A few questions before I buy anything

[ziggy13]

Hey guys, I wanted to ask a few questions before I bought anything to brew my own beer.

I have read a few books on the subject, but surprisingly I have not found any information on how much of an odor brewing beer makes. Does it make too much of a smell that I wouldn't want to brew in my basement? I was considering building a small room in my barn/shed outside, but that would require buying a fridge and a stove. If I just brew in my basement there is already a stove and fridge there.

Also, a friend of mine told me that boiling hops will leave stains on the ceiling, is this true?

Finally, my local brew shop only has plastic brewing supplies and said that the glass ones are for wine. I read that glass is better and if I start out with plastic I'll be upgrading to glass after a few brews anyway. Should I just start out with glass?

Thanks for everyone's time!

 

[Yooper]

There isn't much of an odor from fermenting usually. I have fermenters in my home office, and aside from some blurping noises once in a while, you don't even know they are there.

I ferment most of my beers in plastic, for at least the first couple of weeks. There isn't anything special about glass, except that it has a smaller opening which creates a smaller headspace. That's ideal for wine, and for beers that are going to be aged for a long time. I use the plastic "ale pail" 99% of the time.

I don't have any stains on my ceiling! I guess you could get some steam, just like with cooking, but I've never had a problem. I've made all of my beers (except for one yesterday I did outside) on my kitchen stove. I'm a clean freak, and the worst that I can say is that if you have a boil over, it'll make a big mess on the stove. Or, if you spill some fresh wort, the floor can be sticky due to the sugars in it.

Welcome to HBT!

 

[MMW]

I don't know about Hops on the ceiling but SWMBO would be unimpressed if I brewed indoors. She does not like the smell of boiling wort. I don't mind it. Good ventilation would be nice to have though...

As to plastic vs. glass: This Vs That

I used a bucket for my first two brews because it was cheap and now have a glass carboy because it was free. I still use the bucket a lot so it's not wasted money.

Welcome, RDWHAHB, read all you can and ask plenty of questions when reading/searching doesn't cover it.

 

[beerkrump]

Plastic brewing supplies are fine and suit the beginner well.

Don't worry about the hops staining. I have no idea where that came from.

As for the smell, that's more of a personal thing. It doesn't bother my wife and my kids really like the smell. It really bothers my wife when my 12 year old son walks by and says, "Mmmm, I love the smell of beer brewing. Can I have one?"

 

[phatuna]

Brewing does have some odor to it. If you have every been to a brewpub or any brewery, you will recognize it. I think that it smells great, grains, malt, hops. I'm not too sure about the stains on the ceiling, I don't think that is true but my ceiling is fairly tall.
Plastic is just fine to ferment in, many people do it. I think that it is a great way to start off and get your feet wet. As you start brewing more often, you will need to purchase another fermenter (primary), my second primary was a better bottle which looks like the glass that you are referring to above, but it is plastic.
I like the better bottle as I can see what is going on inside, it is light to carry and I don't have to worry too much about dropping it.
Glass can be used for wine or beer or cider or many other uses.

 

[weirdboy]

I always get into arguments with the SWMBO about whether a boiling kettle of wort smells good or bad. Since it bothers her a bit I often will bake a fresh loaf of bread. I don't know anyone who dislikes that smell.

 

[brian_g]

1) Yes there is a smell. I think it's actually a very pleasant smell. My cream stout smells like baking brownies, my wife and I both thought so. Whether you like the smell or not, I cannot say. Most of the smell comes from the boil. Next would be bottling. I'd say the fermentation is last. Some people do the boil outside using a turkey fryer with a propane burner. This would seem much cheaper then building a shed with a stove.

2) I haven't noticed hop stains on the ceiling. I'm not saying that it can't happen though with enough years of brewing.

