home brewing..thinking of getting this kit..

[Uppsala9496]

It's a fun habit, but addictive (pun intended).

here is the keezer just after I built it before any cleanup:

I've since cleaned up the front around the temperature control and drain plug on the bottom, and added new tap handles along with a third set of lines and added blocks around the faucet shanks on the inside.

 

[waggy]

There's also the mini mash style which uses some extract and some grain. You get better flavor than straight extract and can be done in the same size pot.
A stainless steel turkey fryer setup makes for decent brewing as well. You get a good size pot and a burner with more btu 's than your stove.

yeah i have seen said often. get a turkey fryer and use that. I will hit up walmart/target/lowes etc and see if they ahve any on Clarence still. think i missed it. they had them really cheap after thanksgiving.

though you need to use that outside (or garage?) how do you keep it sterile? and moving it?

 

[Uppsala9496]

Another thing is always check the date on the yeast that comes in your kit (if you go that route). If it is expired, you can get away with making a starter, but you will have to plan for that.

 

[sourceninja]

With the right recipe and a good kegging system you can go from grain to glass in less than a month. I used to think my beer had to take 2+ months to taste good. In the end it came down to proper technique, recipe, and temperature control.

2 weeks in the bucket (add time for dry hop if needed), carefully racked into a keg, 1 week on gas, first pint dumped. Perfect tasty beer. This has made a big improvement on hop flavor in my IPAs. Now with bigger beers like russian imperial stouts I find I need to let the beer condition for a few weeks, but otherwise this is a good rule.

When I used to bottle I'd go for a simple 1 month in the bucket, rack to bottling bucket on top of priming sugar, bottle, then wait 3 weeks, chill and serve.

 

[JM Aggie08]

We're about to start a mini mash of stout this weekend. We haven't brewed in a while, but I received a stout kit for Christmas, making now as good a time as any to get back to work

 

[waggy]

It's a fun habit, but addictive (pun intended).

here is the keezer just after I built it before any cleanup:

I've since cleaned up the front around the temperature control and drain plug on the bottom, and added new tap handles along with a third set of lines and added blocks around the faucet shanks on the inside.

very nice. even better with the front! woo!

 

[Uppsala9496]

Today would be a good day to brew since it is so damn cold out. Easy way to cool the wort quickly. Sadly i don't have any ingredients. 2 fermenting buckets are empty.

 

[dougp]

Waggy, I highly recommend you check out HomebrewTalk.com - great site with a lot of information for beginners. You can also go to the AHA's website, they have helpful information as well - http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/

 

[waggy]

Waggy, I highly recommend you check out HomebrewTalk.com - great site with a lot of information for beginners. You can also go to the AHA's website, they have helpful information as well - http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/

thanks!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

yeah i have seen said often. get a turkey fryer and use that. I will hit up walmart/target/lowes etc and see if they ahve any on Clarence still. think i missed it. they had them really cheap after thanksgiving.

though you need to use that outside (or garage?) how do you keep it sterile? and moving it?

You use the turkey fryer outside. You don't have to worry about making the pot sterile because you're boiling the wort.

 

[bbhaag]

Waggy you pull the trigger on a starter setup yet? If ya did what setup did you go with?

On a sidenote I got a question about fermentation temps. I've read that letting your brew ferment at higher temps will lead to beer that tastes not so good/off flavor. Is there any truth to that?

 

[dougp]

Waggy you pull the trigger on a starter setup yet? If ya did what setup did you go with?

On a sidenote I got a question about fermentation temps. I've read that letting your brew ferment at higher temps will lead to beer that tastes not so good/off flavor. Is there any truth to that?

It really depends on your yeast - every yeast has tolerable limits. Some can push 80F without flavor impact, while others will simply not ferment.

What temps are you talking about, what yeast?

 

[xSauronx]

The great thing about Meade is that it's a living thing. If a Meade seems to be bad or has off esters, don't throw it out. Give it some more time and it will fix itself. I kid you not. I had a godawful strawberry thing my daughter started. Totally undrinkable after a year. I put it away and forgot about it. I tried it after 5 years and it was amazing!

yeah the meade plan is that some of this will sit for 4 years before being consumed, im not throwing any of it out. i need to make some less-polish style, its very sweet and a lot of people pass on drinking it because of that. /still amazing in a mimosa.

i need to start a barrel batch and another sitting batch...hmm

 

[bbhaag]

It really depends on your yeast - every yeast has tolerable limits. Some can push 80F without flavor impact, while others will simply not ferment.

What temps are you talking about, what yeast?

Ambient air temps are around 72-75*F. The yeast I use comes prepackaged with the kits I buy. I've never had a problem with getting my wort to ferment it's just sometimes my brews have an odd/off flavor to them.
The best I can describe it is they almost have a vegetable beef stew after taste....I know it sounds weird but it's true.

 

[dougp]

Ambient air temps are around 72-75*F. The yeast I use comes prepackaged with the kits I buy. I've never had a problem with getting my wort to ferment it's just sometimes my brews have an odd/off flavor to them.
The best I can describe it is they almost have a vegetable beef stew after taste....I know it sounds weird but it's true.

Figure your fermenting around +5F ambient, so yes, you're a bit high. Even S-05 might have an issue that close to 80F. You might want to try using a wet towel wrapped around it and a fan, that'll help keep it cool.

 

[bbhaag]

Figure your fermenting around +5F ambient, so yes, you're a bit high. Even S-05 might have an issue that close to 80F. You might want to try using a wet towel wrapped around it and a fan, that'll help keep it cool.

Thanks for the advice.:thumbsup: I have a Ranco temp controller sitting in the basement(a left over from my saltwater aquarium days). You think I could hook that up to a mini fridge and let my wort ferment at lower temps?
Would that help?

 

[dougp]

Thanks for the advice.:thumbsup: I have a Ranco temp controller sitting in the basement(a left over from my saltwater aquarium days). You think I could hook that up to a mini fridge and let my wort ferment at lower temps?
Would that help?

Yes, drastically. I use a DIY controller on my keezer and ferm fridge.

 

[Ayrahvon]

It's a fun habit, but addictive (pun intended).

here is the keezer just after I built it before any cleanup:

I've since cleaned up the front around the temperature control and drain plug on the bottom, and added new tap handles along with a third set of lines and added blocks around the faucet shanks on the inside.

What did you line the inside of the collar with? Really well done by the way. Was there a reason for the collar to be so tall as well?

Edit: I second using the homebrew talk forums. I personally think the kit is overpriced, you'd be better off getting a single glass carboy to start with, some tubing (go ahead and get an auto siphon while you're at it), and a giant pot. Save non-twist top bottles and find an old capper like this.