Equipment is Coming in, and so are the questions.

As I get all the equipment coming in and start preparing for my first brew I'm starting to come up with lots of basic questions.

Equipment:

• 1 x Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane $46
• 1 x Stainless Steel Spoon (21 inch) $7.99
• 1 x Floating Thermometer $6.99
• 1 x 6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy - Carboy Dryer: No $50.26
• 2 x 3-piece Airlock $2.58
• 1 x Auto-Siphon 1/2" $13.99
• 1 x Triple Scale Hydrometer
• 3 x Drilled Universal Stopper $2.97
• 1 x Quick Disconnect Faucet Adapter $11.99
• 1 x AHS Anniversary Black Ale (23A)
  - Yeast Option: White Labs European Ale WLP011
  - BrewVint Yeast Fuel: Add yeast fuel
  - Kit Option: Extract - Liquid
  - 1% Alcohol Boost: Yes $33.45
• 2 x Tru Temp Refrigerator-Freezer Thermometer
• 1 x CDN IRL500 InstaRead Deep Fry Turkey Thermometer
• 1 x Bayou Classic 1036, 36-Qt. Stainless Fryer/Steamer $86
• 1 x Super Efficient 3/8" x 50' Stainless Steel Wort Chiller $73
• 1 x Perlick 525SS Stainless Beer Faucet Chrome Shank Combo Kit w/ Knob
• 2 x Ball Lock Becker Home Brew Keg Tap MFL Coupler Set $10.58
• 1 x The Brew Hauler Carboy Carrier $5.50
• 1 x How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time $11
• 1 x Johnson Controls Digital Thermostat Control Unit $68
• 1 x Star San 32 oz, easy mix bottle @ $14.95
• 1 x Cornelius Keg (or Firestone), 5 Gallon, Ball Lock (Pepsi Style) for Homebrew/Soda @ $54.95x2
• 3 x 5 Gallon Carboys from Craigs List $18
• 1 x 7.1 cuft chest freezer from costco ~$183 after tax

1. Is there anything I am forgetting?
   
2. What should I set the minimum short circuit cycle to for the cest freezer? (Currently set to one minute) 2 degree variance.
   
3. Best way to clean the craigslist carboys? Bleach then dry then starsan before use?
   
4. oxy clean ok to use to clean kegs (then starsan before use of course?)
   
5. not sure what to do for Co2 tank yet but I have both a 5 gallon and 15 gallon tanks hooked up to my planted fishtanks I can borrow.

Crap I just realized I forgot to get a brush for cleaning the carboy. I had one in my cart at Austin Home Brew, but right as I was about to order my cart cleared out and I had to add everything back. Ideas? the CL carboys are not caked with anything that I can see. Bought them from another brewer. Do I need a brush or can I simply bleach? I didn't buy any PBW either. I'd hate to have to eat $7 shipping for those 2 items I forgot to order

I can probably borrow the carboy cleaning brush from a friend until I'm ready to order another brew kit. Link to carboy cleaner that you chuck into a drill?

Also for the new 6.5 gallon carboy, what is required to clean that one?

Justintoxicated said:

As I get all the equipment coming in and start preparing for my first brew I'm starting to come up with lots of basic questions.

Equipment:

• 1 x Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane $46
• 1 x Stainless Steel Spoon (21 inch) $7.99
• 1 x Floating Thermometer $6.99
• 1 x 6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy - Carboy Dryer: No $50.26
• 2 x 3-piece Airlock $2.58
• 1 x Auto-Siphon 1/2" $13.99
• 1 x Triple Scale Hydrometer
• 3 x Drilled Universal Stopper $2.97
• 1 x Quick Disconnect Faucet Adapter $11.99
• 1 x AHS Anniversary Black Ale (23A)
  - Yeast Option: White Labs European Ale WLP011
  - BrewVint Yeast Fuel: Add yeast fuel
  - Kit Option: Extract - Liquid
  - 1% Alcohol Boost: Yes $33.45
• 2 x Tru Temp Refrigerator-Freezer Thermometer
• 1 x CDN IRL500 InstaRead Deep Fry Turkey Thermometer
• 1 x Bayou Classic 1036, 36-Qt. Stainless Fryer/Steamer $86
• 1 x Super Efficient 3/8" x 50' Stainless Steel Wort Chiller $73
• 1 x Perlick 525SS Stainless Beer Faucet Chrome Shank Combo Kit w/ Knob
• 2 x Ball Lock Becker Home Brew Keg Tap MFL Coupler Set $10.58
• 1 x The Brew Hauler Carboy Carrier $5.50
• 1 x How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time $11
• 1 x Johnson Controls Digital Thermostat Control Unit $68
• 1 x Star San 32 oz, easy mix bottle @ $14.95
• 1 x Cornelius Keg (or Firestone), 5 Gallon, Ball Lock (Pepsi Style) for Homebrew/Soda @ $54.95x2
• 3 x 5 Gallon Carboys from Craigs List $18
• 1 x 7.1 cuft chest freezer from costco ~$183 after tax

