First post

[WGBrauerei]

Hey all,

This is Kevin from Atlanta. I'm a new home brewer working on my second batch. I've got an IPA in dry hop secondary right now after a 14 day primary. Doing a specialty grain steep and mainly extract brew. Used some carapils for dextrin. Can't do all grain due to space constraints in apartment living. Used centennial hops for bittering and Amarillo for aroma and dry hopping. The fermentation changes looked cool, so I have included some in here.

First - immediately after pitching the yeast





Second - about an hour later




Third - within about a day or so




Fourth - at the end of primary





Fifth - racked to secondary and dry hopping




I didn't have anything to weigh down the bag, hoping that won't affect it too much.

First batch was a pale ale, turned out pretty well. Slight taste of cider in some of the last bottles, had some problems because we didn't have a bottle filler. Most bottles were very good though.

Any comments are welcome!

Thanks,

 

[TyTanium]

YUM! Looks delicious!

Where are you fermenting?

 

[WGBrauerei]

YUM! Looks delicious!

Where are you fermenting?

I've got a 2bed/2bath apt, nobody using the 2nd bath, which has a walk in shower. Room stays dark. Using a damp towel to keep it cool, although the first night forgot to do that, and the temp strip said 74 degrees which is a little warm for wyeast american ale 1, according to their website. Hope that isn't too apparent in the finished product.

Learned on the first batch that you need a place it's easy to clean up messes. Tried to primary 5 gallons in a 5 gal carboy, without a blowoff. Let's just say my closet got a nice taste of the first brew.

 

[Ricand]

Haha.. yeah you know you are a homebrewer if you've ever used a mop on the ceiling. I have personally done that when I should've used a blow off and the bits clogged the airlock. I didn't see it happen, but the aftermath was intense. Welcome to the forum, this is a fun place.

 

[WGBrauerei]

Making beer is awesome! I can't wait to crack one of these open, and hopefully get the next batch started a little earlier. Been sitting without home brew for about 2 weeks and gotta wait another month.

I got room now though to start another batch. Invested in a big 6.5 g carboy. Stuck with ales and such for now, no room for cold storage... Any suggestions for next batch?

And props to the mop use, I didn't have one. Made things challenging.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Welcome! I'm in Atlanta also. I have to say, I had to do a double take on the photos. My photos look almost exactly the same! haha I use the walk in shower in my downstairs office.

 

[WGBrauerei]

Welcome! I'm in Atlanta also. I have to say, I had to do a double take on the photos. My photos look almost exactly the same! haha I use the walk in shower in my downstairs office.

No joke man, those set ups look too familiar! How long have you been brewing, and what brews have you made so far? Who do you use for supplies. I'm in midtown so I've been doing my shopping at hop city.

 

[TyTanium]

Cool - glad you're paying attention to fermentation temp, one of the most critical elements of brewing. Since your beer has its own shower, check the forum for "swamp cooler" - a walk in shower would be a great place for this.

Also, search the forum for late extract addition - basically you add only some of the extract at the beginning of the boil and add the rest at the end.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

No joke man, those set ups look too familiar! How long have you been brewing, and what brews have you made so far? Who do you use for supplies. I'm in midtown so I've been doing my shopping at hop city.

We moved into our house in Virginia Highlands in 1998. (Before buying our house, we lived in the white building behind Zesto in Little Five Points if you know that area) My friends and I brewed every weekend for about 5 years. Enough to keeps us fat and happy for a long time.

Then people grew apart...we had kids...and brewing weekends got fewer and far between. So after 10+ years I've decided to get back into it. I've only been working with some ciders this year. I have a Graff in the primary and a plain cider in the secondary. I needed something easy to get me back in the swing of it.

I guess I need to find a good club, but I've never been one for club (anything) politics. I've been using Brew Depot up in Alpharetta and some have recommended Brewmasters Warehouse in Marietta.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Cool - glad you're paying attention to fermentation temp, one of the most critical elements of brewing. Since your beer has its own shower, check the forum for "swamp cooler" - a walk in shower would be a great place for this.

Good point Ty. I usually never get up above 75º F in my basement in these muggy Atlanta summers, so I'm pretty lucky. A couple of frozen water bottles in a big rubbermaid usually does the trick.

 

[WGBrauerei]

Thanks for all the info guys. I appreciate the tip on the swamp cooler, Ty. That should help out.

@ Pickled - I'd be glad to trade a few brews if they turn out ok. I'm over on collier at Howell mill, so I'm not too far down the road. The friend I brew with lives on briarcliff right behind the highlands.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I know the area over there. We used to drink at a place called the Fox and Hounds right up the street. I think it might be closed now though.

 

[WGBrauerei]

The finished product! With some new glasses from Christmas