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I just dropped some coin on some product and i don't mean Mr. Beer this time.

I have in the fridge no less than 4 kinds of malt and grain, trappist yeast, 3 kinds of hops, buckets, hydrometers, thermometers, siphons, dead midgets, etc. so i'm pretty much set.

What am i missing? Very little. I have enough equipment to brew about 10gal worth of beer. So i only need a capper, caps, empties, and a fermentation lock. For the lock i might just use what i was building as a C02 setup for my aquarium and use it for the first batch and later modify it for a real lock. Same premise is used, but in reverse. It's actually quite clever.

The recipe i have waiting is a Trappist style ale not unlike a Rochefort style or similar. I wasn't able to get whole fresh hops, but the pellets i got are without question fresh. They smell AMAZING!

Passow and all you other whackos, i need your help on this stuff. I've been reading and studying and i'm ready, but i could use some input.

The one thing i don't have on hand is a 3-5gal stock pot. I have a 2.75gal one, so i'm hoping i could split it into two pots somehow.

Man i can smell those hops now! Damn my work schedule! I want this started NOW!:lol:

I'll be back, but for now, my wallet calls.
 
Never open your hop pachage until it's tiome to brew, and if you do, seal it up really tight andf put it into the freezer. I await the updates!!
 
As luck would have it, my soon to be mother in law had her mother's old canning pot in the basement. My 2.75gal pot fits inside this pot, so i think i found my first wort creating vessel. I will be replacing it as it's seen better days, but i am hoping to brew tomorrow night after work.

Debating adding raisins to the primary fermenter, but i'll most likely skip it. Maybe the next brew.
 
You should be fine.

So you have sufficient equipment to mash your grains at the proper temp? (ie. a cooler)

Welcome to th e wacky world of homebrewing. You will soon be addicted to brewing.

How did it go?
 
cheezydemon said:
You should be fine.

So you have sufficient equipment to mash your grains at the proper temp? (ie. a cooler)

Welcome to th e wacky world of homebrewing. You will soon be addicted to brewing.

How did it go?
Click to expand...
i'll put it to you like this. this should probably be recorded. i have a tendency to mess things up the first time.

So, yes i have the tools to get things to the proper temperature, cooling it should be interesting, but i'm creative.

I forgot to buy a fermentation lock, so i made one in the interim. used some pipe fittings, tubing, and a mason jar. i expect it'll do the trick.
 
I'm watching this thread. I've been wanting to study up on this for a while. This will be good to read. I hope you have good luck but if misfortune finds you it'll be good for many people to learn too.

Good luck bro
 
Okay so i'm finished with the brew. We've pitched the yeast, sealed the fermenter, and racked it. For now, i'm done. This was a 5gal brew. I think any more than 5 and i would have been out of my comfort zone. I need to make some modifications to my methods as i found out. My siphon sucks butt for this so i need a better pump for that. I need to get a false bottom setup as i had some issues getting the wort into the primary as gentle as possible. I also see the huge advantages of a wort chiller so that's on my "must buy" list. That said, the ice bath method was pretty fast. I also would like to get a spigot onto the brew pot once i get the wort chiller so there's minimal lifting as well.

All in all, the brew went well with minimal issues. Here's a few pics of this first time proper brew.

Grain Bill:
Crystal Malt 40L .5 lbs
Wheat .33 lbs
Pale Malt .33 lbs
Chocolate Malt .25 lbs
1qt Pale Malt Extract
.66qt Dark Malt Extract
.33qt Adjunct (can someone explain to me what this is??)
1 lb Brown Sugar
Bittering: 1oz Willamette Hops
Finishing: .33oz Willamette Hops, .33oz Hallertau Hops, 1 scoop Irish Moss
Dry Hops: .25oz Willamette Hops
Yeast: Trappist Ale

This is a Belgian Trappist Ale style as mentioned and is sold by The Brewers Apprentice in Freehold, NJ as "Englebretsen Trappist".

I guess i'll be moving to the secondary on June 10th.