3) Glass or plastic. It's really up to you. I don't think it affects the quality of the beer. Glass is more expensive and creates the risk of breaking. I just suggest that if your going to ferment in a glass carboy, make sure it's big enough. Fermentation creates a lot of foam, so you need extra room to accommodate this. I'd say you want a minimum of 6.5 gal container for a 5 gal batch.

 

[ChshreCat]

My wife HATES the smell of beer boiling. She can handle it until the hops go in, then she has to go somewhere else. But she's graciously tolerant of my hobby and is happy my daughter and I have something we enjoy doing together.

Glass is great, but the risk of breakage and injury keeps me using plastic. I use buckets for primaries and a Better Bottle for secondary and they work great.

 

[MeatyPortion]

Hey guys, I wanted to ask a few questions before I bought anything to brew my own beer.

I have read a few books on the subject, but surprisingly I have not found any information on how much of an odor brewing beer makes. Does it make too much of a smell that I wouldn't want to brew in my basement? I was considering building a small room in my barn/shed outside, but that would require buying a fridge and a stove. If I just brew in my basement there is already a stove and fridge there.

Also, a friend of mine told me that boiling hops will leave stains on the ceiling, is this true?

Finally, my local brew shop only has plastic brewing supplies and said that the glass ones are for wine. I read that glass is better and if I start out with plastic I'll be upgrading to glass after a few brews anyway. Should I just start out with glass?

Thanks for everyone's time!

1. I brew in the kitchen with no major problems, just watch your boil. Your basement sounds fine. I'd start out there before investing in equipment you may decide you don't need/want eventually. My wife doesn't mind the smell much at all. There's nothing like the smell of malted barley wafting through the house.

2. Hops? Boiling? Stains? News to me. Don't tell my wife. But honestly: there are many things that by boiling them can result in stains on the ceiling, more from the heat than anything.

3. Your local brewing supply store said that about glassware? Maybe the glassware they have IS specifically for wine making but they've got to know about glass carboys. I would suggest ordering them if need be. I started out with a 5 gallon and a 6 and a half gallon and eventually bought another 5 gallon. Glass doesn't scratch like plastic will (leads to bacterias and possible infections) but it's also up to the brewer's preference.

Good luck!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

My wife loves all the smells of brewing.

Inside brewing is just fine.

 

[marubozo]

As others have stated, boiling the wort can make some good nice smells in the kitchen, but your SWMBO may think differently. As for fermentation smells, those tend to be mild or even undetectable unless you get really close to the airlock or are fermenting something that might give off a sulfur smell.

For example, my wife never even noticed a smell in the small closed off room in the basement where the beer making magic happens. That is until the Apfelwein got going. Now the whole basement smells like a sweat stained jock strap soaked in sewer water She is not amused, but in six months she will drink it and like it!

 

[ziggy13]

Holy cow! That was the quickest I got 10 replies on any forum, ever! Thanks for all the help guys, can't wait to start brewing.

 

[ecancel]

Love the smell of boiling wort, never got any stains on my ceiling although in my noob days I did have to clean up a sticky mess from boilover.

 

[MMW]

Holy cow! That was the quickest I got 10 replies on any forum, ever! Thanks for all the help guys, can't wait to start brewing.

We're all just a bunch of post whores

 

[Captain_Bigelow]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I dont think you will get stains. However I brew outdoors on a propane burner. I found my gas stove did not have the power to get a rolling boil.

As regards odor, I keep my fermentors in a cupboard below the stairs (off living room). With door closed you can't smell a thing. When you open door and smell inside the cupboard it smells strong for the first few days of fermentation, then dies down to a slight ale smell. It also seems to depend on what you are brewing. My Irish Red hardly smells at all, compared to the Hefeweizen which I did previously.

 

[woollybugger2]

my wife and kids hate the smell of boiling wort, therefore i brew while they are away...

fermenting in a closed space can have an odor, again I think it smells great, wife and kids think it stinks...

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

FWIW, fermenting beer CAN result in stains on the ceiling.

 

[ziggy13]

FWIW, fermenting beer CAN result in stains on the ceiling.

