Hello! 2 years extract, 2 weeks AG.

[foraroundortwo]

I've been reading through HBT forums for over a year and never made the jump to sign up. I started AG two weeks (and four batches) ago and am learning so much more than I even knew you could learn about beer! I have brewed 2 English Bitters, a honey porter and a pale ale on my AG system. I still have some equipment to pick up to expedite the process. Right now I have one 8 gal converted kettle mash tun, a ten gallon kettle and 5 gal HLT (from a plastic bottling bucket.) I hand made a MT insulator out of water heater insulation and it keeps my mash at exact temp for the whole hour. I totally messed up my first fly sparges but I got around 60% efficiency regardless and have now adjusted my methods

Does anyone have any new-to-AG must-know secrets or tricks for me?

 

[jesseroberge]

Grats on converting to AG I just started my first batch of extract today... When I started I went stright to AG, lack of time and just for fun I brewed a Coopers Canadian Blond with 500g of DME and 700 of corn sugar it took me 45 mins )) I subbed the powder yeast and smacked a Wyeast American Ale II it's in the bucket for the next 4 weeks I hope it will taste good, I don't want to go all extract but for a quick batch when wife and kid are pulling at me it's the great solution...

Cheers bro

 

[foraroundortwo]

I am fortunate enough to have a girlfriend who loves beer, no kids (but a cat who loves to watch me brew) and enough free time to listen to a couple back-logged episodes of The Brewing Network every day. I'm learning so much about beer every day! I hope your batch goes well, sounds like it'll end up really dry (which is great for the style!).

 

[spliff]

I just do extract for the moment, gonna get a first taste of a Cooper's stout tonight, letting in chill at the moment, it tasted good when I bottled it. Cats and beer go together, I have 2 cats (sisters) who love beer, no I don't let them drink it but they a get a taste off the lacing, interestingly they both prefer craft beer to the cheap stuff.