Expectations

[mygar]

I'm new to brewing and an buying some used equipment off CL. Looking at doing small batch brewing for more frequent brewing and learning. Want to start with basic extract kit.

I'm really into Belgian and German style beers.

How realistic is it for me to brew a beer that is of quality of my breweries... being new and of course using extract kits?

Thanks!

 

[VikeMan]

I'm really into Belgian and German style beers.

How realistic is it for me to brew a beer that is of quality of my breweries... being new and of course using extract kits?

When you say "quality of my breweries," do you mean as good as excellent commercial beers? The answer, IMO, is that you can, but almost certainly not right out of the gate. There's a learning curve. Brewing extract batches can help soften the shock of otherwise having to learn "everything" at once, but eventually it will limit you. That said, I do recommend getting a couple extract batches under your belt before moving to all grain brewing (if you do go there).

 

[Harleybrew32]

extract is great to start the process with.
just be aware that almost every homebrewer has had mediocre first beers, so dont worry you will get better.
brewing small batches so you can brew more is a great idea. the more you brew the more you will learn.
just pick some easy beers to start. then try brewing one that you like a few times in a row and see if it tastes the same.
then you can start tweaking it to see what happens. IE change the yeast, next time change the hops.
also take lots of notes.
welcome to a great hobby
cheers

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I agree to start with extract batches. Definitely buy as big as you will want to brew in the future with all grain, BIAB, etc. Smaller, entry level brew kits typically restrict your ability to brew full five gallon all-grain kits. Once you get a few extract brews done, you can start messing around with all-grain kits, or make a SMASH to get a better taste for the grains and individual hops. Then, it's off to the races. Highly recommend buying bigger up front...five gallon brew kettles will do for extract brewing, but will sit on your shelf once you get your all-grain equipment put together.

 

[jrgtr42]

You're not going to come out of the gate brewing commercial-quality beer. Sorry, but that's how it works. You wouldn't play golf for the first time expecting to hang with the tour pros, or Jump in a car the first time and race NASCAR, or.... insert hobby here.
I echo those who say to brew extract first, at least a few brews, so you get the idea and feel on how most of the brew day goes before moving to all-grain.
two books I highly recommend reading before jumping in is John Palmer's How to Brew, and Charlie Papazian's Compleete Joy of Homebrewing. Palmer's book is available online - the first edition; he's made many changes since then.
The best things to concentrate on in your brewing is sanitation, yeast health / happiness, sanitiation, temperature control, sanitation, and sanitation.
Welcome to the hobby!!

 

[mygar]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. Small batch brewing appeals to me at this point as.. I'm pretty much the only one who will be drinking it... and of course less expensive and a bit easier for beginner to learn on I gather.

I have read about half of palmer's online book and some on forums. I have sourced some hardly used equipment on CL. Anvil 5.5 Gallon Kettle | Durable, Reliable Quality and Brew Bucket Mini Fermenter - 3.5 gal. | MoreBeer

Plan on picking up wort chiller (not sure if I will do a 1 or 2.5g batch first.. suspect chiller be overkill for 1 g batch) and of course other smaller odds and ends.

I have a science background and seem to "have" to research any hobby I get into... so this I hope will help.

During summer months my house is maintained about 75-76 degrees so will choose recipe where fermentation temp control is conducive to that.

Hope to source a kit from a local beer shop close to me that has fresh ingredients.

 

[VikeMan]

During summer months my house is maintained about 75-76 degrees so will choose recipe where fermentation temp control is conducive to that.

There are some yeast strains that can work well at those temps without additional temp control. But keep in mind that when you read about recommended temperature ranges for yeast strains, they mean the fermentation temperature, which will always be warmer than the ambient temp.

 

[mygar]

There are some yeast strains that can work well at those temps without additional temp control. But keep in mind that when you read about recommended temperature ranges for yeast strains, they mean the fermentation temperature, which will always be warmer than the ambient temp.

Thanks very much for that. That is something I need to take into consideration.

If I get a small refrigerator and temp controller... do I assume that the fermenter would enter into equilibrium with the temp in the fridge. Or would there be a heat differential between the two? I see the fermenter I'm considering does not have temp guage... I could install one.

 

[VikeMan]

If I get a small refrigerator and temp controller... do I assume that the fermenter would enter into equilibrium with the temp in the fridge. Or would there be a heat differential between the two? I see the fermenter I'm considering does not have temp guage... I could install one.

The wort/beer will be warmer than the fridge temp.

 

[mygar]

The wort/beer will be warmer than the fridge temp.

So the best thing is to have a temp gauge installed on the fermenter then

 

[VikeMan]

So the best thing is to have a temp gauge installed on the fermenter then

You can do that, but manually following the wort temp and tweaking the fridge temp can be time consuming and frustrating.

Or you can use a temp controller. (Inkbird makes some inexpensive ones that people seem to like.) You can get a fermenter with a thermowell (to hold a temp controller's probe), or in some cases add a thermowell to an existing fermenter. Or you can tape a controller's probe (with some insulation over it) to the side of a fermenter), which can also work well.

 

[mygar]

You can do that, but manually following the wort temp and tweaking the fridge temp can be time consuming and frustrating.

Or you can use a temp controller. (Inkbird makes some inexpensive ones that people seem to like.) You can get a fermenter with a thermowell (to hold a temp controller's probe), or in some cases add a thermowell to an existing fermenter. Or you can tape a controller's probe (with some insulation over it) to the side of a fermenter), which can also work well.