Here's some Weyerbacher beers we're making into empties tonight.
IMG_0796.jpg


the hops
IMG_0795.jpg


The grains go in
IMG_0794.jpg


Getting murky
IMG_0799.jpg
 
getting closer
IMG_0800.jpg


This baby was not harmed in the brewing of this ale, nor was her father. (my niece, Natalie)
IMG_0797.jpg


Almost ready
IMG_0801.jpg


Alright, chill! (the pot doesnt have a lid, so this cookie sheet was there to assist)
IMG_0802.jpg
 
Checking the OG
IMG_0804.jpg


Ready for racking
IMG_0805.jpg


I missed a few pics post mashing and before closing the lid. My brother in law has those pics so i'll grab them later. We got to sample some Weyerbacher beers and make beer. What's better than that? :D
 
Great notes dude.

Questions
Could you post a parts/equipment list with cost?
What do you think it would take to get fresh hops? Aside from grow your own.

Idea for a cooler. Food grade tubing that is coiled up(sanitized first), placed inside your wort to be cooled, one end connected to faucet, other end empties into sink. Turn on faucet and begin rapid cool. Just an idea that came to me when doing a little reading a bit ago.
 
Diablo said:
Great notes dude.

Questions
Could you post a parts/equipment list with cost?
What do you think it would take to get fresh hops? Aside from grow your own.

Idea for a cooler. Food grade tubing that is coiled up(sanitized first), placed inside your wort to be cooled, one end connected to faucet, other end empties into sink. Turn on faucet and begin rapid cool. Just an idea that came to me when doing a little reading a bit ago.
Click to expand...
I got the entire recipe, thermometer, hydrometer, hydrometer stand, and whatnot for around $85 from The Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold, NJ. Their prices are listed on their site. Honestly i forget what i paid. The buckets were $2.50 each, vinyl tubing was a few cents per foot, the hose connect on the lid was about $2.50 at Lowes. Anything specific you're referring to?

The cooler idea you have is basically the standard setup, and would work fine. You can get a copper chiller for about $40 so it may be worth it to just grab one.

Fresh hops? Grow your own. Whole, unpressed hops? Easy. Very easy.

Oh so everyone left. I still had that extra Mr Beer kit left over from when i thought that would be cheap, so i quickly boiled that up. It's an IPA from their brewmasters series. I only added the packet of Booster i had laying around to the mix to up the alcohol a tad. Other than that, no changes. So that's another 2+ gallons of beer for today.

So...7+ gallons of freshly made beer? Not bad for a nights work! Bottling should be a major PITA i expect. By that time my secondary fermenter will be finished.
 
imaguitargod said:
Never open your hop pachage until it's tiome to brew, and if you do, seal it up really tight andf put it into the freezer. I await the updates!!
Click to expand...
i meant to reply to this btw. you could smell the hops through the packaging. they were bought as if bought in bulk. i trust the people i bought from that they were kept fresh.

So how'd i do for a first timer so far, brewdude?
 
fineexampl said:
I got the entire recipe, thermometer, hydrometer, hydrometer stand, and whatnot for around $85 from The Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold, NJ. Their prices are listed on their site. Honestly i forget what i paid. The buckets were $2.50 each, vinyl tubing was a few cents per foot, the hose connect on the lid was about $2.50 at Lowes. Anything specific you're referring to?

The cooler idea you have is basically the standard setup, and would work fine. You can get a copper chiller for about $40 so it may be worth it to just grab one.

Fresh hops? Grow your own. Whole, unpressed hops? Easy. Very easy.
Click to expand...

I think you covered it. I was mostly just wanting to see just how much total equipment is necessary and the cost. I'll check that site.

Well, on the hop side, there are some strains that seem to be best, and those are hard to get fresh. I could be mistaken. I just haven't read enough yet.
 
fineexampl said:
So how'd i do for a first timer so far, brewdude?
Click to expand...

Don't know, not much info to go by. What temp did you mash at, did you add the extract with the grains (no-no), what temp did you boil at, what point did you add the hops, what temp did you cool it to before putting it in the fermentor and for god's sake, please tell me you throughtly sanatised EVERYTHING! :lol:
 
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