just keep an eye on the temperature, the brew belt can be good I have one but you don't have any control over the temperature and you don't want hit going to high. I visit a few home brew forum here and a lot get a builders like trub place the ferment in it and put some water in the trub. Then they use a aquarium heater to heat the water around the fermenter. The advantage being that the heater isn't in the fermenter so doesn't need cleaning and you can control the temperature.

That's a simple and genius solution. I like it!

 

[codswallop]

When you were talking about trub I was getting petty confused until I realised you meant tub!

What is described is known as a swamp cooler, that's what I use. It's cheap, OK, and messy. Put s little bleach in the water so it doesn't go bad.

Note to newbies: Trub (pronounced troob) is the sludge that ends up at the bottom of the fermenter after fermentation is done.

 

[fenners]

Finally getting a chance to brew that Mild brown ale. Life & the weather's been completely uncooperative until now. Still, it's 8:30 here & I hit my mash temperature without any problems. Had to brew on the front patio by the front door as it's the only wind break I've got against the 10mph south winds out there

 

[codswallop]

A couple of those kits in my previous post come with a brew belt so I'll use that if needs be. Do you have an opinion on any of those kits for a new starter? Thanks.

I'm not an extract/kit brewer, sorry. I just bought a fermenting bucket, cheap pot, and a few other odds and ends and dived straight into all grain brew-in-a-bag brewing (after doing a couple of extract brews at a mates, and before that some brews at a "brew it yourself" place).

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with extract kits (I've only ever used pretty crappy ones), but I enjoy doing the whole process, even if my results might end up a bit odd, I enjoy the fact I did it all myself.

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

I'm not an extract/kit brewer, sorry. I just bought a fermenting bucket, cheap pot, and a few other odds and ends and dived straight into all grain brew-in-a-bag brewing (after doing a couple of extract brews at a mates, and before that some brews at a "brew it yourself" place).

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with extract kits (I've only ever used pretty crappy ones), but I enjoy doing the whole process, even if my results might end up a bit odd, I enjoy the fact I did it all myself.

That makes sense, I'm just gently dipping my toes in rather than going all out from the start. I imagine I'll upgrade once I get more into it.

 

[waxer]

Im jumping all in it seems when it comes to cider making. Just pressed 78L of apple juice and mate in video had already pressed some more. I did a 23L carboy and he put on a 60.

Video of setup we threw together to show those that helped supply us with parts apple trees etc. By getting the fruit free the actual juice cost is practically nothing. Some yeast and dextrose. Maybe $7 for the 60L batch. Cheap grog.

Diy machines with spare parts scavenged through word of mouth from family and friends with just a few things like wood needing to be bought. He gets very excited about pressing cider.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlmj3cnIFpw

Nice way to start my first attempt at home brew.