Thanks for that. I did a quick search on fermenters and only came across rather large and high end ones that come with a thermowell and gauge.

It seems that with a fermentor in a fridge (with controller) and with the temp differential and lag time until a stable temp is achieved in fermentor... this could be a bit tricky to get dialed in. And I would assume the heat produced within the fermentor would be specific with the wort in question (grains, yeast used). So, the value of having an progamed controller that what take this differential info to hit desired temp is something to consider. I'm a programmer by trade so maybe I will look into. I'm sure there are off the shelf units however

 

[Dinadan]

How realistic is it for me to brew a beer that is of quality of my breweries... being new and of course using extract kits?

Thanks!

That kind of depends on your breweries!

Based on my experience with extract kits there is an excellent chance that you will brew a very good batch of beer if you follow the recipe closely and keep your equipment clean. Save the experimenting until you have a few kit batches under your belt.

 

[mygar]

That kind of depends on your breweries!

Based on my experience with extract kits there is an excellent chance that you will brew a very good batch of beer if you follow the recipe closely and keep your equipment clean. Save the experimenting until you have a few kit batches under your belt.

Well I have some really good breweries in my area. I'm located in Sacramento area... and I consider some around here to be excellent. I favor those that are more into Belgian and German style beers. Really... am a beer noob though and only know what's tastes good to me lol... but I have a hard time with IPAs or very hoppy stuff... and it seems to dominate most menus.. so i only go to certain places. My palate just gets crushed by too much hop

 

[mygar]

I agree to start with extract batches. Definitely buy as big as you will want to brew in the future with all grain, BIAB, etc. Smaller, entry level brew kits typically restrict your ability to brew full five gallon all-grain kits. Once you get a few extract brews done, you can start messing around with all-grain kits, or make a SMASH to get a better taste for the grains and individual hops. Then, it's off to the races. Highly recommend buying bigger up front...five gallon brew kettles will do for extract brewing, but will sit on your shelf once you get your all-grain equipment put together.

Thanks for this. Since, I will only be the one consuming the beer really... I can't see brewing 5 gallons on regular basis without a lot of beer sitting around going stale. I thought if would be best to buy the 5 g all grain and just size the recipe down.. yes? I often wont to brew more often... and smaller batches seem to be most cost effective and less wasteful in long run

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. Small batch brewing appeals to me at this point as.. I'm pretty much the only one who will be drinking it... and of course less expensive and a bit easier for beginner to learn on I gather.

I have read about half of palmer's online book and some on forums. I have sourced some hardly used equipment on CL. Anvil 5.5 Gallon Kettle | Durable, Reliable Quality and Brew Bucket Mini Fermenter - 3.5 gal. | MoreBeer

Plan on picking up wort chiller (not sure if I will do a 1 or 2.5g batch first.. suspect chiller be overkill for 1 g batch) and of course other smaller odds and ends.

I have a science background and seem to "have" to research any hobby I get into... so this I hope will help.

During summer months my house is maintained about 75-76 degrees so will choose recipe where fermentation temp control is conducive to that.

Hope to source a kit from a local beer shop close to me that has fresh ingredients.

Tip: You can put your fermenter in a spare bathtub with water then place a T shirt or towel around it and the evaporation process will drop a couple degrees especially if you have a fan. Or you can use a plastic tub if you can't spare the bathroom.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Thanks very much for that. That is something I need to take into consideration.

If I get a small refrigerator and temp controller... do I assume that the fermenter would enter into equilibrium with the temp in the fridge. Or would there be a heat differential between the two? I see the fermenter I'm considering does not have temp guage... I could install one.

Active fermentation generates heat so the wort temp will be higher than the ambient temperature in the frige. You can tape the sensor to the side of the fermenter to start with until you decide which way you want to go.

 

[Snuffy]

You can get as elaborate and as expensive as you want with this. I think the advice to brew simply to begin with is good for getting started. You need a success early on to get established. You can pick up 1 and 2 gal kits of a limited range of brews at NB (which you may know already) or you can split 5 gal batches. A 1 gal batch hardly seems worth the trouble to me, but a 2.5 gal works out to enough to drink and share - and you will want to share some if it comes out great. And it will. I’m a lazy brewer. Not in the cleaning and sanitizing but in the temp control and testing. I know that limits me somewhat, but I can consistently make good beer. Make the beer fit your equipment and situation and not vice-versa and things will go well. Good luck!

 

[mygar]

Tip: You can put your fermenter in a spare bathtub with water then place a T shirt or towel around it and the evaporation process will drop a couple degrees especially if you have a fan. Or you can use a plastic tub if you can't spare the bathroom.

Yes, this would be a simple option I think.

 

[mygar]

You can get as elaborate and as expensive as you want with this. I think the advice to brew simply to begin with is good for getting started. You need a success early on to get established. You can pick up 1 and 2 gal kits of a limited range of brews at NB (which you may know already) or you can split 5 gal batches. A 1 gal batch hardly seems worth the trouble to me, but a 2.5 gal works out to enough to drink and share - and you will want to share some if it comes out great. And it will. I’m a lazy brewer. Not in the cleaning and sanitizing but in the temp control and testing. I know that limits me somewhat, but I can consistently make good beer. Make the beer fit your equipment and situation and not vice-versa and things will go well. Good luck!

Yes you are right about that elaborate/expense lol .. I think I will start off with a 2.5g batch and go about it simply and cost effective as possible. I will scour CL for some equipment on the cheap. May get lucky