Beginners Pipeline

[alexacuna]

I'm only about six weeks or so into brewing, so it's all still very new for me. I wanted to see what other new brewers have been working on (ready to drink, or carbing)?

I've got an apple pilsner (forgot to wash yeast after apfelwein, gf loves it though, luckily), apfelwein, red ale, and a modified hef.

Also, looking for good ways to store beer while it's in the bottle conditioning phase without spending excessive money on shelves.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

I just bottled an Irish Red Ale while sipping on my two beers that are fully conditioned (Vanilla Porter and Pliny the Elder clone). Got a Kolsch 4 days into primary, and tonight or tomorrow I'm going to brew a partial mash Black IPA. Then I think I'm done for a few weeks while I wait for some other beers to condition, other than maybe a 1-gal batch of hard root beer.

Apfelwein sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to summer and fall so I can do more with fresh fruit. My neighbor has a pear tree that goes nuts and I want to make cider.

As for storage, keep your eyes peeled for free or cheap legal-sized filing cabinets. I have two of them, and each drawer can hold eight 6-packs :rockin: in nice dark conditions, or tools and supplies, as needed. Too bad I recently switched to bottling mostly in bombers that don't fit height-wise...

 

[antony]

I used to place all my bottles in milk crates. They hold 25 a peice and can stack pretty tall. Throw a blanket over a stack of 3 and you have an end table...

 

[alexacuna]

I used to place all my bottles in milk crates. They hold 25 a peice and can stack pretty tall. Throw a blanket over a stack of 3 and you have an end table...

That's awesome. I have beer basically all over my room, so I tracked down a box from office paper reams to fit some beer in and stack. Milk crates are definitely on the horizon for me.

 

[imasickboy]

I keep my carboys in milk crates. Couldn't possibly spare those for bottles.

I keep bottles in their original cases, stacked no more than 8 cases high, which is roughly 6 feet.

 

[flyfishnevada]

I keep my carboys in milk crates. Couldn't possibly spare those for bottles.

I keep bottles in their original cases, stacked no more than 8 cases high, which is roughly 6 feet.

I had been holding on to two cases of bottles for years (I tried to get into brewing a while back but never actually did it). They were in the original boxes with the cardboard dividers and everything. When I bottled, I put each one in a plastic tub with a lid that I had. I figured the tub would contain any explosions and the lids would help keep the beer from repainting my ceiling.

They were just the cheap tubs you can get at Walmart. The lids click into place and they are stackable. They were just a bit larger than those cases of beer. Way cheaper than shelves.

 

[Magnus314]

Egg crates. They stack 9/10 tall easily, and each holds a full case.

Once they are carbed and conditioned, store them in the fridge.

 

[Spyk'd]

I have these http://www.milkcratesdirect.com/


I like that they're new, clean, legal, and real solid.


They fit 24 bottles of 16oz or 22oz, which is mostly all I bottle anymore.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm only about six weeks or so into brewing, so it's all still very new for me. I wanted to see what other new brewers have been working on (ready to drink, or carbing)?

I've got an apple pilsner (forgot to wash yeast after apfelwein, gf loves it though, luckily), apfelwein, red ale, and a modified hef.

I've got an Irish Red Ale that is done bottle conditioning (and carbing). I also have an English Bitter with a tweak that I've kegged; carbing it in the keg, bottled up a dozen bottles from that today.

Also, looking for good ways to store beer while it's in the bottle conditioning phase without spending excessive money on shelves.

I bought a couple of cases of empties when I first started; I'm using them to store the finished product. I also have a few Sam Adams half-cases I cut dividers for and I'm using them too. In both cases they can be sealed up and stay dark.

