Four beginner questions. Warming garage fermenter in winter? Also, Brewer's Friend/Recipe Help!

[bmac8]

Folks, I am a noob to all-grain. I have a 14.5 gallon fermenter with which to make 13+ gallons of beer. My problem is, I am working in a cold garage in Oregon (current temp is 46 degrees--too cold for ale.) My wife is happy I am out of her kitchen!

Here are my questions:

1. Best ways to heat the fermentor
2. How to handle plumbing? There's no sink in my garage... am I looking at waste and runoff going into a bucket?
3. When filling brew vessels from tap/hose bib... is it okay to just use a garden hose?
4. I already have ingredients--do any of these softwares work out a recipe backwards--FROM the ingredients you have? I am trying to make a very basic American (probably pale) ale.

Ingredients I am holding:

25 lbs of Rahr 2-row American grain
Cascade Hops
Dry American Ale Yeast
Irish Moss
Gypsum
Pineapple essence--I will use a very minimal touch at the end. Just for some signature.
Additional malt for priming (instead of corn sugar) as I will be bottling.

In the past, I have used 5-gal buckets and I had a lot of success with box kits (canned malt and DME.) This whole stainless steel and all-grain process is very intimidating, but I am going in anyway! Any advice on the questions I ask above is greatly appreciated! Thank you!!!

 

[micraftbeer]

You have 4 completely different questions here. You should make 4 posts because otherwise you won't get answers because somebody doesn't have an answer for all 4. Or you'll get answers and debate on one of them and be sitting there saying "Hey, what about my other questions!?" Or when sometime says "That's what I do." your don't know which one they're talking about.

Not trying to be the post police, but I don't think you'll like where this thread goes.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

3. When filling brew vessels from tap/hose bib... is it okay to just use a garden hose?

Depends on the brand of hose. In the mid-2020s, some garden hoses are categorized as "drinking water safe".

4. I already have ingredients--do any of these softwares work out a recipe backwards--FROM the ingredients you have? I am trying to make a very basic American (probably pale) ale.

Most on-line recipe builder sites have a community recipe database and the ability to search the database by style and/or ingredients.

A basic American Pale Ale can be made using a SMaSH with Rahr 2-row and Cascade hops.

 

[micraftbeer]

1. Heater wraps + neoprene jacket (if they make one for your fermentor) or blankets/sleeping bags etc.
3. Needs to be "drinking water safe" to ensure no lead in the hose bushings (can't remember if that changes the hose material itself). You can still buy hoses today that are not drinking water safe.
4. I have not heard of one, but I've heard this request/question from a lot of different people. (frequently comes up in Brewfather forum)

 

[wsmith1625]

1. Best ways to heat the fermenter
I use a FermWrap and an Inkbird temperature controller.

2. How to handle plumbing? There's no sink in my garage... am I looking at waste and runoff going into a bucket?
I brew in my garage without plumbing and just pull the garden hose to the garage door opening. From there, I connect my immersion chiller and wash all my equipment straight from the hose. I've considered buying a utility sink and connecting the garden hose to it while connecting the drain to a pool backwash hose and letting waste go down the driveway.

3. When filling brew vessels from tap/hose bib... is it okay to just use a garden hose?
You'll want to get a food grade RV hose and possibly an inline filter.

4. I already have ingredients--do any of these softwares work out a recipe backwards--FROM the ingredients you have? I am trying to make a very basic American (probably pale) ale.
I use Beersmith and I don't know if it can do that.

 

[huckdavidson]

RE: #4

You'll have to use brewing recipe software if you're not familiar with manual recipe formulation. Brewers Friend or BeerSmith are a couple of options.

As for the gypsum, it would depend on your water analysis which you can get from Ward Labs or your municipality might have that information for free.

Gypsum will add a dryness to the beer and help to lower the pH. You might need additional acid additions such as lactic or phosphoric to get an acceptable mash pH. Using a brewing water calculator will help determine what is necessary. Bru n Water or Mash Made Easy.

The pineapple essence is best added in the bottling bucket to mix with the beer- just prior to bottling.

If you've made good extract beers with your tap water and don't want to use any software or get a water analysis you can simply add one teaspoon of gypsum (or calcium chloride) per 5 gallons of strike water and run with it (if you insist on using the gypsum).

The Irish Moss is normally rehydrated and/or added during the last 15 minutes of the boil but many prefer Whirlfloc instead. This may or may not be beneficial.

 

[Spivey24]

I brew in the garage but near one of the garage door opening. I spill a lot! When done I just take the hose and hose everything out the door then sweep any extra water out. I did hook up hot water to my hose and use a frost free hot/cold sillcock which was one of the best things ever.

 

[govner1]

I’ll try and answer as many topics as I can-
1. Where are you storing your fermenter? If it’s in the open then wrap it in a blanket and use one of the readily available warming pads. If you have a ferm chamber I’d suggest one of the ceramic bulbs.
Do you have a temperature controller?
2. As far as waste goes put it in a compost pile or the garbage (in a bag) or if there is a local farmer ask if he can use the grain to feed pigs or cattle.
3. As far as filling vessels, DO NOT us a standard garden hose. There are hoses rated for potable water but I made a long hose from large diameter brew tubing. I’d also recommend using a filter with a carbon filter. Mine is rated fore hot water.
As far as software I use BeerSmtih a play with your grains and develop a recipe.