Kicked out of the kitchen

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kendrid

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I just cooked my second batch tonight (Midwest Big Ben Pale Ale extract kit). My wife wasn't home for my first batch (Midwest Amber Ale) so she didn't get to smell it until a few hours later.

When I started steeping the grains she said "that smells bad." I replied "I haven't even added the hops yet...." About half an hour later she came down from the bedroom and said "I can't take this another time."

I guess it's off to the garage I go. Time to buy a propane burner.

I actually don't mind that much as it takes forever to boil on the stove. I will eventually get to AG so I might as well move outside. I won't brew again for another month so hopefully it will warm up a little (I'm in Chicago). I think I will wait for her next girls night out and brew again in the house then move to the garage.

The only issue I have is my new homemade wort chiller. It was amazing tonight, chilling my wort in 15 minutes (made for $30). The only issue is that I made it with a faucet attachment so I guess I'll have to modify it and add a hose attachment.
 
She just did you the biggest favor by kicking your ass outside. Brewing in the kitchen is a pain. Once you go outdoors you never go back...to the kitchen that is.
 
The garage is better anyway. There is just so much more room to move around, it doesn't matter if you spill anything and you have a garden hose right there to use for whatever. All you need is a TV and/or a couple buddies.
 
Call it what you will brotha but if you're still brewing in your kitchen then you need to expand you horizons and get outdoors.
 
I'm torn. Is it a good thing that SWMBO likes the smell of brewing inside, or a curse that I don't have an excuse to upgrade and move to the garage?
 
I had the same problem with SWMBO. Just tell her that you are sorry and you will never brew in the kitchen again. Then RUN out and buy your all grain setup.
Problem solved and you are brewing ALL GRAIN!!

How to delete this duplicate post???????
 
I had the same problem with SWMBO. Just tell her that you are sorry and you will never brew in the kitchen again. Then RUN out and buy your all grain setup.
Problem solved and you are brewing ALL GRAIN!! :rockin:
 
I screwed up the grills on SWMBO's cooker.....Got booted to the garage........Happiest day of my wife! :D (No, that's not a typo ;))
 
I've only brewed once, but SWMBO decree or not, the moment I get a garage or
yard I'm taking my operation out there. The kitchen didn't have enough space and I want
a basin instead of a kitchen sink.
 
No way in hell I'm moving to the garage. Too damn cold / hot, no 60" plasma, no recliner, and no kitteh brewing assistants.

Fortunately, no complaints at all from SWMBO. She did make me take her to Mr. Fields after brewing up an oatmeal stout last weekend. Said it reminded her of chocolate chip cookies and she had to have some!
 
I love the smell of it (anyone found 'hop' or 'wort' aroma candles?) but like many she doesn't like it. Everything is outside except the ice bath in the kitchen sink which she hasn't complained about. I need to get make an IC, which I've been reading about in the DIY threads. :rockin:
 
I'd rather brew in the garage or outside anyway. Setting up two propane burners in the living room would be frowned on.

+1. I get man time in the garage. I even prefer it in the cold 'cos wifey won't come out there and spoil my loud music beer drinking get down and dirty man time. :)
 
I've been telling myself that I wouldn't go AG until next summer. Since I just started brewing last month so I figured I do a couple of extracts (done but not ready to drink yet), assuming the extracts go o.k. move to partial mashes this spring/summer then get into AG.

I can already see how nice it would be to have a powerful burner to boil the wort instead of waiting for our gas stove to get there. Last night after steeping at 155 it took 20 minute to get to a slow boil, then I added the extract and it took another 20ish to boil.
 
I recommend jumping to propane and full boils in a big kettle as fast as you can. Even if you are doing extracts, it's still worth it, in terms of the quality of the finished product and the ease of being able to get up to a rolling boil in only 10-15 minutes.
 
Right now I have a 3 gallon kettle that works fine with 2 gallons of water + extract. What would you recommend, 6 gallons?
 
the kitchen is mine. if she dont like the smell she can go get her hair done ! besides my garage is filled with HOT ROD parts....
 
the kitchen is mine. if she dont like the smell she can go get her hair done ! besides my garage is filled with HOT ROD parts....

Sounds like the garage is yours, too, assuming those parts are yours. I know I'm going to be sorry I asked this, but is there any part of the house you do let her use? ;)

Right now I'm in an apartment with no garage, but if I had one and a good burner I'd move there in a heartbeat. Better yet, I'd like to brew outside if the weather was good.
 
HA ! actually my wife and i get along great ! she rules the top floor and all of the first floor except the kitchen. i rule the kitchen, garage, and basement. YA the garage is full of pontiac firebird parts for my 67 and 71 birds.....i actuall get the most complaints about odor from my 11 year old daughter.....hell my wife bought me the kit....she better not complain !
 
Don't wait man, get outside now. I live in the north burbs of Chicago and have been brewing on my turkey fryer all winter. I have to shovel out a spot on my deck to make room for the burner. :rockin: If you set it up close enough to the house, you can just monitor the progress from afar and only have to go out there every 20 minutes or so for hop additions and stirring. And true to what you've been told, even with extract full boils are much better than partial boils.
 
So far rhe wife hasn't said anything. But here in Iowa in a unheated garage, it is damn cold! I'll wait till the temp is un the upswing and then move outside. At least with the snow the wort outside cools down quickly.
 
I had the same problem with the smell.so i said "LOOK *****!!! i'LL BREW BEER WHENEVER THE F*** I WAN'T.AND YOUR NOT GONNA STOP ME!!!" now i have an AG set up next to my tent.at my new home under the bridge:D
 
My propane burner should be arriving shortly. 3 brewing batches, birthday next week = propane burner! I can't wait to get outside.
 
Out of curiosity... anyone use Charcoal for heating their water? I never cook food on anything but charcoal so I don't have a gas gril (not that gas gril = gas burner). I would imagine it would be harder to control the temperature during steeping given you only have 5-10 degree range
 
You guys are so whipped...


+1..............Guess I'm lucky, although some might consider me sort of an A-hole! In all seriousness though. I guess I really am kinda lucky. I have a buddy that brews but has to schedule brew days around what his wife is doing. I'll go over to help and it's like rush, rush, rush, she's gonna be home in an hour, we gotta get this crap cleaned up! Man, kinda kills the whole fun of it.
 
Sounds like the garage is yours, too, assuming those parts are yours. I know I'm going to be sorry I asked this, but is there any part of the house you do let her use? ;)

Right now I'm in an apartment with no garage, but if I had one and a good burner I'd move there in a heartbeat. Better yet, I'd like to brew outside if the weather was good.

I live close (next to E. Roswell Park) and am a back porch brewer! You're welcome to come over sometime (warmer?), brew and pitch the yeast when you get home.
 
This thread is a riot. After my first brew, my wife and sister in law got home and said "what's that smell?" I said, "smells good doesn't it!" She said, "no." I said, "well it smelled good while it was brewing, you should have been here while I was brewing!"
 
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