Gila, what does FWIW mean?

 

[woollybugger2]

For What Its Worth

 

[MeatyPortion]

We're all just a bunch of post whores

+1








brewwithglass

 

[MMW]

FWIW, fermenting beer CAN result in stains on the ceiling.

And if it does, I think there is a clause in the terms and agreements for this site that you post pictures

 

[SchizoFilly]

FWIW, fermenting beer CAN result in stains on the ceiling.

+1 Especially bad with popcorn ceilings.

As many others said, it does have a smell, some like it others don't. Stains on ceiling from boiling hops???? First time I've heard that one.

Glass vs. Plastic........one of those questions that cannot be answered objectively. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Hope this adds to the confusion.

 

[BrothersBrewing]

Dude, the smell best part about brewing! Besides drinking your own brew

 

[Synovia]

She does not like the smell of boiling wort. I don't mind it. Good ventilation would be nice to have though...

My SWMBO doesnt like beer, but likes the malty smell of boiling wort.


My stove has the "power boil" or whatever burner, so I can bring 7 gallons to a boil, so I'm keeping my brews indoors. I'm moving in a couple months, so that may force me out.


I haven't found any difference between glass and plastic other than:

1.Plastic is easier to lug around
2.Plastic is cheaper
3.Plastic won't maim you when you drop it.



My tip?

Don't waste your time with a 5g pot. You'll want to do full boils at some point (whether you do AG, or extract), and an 8g or so pot is a much better deal. My 8g (32 qt) Aluminum stock pot came from Walmart, for exhorbitant price of $23.94

 

[Zenman]

I have 2 plastic and 1 glass fermentor. when i started I had just one plastic, then added another plastic and got a 6.5 carboy. I figured I'd really like the glass because it would be 'cleaner' and wouldn't get that residue yellowish stain on the inside or retian the last brews hop smell when empty. However once i started to put it into rotation i found carboy unwieldy and to be kinda of pain in the rear. It is heavy, has no built in handle, it is slippery which makes me paranoid I'm going to drop it, see through, small opening at the top makes for a hassle to check gravity and temp as well as for cleaning and last but not least, smaller ones have no head space for krausen and need a big blow off tube to prevent a mess, I have a 6.5 so less of an issue but a 5g one it would definitely be an issue.

The see through is really why i no longer use it for beer though, as I have my fermentors in ice water in my extra bathrooms bath tub, there is a window and the sunlight would just ruin the beer. Now of course you can wrap them in stuff to block light, and I do that for the plastic to control temps, but i guess i am paranoid about skunking beer and just use the carboy for applewine now, no hops means no skunk in the light. Maybe if someday i get a lagering fridge I will use it for a secondary, but since i am all ales and primary for 3 weeks and bottle i don't have a dark hideyhole to stick it at this point.

As for stains, if you worked in any restaurant there are stains above the cooking areas, etc. This can happen in any place you mass boil/cook anything since items fly up in the steam and stick, and even the best cleaners miss a little at a time and it accumlates and eventually is like paint, kinda like that pan you have that you bake with that is all black aroudn the edges but wasn't that way when you bought it and yet you still cook with it. I would think boiled off sugars or other compounds would be more the culprit than hops, but what do I know. Chance of this happening in your kitchen is minimal unless you cook ALOT boil ALOT and clean A LITTLE...

As for smells my wife and I did a double batch last time, loved the difference in the smells of the various batches and marveled at how awesome it smelled. My wife was incredulous when i told her about posters here saying people didn't like the smell of wort... kinda like not liking the smell of baking brownies in our eyes... As for fermentation smells I only notice it when i take the lid off the bucket to check a gravity, never even noticed the notorious rhino farts of the applewine, and we keep that in the main living area, but i do use a different yeast than Ed's original recipe, maybe that's the difference.

As for being post whores, yes we all are, some are more long winded than others though, believe it or not...:cross: