Noob Home Brewer in AZ

[BBQnBrews]

Hey Folks,

Got a 1 gallon home brew kit and a few recipe packs for Father's Day. Just brewed my first batch, an amber ale. I must have read the instructions a dozen times before brewing. I still expect for the first batch to be a flop. Hopefully not but, only time will tell.

I love to cook, especially BBQ and over the years I've gotten pretty good at it. I enjoy learning about the science behind cooking, like how time and heat can turn a pork should with lots of tough connective tissue in to delicious, tender and juicy pulled pork. I also enjoy experimenting with my own recipes for dry rub, sauce and cooking methods.

I guess that's why I'm attracted to home brewing. That and I like beer…good beer and nothing goes better with BBQ than a cold beer. I look forward to reading the forum and learning from everyone's past experiences.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[brewbama]

Welcome aboard. Here's to your Amber Ale! Cheers!

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from CO

 

[bradleypariah]

Howdy, sir! I am originally from Tucson. I moved to Mesa in 2005, and I have been living in Oregon since 2014.

I hope you live in Flagstaff or someplace out of all that disgusting heat. I don't miss southern Arizona weather one bit. I found it to be a real PITA to keep my fermenting beer cold enough around this time of year. My air conditioner loved to break down annually on top of that.

If you're in Phoenix or somewhere else that's pure death and sadness, some good advice I once received, in the summer months, use Belgian yeasts and embrace the warmth.

Cheers! -and welcome to the forum and the obsession!

 

[jrgtr42]

Cheers! Welcome to the obsession!
If you have dug into BBQ and experimenting, you have a beginning idea of what you can get into with homebrewing. There is a rabbit hole that Alice would find daunting.
A couple things, if I may. The most important things in homebrewing are patience, patience, temp control (especially when fermenting) patience, yeast health and patience. Many instruction packs will say to let ferment for x days, then transfer to a secondary for x more days. Don't bother transferring unless you want to age for a long time, like sours or barrel aging and so forth (I recommend not starting that stuff until you can consistently brew decent beer straight.) Let the yeast tell you when they are done; they can't read calendars. Leave it alone for at least a week and a half, test gravity, then test again a few days later. If the readings are the same, your beer is done. Don't succumb to the temptation to constantly check on your fermenting beer, testing and tasting. Especially with 1 gallon batches, you won't have any left to bottle.
Finally, two books I recommend are John Palmers How To Brew (you can read an early edition for free online, but there is a lot of things he's changed over the years, buy the latest edition) and Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.
They both have different focus, but they are both, IMO essential to a homebrewers library.

 

[Morrey]

The most important things in homebrewing are patience, patience, temp control (especially when fermenting) patience, yeast health and patience.

Good advice and please...don't forget SANITATION which may be the most important of all, and generally the easiest to do. Start with good habits and they become naturally part of your brewing process.

 

[BBQnBrews]

Thanks for the welcome. I'm in Gilbert. Same God awful heat just a better neighborhood. Thanks for the advice. I am have a hard time keeping the house or even just a room cool enough during fermenting. As you know in AZ, 80 degrees is cool when it's 115 outside. Luckily there's a home brew shop not too far from my house. I'll be paying them a visit soon for advise. Thanks again. Cheers!

 

[RedlegEd]

Welcome to HBT and the obsession. I'm also originally from Tucson, so I can relate. Follow the good advise give you so far. Don't ever be discouraged or disappointed in the results of your beers. Each one is a learning experience, good or bad, for you to apply in the future. Hopefully, it'll come out great and you'll continue to make great beers. Ed

 

[bradleypariah]

As you know in AZ, 80 degrees is cool when it's 115 outside.

Yes, my friend. I know all too well.

Luckily there's a home brew shop not too far from my house. I'll be paying them a visit soon for advise.

Brew Your Own Brew? Mesa/Gilbert border on Baseline, somewhere near McQueen or Stapley, I think? If you haven't been there, I recommend it. It's where I bought all my supplies and ingredients until I moved out of state.

