First AG Done!

Well I finally went all grain. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. Actually, it was (besides me fly sparging) probably my best brew day ever. I hit my OG at 5.25 gallons with 77% efficiency. I just wanted to say thanks for all the great advice that's on this site. I didn't post that I was going AG because if it didn't work I didn't want anyone to know! LOL Can't wait to get this Oatmeal Stout on the gas so I can brew another!

Fun stuff eh?

yeah, i really excited about developing my own recipes. I need to start looking in to a brewing software. anybody have any suggestions?

Great job man, welcome to the ag club, sounds like you nailed it, Im sure it will be a great beer.

Fire up another batch very soon!

The Schwillster said:

yeah, i really excited about developing my own recipes. I need to start looking in to a brewing software. anybody have any suggestions?

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I think Beersmith would be the one to choose. They used to offer a fully functional trial for 21 days so it's easy to check out thoroughly before purchasing.

Blender said:

I think Beersmith would be the one to choose. They used to offer a fully functional trial for 21 days so it's easy to check out thoroughly before purchasing.

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I agree. For 20 bucks it's really worth it. It's got a bunch of useful tools, keeps track of your inventory and I'm working on using the calendar feature now so I can better plan my batches/racking/bottling. I would definitely +1 taking it for a test drive.

Congrats! Good feeling, isn't it?

+1 on BeerSmith. It's a great tool and a great price.

Congrats, I just did my first a week ago and will be bottling it tomorrow. I also thought it was easier than I had anticipated but had spent a lot of time reading about it. I would also recommend BeerSmith. I did the trial and just purchased it yesterday.

Thanks, I REALLY NEED TO FIRE UP ANOTHER! BeerSmith seems to be the concensus here, I'm going to look into it. One of the problems I have here in Phoenix is the heat and controlling fermemter temps. I have a small chest freezer with a temp regulator that works very well, but I can only do 5 gallons at a time. Then I keg it and put it in the kegerator. Right now I have about 5 gallons between 2 kegs and getting less everyday! So I need to keep brewing I guess. The winter should allow me to brew as well. Any suggestions to make it better let me know. I really appreciate all of them!

The Schwillster - Welcome to AG, it is a lot of fun and opens up a lot of possibilities.
One thing with temperature control, once primary is completed, you can condition it with normal temps and just keep it cooler with a wet towel. I do it all the time and I don't notice any esters or change in flavor.
In any case, best of luck.

Mahalo Kahuna, and thanks. Hopefully winter here in the desert will allow me to condition the brew in the keg without having to worry about it boiling! Just joking. Next week I plan on brewing an IPA. By that time the freezer should be open.