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Apoxbrew · 12-31-2010, 10:22 PM

I may be reaching a bit... only my second brew, but when they guy at the local shop said the kit was usually over $100 bucks and on sale for $50, I had to give it a go.

First brew was a very simple extract only kit. Turned out very nice... though pretty mellow for our tastes. Since then I've purchased and studied the How To Brew book and hopefully am ready for this much more complicated brew.

Wish me luck!!

duckmanco · 12-31-2010, 10:40 PM

good luck man, and give it hell! I'm on my 5th batch, and all have been extract with specialty grains, but after asking around here, I started mashing my specialty grains, which although won't add much, gets me some practice with mashing temps, water etc.

Good luck with it, hopefully it turns out awesome, I've never had that beer but will probably brew that monster at some point too. Let us know how it goes.

**jonmohno** · 01-01-2011, 04:34 PM

Im going on my 6th batch also and have started some mashing,i always steep some grain with all to learn the characteristics of them.But am still confused about protein rests for wheat or 2 row or some of the base grains. I never did a protein rest with my american wheat partial.Although i turned it into an ipa by using more amarillo hops kinda by accident.
Ive never seen a kit @ 100$ did it come with a set of gold laced crystal glasses.Ha. I know Plimy is suppose to be one of the best Ipa's but never have had the oppertunity to try it.Im going to do my first ipa next am trying to conjure something up. Hope you like your kit. can you list the ingredients?

jigidyjim · 01-01-2011, 05:25 PM

$100? Wow... how large a batch does that make?! It's "only" $65 here... http://morebeer.com/view_product/18436/102180/Vinnies_%22Pliny_the_Elder%22_Double_IPA_-_Extract_Beer_Kit

**TheWeeb** · 01-01-2011, 05:29 PM

I must make this one next!

Apoxbrew · 01-02-2011, 02:03 PM

i didn't pay 100 for it... that's just what he said it normally cost. i paid 50 for it. i searched the boards here and saw a few other posts stating it was 100+ dollar kit, so i figured he wasn't blowing smoke up my a$$.

brew day went fine... at least as far as i know based on my limited experience. this is only my second brew and it's been about 12 hours now and i've yet to have any activity in the bubbler... so i'm a bit nervous. i know i don't have to be and that some times it takes a while to get activity, but still. my first brew started bubbling within a couple hours, so the delay with this one makes me a little unsettled considering how much i paid for the kit.

i was also a little concerned because my OG was only 1.050. on the RR site, it says the OG of PTL is 1.071. that's quite a difference no?

anyway, ingredients:

1lb 2-Row Malt
5oz Crystal 40L Malt
13oz Carapils Dextrin Malt

7.4lb Briess Pilsen-Light Liquid Malt Extract
1lb Dextrose

2oz Chinook Hops
2.75oz Warrior Hops
2oz Simcoe Hops
1oz Columbus Hops
2.25oz Centennial Hops

1tsp Irish Moss

Plus the following for dry-hopping:

3.25oz Columbus Hops
1.75oz Centennial Hops
1.75oz Simcoe Hops

Apoxbrew · 01-02-2011, 02:59 PM

UPATE: Yay... I have fermentation activity!! The bubbler still isn't bubbling, but I see little bubbles floating to the surface. Last time I used a bucket and this time I'm in a carboy. I also had trouble keeping the bucket cold enough last time, and this time it's the opposite... I'm having to use a brewband and a blanket to keep the wort warm enough. I think the combination of factors is contributing to the delay in bubbler activity.

I am holding 68-70 degrees now though (using a light timer to turn the brew band on and off in 1.5 hour intervals) and do see active (though not aggressive) fermentation taking place.

Yay!

slicksmix · 01-02-2011, 03:42 PM

never heard of this brew. what are the characteristics? why on earth would any 5 gal kit be 100 dollars? boy if its that good, im gunna have to make it!

jigidyjim · 01-02-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byproxy

i was also a little concerned because my OG was only 1.050. on the RR site, it says the OG of PTL is 1.071. that's quite a difference no?

That's on the light side. Even the extract alone should get you passed that to around 1.055 (depending on your water volumes), and the partial mash should boost it up even more.

Was this a full boil or partial boil? If you did a partial boil, it's probably just a mis-measure.

Apoxbrew · 01-02-2011, 04:50 PM

not sure jig... the recipe called for a 45 minute steep of the grain. i then used the "easy partial mash" instructions regarding the sparge and so did an additional steep of the grain for 10 minutes after the initial steep. is that considered a full boil or a partial boil?

how might i have mismeasured? was i supposed to take the reading of just the wort before the addition of the water? my process was as follows:

did the grain and hop steep/boil (total of 55 minutes for the grain and total of 1h35m for the hops), then i strained the wort into my bottling bucket (to remove as much break as possible... most of which was from the hops pellets), then added approx 4.5 gallons of water to bottling bucket, mixed well and took my hygro reading direct from the bucket before then using the spigot on the bucket to aerate/transfer into my 6gal carboy. then pitched yeast (that i had rehydrated just before pitching).

might I have done something wrong there?