1. Is there anything I am forgetting?
   
2. What should I set the minimum short circuit cycle to for the cest freezer? (Currently set to one minute) 2 degree variance.
   
3. Best way to clean the craigslist carboys? Bleach then dry then starsan before use?
   
4. oxy clean ok to use to clean kegs (then starsan before use of course?)
   
5. not sure what to do for Co2 tank yet but I have both a 5 gallon and 15 gallon tanks hooked up to my planted fishtanks I can borrow.

Click to expand...

Sweet Jesus - that's a lot of stuff for a starting brewer. Go big or go home, eh?

:rockin:

You probably don't need a carboy brush for the first cleaning if it doesn't look dirty. You will need one when you empty it, though.

Justintoxicated said:

What should I set the minimum short circuit cycle to for the cest freezer? (Currently set to one minute) 2 degree variance.

Click to expand...

I'd raise the cycle to something like 5 min, especially since a chest freezer should be well insulated. Remember that the air temp will swing WAY faster than the liquid temp, so take care not to measure the air temp with your thermostat probe. I stick it on the keg and insulate with thick layers of fabric with rubber bands around them. Keeps to within 1 degree F and my ambient here goes over 80 most of the day.

Best way to clean the craigslist carboys? Bleach then dry then starsan before use?

Click to expand...

Edit - I'd avoid bleach. Soaking in oxyclean and HOT water is pretty dang effective unless there is serious dried crud (visible). If you do use bleach, make sure you rinse it very thoroughly.

oxy clean ok to use to clean kegs (then starsan before use of course?)

Click to expand...

I believe that is the consensus and I use it to clean my two cornys along with a good sponge and mild detergent scrub. Keg lube is stubborn and dawn liquid detergent will cut right through it.

not sure what to do for Co2 tank yet but I have both a 5 gallon and 15 gallon tanks hooked up to my planted fishtanks I can borrow

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I don't know enough to say if they are the same or not. I would imagine they are and that filling the 15lb will last a good while and save you some money over filling the 5lb repeatedly.

0202 said:

I'd raise the cycle to something like 5 min, especially since a chest freezer should be well insulated. Remember that the air temp will swing WAY faster than the liquid temp, so take care not to measure the air temp with your thermostat probe. I stick it on the keg and insulate with thick layers of fabric with rubber bands around them. Keeps to within 1 degree F and my ambient here goes over 80 most of the day.



Edit - I'd avoid bleach. Soaking in oxyclean and HOT water is pretty dang effective unless there is serious dried crud (visible). If you do use bleach, make sure you rinse it very thoroughly.



I believe that is the consensus and I use it to clean my two cornys along with a good sponge and mild detergent scrub. Keg lube is stubborn and dawn liquid detergent will cut right through it.



I don't know enough to say if they are the same or not. I would imagine they are and that filling the 15lb will last a good while and save you some money over filling the 5lb repeatedly.

Click to expand...

I set ASD for 5 minutes. Dif set to 2. One thing I noticed that is easier explained with an example:

Freezer set to turn on at 35. (SP). it will kick off at 33. However even though the freezer is off it will continue to cool down to about 31/30 over the next minute or so.

So what I am afraid of is putting the probe into a water bottle, or insulating it even more which will only make the freezer run even longer and cool to undesirable lows? For instance if it takes 10 minutes to cool the actual water down to the appropriate level, the actual freezer temp may be freezing solid, and the water will continue cool far beyond what the freezer is set for? So perhaps a larger air temp difference, doing it this way which may cause condensation inside the freezer?

