We are finally settled in to our new house and I finally get to brew!!
Hooray!
Hooray!
Finally...it’s been a year
- Thread starter Beerwildered
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OP
OP
I’ve been itchy for months. The moving company lost some of my brewing equipment - I am so glad that I had a complete inventory. Now that I’ve got my replacement parts, it’s on.
Have fun!
OP: What recipe you making?
I too am preparing a brew for this next week.
It has been over 2 yrs since I brewed due to family and work commitments that needed my full attention and I could think of NOTHING better than cleaning off the stuff and making a batch.
Lemme tell ya that it almost feels like being a rookie brewer again.
I decided it was a good idea if I write everything down (like i did WAYYYY BACK) step by step so that I make this as seamless as possible. Going with a favorite of mine Mosaic IPA (yet to be named)
I too am preparing a brew for this next week.
It has been over 2 yrs since I brewed due to family and work commitments that needed my full attention and I could think of NOTHING better than cleaning off the stuff and making a batch.
Lemme tell ya that it almost feels like being a rookie brewer again.
I decided it was a good idea if I write everything down (like i did WAYYYY BACK) step by step so that I make this as seamless as possible. Going with a favorite of mine Mosaic IPA (yet to be named)
OP
OP
thanks! We just built this house and I claimed the extra garage space for my brewing. Here’s a shot from the other direction, along with my homemade glycol chiller.
OP
OP
I’m doing a cream ale - hoping to make some friends in the new neighborhood!
Here’s the recipe
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/959996/new-hope-valley-cream-ale
That is a good way.
My setup / brew area is a bit different. I have the Brew Barn. Nothing quite like walking out at 530am with a cup of coffee and watch the day come alive with the white noise of the kettle heating up the strike water. This time of year in Vermont lends itself nicely to comfortable outside brewing temps and natural ambient temps that keep fermentation temps quite steady.
I will be sure to take some pics and post them, you do the same!
Transamguy77
Well-Known Member
That is awesome!!! I haven’t brewed AG in a year and a half also due to moving, I settle on my new house on Tuesday and I can not wait to get brewing again for real.
that’s a really nice setup and a cool place to hang out.
that’s a really nice setup and a cool place to hang out.
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Checking back in with the OP.
How did your brew day go? Did the neighbors come and visit?
Did you have to defend your territory and squirt them with a hose to maintain an acceptable social distance?
My original brew day was scheduled for Thurs 4/2 but ended up getting postponed because I woke that morning to discover it was 31 degrees, windy and SNOWING (which is potentially normal for Vermont this time of year).
I have learned the hard way that messing with water in the brew barn when it is that cold, makes for a miserable day.
The normal spring and fall temperatures in northern Vermont make for excellent weather to brew in as well as great for natural temp control when it comes to the fermentation.
Yesterday was MUCH nicer and I woke up early and got the day started.
Brewed a Mosaic IPA (which I named Far Cough, as an ode to the current COVID situation)
There was definitely some "rust" on my brewing process after a 2 yr hiatus, not to mention a little bit of rust on the rollers of my grain mill. Both were easily remedied though.
My daughter ended up coming out and lending a helping hand and the obligatory from the "mouth of a child" advice: "Well ya know Dad... It's been a while since you brewed and some mistakes are probably to be expected"
Some basic mistakes that I made:
-Forgot to preheat the mash tun (I was a little low temp with the mash but that was easy to fix)
-Forgot that I had a special method when it came time to drain the MT (opened the valve WAY TOO fast) and ended up with a stuck-ish sparge and this portion being slower than I was used to.
-Forgot to acidify the sparge water (even though I had the acid measured out and sitting on the work bench)
Ended up pitching the American Ale II starter and being cleaned up around 10am at the 3.5 hour mark.
Enjoyed a few hours with the kids cleaning up the yard and expending some of the energy that comes from being cooped up in the house for the last 3 weeks.
Then in the early afternoon hours, the thrill of brewing again, combined with the sting of a few failures with the first batch, I decided to see what other recipes that I could manage with the outdated supplies that I have and really need to get rid of.
Lo and behold, Simple Orange Blonde, which is one of my favorite session beers (just in time for summer).
Second brew went much better than the first. I did everything well (was a little high on the mash in temps, but again a simple fix)
One new thing I did learn is that my Chugger pump did not do so well with the sweet orange peel pieces during the whirlpool. I should have put them in the hop sock (which I have plenty of).
From start to finish, that one took 3 hours and I pitched Nottingham on that one.
Brought the buckets inside to warm them up a bit (both were in the low 60s out in the garage) and this morning they were up to 64 degrees but neither airlock was bubbling. Took them back out into the barn and tapped the lids tight with a rubber mallet. Within 5 min, both airlocks were bubbling away happily.
Looking forward to getting these things bottled and kegged up.
How did your brew day go? Did the neighbors come and visit?
Did you have to defend your territory and squirt them with a hose to maintain an acceptable social distance?
My original brew day was scheduled for Thurs 4/2 but ended up getting postponed because I woke that morning to discover it was 31 degrees, windy and SNOWING (which is potentially normal for Vermont this time of year).
I have learned the hard way that messing with water in the brew barn when it is that cold, makes for a miserable day.
The normal spring and fall temperatures in northern Vermont make for excellent weather to brew in as well as great for natural temp control when it comes to the fermentation.
Yesterday was MUCH nicer and I woke up early and got the day started.
Brewed a Mosaic IPA (which I named Far Cough, as an ode to the current COVID situation)
There was definitely some "rust" on my brewing process after a 2 yr hiatus, not to mention a little bit of rust on the rollers of my grain mill. Both were easily remedied though.
My daughter ended up coming out and lending a helping hand and the obligatory from the "mouth of a child" advice: "Well ya know Dad... It's been a while since you brewed and some mistakes are probably to be expected"
Some basic mistakes that I made:
-Forgot to preheat the mash tun (I was a little low temp with the mash but that was easy to fix)
-Forgot that I had a special method when it came time to drain the MT (opened the valve WAY TOO fast) and ended up with a stuck-ish sparge and this portion being slower than I was used to.
-Forgot to acidify the sparge water (even though I had the acid measured out and sitting on the work bench)
Ended up pitching the American Ale II starter and being cleaned up around 10am at the 3.5 hour mark.
Enjoyed a few hours with the kids cleaning up the yard and expending some of the energy that comes from being cooped up in the house for the last 3 weeks.
Then in the early afternoon hours, the thrill of brewing again, combined with the sting of a few failures with the first batch, I decided to see what other recipes that I could manage with the outdated supplies that I have and really need to get rid of.
Lo and behold, Simple Orange Blonde, which is one of my favorite session beers (just in time for summer).
Second brew went much better than the first. I did everything well (was a little high on the mash in temps, but again a simple fix)
One new thing I did learn is that my Chugger pump did not do so well with the sweet orange peel pieces during the whirlpool. I should have put them in the hop sock (which I have plenty of).
From start to finish, that one took 3 hours and I pitched Nottingham on that one.
Brought the buckets inside to warm them up a bit (both were in the low 60s out in the garage) and this morning they were up to 64 degrees but neither airlock was bubbling. Took them back out into the barn and tapped the lids tight with a rubber mallet. Within 5 min, both airlocks were bubbling away happily.
Looking forward to getting these things bottled and kegged up.
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ncbrewer
Well-Known Member
brewkinger - Congrats on the brew day, and welcome back to brewing.
Great stuff! Sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for sharing.
