I love this hobby already

So I've got my first two beers in the fermenters. First was an IPA, stock recipe, nothing special- started it on 10/30. Second is a pumpkin ale that I started on 11/2because the kids' jack o' lanterns were available and no longer needed after Halloween.

I took SG readings on both tonight after getting home from work. The IPA is down from an OG of 1.057 to 1.020 (in 5 days) and the pumpkin is down from 1.076 to 1.020!

Of course, I didn't want to waste the samples... and wow. Not only do they both taste great (for beer that young, I expected them both to be awful) but ye gods above, what a kick! Just the two samples and I felt like I'd had 2 or 3 Mirror Ponds.

I cannot WAIT to see how these turn out after another couple of weeks in the fermenters.

Just wait until you HAVE to have a fermenting chamber and a stir plate and more carboys and a kegerator and a bench capper and and and and and and.. I think thats what I like about it, there is always something else to do buy or learn or build. I built a stir plate tonight...easy as falling off a log! Now I gotta see if it reall works lol

So much to build...finally made my BMBF....awesome...why did I wait so long

Oh, and I bought another carboy tonight... getting that pipeline ready!

Welcome to the addiction.

So now the obvious question... When are you going AG?

I know the feeling, my first batch is ready for the fridge after 3 weeks in the bottle, and my second I just racked to the carboy for dry hopping. This is an awsome hobby not only is it fun but you make beer!

boist said:

So now the obvious question... When are you going AG?

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Probably my next batch. I need to get the equipment together for a mash tun, but I have a design in mind. I've also got my eye on a propane burner so I can do my brewing on the deck instead of in SWMBO's kitchen.

I want to do a Trippel and it'll be my first custom recipe. If it turns out well I'll call it "Two Wheel Trippel" (I'm an avid motorcyclist).

Do a search on "brew in a bag" or BIAB. All you need to do all grain is a couple paint strainer bags (thy come 2 in a package). You probably won't be able to do a full 5 gallon batch on the stovetop but it's pretty easy to do a 3 gallon one. Why, with a trip to the hardware store, you could be doing all grain tomorrow.

I have a grain bag which I've used for my steeping of extract+steeped grains. I've also done full boils of both my current batches; an eight-gallon wort pot helps.

Cyclometh said:

Probably my next batch. I need to get the equipment together for a mash tun, but I have a design in mind. I've also got my eye on a propane burner so I can do my brewing on the deck instead of in SWMBO's kitchen.

I want to do a Trippel and it'll be my first custom recipe. If it turns out well I'll call it "Two Wheel Trippel" (I'm an avid motorcyclist).

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The propane burner outside is the way to go. I brewed today. It was sunny 66F and just beautiful. Propped my feet up with the paper as it boiled away next to me. Something about reading the paper and smelling hops boiling.

Cyclometh said:

I have a grain bag which I've used for my steeping of extract+steeped grains. I've also done full boils of both my current batches; an eight-gallon wort pot helps.

Click to expand...

If you have a 8 gallon brew pot BIAB is definitely the way to go. It's a good introduction to AG without having to get temps right, and without having to mess too much with sparg. One tip: Go for as thin a bag as you can. Voil, muslin, of fine mash. You'll get better efficiency and better drainage. You can see some pictures of my BIAB setup I started with on my beer and brewing blog (in my sig)