Hello from Las vegas, NV

[aycockbrews]

hello everyone my name is Jeremy Aycock, my wife shawnna and I are just about to try our very first homebrew. So you may see her or I posting around here. since we are new to this whole thing we thought it would be a good idea to join a fourm where peole know what there doing. My wife and I like...love beer. My wife and i wanted to get into home brewing as a fun way to spend time together at home and enjoying some good brew. Myself i like Ipa's my wife likes brown ales and other dark brews. our first brew is going to be a Muntons pre hopped malt extract kit. we have a 1.8kg can of IPA bitter. 3lb bag of amber DME also from muntons and a dry ale yeast safale s-04. I will be using a 7 gallon brewcraft bucket with lid and air lock. i purchased this kit from a local guy on craigslist for about 1/2 the price of what he paid at the local homebrew store. i have been into the local place and talked with the owner about this brew. and he said i may want to buy new yeast and iodine since this kit has been sitting for over one year. this is las vegas we get hot weather and that could have ruined the yeast if it was stored wrong. and the iodine could have expired. Can that happen? He also said i may want to use bottle water instead of tap. being we live in a desert the water out of our tap isnt the best. the kit also came with the bottling items i need caps, capping device, carbonation drops a syphon and a book called "The True Brew Handbook" by Seth Schneider. i have read threw the book and has explaind alot. i also went out and purchased a 20 qt stainless steel pot. i also have somewhere around 14 12-12 oz cases. so i know i can try another brew as soon as i get the brew out of the bucket or i find another 7 gallon. If anyone has any advice or suggestions for us please let us know thanks in advance and we are glad to be here.

 

[Malticulous]

Hello form St. George Utah. Yes I've read iodophor can go bad. I've had a (big) bottle over a year and it seems to still work fine.

I have lived a number of places around Vegas. Henderson water is awful, but out Ann road it was much better. I lived there '89 to '94. I started brewing in '95 here in St. George.

If you haven't read How to brew yet you should. You can read the first release free online but you should just go to a book store and buy a new one.

 

[aycockbrews]

im wondering if i should use. drinking water, spring or distiled.

 

[Malticulous]

Just get some RO from a water machine and add 1 tsp calcium chloride per five gallons.

 

[aycockbrews]

ro?

 

[Malticulous]

Reverse osmosis. There are machines at convenience stores and supermarkets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

The going rate is 25¢ here.

 

[aycockbrews]

ya i have heard of it. just the Ro threw me off. i got an old 5 gallon sparklets bottle i may sertlize and then fill like you said or i may just try the store water for my first batch. whats the best store bought water to use. i also have a brita faucet filter. i may just get a new filter and use that. http://buybestbritafaucetfiltration.buybestnewprices.com/tag/fm3700b

 

[Malticulous]

I've used Alberson's Drinking water with good results. (My tap water is just as good once the chlorine is removed.)

 

[aycockbrews]

thanks for your help! have you been to big dogs brewery or boulder city brewery?

 

[Malticulous]

I think it was Big Dogs on Blvd and Sahara that I went to. Back then I didn't drink much but I enjoyed picking a few beers out of the import sections at Lee's every now and again.

 

[aycockbrews]

lee's has a great selction. picked up a small fridge today. i was worried about how to keep the brew cold in the house. its usally about 75-80F in my house so im ok now. just wondering what i need to have the temp set at for the brew? also need to make some small 2x4 risers so it can sit on the step. on the lower part the door wont close with out cutting up the door. and since we may use the frig for beer or milk between brew i dont wanta cut it up. plus im gonna make 2 shelves for beer and other items.

 

[BirdmanBrewingCo]

hello everyone my name is Jeremy Aycock, my wife shawnna and I are just about to try our very first homebrew. So you may see her or I posting around here. since we are new to this whole thing we thought it would be a good idea to join a fourm where peole know what there doing. My wife and I like...love beer. My wife and i wanted to get into home brewing as a fun way to spend time together at home and enjoying some good brew. Myself i like Ipa's my wife likes brown ales and other dark brews. our first brew is going to be a Muntons pre hopped malt extract kit. we have a 1.8kg can of IPA bitter. 3lb bag of amber DME also from muntons and a dry ale yeast safale s-04. I will be using a 7 gallon brewcraft bucket with lid and air lock. i purchased this kit from a local guy on craigslist for about 1/2 the price of what he paid at the local homebrew store. i have been into the local place and talked with the owner about this brew. and he said i may want to buy new yeast and iodine since this kit has been sitting for over one year. this is las vegas we get hot weather and that could have ruined the yeast if it was stored wrong. and the iodine could have expired. Can that happen? He also said i may want to use bottle water instead of tap. being we live in a desert the water out of our tap isnt the best. the kit also came with the bottling items i need caps, capping device, carbonation drops a syphon and a book called "The True Brew Handbook" by Seth Schneider. i have read threw the book and has explaind alot. i also went out and purchased a 20 qt stainless steel pot. i also have somewhere around 14 12-12 oz cases. so i know i can try another brew as soon as i get the brew out of the bucket or i find another 7 gallon. If anyone has any advice or suggestions for us please let us know thanks in advance and we are glad to be here.

Welcome Jeremy!

 

[aycockbrews]

Well today i recived my johnsons temp manual controller. we our moving to a house soon. Our family has grown out of a 2 bed 2 bath apt. We found a place thats 3 bed 2 bath with 2 car garage. We will have more room for everyone! more room for both of our trucks and brewing. nice covered backyard area for the kids and being in vegas having it covered its alot better. Im not gonna need to the frig thats in the house so we are gonna move it to the garage and do a 5 gal IPA in the larger frig and a mr beer 3 gal bucket for a cider or maybe a western ipa. then i wanta get a chest freezer and a nother 7 gal primary. i gave my brother my 15 gal keg and we our having the top removed and a drain hole drilled. so boiling 10 gals will be no prob.