First one in the can (bucket)

[ale_mongrel]

first brew is in the bucket, I cant wait to see whats gonna happen, of course i made a few mistakes but RDWHAHB right? I think this is gonna turn out ok. I definatly need to get my propane burner back from a friend of mine ( its on semi permanant loan) I though my electric stove could boil the 1.5 gals of water and the 6 plus pounds of extract, which it did eventually. I will either get (or make) an immersion chiller or do more prep next time to cool my wort faster. but all in all a good experience and im as gitty as a school girl and sooo tempted to eyeball the brew, but I know better just leave it alone let the yeast work and check in 7-10 days

 

[celticcolorado]

The waiting period on your first brew is definitely the most difficult. Congratulations on making beer. Keep us updated on how it turns out.

 

[mikeysab]

The waiting period on your first brew is definitely the most difficult. Congratulations on making beer. Keep us updated on how it turns out.

I've done a bunch of brews and the waiting period still sucks. I brewed yesterday (10 g of american amber, and 2 g of graff) and check on it every half hour. Last time I checked, I actually talked to my brews. I told them they're doing good, and thanked them for being so helpful. Yes, it starts out as a hobby, but becomes an obsession.

 

[johnnyt471]

I've done a bunch of brews and the waiting period still sucks. I brewed yesterday (10 g of american amber, and 2 g of graff) and check on it every half hour. Last time I checked, I actually talked to my brews. I told them they're doing good, and thanked them for being so helpful. .

haha

 

[celticcolorado]

mikey makes a good point. If you don't talk to your yeast, they will become angry and refuse to turn your wort to beer.

 

[mikeysab]

i can't believe I've been neglecting my yeast till now. This is my first batch using my newly built stir plate, and I feel terrible about all the past batches i underpitched. These little bastards really do their work better when they're happy and strong. Can't wait to drink the product of their hard work.

 

[logan3825]

One thing we did to speed up our brew day was steep the grains in a smaller pot while we started water heating in our brew kettle. I believe one of the things recommended to improve your beer is steeping in 1-3qts of water per lb of grains.(we do about 1/2 gallon) Then we did our steeped grains in the water in the larger pot and pour our steeped water into the bigger pot with the preheated water. We also have a second 4 gallon pot to heat our top off water while we boil.

Yes, get the chiller. As long as your tap water is reasonably cold you can get down to pitching temps in 15-20 minutes.

 

[ale_mongrel]

mikey makes a good point. If you don't talk to your yeast, they will become angry and refuse to turn your wort to beer.

heh, I didnt read that in Palmer or Papazain's books, but just to be safe. My little yeasties got a pep talk today and will everyday until its time to rack to the scondary, I have also constructed a small inpromtu shrine and I am going to drag out my loin cloth, feathers, will dance and sing as well as sacrifice a small bag of chips and an Arrogant Bastard for the beer gods.

 

[nobody]

heh, I didnt read that in Palmer or Papazain's books, but just to be safe. My little yeasties got a pep talk today and will everyday until its time to rack to the scondary, I have also constructed a small inpromtu shrine and I am going to drag out my loin cloth, feathers, will dance and sing as well as sacrifice a small bag of chips and an Arrogant Bastard for the beer gods.

i was going to ask you to video this, but the loin cloth just went to far!!! maybe wear shorts and make up for it with a big bag of chips:rockin:!!

 

[specialkaye]

Yes, get the chiller. As long as your tap water is reasonably cold you can get down to pitching temps in 15-20 minutes.

Now, here's an interesting tidbit: On my last brew day, the municipal water supply water coming from my tap was 86F. Yes, I plan to build an immersion chiller but it'll never get me below the supply water temp. And the 35 lbs of ice it took to cool the last batch just ain't happening again. And it was about an hour and a half to hit room temp of 78F.

 

[mikeysab]

If your ground water doesn't get you to pitching temps, you could make a pre chiller. Its a smaller immersion chiller that goes in a bucket or cooler with ice water. It chills the water before it hits the IC. A lot of people use them if their ground water doesn't get cold enough.

 

[ale_mongrel]

well it certainly looks like beer, it smells like beer, (it actually smells a little stale but maybe thats just the air from the bucket) and when I took my hydrometer reading, (which by the way looks ok) i did sneak a taste from the hydrometer flask it tastes like beer (kind of) a little champange(y) as far as the carbonation but it does taste like beer so we're doin ok (i think)

 

[ale_mongrel]

Update #2 its bottling day!! acutally I think I got a little exited, and before I realized I was prepping to bottle a week early I had already gotten a few in, so Im gonna finish it and let it condition in the bottle for an extra week, oh and to make things a little harder on myself (cuz thats what I do) Ive got a nice pot of chili on that I can stir occasionally during bottling breaks

Boy bottling wasnt so much a pain for me, but man did i get water/ sanitizer/ beer all over the place. I can definatly see already the advantages of kegging but This is my first one now I know what to expect I can plan better next time. beer still tastes champagney and maybe cidery, but as i said I think I got a little exited and bottled a week early, I left a little extra head room like 2-2.5 inches to hopefully prevent bottle bombs. Im not sure I can suffer much more of the SWMBO's wrath today. Between the chili and the beer the kitchen is a disaster, but I had fun makin the mess so Ill have fun cleanin it up dreamin about beer and smellin chili

 

[specialkaye]

Im not sure I can suffer much more of the SWMBO's wrath today. Between the chili and the beer the kitchen is a disaster, but I had fun makin the mess so Ill have fun cleanin it up dreamin about beer and smellin chili

Hmmm, chili and beer. I wonder what your SWMBO thinks of the smells coming from you?

 

[celticcolorado]

I just saw that Harbor Freight has a pump rated up to 85 degrees for only 16.99. You can just fill a bucket with Ice Water and run your Immersion chiller off the pump. A very cheap fix.

 

[mikeysab]

They sell the same type of pump at home depot. It's for tile cutters, to circulate water over the blade. I have one, and it works great. The only problem is you have to keep adding water to the bucket with ice, or figure out a flow rate to keep the water going into the bucket the same as it's going out. If you use a pre chiller, you just put the coil in the ice water, and you don't have to stay there and make sure there's water in the bucket.

 

[ale_mongrel]

Well here we are, I tasted my first batch today. Im not super impressed, but im not super disappointed either. I dont think I would purchase a beer like this, its kinda watery, the carbonation isnt really great, its got an opaque kind of coppery color, no real body or character.(swmbo says its kinda like coors or something like that) I kind of had my doubts about it to begin with its an all extract Austrailian ale kit brewed according to my lhbs own method (not adding addional sugar in the boil stage). Im thinkin next batch im gonna order partial mash or mini mash kit from austin brew supply and follow the directions they provide. But hey its beer