If I use Oxy Clean for the kegs and the carboy what ratio should I mix it at?





Another issue I'm seeing now is that I have only one freezer, but want to both cool the kegs, and ferment beer. So if I want to brew this dark ale I ordered and start a batch of apfelwein at the same time the beer will be done long before the apfelwein.

However I won't be able to adjust the temperature on the chest freezer to a pour temp for the beer, and still continue fermenting the apfelwein.. Garage and house gets to around 90 and possibly even over 100 every once in a while.

Solutions?
Another chest cooler and temp controller?
Just don't enjoy the beer until the apfelwein is finished and kegged as well?
Perhaps it is already time to convert a spare room into a fermenting chamber?

As some of you pointed out, I feel I purchased too much stuff already, but one thing leads to the next it seems: No were to ferment, so I may as well get a chest freezer...and Since I'm getting a chest freezer I may as well jump into kegging rather than botteling... etc etc

Justintoxicated said:

Freezer set to turn on at 35. (SP). it will kick off at 33. However even though the freezer is off it will continue to cool down to about 31/30 over the next minute or so.

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It is going to take a lot longer than a minute or two for 5 gallons of liquid to lose a degree or two of heat. I'm only using a fridge, but I can leave the door open for 2 minutes and not lose a degree of heat while monitoring the side of the SS keg. If I monitor the air temp, the fridge turns on and off all day as the air temp loses 2-3 degrees here and then overcools 2-3 degrees.

The liquid isn't going to swing like that. Hopefully I understand you and my line of reasoning is solid there. I'm certainly no engineer.

If I use Oxy Clean for the kegs and the carboy what ratio should I mix it at?

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Someone may tell me I'm wrong here, but I use the soak concentration on the tub of 1/2-1 scoop per gallon of water, close to 1 scoop.

Another issue I'm seeing now is that I have only one freezer, but want to both cool the kegs, and ferment beer. So if I want to brew this dark ale I ordered and start a batch of apfelwein at the same time the beer will be done long before the apfelwein.

Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. I have one fridge and ferment 2 kegs and then serve them, repeat. The solution in my head is to have a fermentation fridge (or see chamber link below) that can hold temps to lager and ale temperatures, then serve them in my fridge which can hold ~35-40F. To me, you need distinct environments to ferment in and serve in if you want to do it simultaneously, unless you want to drink it warm or ferment it cold

You could just ferment using the old swamp cooler (shirt fan ice water) - less precise and more maintenance, but you don't need to build or buy much. Or build a budget fermentation chamber since those temps (for ale anyway) are easier to maintain than lagering or serving temps. Still requires construction and maintenance of ice, etc.
http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/38DD-Mother-of-a-Fermentation-Chiller

Equipment aggregation is a known phenomenon.

Beer glasses?
Brew buddies?

There's some brew stores around, if you need something in a pinch..
Mother Earth in Vista
Hydrobrew in Oside
There is also one in esco somewhere, just havent been there yet to comment
Happy brewing
igotsand

1 x Floating Thermometer $6.99

Click to expand...

Just don't use this. At all! Get a good instant read and return this item!!! In fact... get two or three (something I'm working on) and calibrate them often.

If this is glass (and I only know of glass ones... if not you might be OK) the chance of breaking it when it's inside your beer is far too great. I tossed a batch of skeeter pee because of this.

1 x Bayou Classic 1036, 36-Qt. Stainless Fryer/Steamer $86

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The 36 qt pot is great, but... and I thought I'd never, ever, ever say this... it's not big enough. It's perfect for 5 gallon batches, but a year from now you might regret it.

Luckily it will work and work well for 5 gallon batches. I'm planning on using mine as a HLT someday . . . until then, if I make 12 gallons of wort I'll do two batches in one long, grueling day! (Yes I speak from experience... yes it's very recent experience... yes it was 95 degrees outside when I finished at 4:30 pm - even though it was only a cool ~75 when I started at 7am). In my case, the recipe was for 10 gallons and halving the recipe meant using lots of 1/8 pound measures... which my LHBS might have a problem with.

malweth said:

Just don't use this. At all! Get a good instant read and return this item!!! In fact... get two or three (something I'm working on) and calibrate them often.

