Female brewers

[unionrdr]

I always thought that if you can cook, you can brew. I've been cooking for some 51 years. Made wine till age 30 or so, then onto beer. She picked it up quickly, stating that she had a good teacher when I brought it up. So you ladies give it a try if you haven't already.

 

[Melana]

Hi, guys! Fellow newbie female brewer here, as well!

Brewing is a LOT like cooking! I think many women make/would make excellent brewers due to their familiarity in the kitchen and knowledge of ingredients and cooking/baking procedures. My overall culinary enthusiasm is actually what got me into brewing. I have a personal motto: "If I can buy it, then I can make it!" I love learning new crafts and the challenges! My brewing/fermenting first started with kombucha and kefir, then moved to meads and wines, and recently into beer. I mean, it doesn't get much cooler than making your own booze! :rockin:

- Claire

Exactly.

 

[kXb]

Hello and welcome! I too am a female brewer (brewer seems to be adequate vs brewster). I have been brewing with my brew monkey (husband) for a couple of years now and we have so far made ales & lagers using mini mash technique, hard ciders, and a take on hard lemonade. Have really enjoyed learning from other helpful members on this website as well as those in my local homebrew club and LHBS.

I may graduate to BIAB but frankly I think we make darned good beers with our current method and I don't want to have to add a lot of time to brew day.

 

[RM-MN]

Hello and welcome! I too am a female brewer (brewer seems to be adequate vs brewster). I have been brewing with my brew monkey (husband) for a couple of years now and we have so far made ales & lagers using mini mash technique, hard ciders, and a take on hard lemonade. Have really enjoyed learning from other helpful members on this website as well as those in my local homebrew club and LHBS.

I may graduate to BIAB but frankly I think we make darned good beers with our current method and I don't want to have to add a lot of time to brew day.

Surprisingly, I found that doing an extract batch with steeping grains takes about the same amount of time as a BIAB batch all grain but the cost is different. If you can get your grains double milled or if you have your own mill you can have full conversion in the time you normally would take for steeping.

 

[Keith_O]

Welcome, Geirfuglinn!
I see that you have met many of our lovely ladies!
And as you have already heard...
“Oh, and anything Yooper says is gospel. She rocks!”

 

[kXb]

Surprisingly, I found that doing an extract batch with steeping grains takes about the same amount of time as a BIAB batch all grain but the cost is different. If you can get your grains double milled or if you have your own mill you can have full conversion in the time you normally would take for steeping.

the cost is different as in less? i will have to find one of my brew club members who can demo a BIAB batch!

 

[RM-MN]

the cost is different as in less? i will have to find one of my brew club members who can demo a BIAB batch!

To get an idea of the difference in price, check identical recipes for extract and all grain. I'll suggest this site for doing that but any site that has extract and all grain kits priced will do. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

Now that you know that there is a difference in price, consider the difference when you build your own recipe but buy the base malt in larger quantities. For instance, Midwest Supplies sells Rahr 2-row for $1.49 for a 1 pound package but has 50 pound sacks for $35, less than half per pound than single pound packages. 50 pounds will make quite a few batches of beer.

 

[RM-MN]

the cost is different as in less? i will have to find one of my brew club members who can demo a BIAB batch!

I don't think you even need a demo. If you have a pot that will hold at least 5 gallons, buy a paint strainer bag (probably 2 bags because they come 2 in a package) and 4 pounds of base malt (called 2-row or pale malt or pale ale malt) and get it milled. Double milled if you can because BIAB can handle the finer milling and your OG and length of mash depend on the milling. Use one of the recipes in this database https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f82/ because they have been tested for quality. Heat about 3 3/4 gallons of water to 161F, put the bag into the pot and then stir in the grains. I use a wire whisk so I don't get "doughballs". Let it sit in the pot, covered, for 30 minutes. Pull the bag out and let it drain some, then into a colander that is sitting in another pan to finish draining. Return any liquid collected to the pot which can be heating during this time. Pour about a quart of water over the bag of grains and return that liquid to the pot too, then squeeze whatever more liquid you can get out and return that to the pot. You are now at the same point as if you were steeping grains and adding extract and it will take you about the same time as extract but at much less cost.

If you try this and hate the process, you have only lost the cost of the paint strainer bags but that will be offset by the lower cost of the batch of beer you made. If you like the process, consider getting your own mill for the convenience and the control of the milling quality. I use a Corona style mill and hand crank it but you might prefer a motorized mill.

This process can be scaled up with larger pots and perhaps larger bags. I can do a 5 gallon batch in a 7 1/2 gallon pot but I have to be very careful when stirring the grains in and when the boil starts as there will be much more "hot break" foam than with an extract batch.

 

[kXb]

That sounds super easy and I think I will try it! My boil kettle is HUGE so all I need is the giant sized bag. Thank you

 

[RM-MN]

That sounds super easy and I think I will try it! My boil kettle is HUGE so all I need is the giant sized bag. Thank you

I was shocked at how easy it was after having read about conventional mash tuns. After you have done a batch or 2 this way (I said AFTER, not before) you might want to read these two threads.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/10-minute-mash-mind-blown-492255/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/cutting-brew-day-time-time-challenge-487453/

 

[unionrdr]

Mashing is normally done for 1 hour. Steeping for 20-30 minutes. Base grains need the extra time for conversion. I do pb/pm biab myself. 1 hour mash in 1 1/4-1 1/2 quarts of water per pound of grain. Temps from about 147F-156F. Mashing is a bit different from steeping, but related.

 

[RM-MN]

Mashing is normally done for 1 hour. Steeping for 20-30 minutes. Base grains need the extra time for conversion. I do pb/pm biab myself. 1 hour mash in 1 1/4-1 1/2 quarts of water per pound of grain. Temps from about 147F-156F. Mashing is a bit different from steeping, but related.

No they don't. Mashing is usually done for 60 minutes because the grains are crushed coarser for a conventional mash tun where the finer crush would clog up the filter. Since BIAB has a bag for a filter you can crush the grains really fine. An iodine test will tell you when there is no starch left to convert and it comes out negative in less than 3 minutes. That probably does not allow enough time for the beta amylase to work so I usually give it 20 minutes. I also mash in 2.75 qts per pound of grain which is supposed to make the conversion go slower since the enzymes are more diluted.

 

[unionrdr]

When I started biab, I didn't have a grain crusher & pre-crush wasn't that good. So using a old, small food processor I crushed'em that way. A lot of flour got through the bag. Since getting my barley crusher grain mill, I crush at the factory setting of .039" & get good results with a 1 hour mash @ 1 1/2 quarts per pound of grain. And a lot less floury stuff getting through the bag. I read that th Germans use a rather "watery" mash successfully. I just stick to what works for me in regard to water/grain volumes. While your way is cutting edge, I'm sure many of us get good results the old way with less getting through the bag.