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Is it not sufficient to have my LHBS mill the grain? And I already have a refractometer. :mug:

Thanks for the replies, y'all. That helps a lot. I downloaded the trial of Beersmith, and that appears to be exactly what I needed. It looks like you just adjust your ingredients until the parameters (ABV, IBU, etc) are at the target values that you want your beer to be, right? Really cool...

Ok, so after a couple of extract batches, I am going to switch to All Grain. It looks like I mostly just need a bigger kettle and a mash tun (I thought about it, and don't really want to do BIAB). My smaller extract kettle will be good for heating sparge and strike water. I'm going to start...

A swamp cooler worked great for my first brew. Took a washtub and filled it with 8-10 inches of water, then put an old tshirt over the carboy. Evaporative cooling kept the fermentation between 65-68 (with 75* ambient temperature). I added some ice to the water over the first 4-5 days whenever...

1) Yes, and with boil off and trub loss and water addition, you will probably end up with 5 or 5.5 gallons. 2) I think the point was to rack off of the trub and let the fermentation finish and "clean up" resulting in clearer beer, although it's been proven time and again that it's not...

I'm a guy and I like ciders. :mad:

That may have accounted for some of the rapid fermentation at first, and you may have some different flavors, but it's not enough to stop fermentation completely. Since so much of the sugar was consumed initially, it may explaining it slowing sooner than normal, but it's still chugging along.

Just because the airlock isn't bubbling, it doesn't mean it's not fermenting. You're fine. Let it ride.

Already have a cream ale in the fermenter. :ban: My friend, who is a more experienced brewer, came over to help me bottle, and we just said, what the heck, let's just fire up another batch.

So, update: after one week in the bottle (had to test it) and only chilled for 48 hours. It's not great, but certainly drinkable.

Regardless if you get a kit or parts, you will inevitably change stuff up and want more and different tools as you figure it out. A kit simplifies starting out, but you will continue to shop regardless.

6%? That's crazy talk.

Once there is alcohol in the fermenter, you need to convert from Brix to get an OG reading from a refractometer. http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/refractometer-calculator/ Also, why would you pull a sample on the second day?

Ooh, that looks pretty cool.

What is old style about that? That looks like a typical Guinness tap around here.

Link to your blog?

I burned a hole in my specialty grain steeping bag during my first batch. Barely any grain escaped and the Anova seems no worse for it.

Liqueur and liquor aren't quite the same thing and your thread title doesn't quite clarify which you are asking about.

This is where I am right now. This is where I'm going next. I just need a bigger pot. I already have two carboys and a burner. I am accumulating stuff quickly.

Hooray for new toys!! Thanks!!