jcarey88
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2014
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 2
Hi all! I believe this is my first post on the forums. So a little background about me. I started cooking when I was about 7 years old, and I went to culinary school. After which I worked in the industry for a few years and decided to pursue other things. So I know my way around the kitchen, and sanitation, and mass production of consumable goods, blah blah blah.
I have wanted to brew beer for a loooong time. I didn't have the room in my old house(rental) for any of the equipment. I know people brew in small NY apartments and make due with what they have(props and respect), but I seriously had nowhere to store my fermenting beer(s).
Fast forward until 7 days ago. I did an all grain brew session with my friend from work. My brewing set was shipped and on the way, and it was his first all grain, doing a mash in an igloo water cooler. When I got home, my equipment was on the doorstep, and we happened to have a snow day the day after. What better to do than brew a beer!?
So I brewed my Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber extract w/ specialty malts and pitched the yeast. It's now sitting in a closet and will remain there for at least another 3 weeks. I juggled the idea of racking to a secondary. I thought about the time I could save from just buying a kegging system now, rather than bottle conditioning. I already have the mini fridge from my college days, might as well.
I'm the type of person who researches something for days and weeks and months before committing to it. It took me two years to buy a TV. A TV!!! So I've read all of the articles. I've watched all of the videos. I think I understand the concept enough. Mash it right, boil it right, pitch it right, and sanitize everything. Got it.
I don't want to invest in the equipment to go all grain, or really I can't afford it just yet. BIAB seems like a great middle ground. Being a cook, I like to be experimental, and cook from scratch, and show my personality through cooking. I understand foods. I see those benefits from all grain. It really interests me to pick out the malts, and hops, and use my local conditions, using what I have...etc.
Recently, I am becoming really interested in the Belgian styles. Belgian Browns, Saisons, Dubbels, etc. I like the Pale Ales, but I have a passion for Porters and Stout. I visit the local breweries as often as possible. I buy the build your own 6 packs just to try new stuff. I'm becoming a beer nerd.
But let's get to the point. How can I increase my success rate going STRAIGHT to all grain BIAG? Should I just make other people's recipes and see what happens? The way I see it, 500 years ago, brewers didn't have the resources I do. So what's a little experimenting going to hurt?
I might be rambling. I've had a few craft brews...
I have wanted to brew beer for a loooong time. I didn't have the room in my old house(rental) for any of the equipment. I know people brew in small NY apartments and make due with what they have(props and respect), but I seriously had nowhere to store my fermenting beer(s).
Fast forward until 7 days ago. I did an all grain brew session with my friend from work. My brewing set was shipped and on the way, and it was his first all grain, doing a mash in an igloo water cooler. When I got home, my equipment was on the doorstep, and we happened to have a snow day the day after. What better to do than brew a beer!?
So I brewed my Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber extract w/ specialty malts and pitched the yeast. It's now sitting in a closet and will remain there for at least another 3 weeks. I juggled the idea of racking to a secondary. I thought about the time I could save from just buying a kegging system now, rather than bottle conditioning. I already have the mini fridge from my college days, might as well.
I'm the type of person who researches something for days and weeks and months before committing to it. It took me two years to buy a TV. A TV!!! So I've read all of the articles. I've watched all of the videos. I think I understand the concept enough. Mash it right, boil it right, pitch it right, and sanitize everything. Got it.
I don't want to invest in the equipment to go all grain, or really I can't afford it just yet. BIAB seems like a great middle ground. Being a cook, I like to be experimental, and cook from scratch, and show my personality through cooking. I understand foods. I see those benefits from all grain. It really interests me to pick out the malts, and hops, and use my local conditions, using what I have...etc.
Recently, I am becoming really interested in the Belgian styles. Belgian Browns, Saisons, Dubbels, etc. I like the Pale Ales, but I have a passion for Porters and Stout. I visit the local breweries as often as possible. I buy the build your own 6 packs just to try new stuff. I'm becoming a beer nerd.
But let's get to the point. How can I increase my success rate going STRAIGHT to all grain BIAG? Should I just make other people's recipes and see what happens? The way I see it, 500 years ago, brewers didn't have the resources I do. So what's a little experimenting going to hurt?
I might be rambling. I've had a few craft brews...