If this is glass (and I only know of glass ones... if not you might be OK) the chance of breaking it when it's inside your beer is far too great. I tossed a batch of skeeter pee because of this.



The 36 qt pot is great, but... and I thought I'd never, ever, ever say this... it's not big enough. It's perfect for 5 gallon batches, but a year from now you might regret it.

Luckily it will work and work well for 5 gallon batches. I'm planning on using mine as a HLT someday . . . until then, if I make 12 gallons of wort I'll do two batches in one long, grueling day! (Yes I speak from experience... yes it's very recent experience... yes it was 95 degrees outside when I finished at 4:30 pm - even though it was only a cool ~75 when I started at 7am). In my case, the recipe was for 10 gallons and halving the recipe meant using lots of 1/8 pound measures... which my LHBS might have a problem with.

Click to expand...

believe it or not, I am on a budget

That thermometer will have to do for now, I was thinking to just leave it in my wort so I could get an accurate reading from within the chest freezer while fermenting. Which instant read do you recommend though.

Group Shot

Untitled by Glamisduner, on Flickr

I used 3 full scoops of oxyclean per Carboy but most of it seems to have settled to the bottom as you can see in *the pictures.

Carboy Cleaning with Oxy Clean by Glamisduner, on Flickr

I'm not sure what I will do this this just yet, was thinking to just attach it right to the keg temporarily.

perlick srainless by Glamisduner, on Flickr

One of the valves the blue keg seems to be damaged too (and theres a good size dent in the top, maybe Keg Connection will send a replacement valve at least? The top of the valve is dented I'll see if I can take another pic with my phone.

igotsand said:

Beer glasses?
Brew buddies?

There's some brew stores around, if you need something in a pinch..
Mother Earth in Vista
Hydrobrew in Oside
There is also one in esco somewhere, just havent been there yet to comment
Happy brewing
igotsand

Click to expand...

Smokin' Beaver is right off the 78 and Nordahl Rd. Nice place, small and new, but the owner is friendly and willing to chat and give tips.

http://www.smokinbeaver.com/

Justintoxicated said:

believe it or not, I am on a budget
That thermometer will have to do for now, I was thinking to just leave it in my wort so I could get an accurate reading from within the chest freezer while fermenting.

Click to expand...

Using a floating thermometer in a carbonated mass of gunk may prove to be inaccurate (or the Krausen may obscure it). I'm not sure as I haven't used a floating one, but I'd check before you went by its temp. I'm thinking you could use a gallon of water with the floating thermometer as reference and estimate the fermentation temp to be a bit higher since it will generate its own heat internally.

Did I use enough oxy clean? Is it a problem that it didn't all mix into the water? How long should I let them soak? And when they are done should I fill them with water while they wait to be used Sanatized?

Another question...

When Mixing starsan, I want to fill a small spray bottle do most of you just mix it in a 5 gallon bucket to dunk stuff in?

Did you mix @ the concentration on the tub? If you went over, it might not all dissolve.

I usually soak 2-4 hours or overnight, either seems to work for me. Rinse well, dump in some premixed starsan solution, shake until it coats all surfaces, dump out and sit somewhere to dry. When I am ready to use it in the future, rinse again with hot water and empty it (may not be necessary but I do it), then repeat the star san solution and dump it (you can rack right onto the foam, so no worries if some sticks around). Cap with clean tinfoil until I'm ready to rack from my brew pot. I would not leave them full of water (if anything leave them full of starsan solution or empty and coated with starsan inside). I do make about 3-5 gallons of starsan in a bucket, but keep a small spray bottle full as well. Coating the surface is as good as dunking the surface, just give it a good coat and 30 seconds.

A bucket of star san will stay good for quite a while. Generally people say it is good to go if it isn't cloudy, but I've left it in a bucket for 6 months or more without it getting cloudy. I'd remix it at that point.

Justintoxicated said:

Did I use enough oxy clean? Is it a problem that it didn't all mix into the water? How long should I let them soak? And when they are done should I fill them with water while they wait to be used Sanatized?....