 

[wyccad915]

I started only in November. I made a hefeweizen for my first brew. I was drinking it in 3 weeks after brew day. It is great. I made a chocolate stout and it just finished and is drinkable now. It's a little roasty for my liking, but after a couple it actually tastes pretty good. I have a dunkel that has been fermenting for 3 weeks and will be bottled soon. Next will be another stout but I will have it age for some time so i can deal with all this beer

 

[flyfishnevada]

I started only in November. I made a hefeweizen for my first brew. I was drinking it in 3 weeks after brew day. It is great. I made a chocolate stout and it just finished and is drinkable now. It's a little roasty for my liking, but after a couple it actually tastes pretty good. I have a dunkel that has been fermenting for 3 weeks and will be bottled soon. Next will be another stout but I will have it age for some time so i can deal with all this beer

When I loaded my first batch of 48 bottles into my beer fridge, I thought it would be there forever. Then my oldest son came home on leave for the Holidays and his buddies from high school that go to the local university joined him. I down to a twelve pack or so. I think I'm going to have to do a another five gallon batch!

 

[alexacuna]

When I loaded my first batch of 48 bottles into my beer fridge, I thought it would be there forever. Then my oldest son came home on leave for the Holidays and his buddies from high school that go to the local university joined him. I down to a twelve pack or so. I think I'm going to have to do a another five gallon batch!

I see it stack up and have a few friends (and a thirsty girlfriend) over pretty often, so it's easily depleted. I'm yielding about 7.5 gallons every 10 days, so it's hoping building a reserve as we continue to drink the fruits of our labor. I'm looking at some filing cabinets for storage, so I can keep it in the living room without being noticed.

 

[Subdivisions]

I see it stack up and have a few friends (and a thirsty girlfriend) over pretty often, so it's easily depleted. I'm yielding about 7.5 gallons every 10 days, so it's hoping building a reserve as we continue to drink the fruits of our labor. I'm looking at some filing cabinets for storage, so I can keep it in the living room without being noticed.

You have a bunch of leeches on your hands. Get rid of them quickly or you'll be brewing in perpetuity to satisfy them. You can keep the girlfriend but maybe make the others bring something or at least pitch in for your ingredients.

 

[mattdee1]

I see it stack up and have a few friends (and a thirsty girlfriend) over pretty often, so it's easily depleted. I'm yielding about 7.5 gallons every 10 days, so it's hoping building a reserve as we continue to drink the fruits of our labor. I'm looking at some filing cabinets for storage, so I can keep it in the living room without being noticed.

Holy chit, 7.5gal every 10 days? I thought I went through it relatively quickly, but if that was my rate of production I'd have a warehouse full of beer after my 6.5 months in the hobby.

I just did a quick calculation; if I average out all that I've made over that time, it comes out to 2gal per week, and I have quite a bit of beer ready to go.

 

[alexacuna]

Holy chit, 7.5gal every 10 days? I thought I went through it relatively quickly, but if that was my rate of production I'd have a warehouse full of beer after my 6.5 months in the hobby.

I just did a quick calculation; if I average out all that I've made over that time, it comes out to 2gal per week, and I have quite a bit of beer ready to go.

I'll eventually get busy and scale it down to an as-needed thing. Some HG beers might in order.

 

[jonny24]

I did my first batch in October, a pale ale that I have a 6 pack left. Second batch was an Irish Red that's been in the bottle for a week. My third batch this weekend I jumped up to all grain, did another pale ale. So I have three weeks to drink myself some more empties.

Time to start thinking about the next batch!

 

[flyfishnevada]

You have a bunch of leeches on your hands. Get rid of them quickly or you'll be brewing in perpetuity to satisfy them. You can keep the girlfriend but maybe make the others bring something or at least pitch in for your ingredients.

There's no bigger leeches than a young Marine and his friends that are in college. Thank God they don't come around often of I'd be brewing daily

 

[alexacuna]

Fridge is stocked up and I've got 70+ bottles aging in my room. I botched a batch of hef that is getting consumed by my room mates, which is good for me since it's my least favorite out of all the batches. Switched to all grain, so it's getting cheaper constantly.

