Frustrated Noob in Las Vegas

So I checked my email this afternoon, and midwest has not shipped my brewing kit yet due to the fact that they have not recieved my payment in the mail yet. That sucks, because now, chances are that I won't recieve it before this weekend to do my first brew. If I get lucky I might get on Saturday. That would give me just enough time to sort through all the equipoment and get it ready for the big day sunday.

I did however get a shipping confirmation email from AHS stating that I should recieve my ingredients by Friday! But it does me no good if I don't have my primary!

On another note, I bought my brew kettle today. It's a 30Liter turkey fryer from Lowes. It cost me under 50$ eith tax and all. It is aluminum, sorry to all the SS advocates ! It's what I can afford right now starting out. I like my setup, and that's what matters. It even came with a probe thermometer. The thermometer was around 12$ or so if you bought it seperately. I imagine after I get a few brews under my "beer belly" I might upgrade to SS. We shall see.

There are a couple of things I still need/want to get bofore the big brew day, such as:

• strainer
• trash can or container for ice bath/cooling
• sanitizer bucket
• second carboy

I have read about the ever famous Apfelwein and I'm dead set on brewing up a batch as soon as I'm done with the first one!
I've also got a Mead scheduled for the near future too!



Just Waiting now. Waiting for my stuff. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Bummer. Kinda old school, sending the payment in the mail?

Anyway, FWIW Midwest can be slow sometimes even when you pay right away...they claim 90% of orders ship next biz day, but my experience is closer to half.

If I want something fast, I go to Northern Brewer (or my LHBS...)

Yeah, I was kinda clumsy with my credit and bank acounts when I was younger. I finally got it fixed ebough so that somebody would give me a checking account. Now I'm just extra, extra, extra careful about checks and debits, etc. Half the time I just send a money order if it's not a pressing matter, just so I don't overdraft or anything.

I guess brewing is a pressing matter though, isn't it?

The wait wouldn't seem so bad if you had some homebrew. Oh, the irony!

Seriously, though, I feel your pain. I'm drinking my way through a so-so batch right now, mostly just to free up the keg so I can brew again

And I've already brewed 5 batches this month!

5 batches? and my wife had to be convinced to let me do two!

if it doesn't pan out, don't rush it or try to brew on short notice monday or tuesday.
I had a hell of a time 7 years ago when I quit brewing cuz I had a few bad batches of beer (including some glass grenades)...all because I wasn't patient...rushed something or other...and overlooked some critical things.

now i have my first batch in ages in bottles, conditioning, and another 5 gallons in primary, with a freezer ordered and three corny kegs for a decent little setup by end of week...and my future of brewing seems a little brighter.

malkore said:

...if it doesn't pan out, don't rush it or try to brew on short notice monday or tuesday.

Click to expand...

I already told myself that I wouldn't brew in the middle of the week. I work 60 hours a week right now (overtime is the only reason I was able to afford all of my homebrew equip all at once!), and Sunday is my only day off. I know I'll try to convince myself to do it after work one day, but I've already told myself NO. Just have to wait another week if that happens.