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Yeah, I'd say you did. Give them at least half an hour, rinse them well, if they look clean, Let them air dry. Rinse them again on brew\racking day and hit em with your sanitizer. Sanitation is very important to good brewing, but we're not talking "clean room" conditions. Just do the best you can, without going to extremes. Enjoy, and "have a home brew..."


welcome,


Keyth

I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a scoop of oxyclean in my 6 gallon Better Bottles. That has seemed to be plenty.

Boy I wish I was on your kind of budget. I have been brewing for a year and have about 1/2 the equipment that you do. I am sure that as you get going you will find a lot of extra thing you will need/want and some that you got that you wish you got something else. Goes with the territory!

I started with extract kits on the stove-top with a 20qt aluminum pot and the deluxe starter kit from Northern Brewer. I have been adding things ever since.
No kegging and no fermentation chamber...yet .

When you add fermenters I suggest buckets or Better Bottles. Just read the threads about glass carboy accidents!

kh54s10 said:

I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a scoop of oxyclean in my 6 gallon Better Bottles. That has seemed to be plenty.

Boy I wish I was on your kind of budget. I have been brewing for a year and have about 1/2 the equipment that you do. I am sure that as you get going you will find a lot of extra thing you will need/want and some that you got that you wish you got something else. Goes with the territory!

I started with extract kits on the stove-top with a 20qt aluminum pot and the deluxe starter kit from Northern Brewer. I have been adding things ever since.
No kegging and no fermentation chamber...yet .

When you add fermenters I suggest buckets or Better Bottles. Just read the threads about glass carboy accidents!

Click to expand...

Yea, I didn't really want to start with kegging and dedicated chest freezzer, but I think it would be hard to ferment when the house is constantly above 85 and often over 90.

I never use more than 3 gallons of cleaner solution for cleaning my entire 5 gallon setup. My glass carboy is easily cleaned a couple of gallons and a light scrub with a carboy brush, and it doesn't take any soaking time.

I can't believe I forgot to buy a carboy brush, maybe I will stop by one of those shops on the way to the beach.

I drained them all today and rinsed well, for the most part they are pretty clean and are drying in the Damn hot sun. Accuweather says its only 68 lol, but I break into a sweat just lifting an empty carboy into my truck bed for drying. I think it must be at least 90+.

There is still some minor specs of something stuck near the carboy tops where they taper, I think it will easily be removed when I go to sanitize though. These are my secondary carboys, my Primary will arrive monday, along with the beer kit, airlocks etc. I hope the yeast survives the weekend at the post office

Unfortunately I noticed one of the carboys has some small chips in it.


Untitled by Glamisduner, on Flickr


chips in carboy by Glamisduner, on Flickr

Still safe to use?
I would imagine It is ok. Other than the chips this is the cleanest Carboy I picked up (least scratches on the outside). I swear I looked them all over well, but either i missed it or I put these there myself when gently laying the carboy on it's side on the asphalt
to drain. (Yep I'm a newb for sure)

Here is the bent valve on the keg.

Bent valve by Glamisduner, on Flickr

Chips shouldn't matter as long as they are on the outside.

I wouldn't say this to most people but you should have bought an Erlenmeyer flask. You should make a starter is you are going to use liquid yeast.

I didn't see it mentioned but you should use Oxiclean Free. The stuff without dye or perfume.

Its 103 here =( I don' think you've done yourself any disservice by jumping into kegging and controlled fermentation. Quite the opposite.

I'd probably replace the post, they aren't that expensive ($10-$15 I think). Or you can just see if it seals properly. Not sure about chips in the carboy, it is a pressure vessel... But I've been known to be over cautious.

logan3825 said:

I didn't see it mentioned but you should use Oxiclean Free. The stuff without dye or perfume.

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GOOD call, I definitely forgot to specify that and I use the free as well.

The pressure in the carboy will escape by the path of least resistance. That should be the airlock. The carboy really shouldn't be under any pressure.

logan3825 said:

The pressure in the carboy will escape by the path of least resistance. That should be the airlock. The carboy really shouldn't be under any pressure.

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Certainly, but they can also clog, which is why people recommend snipping the crosshair shaped plastic in the three piece ones, etc. I've seen on here someone who had an exploding carboy with a clogged bung and airlock. I'm sure that is the vast exception to the rule - I'm just throwing it out there.

Use a blowoff tube for the first few days of fermentation and it shouldn't be a problem.

