Mars: I'd love to sit down with you and talk about all-grain. Also if you plan on brewing this spring/summer count me in. I've never seen all-grain brewing in action.
I was just looking at all-grain today. I would like to get into it, but don't really have the space or set up here. looks more like a garage thing - I have a detached unheated/uninsulated garage. Besides that, I'd have to buy more equipment and each batch looks like it takes a bit longer on brewing day. Also started to look at forced carbonation maybe I'll do this before going all-grain.
mmmmm porter brewed up a midwest porter on saturday night and my airlock was going crazy sunday morning through monday night. Tried something different this time around(2nd brew), I used a paint strainer in the primary bucket as I poured the wort so I got most of the pellet hops and grain particles. Hoping for a clear primary which means and even clearer secondary/bottles. Next up per the wifes request, Midwests Honey Bee Ale
I need another primary! I didn't realize my mead would take so long. I want to brew another! Porter looks good! I did a honey porter last fall, so far my favorite of all my beers. my brother wants me to make a stout next. I need more bottles (or buy a kegging system!).
If you want clear beer, use whirlfloc tablets twards the end of the boil and isinglass in the secondary. Don't worry about what goes into the primary, it settles out eventually. I'd be more concerned with using a non food grade strainer.
i've heard plenty of others not having a problem with the paint strainers, even some that use them in the boil without issue. I sanitized then boiled my strainbag ahead of usage. Should I not use the strainbag any longer? Too much risk? My first batch I didn't strain anything and it was in primary for 1 week then siphoned to secondary and left pretty much all the trub behind. Should I just go back to no straining? Honey Porter sounds mighty tasty. Might have to find one of those. Thanks for the help
You're probably fine, I'm just weird about using non-food grade plastic and hose in my brews. Especially at elevated temps. I forgot you are probably using pellet hops and they make a mess but straining isn't critical IMO. Just transfer to secondary carefully. I use whole hops so they stay behind and act as a filter at the bottom of the draining kettle. If you don't use whirlfloc and isinglass I would give them a try. Your beer will be crystal!
Yup i'm using pellet hops for now, hoping to start a hops garden this spring with some cascade rhizomes. As for the temps, I boiled the bag ahead of time in water to sanitize it then used the bag in the primary and poured the cooled wort(80 degrees) through it so I didn't have my bag in the wort boil. Can't wait to try using whole hops, have to imagine there is a big difference from using pellets. I didn't strain my first batch and the transfer from primary to secondary went pretty well and as far as I can tell almost everything got left behind in the trub so i'm not against going back to not straining. Guess we'll see how they turn out once I get them in a glass then i'll decide. I'll look into whirlfloc and isinglass, sounds very interesting. Thanks for the inofo
+1. I've never used whirlfloc outside of the boil though, I didn't know about that isinglass stuff. Do you just drop it into the secondary carboy?
Yes. Whirlfloc is for the boil. I should warn isinglass can be tricky for a new brewer and may not be worth the effort. It works best if you crash cool the beer and has been in secondary for at least a week. I use it when i make wine.
FYI, I'm on the homebrews e-mail list. Just got this if anyone in unemployed and looking for a job. Hello Fermentation Enthusiasts, Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies in St. Louis Park is hiring a Full-Time position. Job responsibility is 75% packing/shipping, with the remainder 25% including Customer Service over the phone, taking customers orders over the phone, and some light retail duties. We’re looking for enthusiastic homebrewers and home winemakers with experience. Hours would fall mainly within the 9am to 7pm range Sunday through Saturday. Part time and weekend hours are also available. Midwest will give extra consideration to applicant willing to work weekends. Sat-Wed or Wed-Sun. Starting pay is $10-11/hr. Please do not respond to this email. Stop in to apply, and ask for Dave: 3440 Beltline Blvd St. Louis Park , MN 55416 952-925-9854 www.midwestsupplies.com
Pat, if you want to borrow one, I have at least 5 primaries and 7 carboys....:eek3: Good old craigslist hook up! I just put 6 gallons of what my friends are calling "Steve's Special Sauce" into the fermenter this weekend, basically just a modified Apfelwein recipe with some cranberry juice instead of some apple juice. I have an Oktoberfest kit waiting to be brewed (had it for like 3 months now) and I'm piecing together the stuff to make a nice Pale ale I also found the recipe for online. Once I buy a house I'm going to build a kegerator and possibly start doing all grain brews. :yumyum: -Steve
I might take you up on that offer. Maybe I'll just buy one off of you. Let me know if you want to put an order in to Midwestsupplies or Northernbrewer, we can save on shipping. Usually its a flat rate, so if we're only buying one kit each we can save the $8 on shipping if we go together. I tasted one root beer last night. It was Ok, a little flat and a bit thin. I think the next batch I will need to add more sugar. Last batch I used 1 cup sugar in the raw, 1 cup honey and 2 Tbs maltodextrin. I think I'll try the same receipe with 1 1/2 cups sugar in the raw instead of one.
Pat, I plan on eventually picking up a kegging setup from midwest soonish (not super soon though). I'm joining a local brewing club and their membership card gets you 10% off, which if I pick up a 4-keg setup from them would easily pay for the gasoline to get up there. I'll need to wait until next paycheck though, plus I need to find a chest freezer that won't break the bank, don't really feel like shelling out 250 for a 7 cu.ft freezer from the home despot. We'll keep in touch, you can borrow one if you want whenever though I think I'll hold onto them for the time being. I may be needing them in the near future. =) -Steve
I want to see if I can find some money and I'll go with a kegging system soon too. Taste testing a begian triple honey tonight
The only thing holding me back from getting Midwest brew supplies 4-keg setup with the CO2 tank and everything is that they are temporarily out of stock, and that I don't want to shell out another 250 for a chest freezer from home depot on top of the 280 for the kegging setup. I'm trying to find a cheap local chest freezer, but there aren't many to be found at the moment. That and once I was all done I'd want faucets and not the picnic taps, etc, so it would cost me a lot of money. =\ -Steve
Nope not there, but midwest seems to have a decent deal on their 4-keg kit. I may have a line on one or more 40# (yes forty pound) CO2 tanks for kegging. If it's decently cheap I'm going to pick it up and then just get midwest's 4-keg kit without the co2 tank. Then it's off to hunt for a decent ~7cu.ft chest freezer so i can put at least 5-6 cornies in it. I have big plans for this. :biggrin: If the house I buy doesn't have a bar in it, I just might have to build one. -Steve
In December Craigslist had a few different keg and tap systems floating around. I haven't looked in over a month as I have no fundage, but I thought I would mention it.
bump for upcoming homebrewing event this saturday. Look in the events section. I gotta get my ass to northern brewer and get that kit.
I FINALLY put together my Oktoberfest kit this weekend. Everything went fine and it was off and fermenting vigorously at +6 hours post pitch. Just a Brewer's Best kit. I'm looking online for some good extract and steep recipes for a good pale ale or some nice ales. I need something lighter in color for a change, my last couple have been darker, but not porter/stoutish. Going for crisp and refreshing, I have 2 oz of cascade hops in the fridge now. I might try to brew another batch again this weekend. I think I've made up my mind to home brew exclusively from here on out simply for cost and taste of the beer. I'm getting kinda bored with store bought beers, and am too cheap these days to shell out the ching to get the really good stuff..... BTW I drank Redhook Longhammer as my stand-by beer for a long time, still love it just trying some new stuff! -Steve
Just brought home (into the apartment! :laugh: ) an 8.8 cu.ft kenmore freezer I picked up locally. It's a little rough on the outside, but should work well as a kegerator. By my guess it should fit at LEAST 5-6 corny kegs, if not 7. I also picked up my 40# co2 bottle to push and carb the kegs tonight as well. Just need to drop that off at the fire extinguisher place to get the siphon tube taken out and filled, and I will be ready to rock! Now I just need to make a trip up to Midwest brew supply in the cities to pick up one of their kegging kits. Going to have to wait a paycheck or two though, can't afford to blow $texas right now while I'm saving up for a house. -Steve
Congrats, Steve! I might need you to force carb and store one of my next batches! Starting a Maibock today - using all DME (light pilsner) instead of LME.