 

[bergy]

Thanks for the welcome. I'm in Gilbert. Same God awful heat just a better neighborhood. Thanks for the advice. I am have a hard time keeping the house or even just a room cool enough during fermenting. As you know in AZ, 80 degrees is cool when it's 115 outside. Luckily there's a home brew shop not too far from my house. I'll be paying them a visit soon for advise. Thanks again. Cheers!

I live in Tucson. The one piece of advice I can give you is to build a fermentation chamber. It's simple but it works far better than a swamp cooler setup. Google for "Son of fermentation chiller" or "Mother of fermentation chiller". These'll keep your fermenter down in the 60's fairly effectively.

And good luck!

 

[BBQnBrews]

Yes, my friend. I know all too well.


Brew Your Own Brew? Mesa/Gilbert border on Baseline, somewhere near McQueen or Stapley, I think? If you haven't been there, I recommend it. It's where I bought all my supplies and ingredients until I moved out of state.

Yeah, I think that's the one I'm thinking of. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be there soon to check it out and ask a LOT of questions.

 

[BBQnBrews]

I live in Tucson. The one piece of advice I can give you is to build a fermentation chamber. It's simple but it works far better than a swamp cooler setup. Google for "Son of fermentation chiller" or "Mother of fermentation chiller". These'll keep your fermenter down in the 60's fairly effectively.

And good luck!

Thanks. I have a mini-fridge that doesn't get much use. I'm already thinking about expanding to larger batches and how I'd keep temps regulated during fermentation. I'll probably turn the fridge into a Frankenstein fermentation chamber.

 

[BBQnBrews]

Cheers! Welcome to the obsession!
If you have dug into BBQ and experimenting, you have a beginning idea of what you can get into with homebrewing. There is a rabbit hole that Alice would find daunting.
A couple things, if I may. The most important things in homebrewing are patience, patience, temp control (especially when fermenting) patience, yeast health and patience. Many instruction packs will say to let ferment for x days, then transfer to a secondary for x more days. Don't bother transferring unless you want to age for a long time, like sours or barrel aging and so forth (I recommend not starting that stuff until you can consistently brew decent beer straight.) Let the yeast tell you when they are done; they can't read calendars. Leave it alone for at least a week and a half, test gravity, then test again a few days later. If the readings are the same, your beer is done. Don't succumb to the temptation to constantly check on your fermenting beer, testing and tasting. Especially with 1 gallon batches, you won't have any left to bottle.
Finally, two books I recommend are John Palmers How To Brew (you can read an early edition for free online, but there is a lot of things he's changed over the years, buy the latest edition) and Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.
They both have different focus, but they are both, IMO essential to a homebrewers library.

Thank you for the welcome and for the awesome advice. I'm really looking forward to diving in and learning as much about home brewing as I can. Like my BBQ recipes, I'd like to experiment and create my own. For now, I'll rely on the experience and knowledge of others like you. Thanks again. Cheers!

 

[Morrey]

Thank you for the welcome and for the awesome advice. I'm really looking forward to diving in and learning as much about home brewing as I can. Like my BBQ recipes, I'd like to experiment and create my own. For now, I'll rely on the experience and knowledge of others like you. Thanks again. Cheers!

Dave, you surely have a great attitude and seem not only willing to learn...but willing to listen. Kudos!

You are preparing to do your first brew and have gotten some really great advice from fellow HBT members on this thread so far. Even though this has been said previously by posters in the know, it is worth repeating so your expectations can match your potential results.

So far you have heard on this thread that Patience, Sanitation and Fermentation Temp Control will the foundation for your future in brewing. All true, so now you have said you fully expect your first beer to be not so great. Why? Now we are back to patience. New brewers rarely make their best beers right out of the starting gate. Why? This brewing hobby is all new and exciting, so they pop the cap on a beer that is barely carbonated let alone matured and bottle (or keg) conditioned.

Yes, I had the same urge to pop a top and jump on a beer way too soon. Yes, It was a terrible beer solely based on it being way too young and not carbed fully. The beer itself was fine since I stuck some of it back to age properly and it turned out fine. So expecting your first few beers to be poorly made may only be a half truth since they are likely poorly aged. We are back to the patience component now. Above all else, enjoy your rewarding new hobby!