Another Carolina brewer

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Hey yall,
Long time lurker, finally decided to join.
I've been brewing for pretty much 3 years now. Started off doing partial grain kits, and then within a year, I was experimenting with all grain recipes ...I still do a partial grain kit every sometimes as the local brew shop makes their own kits, many of the beers have won awards. My all grain beers are a Pale ale, an IPA, and a Brown ale, my brewing friends tell me they're just as good as any of the local craft beers in the area.
Up until a month ago, I was just brewing 5 gal batches on propane, but I've collected enough equipment to start running 10 gallon batches, (2 electric keggles and a 10 gallon igloo) , I'll just be doing gravity feed on a 3-tier stand until (gulp) I feel I need to go to RIMS, or HERMS. lol

 

[Jaybird]

Welcome to the forums. I spent a winter in Raleigh. Ohhh my GAWD was it freeken cold up there!


Cheers
Jay

 

[bpnc9702]

Welcome - I'm new to the form as well, though with not as much brewing experience. Only a few months under my belt, but still carolina based. Welcome.

 

[brumer0]

Wow! You are progressing fast! Already doing a HERMES. American Brewmaster is a great store in Raleigh and have some very knowledgeable staff that can answer lots of questions (of course this site does too). In Fayetteville Im not so lucky, but at least I get to visit Raleigh a lot and my wife tolerates me always making a stop to American Brewmaster.

Welcome to the forums. I spent a winter in Raleigh. Ohhh my GAWD was it freeken cold up there!

Man, you must NEVER to go Colorado or anywhere near the Rockies. Im from CO and live in NC. Man its HOT here! And the winters aren't really so bad...

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

thanks yall,
Ya, I go to american brewmaster at least once a month

I haven't actually done any RIMS brewing, but I do like the idea of being able to use a controller to hold the mash at a set temp for repeatability.
I see threads on the forum here where I could prolly put an electric RIMS tube together for cheap, and get a PID and pump for small money an be off n running. We'll see.

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome from New Bern, NC.

 

[atgoldst]

I'm in Cary. Great info on how to build a rims tube on here. Im looking into it myself

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Hey there Cary,
Ya, I had some copper bits in the shop and whipped one up in an afternoon.
I ran it a week ago, and it worked great.

 

[atgoldst]

Still haven't ponied up for a pump. Trying to add one thing at a time. Building everything bigger to 10 gal batches and getting back into brewing after hiatus of a few years from having kid and and therefore no time. Must have a good shop to find it laying around.

 

[brumer0]

Still haven't ponied up for a pump. Trying to add one thing at a time. Building everything bigger to 10 gal batches and getting back into brewing after hiatus of a few years from having kid and and therefore no time. Must have a good shop to find it laying around.

I bought my pump from American Brewmaster. Somehow I thought that mounting it would be easy and I could rig something up, and I failed. I ended up ordering a mount online and had to get it all fit together to work on my system. So its worth considering and looking around before you just by the pump without the mount that AB has...

 

[Stirs]

Welcome from the outerbanks.

 

[atgoldst]

I bought my pump from American Brewmaster. Somehow I thought that mounting it would be easy and I could rig something up, and I failed. I ended up ordering a mount online and had to get it all fit together to work on my system. So its worth considering and looking around before you just by the pump without the mount that AB has...

Thanks for the advice. Gonna brew tomorrow with gravity again. Trying out new wort oxygenation system and take two on homemade counterflow chiller. Chunk of orange peel got lodged on maiden voyage. Turned into an interesting finish to brew day. Had to rebuild old immersion chiller really fast. Learned my lesson...hopefully run good tomorrow. Gonna try a pale with basil. Ever tried fullsteams Basil in Durham? Fantastic, working out a recipe now...we'll see, gonna wing it

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Good luck with the brew .....I racked 10 gallons into a couple carboys this evening ....from last week's maiden voyage ....smelled nice

Thanks Stirs

 

[USCDiver]

Greensboro checking in.