Once I get everything setup I could do that. I still need to figure out what temp controller I'm going to use for the freezer so I don't have a bunch of 5-gallon ice cubes, and I need to go pick up the kegs/lines/etc from Midwest up in the cities. I'm trying to find a decent pale ale recipe (or IPA) either in partial mash or extract for the time being. I just don't really have the space/equipment to really do anything all grain until I buy a house. -Steve
I just watched a couple of youtube vids and I think I'm going to get a starter kit tomorrow. I'm pumped!!!
Do it! If you can make a cup of tea and boil water, and use a spray bottle you can make kit beers. It's really that easy. -Steve
Wow, theres homebrewers on here?! ****ing fantastic! Excuse my language, but I just get really excited over beer. Been brewing for 2 years, started with extraxt. Been doing mini-mashes for a bit. But this summer, after I tint the lgt I'd like to get my all grain setup going. I've got a few recipies that I put together over the last six months or so. I really want to do another RIS, except this time belgian yeast and replicate the black albert. Currently though, I'm sipping on some Anchor Steam clone I put together, much more hops this time around, dry hoped and keg hoped also used a yeast cake from an s-04 bed. Cant wait to empty this keg though so I can fill it with a mini mashed brown rye. Thnings been sitting in the 2ndary for almost 2 months. Itd s nice sessionable brew with a fg of 1.050
1.050 FG? Seriously? I guess I need to learn alot more. Brown Rye sounds good. My last batch - an 80/- Scottish Ale - turned on me after bottling. Picked up some kinda tart taste. Tolerable, but not a Scottish. I have been experimenting with cherry juice to salvage it since it has the Belgian suggestion to it now. Haven't gotten it worked out yet, but I have time... Talking to the brewmaster at the local microbrewery he thought some of the taste was from the extract. Unfortunately he had a pretty bad cold so we couldn't really do a thorough diagnosis. Talking to him I remembered reading that the yeast may have contributed since I had it a bit warm for the first few days (close to 70). I have been slowly putting the equipment together for all-grain. Need a few more key bits yet, but I have all my ingredients sitting here. Kinda did that backwards, I guess. I want to start kegging, too, but Craigslist hasn't been producing. lol.
I got my brew kid and I think I might try my first batch tomorrow. I'm excited. I want to try my first brew my byself (zero experience) and see what happens.
Well, I am not really qualified to give any advice, especially given my last post, so I will mostly just say, "Brew on, man!" But a suggestion, if you want it, would be that cleanliness is godliness. Sanitize your way to homebrew nirvana. Oh yeah, and have a blast!
yes, sanitize! if you've ever cooked anything by recipe or have had a chemistry/microbio project, you'll be just fine. it's not all that hard. here's a quick rundown: -sanitize everything that will touch wort after boiling including measurement tools, thermometer, spoons and especially yeast container (using dry yeast unless in pouch but you should sanitize this also) and primary fermenter... everything! boiling will sanitize, one step sanitizer (or oxyclean without chlorine will work) is best -prepare yeast -steep grains in grain bag at ~155F for ~1/2 hour - remove grains. -smells great!!! -add malt extract, bring to boil -add hops (can add directly or in another grain bag), continue to boil for 1 hr -add more hops at last 2 mins of boil -cool as quickly as possible (preferably wort chiller, otherwise set boiling kettle with wort in a bathtub of cold water) to ~80F max) -add to fermentor, add water to 5 gallons, aerate by stirring vigourously (helps yeast) -add yeast, cover and wait! any questions, just post here, we'll help you out! good luck and happy brewing!
