Beginner looking to expand a bit..

[Nock]

I'm a newbie with two batches under my belt. The first was pretty ok. The second was definitely better. I let a bunch of friends try it.... Now I have demands for more, some asking me to keg it etc. everyone was super encouraging.

Of course I understand that my friends are being a bit over the top, but it's definitely inspired me to make more frequent brews.

My first two batches were a mixture of pre-hopped lme, dme, hop pellets (single type, first batch was stygian, second cascade) and s-04 (I think anyway, it's the blue packet) ale yeast. I ditched the brewers sugar (local store recommended it) in the second batch which improved the flavor.

My question is - where do I go from here? I'm in a small apartment, my pot is 33liters (bit over 8 gal I think). I want to get a bit more involved with the process. Is it a big change to go BIAB? Are there more intermediary steps or things I could learn from tweaking first?

Oh and gear wise.... I think a wort chiller would be a really good investment (my ikea bin full of cool water and ice blocks is really lame)... Here are the options, if anyone can help make me make an informed selection: http://shop.humle.se/utrustning/vortkylning/. Is the 13 meter stainless one good enough? Hopefully you can figure it out from the pictures

Sorry to babble, and thanks for any advice..

 

[Yellowirenut]

in your small apartment do you have an outdoor space to have a burner of are you limited to the stove-top?

 

[Nock]

Just a stove top. And it's not even a very big stove. Takes close to an hour to get a boil going.


There is a courtyard area but its pretty small. If there's a hose hookup (I don't know how I'd cool the beer before it goes in the primary).. maybe it's usable though...

 

[woozy]

My first two batches were a mixture of pre-hopped lme, dme, hop pellets (single type, first batch was stygian, second cascade) and s-04 (I think anyway, it's the blue packet) ale yeast. ... Is it a big change to go BIAB? Are there more intermediary steps or things I could learn from tweaking first?

Welllllllll.... The usual intermediary step is *not* hopped LME/DME and steeping grains and hops. Then partial mash, then all grain. But it's not a "big" step going to all-grain BIAB. It's not so much tweaking before going to all-grain (and then at all-grain you can tweak to your hearts content) as perfecting and controlling your technique. But you'll *always* be doing this no matter what method you do.

It's not that all-grain is harder. It's just more. On an extract brew day you've got to 1) Make the wort 2) pitch the yeast. Each requiring and set of procedures to occupy your thoughts. With all grain you 1) Mash the grain 2) make the wort and 3) pitch the yeast. It's one more "thing" to do with its own set of precedures. But no harder than extract. Just more.

 

[sptaylor70]

Probably the most cited two resources for BIAB brewing are Deathbrewer's guides to stovetop partial mash and stovetop all grain brewing.

 

[Demus]

All grain, whether mash and sparge or BIAB is going to require a full boil, which it sounds like your stove really won't handle. Check the DIY section for a "heat stick". There are many ways to make them but basically it's an electric heater element that you can put in the brew to get it boiling faster. Without that, you should probably stick to extracts and steeped grains recipes and topping them off with water to get to your batch volume...

 

[bad67z]

All grain, whether mash and sparge or BIAB is going to require a full boil, which it sounds like your stove really won't handle. Check the DIY section for a "heat stick". There are many ways to make them but basically it's an electric heater element that you can put in the brew to get it boiling faster. Without that, you should probably stick to extracts and steeped grains recipes and topping them off with water to get to your batch volume...

+1, this is great advice. The chiller is also a good idea. If you have not already done so you could also work on your yeast pitch rate and controlling fermentation temps.

 

[Demus]

Also, try to avoid thinking of all-grain as a way to improve. PLENTY of extract beers win competitions. All-grain opens up your options vastly, but it also opens up more opportunities for mistakes...

 

[dmashl]

I have graduated from Brewers best kits(2.5 gallon boils), to partial mash(4 gallon boils) kits from www.austinhomebrew.com, to All grain, partial boil(4 gallon boil). I have limits on boils due to working on a stove top. It does work, just have to top off to full recipe volume(usually top off to 5.25 gallon). I use Beersmith software to help with my recipes, using my configurations.
I now have a 5 gallon round drink cooler(from Menards,$42 to make) mash tun, 5 gallon pot, DIY wort chiller($35 in supplies). use a strainer to filter out my hops and trub. Makes some great beer.

 

[bigmike99]

Wort chiller and propane burner save me HOURS as well as kegging. Might be tough in an apt unless you can get outside. Only have 5 batches under my belt but these few things have made life way easier. Interested to see where my new fermentation fridge takes me over the swamp cooler method.

 

[bigmike99]

Ah. Saw a filter mentioned too. Strainer made a huge difference and was cheap.

 

[BigFloyd]

Interested to see where my new fermentation fridge takes me over the swamp cooler method.

To your "happy place".

 

[firerat]

I didn't make a "good" beer until I built my fermentation chamber.

IME controlling fermentation temps are where I made the turn from making crappy estery banana beer to making something delicious.

 

[bigmike99]

I didn't make a "good" beer until I built my fermentation chamber.

IME controlling fermentation temps are where I made the turn from making crappy estery banana beer to making something delicious.

Yes the first few batches have had the banana to it. Then again this all started with a kit of hefe. I followed it with an Irish red with honey added then a Belgian IPA so I've been asking for it. Hopefully when I get more co2 tomorrow the Dipa kit I made with Conan yeast in the swamp cooler will be delicious.