Homebrewing

[mrwicked]

^ any books you can recommend for the n00bs to get started?

[St1ck]

I brew my own beer, have been doing it for 7 years.  Just kegged a batch of Marzen, it's fantastic.  My advice: make sure you sanitize everything.  And get a bigger pot than 3 gallons to boil your wort.  Mine is only 3 gallons and I've boiled over almost every single time.  My other advice: after doing about 5 batches in bottles, I realized what a pain in the ass it is to sanitize bottles if you don't immediately clean then after you drink from them (don't just let them sit as empties).  I've been fairly mundane in brewing, in that I buy the brew kits from Steinfillers in Long Beach.  The only batch I tried to do from scratch, the guy gave me roasted something or other instead of roasted barley and it came out tasting like coffee beer. 

 

 

Coffee beer is good. 

 

[James]

Good advice on Sanitation. Seems to be more cleaning in a brewery compared to actual brewing. Its a never ending cycle. 

[red321]

I brew my own beer, have been doing it for 7 years.  Just kegged a batch of Marzen, it's fantastic.  My advice: make sure you sanitize everything.  And get a bigger pot than 3 gallons to boil your wort.  Mine is only 3 gallons and I've boiled over almost every single time.  My other advice: after doing about 5 batches in bottles, I realized what a pain in the ass it is to sanitize bottles if you don't immediately clean then after you drink from them (don't just let them sit as empties).  I've been fairly mundane in brewing, in that I buy the brew kits from Steinfillers in Long Beach.  The only batch I tried to do from scratch, the guy gave me roasted something or other instead of roasted barley and it came out tasting like coffee beer. 

 

That's what everything I've read says...sanitize...sanitize...sanitize...and then...sanitize some more.

 

I did get a pot that was closer to 8 gallons. If the brewing doesn't work out I can use it to make big pots of gumbo.

[Lhalo]

Once you get the reading of the FG you can do a simple mathematical equation using your OG to get an idea what the ABV is going to be.

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

[red321]

^ any books you can recommend for the n00bs to get started?

 

The book I picked up was "How to Brew: Everything you need to know how to brew" by John Palmer and it looked like the best to me. It did a quick run through that gives you the basics since most people don't give a shit about the details...and then it goes back and breaks everything down in detail.

 

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

[AngelsLongBall]

The book I used was Charlie Papazian's. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Joy-Homebrewing-Third/dp/0060531053/ref=la_B000APNS36_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383956722&sr=1-1

 

Has a plethora (yes, el guapo, it has a plethora) of recipes of your favorite beers

[AngelsLongBall]

That's what everything I've read says...sanitize...sanitize...sanitize...and then...sanitize some more.

 

I did get a pot that was closer to 8 gallons. If the brewing doesn't work out I can use it to make big pots of gumbo.

You won't have a problem with 8 gallons...and brewing is relatively idiot proof, unless you drink too much of the product while you're making the product...or if you don't sanitize

[AngelsLongBall]

Good advice on Sanitation. Seems to be more cleaning in a brewery compared to actual brewing. Its a never ending cycle. 

It reminds me of the lab cleaning scenes in Breaking Bad. 

[mrwicked]

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

 

and always make sure to hit the eastside of the LBC

on a mission tryin' to find mr warren g

[Tank]

 

Has a plethora (yes, el guapo, it has a plethora) of recipes of your favorite beers

I needed a laugh today. Thank you.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I have only done it once. Some friends bought me a brewing kit. The outcome was surprisingly decent.

[1nutkruk]

I brew my own beer, have been doing it for 7 years.  Just kegged a batch of Marzen, it's fantastic.  My advice: make sure you sanitize everything.  And get a bigger pot than 3 gallons to boil your wort.  Mine is only 3 gallons and I've boiled over almost every single time.  My other advice: after doing about 5 batches in bottles, I realized what a pain in the ass it is to sanitize bottles if you don't immediately clean then after you drink from them (don't just let them sit as empties).  I've been fairly mundane in brewing, in that I buy the brew kits from Steinfillers in Long Beach.  The only batch I tried to do from scratch, the guy gave me roasted something or other instead of roasted barley and it came out tasting like coffee beer.

Walt White of brewing.

[red321]

Ok, first step done...wort is currently in the fermenting take stuck in the corner of the basement. A minor boil over when I was bringing the malt up to the boil but other than that things seemed to go fairly smoothly. Hopefully the signs of fermentation show up tomorrow.

[AngelsLongBall]

Congrats!  Fermentation should show signs within a couple hours.  Should see the bubbles tomorrow morning, if not later tonight.  How the hell did you boil over your wort in an 8 gallon kettle?!?!

[AngelsLongBall]

Walt White of brewing.

You should see when I go Heisenberg...

[red321]

I'm talented.

 

Congrats!  Fermentation should show signs within a couple hours.  Should see the bubbles tomorrow morning, if not later tonight.  How the hell did you boil over your wort in an 8 gallon kettle?!?!

 

I'm apparently talented!

 

Before adding the malt I was bringing 2 gallons of steeped malt and 4 gallons of water up to boil. I was having trouble getting it up to boil so I had the burner on full. I didn't turn it down after adding the malt extract, and then figured I had 5-10 minutes before it got back up to boil...I was wrong...must have turned my head for a minute right as the hot break occurred apparently...bam...nice little boilover.

[AngelsLongBall]

It'll happen

[Hot Damn!]

Where did you get your set up? And how much did it cost?

[AngelsLongBall]

I know seven years ago, my brother and sister got it for my bday from beer-wine.com for ~$125

 

http://www.beer-wine.com/products/true-brew-beer-equipment-kit-plus-amber-ingredient-kit

[red321]

Where did you get your set up? And how much did it cost?

 

The brewing equipment setup was from Addison Home Brew in Fullerton. Contained most of what was needed. I added an additional bucket, and some additional tubing as well. The Deluxe Kit was a little over $100. We also picked up a 32 qt stainless steel turkey fryer at a garage sale around the corner for $20. Scrubbed the hell out of it and it was spotless (I can also see why the hell people only use a turkey fryer once and then ditch it...pain in the ass to clean all that spilled oil).

[Lhalo]

Keep the updates coming red.

[red321]

24 hour check and it looks like the fermentation process is proceeding as it should! 

[red321]

Time to bump this thread back up.

 

Fermentation process appears to be complete. I did some reading and there is apparently a lot of discussion on whether or not you should move from the primary fermenter to a secondary fermenter. Since I was not dry hopping, I kept it in the primary fermenter rather than risk exposure and oxidation by moving it to a secondary fermenter. That stage appears to be complete and I'll be bottling the first batch this weekend.

 

At the same time I'm thinking of what batch 2 will be, might as well brew a second batch since I'll have everything out and lots of sanitizer mixed up. Should I just shoot the moon and try and brew the Heady Topper clone recipe that was in BYO magazine last month...or play it a little safer and go with something a little easier. Since I only have a few cans of the Heady Topper left...I have a feeling I might just give it a shot.

[Lhalo]

Thanks for bumping this Red!