I am making beer Right. Now.

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JayD

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So far it's going pretty nicely. And really it's just been moral support from the wife, no actual help needed yet. She's napping now so maybe I won't need any. O_O

I am mashing in just now. Took a while to get the required amount of strike water, but just because I wanted to use the "good stuff" (which I got from the fridge, and it's filtered). But whatever.

I am pre-heating the (cooler) mash tun. It's a 10 gal rubbermaid round one, and it took a while to get the plumbing right on the thing, but it finally doesn't leak. I wish I'd have thought to use "good" water to pre-heat the MLT because then I could have used that as my sparge water. That would waste WAY less water and that would be good. Anyway, it's working out.

The bayou burner gets up to 160 pretty nicely (maybe 15 minutes, and it's windy) ((could really use a windscreen on that thing)). And the SS stock pot for the bayou burner holds the heat VERY nicely. But then it's about 90 degrees out there and it's in the sun, so that makes pretty good sense.
 
I'll be brewing tomorrow. Right now I'm in consumption mode. Sam Adams and Harpoon UFO are on the hit list...then I'm kickin six Rogue Dead Guy's ass!
 
I'll be brewing tomorrow. Right now I'm in consumption mode. Sam Adams and Harpoon UFO are on the hit list...then I'm kickin six Rogue Dead Guy's ass!
I'm kicking down some Guinness. Gotta have the bottles. :D Also this was the very first beer I ever had........

I'm honestly marveled at how well the bayou burner stock pot is holding the temp. I have not had to turn the burner back on yet, and I'm 30 minutes in (goal range 144-152) ((and it's only been losing about 1 degree every 10 minutes, starting from about 151.))
 
So far it's going pretty nicely. And really it's just been moral support from the wife, no actual help needed yet. She's napping now so maybe I won't need any. O_O

I am mashing in just now. Took a while to get the required amount of strike water, but just because I wanted to use the "good stuff" (which I got from the fridge, and it's filtered). But whatever.

I am pre-heating the (cooler) mash tun. It's a 10 gal rubbermaid round one, and it took a while to get the plumbing right on the thing, but it finally doesn't leak. I wish I'd have thought to use "good" water to pre-heat the MLT because then I could have used that as my sparge water. That would waste WAY less water and that would be good. Anyway, it's working out.

The bayou burner gets up to 160 pretty nicely (maybe 15 minutes, and it's windy) ((could really use a windscreen on that thing)). And the SS stock pot for the bayou burner holds the heat VERY nicely. But then it's about 90 degrees out there and it's in the sun, so that makes pretty good sense.

Sounds like fun!

Something I wish I did when first starting (not long ago, mind you) was to bottle off a couple from each batch and put them away to see how they taste after a year. I've started this recently, but I'll never get the first few brews back. And one of 'em was even good enough that I wish I could! :)
 
Honestly I drink beer slowly enough that I will probably still have beer from this session in a year anyway even if I don't do it purposefully. But I will, nonetheless. ;)
 
Beer after a year?! LOL However strange it may sound you'd be suprised how something that is mediorce can be absolutely fantastic after a year. I "lost" a bottle once. After about 2 months it was drinkable but not great. I found a bottle that had fallen over in the closet behind a box about 10 months after it first went to bottle. It was GREAT. Sometimes you just gotta!
 
Cookin' er down now. I guess I started with something like 7 gallons of extract and over an hour I'm supposed to get that down to 5 gallons with a moderate boil.... hmmm.. We'll see how that goes. Too bad my Bayou Burner Pot isn't graduated because I won't have any idea how much is 5 gal (and I don't have a graduated spoon for it). In fact the spoon I am using is barely long enough to stir it O_O. :D We'll see... idk yet how I'll get it down to 70 degrees but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
 
Question. I am cooling to 70 degrees before putting in the carboy. How to transfer to the carboy? I have an "autosiphon" but the instructions say to pour through a funnel to filter into the carboy.

So, what is the way? I figure this auto siphon and tube are for something (ok they are for transferring before bottling, but...).

So do I really pour into the carboy? And what about the trub (or whatever all is in the liquid at this point, including the hops).

Thanks!
 
Sounds like you're doing great.

1st... you need to oxygenate the wort and pouring it through a funnel will help do that. You need to do that AFTER you cool or you'll end up with a distinct oxygenated flavor (wet cardboard) in the finished product. As far as the trub just stop pouring once you get there... Filtering isn't necessary unless you insist on crystal clear brew. I personally siphon mine over but I also have an aeration wand that attaches to a drill. Works great.

2nd... As far as knowing how much volume you have in the brew kettle I, using an 8 cup measuring cup, slowly filled my brew kettle and marked out 1/2 gallon levels up to the top. I used a permanent marker on the outside. Its a little challenging but you'll be appreciative of it later on.
 
I just pour it in.... hops & all. You could also siphon it. It doesn't matter, really.
 
Thanks, thanks. Second time will be easier because I'll a) have a MUCH bigger spoon and b) have graduations for stuff like this....

Thanks!
 
Ooh good point. And as such, my pet yeast are making beer Right. Now.
 
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