gunhaus
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2006
- Messages
- 720
- Reaction score
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So, many here are aware we recently had a devastating fire. We lost home and business, most of my machine shop equipment and inventory, and my brew gear. Good folks here on the forum have been very kind and generous in their offers (yoop89, JAReeves, THANK YOU in particular!) Getting back to living has been a trick! Our priority of course was living space, and then my business has had to be rebuilt. With housing we got lucky. And recently I found suitable shop space, and am getting equipment wrangled. Much will take years to rebuild but it is progressing, so I can't beeaach. But I will admit I have missed brewing. First of course there was no place to brew and nothing to brew with - And frankly, with everything in life that needs replacing, money for brew gear was not/is not a huge priority! Today however I got a surprise . . .
I made a quick trip to the new shop, and when I got back home, I found a big yellow igloo cooler with a false bottom, a 10 gallon SS brew pot, a 5 gallon enamel ware pot, a couple of buckets, a pair of Big Mouth Bubblers, and a box full of assorted goodies ( An instant read thermometer, a hydrometer and jar, paddle, SS spoon, pocket scale, refractometer, some whirfloc tabs, some other odds and ends!) And along side it all a big card board box that read "BREW ME" in side was enough 2 row, corn and rice to do two batches of Cream of Three Crops, and another bag that reads "Irish Red Ale" HOLY HELL!!!!!!!!!!
It seems that my better half, my son, a nephew that I helped start brewing, and a "surragate son" that is a burgeoning brewer as well have been conspiring behind my back. All the equipment is used, but it is clean and in great shape, and there is more than enough to get me up and running again. I am running to the brew shop in a minute for some hops and some Notty, and i think a temp controller if they have one - I have a couple heat tapes, and a cold room on our new house. It is ALL coming together fast. With a bit of luck I am gonna be brewing on the porch sometime tomorrow! I had not figured on brewing again ANYTIME in the near future. I SHOULD BE working at the shop - benches need to be built, wiring needs to be done, a new lathe needs leveling and attention, BUT I DON"T CARE. One of the advantages of being the boss is you can blow off a day if need be - to hell with adult responsibility, I want beer.
I made a quick trip to the new shop, and when I got back home, I found a big yellow igloo cooler with a false bottom, a 10 gallon SS brew pot, a 5 gallon enamel ware pot, a couple of buckets, a pair of Big Mouth Bubblers, and a box full of assorted goodies ( An instant read thermometer, a hydrometer and jar, paddle, SS spoon, pocket scale, refractometer, some whirfloc tabs, some other odds and ends!) And along side it all a big card board box that read "BREW ME" in side was enough 2 row, corn and rice to do two batches of Cream of Three Crops, and another bag that reads "Irish Red Ale" HOLY HELL!!!!!!!!!!
It seems that my better half, my son, a nephew that I helped start brewing, and a "surragate son" that is a burgeoning brewer as well have been conspiring behind my back. All the equipment is used, but it is clean and in great shape, and there is more than enough to get me up and running again. I am running to the brew shop in a minute for some hops and some Notty, and i think a temp controller if they have one - I have a couple heat tapes, and a cold room on our new house. It is ALL coming together fast. With a bit of luck I am gonna be brewing on the porch sometime tomorrow! I had not figured on brewing again ANYTIME in the near future. I SHOULD BE working at the shop - benches need to be built, wiring needs to be done, a new lathe needs leveling and attention, BUT I DON"T CARE. One of the advantages of being the boss is you can blow off a day if need be - to hell with adult responsibility, I want beer.
So I can skip the bottle trial! It's a pretty good day! We picked up some RO water on the way home, and tomorrow I am gonna get some cream ale up and cooking. We also picked up some Tree Top Apple juice, and in about 5 minutes I will be back in the fermentation game! A bit-o-juice, a smidge of sugar, some S04, and we will have air lock action by morning!!!!!
Cheers to you and good luck with your new setup!
