Hi from Poconos of PA

My name is Rob, and I just started my first batch last week. Yes, as the username implies I'm a chemist. So I was bound to get into this eventually I guess... I read John Palmer's 20 chapter e-book before I started.

I'm working out of a plastic bucket kit fermenter for now. My first batch was a fiasco, but it may yet turn out. It's an extract with specialty grain steeped: Oatmeal Stout if I haven't screwed it up. Just in case I have, and really just for the fun of it, I'm planning to rack that into a just purchased glass secondary fermenter tomorrow and get an extract IPA started--I'll steep the finishing hops, but that's it.

Hope this turns out!

Welcome! Too bad about your first brew. If your oatmeal stout is a kit from Keystone, mine turned out awesome. I only have one bottle left.

Welcome to HBT!
Beer is pretty hardy so your Oatmeal stout should be tasty. You are doing the right thing getting another brew going right away and have probably already found out what an addictive hobby this is.

'Nother PA brewer in the mix!!!

Welcome on, fellow Pa. brewer. Poconos huh? What part-they're big...Chemist huh ? Sonofi ?
I'm fixing on brewing an A.G. Guiness clone-have the grains "in house",also have grains to do a pale ale,a lager and a wheat-now to find the free time-"BREW ON "
Again-Welcome. Shane

Welcome to HBT Rob!
So you are a chemist and now a home brewer? Be careful. Be very very careful! That is a volatile combination. Next thing you know you will be opening a micro brewery!
I just want you to be warned.

I racked the stout. And I took the first quart off to to another container to check the gravity. It's around 1.027. And I know I should NOT have done this, but I tasted it just for the heck of it. It tasted like I would think a young stout should, possibly a young double stout as I swear I could taste the alcohol... By the way, yes it was the kit from Keystone in Bethlehem, PA.

And wow do I ever understand the reason for racking to a secondary fermenter. I couldn't believe the amount of sludge in the bottom of that bucket. So, I'll start the IPA this week, not tonight.

And yes Shane, you called it.

The kit you used was a good one. My wife loved it and now I have to do another batch. I bottled mine on 10/15/07 and the last one kicked tonight ! I am pissed that I didnt do more stout.

Instead I did 17 gallons of All Grain IIPA

But I and SWMBO love that stout !!!

Wished i made a 2X batch of that Stout

Hey Chemist,Where you located ? sounds close. Just got my Crankandstein mill mount finished tonight-I'm gonna grind the stout and boil'r off Monday afternoon.This'll be the first stout I've done-Can't wait..... Shane

I know a few that work there that's why it came to mind so quick.

Welcome to HBT-

I moved to VT 11 years ago from West Chester PA .. I bet you ski at Camelback

chemist308 said:

So, I'll start the IPA this week, not tonight.

Click to expand...

Impatience got the better of me. The IPA is currently in the fermenter. Simple brew: 2 cans of hopped extract (Muttons) boiled for about 30, with 2 oz of Fuggles hops at the last couple of minutes. Luckily there was still some snow outside to cool it in. I'll let you all know how both the Stout and IPA batches turn out after bottling!

Bottled both the Stout and IPA tonight.

WELCOME fellow PA Members!

Welcome ! from another PA brewer, I live a few blocks from Keystone. I am hangin in the Poconos this weekend.

I used to ski in the Poconos. Elk, Camelback, Big Boulder, Jackfrost, Shawnee, Blue Mt. I'm also a chemist now living in Colorado. Welcome.