Any beer brewers around?

[Domush]

I take smooth out the bite by starting with aromatic hops, and boiling them for far longer than usual (20 mins if memory serves). Not sure why it makes such a difference but it does. The procedure is the exact one I posted above. The aftertaste is also greatly improved with that method

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet

 

[RobertN]

I always liked Pappazians books. Cat's Meow has a bunch of great recipes from the old Home Brew Digest, and is easy to find.

If you have a large stock pot, then one of the $75ish starter kits will get you on your way.

I used to cook on the stovetop for extract batches. Simple way to do your first few brews with a small investment. After that though, a gas burner on a stand in the garage or patio is the way to go. Burners on a kitchen stovetop are usually not very high of power/btu. Takes a while to get your boil going...

I graduated from stovetop with a stock pot, to a cut out keg on a propane burner(still extract brewing). Then, to a gravity feed all grain system.

 

[RobertN]

Forgot to mention... Some brew stores have brew days; a good way to check out the process.

The local store here has frequent brew sessions and classes...

 

[forgeblast]

Thanks for the info Domush.
I started with a pot that I could boil 2 1/2 gallons. Then I would cool it in the bath tub until it hit about 100 degrees. I would then add it to water in my fermentator and let it go.
Its easy works well on a stove top. Then end of the season I found a banjo burner on sale at home depot. Let me get a bigger pot and kept going. I bought all my pots from Restaurant Supply, Restaurant Equipment | Instawares Restaurant Supply
Things that make brewing easier would be a 15 gallon pot, a larger burner, a chiller, able to keg instead of bottle, and getting an o2 rig to Oxygenate the wort before fermentation.

 

[Domush]

I hear you on the chiller. I have the copper tubing to make a chiller but have yet to do it, mainly because it is one more thing I have to sanitize, and that is a lot of surface area and crevices to keep spotless. I can barely keep sanitizing under control as it is. Maybe some day, when I get a more permanent boiling/ cooling fixture.

A local scrap yard gets decent restaurant scrap, so I'm hoping to find the perfect boiling and cooling chambers one of these days.

Big lots sells a nice five gallon stock pot for cheap. That is what I use. I also chill the additional water, making the cooling temp more in the 130 F range, which cuts down on chilling time by a good margin. I also fill my kitchen sink with ice and chill in that; makes for faster times as well.

One of these days I'll have the awesome all grain setup, but until then it's the little things which make the process easier/ faster.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet

 

[vabiker23518]

I usually brew about three or four, five gallon ale kits each year. Check Amazon and eBay for some good prices as well as Southern Homebrew (I have no affiliation with any of these). Moreover ,I really enjoy making wine...usually 20 gallons each year...some from kits and some from local fruits.

 

[RobertN]

Here are a couple pictures of my boiler, and a friends copycat. Works great.

I have used a chiller for years, especially with 10gal batches; they'd take a week to cool otherwise. I found the trick was to start with clean copper, and keep it clean. I was it down the second it comes out of the wort, and store it in a clean box. As far as sanitation, I worry more about keeping it generally clean. It is going in to boiling liquid...

I hear you on the chiller. I have the copper tubing to make a chiller but have yet to do it, mainly because it is one more thing I have to sanitize, and that is a lot of surface area and crevices to keep spotless. I can barely keep sanitizing under control as it is. Maybe some day, when I get a more permanent boiling/ cooling fixture.

A local scrap yard gets decent restaurant scrap, so I'm hoping to find the perfect boiling and cooling chambers one of these days.

Big lots sells a nice five gallon stock pot for cheap. That is what I use. I also chill the additional water, making the cooling temp more in the 130 F range, which cuts down on chilling time by a good margin. I also fill my kitchen sink with ice and chill in that; makes for faster times as well.

One of these days I'll have the awesome all grain setup, but until then it's the little things which make the process easier/ faster.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet

 

[forgeblast]

Using the chiller is real easy, I put it in the boil pot with about 10 mins to go. It is sanatized by the boiling wort. Then I hook the hose up to it and let the well water do its job.

 

[RobertN]

I do the same. It also supplies nice hot water at the beginning, when you actually start the chilling process. I get a lot of hot water from it, chilling 11 gallons of full gravity wort.

Using the chiller is real easy, I put it in the boil pot with about 10 mins to go. It is sanatized by the boiling wort. Then I hook the hose up to it and let the well water do its job.