Homebrew

[chefchris]

Got my second fermenter in this morning. Still got one more on the way. So that means this evening I will be brewing up a Double Chocolate Stout with some friends. Beer and cigars will be had all around. Come join us won't you?

[chefchris]

Brewed up an Oatmeal Stout yesterday. Tasted the Double Chocolate that I brewed last weekend, gonna be a fantastic beer. I drank the whole sample and it was 1 week old warm, flat beer! Gonna be bottling my first batch this coming Friday and hopefully brewing up a Christmas Ale before I leave for the weekend (SIX FLAGS !!!).

Now, I'm making the next small move up to mini-mash. My first mini-mash beer will be a sweet stout, much like Mackeson's XXX Stout.


I just hope my Oatmeal Stout turns out as good as this Samuel Smith's Oatmeal that I'm having right now.

[wild]

Congrats on the beer! How are graduating to MMs? Are you going to mash in a bucket or cooler?

[chefchris]

Congrats on the beer! How are graduating to MMs? Are you going to mash in a bucket or cooler?

I mashed in a 20qt pot. I am about to do a cooler conversion so I can hold the heat a lot better. Trying to hold 150 degrees on a stove top is not easy.

Got my first too batches labeled yesterday. I post up some picks when I get Sarah's camera over here.

I'll be drinking my first batch in 2 weeks for the first time. This takes some patience starting out. I've done 4 batches without trying a single homebrew.

[bigwhiteash]

Have you thought of getting a stand alone propane burner?

So when was your first bottling day? I'm still waiting on funds for my equipment

[chefchris]

Have you thought of getting a stand alone propane burner?

So when was your first bottling day? I'm still waiting on funds for my equipment

I got a turkey fryer from the start. Got it at Cabelas for $37 shipped. That's a brewpot (6.5 gallon) and a burner. Has worked great so far and I really enjoy brewing outside.

My first bottling day was last Saturday (not yesterday). Then I bottled again Friday night by myself. DO NOT BOTTLE BY YOURSELF!. At least until you have your process down. It's a pain.

I purchased a wort chiller today and will be going all grain before too long. All I need is a bigger pot, which is only around $60. I just got some more learnin' to do.

[Kenyth]

There's a few tricks to bottling. The easiest method is a bottling bucket with a spigot and a tube that goes all the way to the bottom of the bottle. Pull your bottles out of the idophor solution, shake them out, fill them up, and cap them off. 22 oz bottles are easiest since they cut the work in half. If all you have is a siphon and racking tube, it can still be done. Create a siphon you can turn off and on by making sure you loop your siphon tube down below the bottom of the bucket, then back up again to your bottle. Put the end of the siphon in your bottle. Now drop the bottle and siphon end below the level of the beer in the bucket. The bottle will start filling. The further down you move the bottle, the faster the flow. When full, raise the bottle and siphon end above the level of the beer. The flow will stop, but your siphon won't empty because of the loop that is still lower than the beer level in the bucket. The setup of the siphon tube looks like a letter "S" on it's side.

[chefchris]

I got a bottling bucket with a spigot. I used the 22oz bottles last time and it went by a lot quicker. I might make the jump to kegging soon.

[nhcigarfan]

kegging is a snap.

A 10 gallon round rubbermaid water cooler converts really easy and can down double batches.

[Kenyth]

kegging is a snap.

A 10 gallon round rubbermaid water cooler converts really easy and can down double batches.

Do you mean for kegging or for a mash?

[chefchris]

I think he's referring to a mash/lauter tun.

[Kenyth]

I think he's referring to a mash/lauter tun.

That's what I thought.

[nhcigarfan]

mash

[chefchris]

Ah, the weather has cooled down a bit and it's a great day for brewing. I'm brewing up a Sweet Stout. I'm doing a Partial Mash and will be going All Grain next weekend. I'll get some pictures of my new MLT and 15 gallon brew pot up in a bit.

You guys should really get into this. But don't get into it thinking you're gonna save money on beer.

[wild]

For anyone that happens to be in the valley and enjoys a homebrew with their cigar:

[chefchris]

Just poured my first home brew!!! Heard that fizz ... then a sigh of relief from me.



It's good. Surprisingly good!!! After 5 batches and not trying a single home brew I was beginning to wonder if all my beer sucked. But I was reassured.

I can't describe this feeling. Feels good. Real good.

[logan37]

congrats chris! The brew looks dammed tasty.

did you make the labels?

[chefchris]

congrats chris! The brew looks dammed tasty.

did you make the labels?

Yup, I'll upload some better pictures of my labels probably tomorrow.

[wild]

Congratulations Chris.

[WOXOF]

Yummy, so when do I get a taste?