Hi from Chicago

Hangdog · Oct 30, 2018

Hello, all. I've been brewing for a little over a year, but I took this last summer off, partly because brewing in a hot apartment isn't ideal and partly because I forgot the priming sugar when I bottled my last batch and decided that all those sad flat bottle should sit in my closet for a while.

But I'm back! I've brewed 6 batches from kits, and 1 batch of the Palmer Cincinnati Ale as my first step out of the kit-life. I live in a 3rd floor Chicago walkup, so my space is a bit limited, but it works. I'm looking to level up my brewing and start getting free of following instructions and start working recipes and making more free-wheeling decisions. I'm hoping this forum will help me go off into more challenging and interesting territory and get more confident about how to make good calls on the different aspects of the hobby.

Comfort_Zone · Oct 30, 2018

Welcome back. If you're limited on space you should consider BIAB/MIAB and look into electric brewing.

Hangdog · Oct 30, 2018

I've got enough room to do some partial extract and partial mash boils. But I'll look into BIAB/MIAB, for sure. That's a new one for me.

mirthfuldragon · Oct 30, 2018

Be sure to check out CHAOS homebrew club.

MaxStout · Oct 30, 2018

Welcome to HBT, from Minnesota!

Another vote for BIAB--at least take a look to see if it's right for you. If you want to start building your own recipes, this will allow lots of room for creativity. Of course, you can design good recipes using extract, but once you go all grain, I think you'll be hooked. Plus, the ingredients aren't so costly for AG. All you need is a fine-mesh bag for your kettle and a good thermometer. Water chemistry is more critical for AG than extract, but don't be daunted. There's a good primer on water, if you haven't looked into it already. A couple water salts for a few bucks at the LHBS will get you in business.