The Oxy Clean I got is the big box form Costco. it didn't say Oxy Clean Free on it, but it also does not mention perfumes etc. I don't smell anything in the cleaned Carboys.

More stuff is in today!

I got my Black Ale kit from Austin Home Brew Supply.
I also got my 6.5 gallon carboy, siphon, airlocks, tubing, 50 foot stainless Wort Chiller (Smaller than I expected), Spoon, lots of tubing, thermometer and hydrometer.

No Brew pot yet, but I'm thinking to make some Apfelwein in the meantime sinnce my GF seemed to enjoy the stuff my friend made. I'm a bit concerned with the long fermentation times though since the beer that I'm hoping to brew this weekend will be ready in about 1/2 the time, and I will need the freezer to keep it cold (not fermentation temps for 3 months). Well that and the LHBS I stopped at today does not carry corn sugar WTF!

Hey. Looks like you're off to a great start. My thought here is that you sound a lot like me. You need to buy equipment that will grow with you...like did the fridge you get only hold one keg or 4? I was going to buy a dorm fridge..bought a full-size instead and am happy because a month after getting 2 kegs, I bought 2 more. Just keep in mind that you're probably going to want to upgrade very fast. Also, you can never have enough carboys. Get as many as you can..like I have 3 now and with a big 13% barleywine fermenting, that one is out of rotation for a couple of months so I'm wishing I had 2 more carboys.

Also, keep a look out for hops by the pound. By your top 4 hops by the pound and keep 'em in the freezer. Get a small digital scale for measuring them out. Buying hops 1 ounce at a time gets expensive.

Tubing! You can never have enough. Get 10x more than you need. You will need to replace kegerator tubing more than you think for great tasting beer and you'll need tubing for the siphon and blow off tubing.

Finally..wort chiller. Invest in one if you can afford it. It'll greatly improve your beers in reducing infection and clarity.



Also..get a premium HBT subscription Costs about the same as a few pounds of DME

Justintoxicated said:

The Oxy Clean I got is the big box form Costco. it didn't say Oxy Clean Free on it, but it also does not mention perfumes etc. I don't smell anything in the cleaned Carboys.

More stuff is in today!

I got my Black Ale kit from Austin Home Brew Supply.
I also got my 6.5 gallon carboy, siphon, airlocks, tubing, 50 foot stainless Wort Chiller (Smaller than I expected), Spoon, lots of tubing, thermometer and hydrometer.

No Brew pot yet, but I'm thinking to make some Apfelwein in the meantime sinnce my GF seemed to enjoy the stuff my friend made. I'm a bit concerned with the long fermentation times though since the beer that I'm hoping to brew this weekend will be ready in about 1/2 the time, and I will need the freezer to keep it cold (not fermentation temps for 3 months). Well that and the LHBS I stopped at today does not carry corn sugar WTF!

Click to expand...

Which Costco do you go to? I usually go to the one off Palomar Airport Rd, just off the 5, and I've never seen it there. Curious.

adamjackson said:

Hey. Looks like you're off to a great start. My thought here is that you sound a lot like me. You need to buy equipment that will grow with you...like did the fridge you get only hold one keg or 4? I was going to buy a dorm fridge..bought a full-size instead and am happy because a month after getting 2 kegs, I bought 2 more. Just keep in mind that you're probably going to want to upgrade very fast. Also, you can never have enough carboys. Get as many as you can..like I have 3 now and with a big 13% barleywine fermenting, that one is out of rotation for a couple of months so I'm wishing I had 2 more carboys.

Also, keep a look out for hops by the pound. By your top 4 hops by the pound and keep 'em in the freezer. Get a small digital scale for measuring them out. Buying hops 1 ounce at a time gets expensive.

Tubing! You can never have enough. Get 10x more than you need. You will need to replace kegerator tubing more than you think for great tasting beer and you'll need tubing for the siphon and blow off tubing.

Finally..wort chiller. Invest in one if you can afford it. It'll greatly improve your beers in reducing infection and clarity.



Also..get a premium HBT subscription Costs about the same as a few pounds of DME

Click to expand...

