Paintchips37
Member
So I decided to start brewing. Problem is I live in Germany and there are no brew stores around here and I don't know anyone who brews. So I just decided to give it a go!
I was so pumped! I got a basic kit from midwest brew supplies and a Irish Cream Ale. I've read a lot of palmer, watched several youtube how to posts and when it all went down I screwed up almost ever step. (Check out my album for some pics)
Lets start shall we
1. Brand new aluminum pot with my turkey fryer and didn't oxidize it.
2. No idea how crushed those grains were supposed to be.
3. Took about 50 minutes to cool my wort. Only cooled it to 80 degrees thinking that was a general temp and not the minimun...also had to add some warm water that was boiling earlier to bring it up to 5 gallons and most likely raised the temp to an undesirable level.
4. Forgot to sanitize the top of my pot lid when I put it back on for cooling
5. Had to improvise and cool wort in bath tub by swishing it around, ensuring it was nice and oxidized before it cooled all the way. (Palmer says this provides a delectable hint of wet cardboard that floats on the front of your tongue and lasts through out the experience).
6. Poured all of my trub and gunk into the fermentor. Even poured it out of the fermentor and back into the pot and back into the fermentor to get it all and oxidize it. Not realizing until the next day that that wasn't ideal.
7. Slightly cracked bubbler while trying to put it into bubble hole...fixed with duct tape
8. Forgot to sterilize the outside of the yeast bag.
9. Been fermenting at temps around 74-76 degrees.
Now that I think I've identified most of my mishaps hopefully round two will run a little more smooth. I was going to put that we may have partook a little to freely in drinking beer while doing this for the first time but I don't think that's a negative. If we can't brew beer buzzed then I have no desire to continue this hobby. For one I think it may be impossible not to drink a beer during this process and two...well there is no two that first one pretty much covers it. Honestly though, none of the books or videos truly made sense until I got out and tried it.
I plan on continuing forth and bottling this beer. That is unless anyone has a blaring objection to this along the lines of I might die or the taste will make a beer angel lose her wings.
I was so pumped! I got a basic kit from midwest brew supplies and a Irish Cream Ale. I've read a lot of palmer, watched several youtube how to posts and when it all went down I screwed up almost ever step. (Check out my album for some pics)
Lets start shall we
1. Brand new aluminum pot with my turkey fryer and didn't oxidize it.
2. No idea how crushed those grains were supposed to be.
3. Took about 50 minutes to cool my wort. Only cooled it to 80 degrees thinking that was a general temp and not the minimun...also had to add some warm water that was boiling earlier to bring it up to 5 gallons and most likely raised the temp to an undesirable level.
4. Forgot to sanitize the top of my pot lid when I put it back on for cooling
5. Had to improvise and cool wort in bath tub by swishing it around, ensuring it was nice and oxidized before it cooled all the way. (Palmer says this provides a delectable hint of wet cardboard that floats on the front of your tongue and lasts through out the experience).
6. Poured all of my trub and gunk into the fermentor. Even poured it out of the fermentor and back into the pot and back into the fermentor to get it all and oxidize it. Not realizing until the next day that that wasn't ideal.
7. Slightly cracked bubbler while trying to put it into bubble hole...fixed with duct tape
8. Forgot to sterilize the outside of the yeast bag.
9. Been fermenting at temps around 74-76 degrees.
Now that I think I've identified most of my mishaps hopefully round two will run a little more smooth. I was going to put that we may have partook a little to freely in drinking beer while doing this for the first time but I don't think that's a negative. If we can't brew beer buzzed then I have no desire to continue this hobby. For one I think it may be impossible not to drink a beer during this process and two...well there is no two that first one pretty much covers it. Honestly though, none of the books or videos truly made sense until I got out and tried it.
I plan on continuing forth and bottling this beer. That is unless anyone has a blaring objection to this along the lines of I might die or the taste will make a beer angel lose her wings.