my best beer so far. I kegged this beer 48 hours ago and just poured a glass, I am extremely happy how well this turned out, as it was kind of an experiment. I'll probably add a pic when the wife gets home with the dslr. Theres some great hop flavor in here as well as chocolate bitters and nice rye spice. Its a bit sweet at the knose with less of that into the flavor. The head is long lasting and there is some great tan sticky lace. The color is a dark brown with some redish hues when held to light. Anyhow, heres a rundown of what I did, its a minimash. The extract kit that I picked up was the Big River Brown Ale from Midwest brewing supplies in MN. Brewed on 2/8/09 It sat in the primary for 2 weeks and was moved to the 2ndary for the remainder of the time. O/G was 1.041, so its a great sessionable brew Ingredients: Smacked the wyeast smack pack 24 hours prior to pitching, the yeast used was 1056 - 3.3 lbs amber lme - 12oz caramel 80, 2 oz special B, 2oz chocolate malt Then I added more grains for the mini mash portion, which included. -1lb Crystal rye (simpson) -1 lbs rye (wyerman) -.5 lbs chocolate (breiss) Mashed at 150 for 60 minutes Mashed out at 170 x2 for 10 minutes Kettle hops: .5 ounce cascade at 60 minutes .5 ounce cascade at 30 mins 1.0 ounce simcoe at 15 minutes remaining .5 ounce fuggles at flame out Keg hops: 1/4 ounce each inside the large tea ball: Amarillo Simcoe Warrior Ahtanum
Well, I brewed my first batch on Sunday and it went really well. My wife was gone for the morning and I loved the aeroma!! I was a bit frustrated that the kit that I bought said it was an "Everything Plus a Carboy" kit, but there were some key components that weren't included - mostly a decent thermometer and "the theif" to take readings of the wert. I will be making a wert cooler as my first add-on. I followed the instructions and made sure that EVERYTHING was clean and it went well. I checked the air lock this morning and I already have Co2 coming out of the top which means I have active fermentation. I do have some questions for you experienced guys. I'm making an Irish Red Ale Question 1: I tried to take a hydrometer reading after I poured the wert into the main fermentation tank. I didn't have a theif, so I used a tall water bottle - maybe 8-10" tall. I sanitized it well and dipped it into the wert. When I dropped the hydrometer into it, it wouldn't float- hit hte bottom so I couldn't get a reading. So, I don't know what I was starting with. Is this ok? I understand that the gravity is just the sugar content of the wert and that will change as the yeast eats the sugar, but could someone explain gravity to me, please? Question 2: The instructions tell me to leave the beer in the first tank for 5-7 days but not how long to leave it in the Carboy. I suppose once I learn how to use a hydrometer I will figure it out, but any ideas? Here are some pics of my first brew: The thermometer that I got at target wouldn't clip onto the pot so I carefully clipped it onto the brew bag. It worked for yesterday. It took a few minutes for me to figure out the flame setting to keep it at 155, but I figured it out.
if you're only brewing one at a time, you could sanitize your hydrometer and drop it in your secondary fermentor and watch it until its done. -assuming you have a glass carboy. Otherwise, just sanitize it, open the lid and take a reading. if its done bubbling, it's pretty much done. a gravity reading should confirm that it's down to the final gravity - usually after ~1-2 weeks from the start.
:needpics: HA HA. I'm planning out my garage lay-out now. There is a thread HERE that gave me quite a few good ideas.
Gravity is just a starting point number. Typically on the box of the extract kit there is somewhere that should say OG 1.xxx. OG is the typical starting gravity. OG is also how you figure out your alcohol content. Each OG is also linked to an alcohol level. Take the starting alcohol level minus the final gravity/alcohol level = total alcohol content. A lot of my beers have a FG of around 1.012 or so, which means if you have a higher OG, you'll have a stronger beer. That's why when you see the nasty malt liquors with "High Gravity" writtin on the 40oz, they have a higher alcohol content. They started off somewhere probably in the 1.070 to 1.080+ range. Also, just go to midwest and get a theft. It will save you time and potential contamination problems. As for your question about if it is a problem that you forgot to get it or not, personally I say no. I'm not a stickler to the "rules" when it comes to brewing as some. I've forgot to grab the OG before. I just had no clue what the alcohol level was. Personally for me it's not about how much alcohol there is in the beer but how the beer tastes. Depends of course what you are brewing. Once again, I'm not down with holding me to timetables. Typically for me it's in the 1st carboy for about a week (until the bubbles all go down and the hydrolock is bubbling maybe once every 3 to 5 sec or so). I always 2 stage ferment my beers so it will go into the smaller (5.5gal) carboy for anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for ales, 2 to 3 months for lagers. Your beer is truly done fermenting when your hydrometer reading is the same from check to check. You're supposed to check it every 3 or 4 days after the "normal" fermentation period (which will say on the box typically). Also it looks like you are using the plastic bucket fermentors. I've never used them. I'm all about the glass carboys. Easy to clean. Best of luck buddy and feel free to ask any more questions. Also don't hesitate to call.
