Man, AG really IS that easy!

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Laughing_Gnome_Invisible

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible

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I'm currently on my 4th AG.

1st was almost totally disasterous (Still made beer though)
2nd was controlled panic
3rd Would have been OK, but it was so cold I was fighting ice-ups and a lack of focus due to my nuts freezing off...

4th? I'd just finished mashing in and realised I had no worries whatsover about the rest of the brew. Grey clouds parted in the sky, and a flock of tiny bluebirds flew down and built their nests in my underpants. It finally dawned on me just how fricking easy AG is!!!

It may have taken a little while, but man, this feels so good!! I think I've lost count of how many moments of epiphany I've had like this since starting brewing a year ago. But I know I likes it!! :mug:
 
Awesome, I do love when an AG brewday goes well, it can be quite relaxing, though I usually get some sort of excitement/issue during the day. I'm even happier now that I have a dedicated brew-space, most of my equipment stays up and ready. Eventually all of it will be ready to brew at a moments notice.
 
conpewter said:
Eventually all of it will be ready to brew at a moments notice.
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When I read that, I got a vision of Comissioner Gorden lighting up the sky with a huge beer mug logo, conpewter seeing it out the window at an important business dinner, and dashing off to brew some beer in the name of good vs evil.
 
aubrey said:
When I read that, I got a vision of Comissioner Gorden lighting up the sky with a huge beer mug logo, conpewter seeing it out the window at an important business dinner, and dashing off to brew some beer in the name of good vs evil.
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That works for me! :)
 
Now comes the real fun of AG. Got your equipment together and a system that works.

It's NEVER enough! Now you will tweak and experiment. What if's will plague your mind as you drift off to sleep each night. Sudden insights into new designs will beotch slap you as you drive to work. System refinements will flood your mind when you should actually be doing the work they pay you for.

Yep, starting AG is easy. Not letting it completely take over your life? Hmmmmmmmmm
 
Congrats on relaxin' brews. I'm still doing AG with one pot and 1 burner so it's causes a longer day, but I'm starting to relax with it. Someday I'll have money to build my 220vEHLT. Then it's mashing in the basement while playing Xbox, then outside to boil. Those will be great brew days! Besides carrying the 12Gallons of runoff upstairs and outside. hmm Need a pump and a LONG hose.
 
TeufelBrew said:
Now comes the real fun of AG. Got your equipment together and a system that works.
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Yep!! I noticed that any problems in the past were equipment related. (Fix those as they arise) Or equipment operator related (Relax, have a home brew)

The second brew's problems were drunk related, but we won't go into that ;)
 
cytokine said:
You realize of course that you have now created unreasonable expectations in my mind about my upcoming first AG brew day.
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It will quite possibly suck, but maybe not. ;) Either way it will be a sharp learning curve. That's what is so awesome about it.

I only got through my first AG courtesy of beersmith holding my hand. I could do it without Beersmith now to a degree, but I sure as hell won't. :)
 
Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:
It will quite possibly suck, but maybe not. ;) Either way it will be a sharp learning curve. That's what is so awesome about it.

I only got through my first AG courtesy of beersmith holding my hand. I could do it without Beersmith now to a degree, but I sure as hell won't. :)
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Dude. I was totally focused on the birds.

The brewing will be a piece of cake. The reason for that, in all seriousness, is the numerous incredibly patient explanations of all things related to every niggling aspect of brewing.

I haven't yet come across a question that I've thought of that isn't already answered somewhere on this forum.

Because of this forum, I have my first AG recipe all planned out, although some of the details need to be firmed up for brew day such as how much water based on my starting volume of grain and what temp to start with to hit my mashing temp. There's enough information on the board here to figure that out.

I've converted a cooler to an MLT based on stuff I've read here. I built an immersion chiller based on BobbyM's excellent video (learned how to sweat pipe in the process:D) and decided which propane burner to buy based on extensive threads on the merits of each.

It's going to be a piece of cake. You remind me that I need to buy Beersmith...

I'm focused on the birds.
 
cytokine said:
It's going to be a piece of cake. You remind me that I need to buy Beersmith...
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Another option is to download it free for two weeks, print out your brewsheet and all necessary data then brew two or identical brews with the same info while you get your equipment tuned in. If you run out of free trial you will miss some adjustments that need to be made on the day, but not too much.....Then if you like Beersmith, go a head and buy it.
 
Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:
Back, but I shifted round to the front. :)
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And then the little bluebirds flew away because the worm was too small. :D

AG is definitely a challenge the first time, but after that it's pretty much the same technique everytime. Before too long you'll be able to knock out two five gallon batches in less than 8 hours.
 
Congrats! Now the equipment obsession will begin......

I went AG about 3 years ago and built my first "brew sculpture" about a year ago. It was a fairly simple, brewtree-style, 3-tier that was gravity fed. I put a lot of thought into it and was very happy with it.

But the itch consumes.......

And now I am in the midst of tearing it down to build a new pump-driven single tier HERMS setup. Here is the thread, it also has a link to my first build.

Again, :mug:to your quick AG success and happy hunting in your search for the "perfect" setup
 
Yeah, I have two march pumps looking for a home already. ;) I'd like to make it absolutely clear that I have no desire, or need for any more equipment. I can do fine without it!!..............After I get the march pumps in use, that's it!! I promise!!.........HERMS.......hmmmmmm
 
McKBrew said:
And then the little bluebirds flew away because the worm was too small. :D

AG is definitely a challenge the first time, but after that it's pretty much the same technique everytime. Before too long you'll be able to knock out two five gallon batches in less than 8 hours.
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bah - two 10 gal batches in 5 hrs!! don't sell yourself short!
 
Great! I'm glad it all worked out for you! Nothing makes your banana dance like that first AG. ;)

cytokine said:
Beersmith made the calculations for me and made the whole process very cookbook.
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Cookbook, yeah. As you get used to it though you will take less notice of your brew sheet (If you even used it) and use that program more for designing your beer and for guidelines rather than hard and fast rules.

Congrats!! :D
 
Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:
Great! I'm glad it all worked out for you! Nothing makes your banana dance like that first AG. ;)



Cookbook, yeah. As you get used to it though you will take less notice of your brew sheet (If you even used it) and use that program more for designing your beer and for guidelines rather than hard and fast rules.

Congrats!! :D
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Thanks!

As a little background, I'm a lab scientist so I don't find the technical aspects of a long protocol (recipe) particularly intimidating. In the lab I frequently have to figure things out from written instructions and improvise as I go along when surprises arise. Organization and planning are key.

As an aside on the lab science thing, you never give up on an experiment, no matter how badly it is going, because you never know what the results might be. That makes me think of this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/never-dump-your-beer-patience-virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

Having said that, I can see how Beersmith would be used to design and tweak recipes. That's why the first AG recipe was a SMaSH. I wanted to find out what Maris Otter and Centennial taste like together in the absence of anything else. After that I will tweak until I get something I can put my name on.

Cheers!
 
I have been about two thoughts away from making up that second batch of 10 gallons in one day. Maybe next brew session I will do up an APA and a Stout. That could be done. One around 5% and the other at about 4.7%. Got the old mind working now you jerks!
 
Rule no. 1 of AG brewing. Never tell anyone in charge of finances that you are done spending. Always have something on the horizon bigger than the purchase you are currently requesting.

Rule no. 2. Create a spending budget that cannot be argued with. Then spend all that money on brewing equipment.
 
bull8042 said:
TWO 10 gal batches in FIVE hours! Are you jerking us around? If you can swing that, LG will kiss your butt and give you 15 minutes to draw a crowd....
Best I can do is 1 10 gal batch in 7 - 8 hours....
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Here's where I did two 5 gal batches by myself in a pipelined fashion. 5 hrs 20 mins. I do the same w/ 10 gal batches with my brew buds all the time. Probably adds an extra 30 mins extra heating time, so I stand corrected. Two 10 gal batches in 6 hours. :D

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/brewing-back-back-morning-32200/

One 5 gal batch < 4 hours, or one 10 gal batch < 4:30 - every time and without stressing myself.
 
Lil' Sparky said:
Here's where I did two 5 gal batches by myself in a pipelined fashion. 5 hrs 20 mins. I do the same w/ 10 gal batches with my brew buds all the time. Probably adds an extra 30 mins extra heating time, so I stand corrected. Two 10 gal batches in 6 hours. :D

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/brewing-back-back-morning-32200/

One 5 gal batch < 4 hours, or one 10 gal batch < 4:30 - every time and without stressing myself.
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Well, color me impressed. However, if I could get my water to temperature quicker, I could cut out a couple of hours myself. I am reevaluating my burner positioning and have added a 7.2kW element to my HLT, so we will see next brew day.
 
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