The costco fridge holds 4 cornys on the bottom + some space on the hump, or a 6.5 gallon carboy and my 5 gallon carboy. My biggest issue is going to be where to ferment stuff. I will not be able to ferment anything while having beer on tap, unless it's winter time....But that still better than not being able to brew anything at all I suppose I got a 50 foot stainless wart chiller, it's smaller than I expected, I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.

evrose said:

Which Costco do you go to? I usually go to the one off Palomar Airport Rd, just off the 5, and I've never seen it there. Curious.

Click to expand...

I got it at the one in San Marcos. In fact it's on sale right now, so I bought another box.

If u need a kettle, I have a 15 gallon keg if you wanna convert.....
Igotsand

Got the rest of my equipment and I'm ready to brew. I have some Sanitizing questions though:

My Stainless wart chiller says that residual oils need to be removed from it with some sort of cleaner. Kirkland laundry detergent strong enough? Oil Eater? Not sure what is acceptable.

Also what is the best way to sanitize the auto siphon and tubing I would imagine siphoning some solution out of a a bucket with cleaner would work?

Also curious about how to pour from the brew-pot to the 6.5 gallon carboy primary. I bought a very large funnel from autozone, but pouring from the pot still seems like it could will be a challenge, but maybe not since it should be cool enough to touch by that time.

Any other tips before I get started? Do I need to calibrate the hydrometer?

Friend says I do not need a yeast starter when using white labs..?

Don't pour, siphon. Unless you have a valve, then attach a hose to the valve and direct it into the carboy.

For the residual oils, my instinct says orange cleaner or similar, but I'd ask somebody else. I'd use PBW, but I think you're just using oxyclean, and really have no idea if either would work.

For the siphon, yes. Siphon some sanitizer into it, and leave it full of sanitizer while you soak the outside. Keep the outside of the tubing wet w/ sanitizer and clean as well. It's going into your fermenter.

You can check your hydrometers callibration in a test jar full of distilled h20, should read 1.000 at room temp. If it's off though, there's little you can do to fix it, other then make mental corrections. But in the end, your hydrometer measures you OG and FG to determine ABV. Callibrated or not, it should give you fairly accurate ABV measures...because if it's 2 1000ths low on the OG measurement, it'll be 2/1000ths on the FG and the ABV will be the same.

GL. You're doing it the smart way IMHO. Thoughtfully buying what you'll need and can grow with. So many of us end up buying the same piece of equipment 3 times because we try to do it cheap, then we try to do it right, then we want to brew bigger batches.

Edit: Don't listen to your friend. If you're using a liquid yeast, you need a starter. If for no other reason then to "proof" (make sure the yeast is alive and viable) it. Check mrmalty.com for a calculator.

Yes siphoning sanitized solution from a bucket, hopefully your fermenter, will work perfect.

Justintoxicated said:

[*] 1 x The Brew Hauler Carboy Carrier $5.50

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Is this price a mistake? I have a Brew Hauler already but I would buy one for EVERY carboy at the price. It can't be correct... but if it is, let me know where

I want to get started now, but it might have to wait till this weekend since I have plans tomorrow night. Plus I don't have a starter yet or a decent jar for creating one. I need to clean out the new 6.5 gallon carboy too, although it looks spotless.

I'm not sure whether to make a blow off valve or just use an airlock on the primary I'll at least see what I can rig up for a blowoff valve tonight.

Looks like a great list but chuck the carboy and buy as many buckets you can for the same price along with lids and a few drilled bungs and some more tubing.

If over thinking is a virtue, you my new brewing friend, are a Saint. My first brewing adventure was a starter brew kit for $79. Bucket, Stainless pot, thermometer, hydrometer, beer thief, tubing and racking cane, caps and capper. And a $29. extract kit, with instructions. didn't aerate, sprinkled the dry yeast on top of the wort. Turned out fabulous. Yes I have three times (maybe 4) that amount of equipment now, read the books, spend time on the forum. 50 gallons in, and have yet to make a beer that was better than that first one. Go figure.

jbaysurfer said:

Edit: Don't listen to your friend. If you're using a liquid yeast, you need a starter. If for no other reason then to "proof" (make sure the yeast is alive and viable) it. Check mrmalty.com for a calculator.

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That's not at the reason you want to make a starter. In fact, the vast majority of experienced brewers don't care about proofing AT ALL (otherwise White Labs would be at a *serious* disadvantage to the Wyeast smackpack!) I know it may seem like I'm nitpicking, but I'm saying this so that a brewer who doesn't care about proofing won't get the idea that it's then okay to carry on without a starter, which is what your wording suggests.

