Hello from Indiana

[BeerSavesLives]

Hello everyone. I've been a kurier on this site for a while. Has helped me get so much valuable information. I'm currently deployed and unable to brew so I figured I'd make an account so I can feed the addiction in some way.

Have been brewing only a little over a year and a half now about 14 extract brews down. Going to turn half of my garage into a little brewery when I get back. Just bought two 5 gallon cornies and am getting some gear to get into all-grain. Counting down the days to get back into it.

 

[GTaylor]

Welcome and thanks for your service. Where in Indiana are you from?

 

[MaxStout]

Welcome to HBT, from Minnesota!

And be safe over there!

 

[BeerSavesLives]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

@GTaylor I am over in Westfield. Right on the border of Noblesville. Just moved around the same time I started brewing and I really like the area. Just wish I hadn't gone with a HOA to appease the lady and got my own land a bit more north. My hops don't have much room to grow lol

@MaxStout Thank you much. I have only been out to MN once to visit a friend in Minneapolis, but I absolutely love the beer scene out there. Surly is easily the coolest brewery I've had the pleasure of going to. And I keep trying to find Surly's Pentagram out here. Inbound, Dangerous Man, Fulton, Insight,

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome from NC.

 

[4of7]

Thanks for your service, from a fellow vet. hombrew is a great hobby to have and share.

 

[BeerSavesLives]

@4of7 Thank you for your service as well. I look forward to maybe seeing ya'll around the forum. And yes I have to agree, I am loving brewing. Only issue I'm having is that I should have started with the gear I'm about to buy haha The hobby just sucks you in and I want to tell all of my friends that see how much enjoyment I get from it to just jump in head first. The upfront cost really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Don't have to get anything crazy complicated, but certain things I'm noticing better off just buying it right the first time, paying a little more, and not feeling like you have to upgrade right away.

 

[AkTom]

Welcome brew brother.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Thank you for your service


Going all grain is a great upgrade in my opinion

 

[BeerSavesLives]

Thanks for the love everyone. And yeah @OG-wan Kenobi (dope username btw), I think that the extra process of mashing and sparging and watching pH and efficiency etc just seemed daunting from the beginning. Not that it seems simple now, I just wanted to get more into the actual process rather than just throwing some syrup in some water and boiling. I am excited to get into kegging too. Probably still going to bottle my high abv stuff but having nice cold beer on draft will be nice.

 

[4of7]

@4of7 Thank you for your service as well. I look forward to maybe seeing ya'll around the forum. And yes I have to agree, I am loving brewing. Only issue I'm having is that I should have started with the gear I'm about to buy haha The hobby just sucks you in and I want to tell all of my friends that see how much enjoyment I get from it to just jump in head first. The upfront cost really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Don't have to get anything crazy complicated, but certain things I'm noticing better off just buying it right the first time, paying a little more, and not feeling like you have to upgrade right away.

@4of7 Thank you for your service as well. I look forward to maybe seeing ya'll around the forum. And yes I have to agree, I am loving brewing. Only issue I'm having is that I should have started with the gear I'm about to buy haha The hobby just sucks you in and I want to tell all of my friends that see how much enjoyment I get from it to just jump in head first. The upfront cost really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Don't have to get anything crazy complicated, but certain things I'm noticing better off just buying it right the first time, paying a little more, and not feeling like you have to upgrade right away.

Keep it simple for a while, I started with this five gallon ss kettle,ran 20 batches . first year. I did not take readings at all and still don't and won't. Yeah sure it's good to know, but I don't care. Keep things simple , keep the cost down. I started with the kits and partial mash and a 5 gallon carboy, and swing tops.3hour bottle and brew day..

 

[4of7]

@4of7 Thank you for your service as well. I look forward to maybe seeing ya'll around the forum. And yes I have to agree, I am loving brewing. Only issue I'm having is that I should have started with the gear I'm about to buy haha The hobby just sucks you in and I want to tell all of my friends that see how much enjoyment I get from it to just jump in head first. The upfront cost really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Don't have to get anything crazy complicated, but certain things I'm noticing better off just buying it right the first time, paying a little more, and not feeling like you have to upgrade right away.

I updated 3years ago to 2v,15gallon , ebiab,wh what you see is my 50l kegmenter , that I ferment in and can harvest yeast from and can also serve from, I just updated from the five gallon kettle that I was using since '95-96
I

 

[BeerSavesLives]

Oh wow, that is nice! And it sounds versatile as well. I'm going to have to look into getting one of those.

And yeah, I'm trying to keep it as simple as my drive to explore and experiment will allow. I used kits for my first two batches and then just started making my own recipes with the extracts and specialty grains. Was looking into starting with partial mashes since all I really had was a 5 gal kettle and two 6 gal carboys. Was going to start doing full vol boils and partial mash. For partial mashes I heard that a 5 gal mash tun is adequate enough but once you want to do all grain it would be too small. Seeing all grain in my near future I just decided to say screw it and go for it. Got a two weld 15 gal brew kettle with the therm and ball valve to go with it for a nice reasonable price, and a 10 gal cooler mash tun. Now I can see myself extended out a bit.

 

[4of7]

Oh wow, that is nice! And it sounds versatile as well. I'm going to have to look into getting one of those.

50l kegmenter transfer to 5 corny keg

 

[BeerSavesLives]

Oh I swear I saw that very picture on another thread that I was reading today! Very nice. The whole transfer to the keg to minimize oxygen contact is still a bit over my head. But I think I learn better doing vs reading. That does look glorious though!