 

[Subdivisions]

There's no bigger leeches than a young Marine and his friends that are in college. Thank God they don't come around often of I'd be brewing daily

It's funny, I'm older now and all my hard drinking friends have either quit, slowed down considerably or are in AA. I've gravitated into moderation.

You'll get to that point eventually. Just don't be one of 'them'

 

[DorsiaOnFridayNight]

Just brewed my first 5 gallon batch last Saturday (Grapefruit Sculpin clone) and brewed a Left Hand Milk Stout clone last night. Also just ordered 3 recipe kits from Northern Brewer for $20.16, so I'm excited to build out this pipeline

 

[alexacuna]

Just brewed my first 5 gallon batch last Saturday (Grapefruit Sculpin clone) and brewed a Left Hand Milk Stout clone last night. Also just ordered 3 recipe kits from Northern Brewer for $20.16, so I'm excited to build out this pipeline

Which Sculpin clone did you use? AG or Extract? love that beer

 

[DorsiaOnFridayNight]

Which Sculpin clone did you use? AG or Extract? love that beer

Grapefruit Pulpin' AG from Northern Brewer. Looking good so far. Looks like the recipe is for a 63-65% efficiency, so keep that in mind (there's an active thread around here discussing it)

 

[kylieWylie]

Hi. I just brewed my second and third five gallon batches ever. They were five gallons of American cream ale and five gallons of Irish stout from brewer's best. They are bottle conditioning now. First ever was a red ale but it got infected. The first batch I did on an electric kitchen stove with a five gallon kettle. Don't ever do that. Damn near melted the glass top. Second round i got a seafood cooker and propane tank and a ten and a half gallon kettle. The ten and a half gallon kettle allowed me to cook all five gallons at once and the seafood cooker had amazing temperature control. I held a steep at 159 for 20 minutes. This is an incredibly fun hobby. I am not ready to leave the safety of the kits yet as I want alcohol in every batch and am still learning. On deck is a honey brown ale and a Belgian golden ale. I thought about getting 50 gallon totes like from a big box store for bottle conditioning. They would hold about six 24 packs and if they blow. Just clean out the inside. My plan is to save two cases from every batch then have an enormous family get together. Cheers. Sorry that's one case from every batch not two. i am doing two at a time.

 

[alexacuna]

Hi. I just brewed my second and third five gallon batches ever. They were five gallons of American cream ale and five gallons of Irish stout from brewer's best. They are bottle conditioning now. First ever was a red ale but it got infected. The first batch I did on an electric kitchen stove with a five gallon kettle. Don't ever do that. Damn near melted the glass top. Second round i got a seafood cooker and propane tank and a ten and a half gallon kettle. The ten and a half gallon kettle allowed me to cook all five gallons at once and the seafood cooker had amazing temperature control. I held a steep at 159 for 20 minutes. This is an incredibly fun hobby. I am not ready to leave the safety of the kits yet as I want alcohol in every batch and am still learning. On deck is a honey brown ale and a Belgian golden ale. I thought about getting 50 gallon totes like from a big box store for bottle conditioning. They would hold about six 24 packs and if they blow. Just clean out the inside. My plan is to save two cases from every batch then have an enormous family get together. Cheers. Sorry that's one case from every batch not two. i am doing two at a time.

I haven't had any bottle bombs yet, and from what I've read they're pretty rare unless you bottle too early or have an infection. I've had some beers being consumed two weeks or so after brewing. I did a few kits, but i've been doing ultra simple all grain recipes to get a feel for the taste of each ingredient. That's a great idea for saving the beers.

I've been thinking about brewing some kind of dirt cheap PBR clone for my girlfriend to serve at her house parties for her friends since they usually supply the beer for the guests. I told her to just put out the jar and buy more ingredients with it afterwards.

 

[alexacuna]

Have had a great pipeline lately. Waiting to bottle 11 gallons of finished beer tomorrow. Too much work.