The thing is, you DO always want to make a starter with liquid yeasts, but it's in order to maximize *vitality* (ie yeast health; separate concept from viability). And in most cases, you also want to increase the count of viable cells. Proofing is just a (very) minor side-benefit.

I can see why his friend believes a starter isn't necessary, though; both White Labs and Wyeast have marketed their ~100B-cell packages as not requiring a starter. Even then, they state that this only applies to 5 gallon batches with an OG of 1.060 or less. A bit of math comes up with a more useful guideline of 300 gravity points at *any* batch size, up to a concentration not exceeding the strain's alcohol tolerance. But while it's true that it will make beer just fine at this pitching rate, it's not optimal. You will almost always get better results making a starter appropriate to the volume and gravity of your wort, even if you pitch the yeast on the exact same day it came out of the plant (ie maximum viability). Even if your batch is so small and/or your gravity is low enough that the number of viable cells in the package should be adequate, it's still best to make a starter in order to maximize vitality, as I mentioned above.

The reason these companies say a starter isn't required is simple: it's all about being competitive. If a new brewer looks at one brand of yeast that says it requires a starter, and another brand of yeast that says it doesn't, even if the yeasts are exactly the same, guess which one he is going to pick? The one that's supposedly easier to use, of course. And since the yeast will still ferment wort anyways, there's no downside for the company to say that no starter is required. And the companies know that brewers who care enough about their beer for optimal performance to matter will do enough research to know that a starter is always a good idea. Hell, both Chris White and the owner of Wyeast repeatedly say so themselves that this is true. And the dry yeast manufacturers are no different - the directions they provide on the packet are *much* simpler than the procedure they describe on their website or give to professional brewers.

Bottom line is that, strictly speaking, a starter isn't necessary - you can make beer even if you directly pitch the yeast. However, it can make such a significant difference that most experienced brewers these days essentially consider it to be necessary anyways, and wouldn't dream of pitching a vial or smackpack directly into their batch. Making a starter is easy enough and has so little downside that I'd recommend it to even the most casual of brewers, and CERTAINLY to anyone serious enough to be posting here.

Dan said:

Looks like a great list but chuck the carboy and buy as many buckets you can for the same price along with lids and a few drilled bungs and some more tubing.

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Chuck a $55 Carboy? I will be using what I have for now, maybe I should have gone with a bucket, but then why would my buddy who uses buckets suggest just getting a glass carboy for a primary? I'd assume the difference isn't much other than the heafty weight of the carboy and the smaller opening, and that I can see the beer while it's fermenting?

The kit I purchased is in the OP, it only comes with what I need to make the beer. So it sounds like I will need to buy a few more things to make a starter?

http://billybrew.com/how-to-make-a-yeast-starter

So I need to buy additional Dry Malt Extract, or liquid malt extract?

I have a 1/2 gallon Carboy from some Stone BBQ Sauce I just finished off. (it was like $8 with the sauce what a good deal hah). I can use that for my starter right?

I'm a little worried about making this starter and screwing up the beer before I even get started.

emjay said:

Is this price a mistake? I have a Brew Hauler already but I would buy one for EVERY carboy at the price. It can't be correct... but if it is, let me know where

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http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=brew++hauler

I was already ordering other stuff from them, so I saved on shipping. I will probably grab 3 more next payday, I realize how screwed I would have been without this.

jbaysurfer said:

Don't pour, siphon. Unless you have a valve, then attach a hose to the valve and direct it into the carboy.

For the residual oils, my instinct says orange cleaner or similar, but I'd ask somebody else. I'd use PBW, but I think you're just using oxyclean, and really have no idea if either would work.

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Not sure what Orange Cleaner is, I think I might try to hit it with some oil eater or something then hot water and soapy scrub again and call it good? I'm real curious to see how this thing works.

Justintoxicated said:

I was already ordering other stuff from them, so I saved on shipping. I will probably grab 3 more next payday, I realize how screwed I would have been without this.

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How did you save on shipping? I added 6 to my cart and it just multiplies the $5 shipping by 6. $30 for what should be a very small and light package is crazy.