Jumping in with both feet and arms

[Moose777]

Talk about jumping in with both feet -

* First all grain was yesterday, (Bee Cave Pale Ale)
* Picking up a GE 14.8 CF from Craigslist tonight for $120.
* 4 corny kegs being delivered tomorrow.
* Kegconnection basic kit delivery set for early next week
* Johnson controls thermostat next week
* Bottom of dual zone wine fridge already dialed in for fermenting at 65 deg

I tasted my first extract brew last night after less than 2 weeks in the bottle abd couldn't believe how good it was..definitely young and a bit thin on body but it was awesome.

Honey Weizen in secondary
Edworts Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale bubbling away.

I love this hobby and should be set up really nicely for the summer
Thanks to everyone here for all the outstanding advise..my learning curve is pretty steep right now.
.:rockin:

 

[bakersbrew]

I am right there with you. Started brewing two months ago and I already have a chest freezer that I am converting into a kegerator as well as a fermentation fridge. Got my corny keg setup a couple weeks ago. Havent done an all grain yet, but thinking about it. Was it tough?

 

[chode720]

Ditto. I am new to homebrewing as I started in late February. I did 1 extract batch, an Irish Red. Then I moved to a partial mash hefeweizen. I then moved to all grain for my 3rd batch and have never looked back. I should be brewing batch# 6 in a couple weeks.

I also bought myself a fridge from Craigslist and I should hopefully be ordering my kegging equipment soon. This is a great hobby and its easy to get addicted quickly!

 

[Moose777]

It was soo easy man. Here's all I bought for my mashtun

5 gallon water cooler from Home Depot $19
1/2" liquid tight connector (electrical dept)
Brass ball valve

All grain does take more time sooo it's pretty much a 5 hour brew day. Of course there's down time in between so you can multi task.

Lotsa time cleaning, rinsing and sanitizing..
Good luck

 

[JesseRC]

Yup I jumped in too. I buillt my keezer b4 I had my first batch brewed. And went to allgrain after 4 brews. I hate it when folks tell folks to take it slow. Jump in, do it all when you can, dont be scared, diy can be difficult, but most of the brewing is easy.

 

[BrewStooge]

It's a hobby that certainly gives back, I just started with the Mr. Beer after the holidays and have now converted a small room into a a brew shop. Haven't gotten to all grain yet mostly due to space, but it's sure to show up sometime.

 

[jajabee]

Woo! I jumped straight into AG a few months ago on borrowed equipment, been piecing together my own setup since then... it's certainly an obsession. I'm out at HD every other day buying new odds and ends to build (this morning it was a paint strainer bag and some supports to hold it over the boil)... I can't decide what I like more, brewing the beer or building the stuff to brew with.

 

[HillbillyDeluxe]

For those of you who dont think you can go AG. See deathbrewers stove top method. Its awesomand you already have all the equipment.

 

[alpo]

All grain is only as hard as you want it to be. At basic levels, it isn't any harder than extract, but it does take longer. You can take baby steps from there to increase your efficiency.

 

[littlebu]

I'm there too. I made my first batch of extract a week and a half ago. I ordered 4 goldie and 4 cascade rhizomes to grow hops at home because by the end of summer I plan on doing an all grain. I would like to keg some, but still want to bottle some to give away etc.

 

[Moose777]

All grain is only as hard as you want it to be. At basic levels, it isn't any harder than extract,

After one batch Ag and two extract I agree with this..definitely more time consuming but I found it pretty easy.
I wasn't able to measure OG though cause I dropped n broke my hydrometer. Fugg

 

[khiddy]

I too jumped in, and like quicksand, I was in for good.

Monday, Week 1: Wife ordered me a Mr. Beer kit.

Thursday, Week 1: Headed out to LHBS, got a 5-gal carboy, fermenting bucket, tubing, and several pounds of dry malt extract, a pound of specialty grain, yeast.

Wednesday, Week 2: Mr. Beer arrived, built my first batch in the small keg.

Saturday, Week 2: First 5-gallon brew day, extract batch.

Wednesday, Week 3: Second 5-gallon day, extract batch. Dual-keg corny setup ordered from Midwest.

Wednesday, Week 4: Third 5-gallon day, extract batch. Bought conical fermenter off of craigslist. Kegged an early batch.

Saturday, Week 5: Fourth 5-gallon day, extract batch. Bottled Mr. Beer batch, started another. Kegged another batch.

Friday, Week 6: Shared my first two 5-gallon batches with friends at a party. Killed one keg, most of the second.

Saturday, Week 6: First AG batch. A failure in so many ways, yet I built beer!

Wednesday, Week 7: Second AG batch (EdWort's Haus Pale Ale). Fewer errors, but lower efficiency. Tasted first Mr. Beer bottle, very disappointing, but has promise with additional time (say, 3 more weeks at 70*F!).

Tuesday, Week 8: today. I will brew again tomorrow, AG, using a recipe I built. What a hobby!

 

[Moose777]

My first AG also Bee Cave Brewery Pale Ale.. I pitched Nottingham Monday at about 2:30 p.m.. I just looked in on it and its going absolutely full boar now..wow I never expected such vigorous fermentaion with a non starter dry yeast.

It's about 4.75 gallons in a 6 gallon better bottle w/ 1/2" blow off tube and I think it's gunna blow off...never expected that. You guys are rigth about Nottingham..WOW.

Haus Pale ale in back, Honey Weizen in front -

 

[Moose777]

duplicate.......

 

[Moose777]

Really happy with the freezer deal.. this thing doesn't have a scratch on it..less than a year old...another Craigslist success story..GE 14.8 CF $120

 

[Moose777]

 

[bakersbrew]

Moose...do you have the Honey Weizen recipe? I'd like to try that one. Is it an AG?

 

[Moose777]

Moose...do you have the Honey Weizen recipe? I'd like to try that one. Is it an AG?

It was my second batch and it was extract:
Honey Weizen w/ Weihenstephan Weizen Wyeast Activator 3068

Honey Weizen w/ Weihenstephan Weizen Wyeast Activator 3068 :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

If you do this ...be advised you will need a blow off tube..that yeast is crazy

 

[Moose777]

It is available AG as well ..

 

[alpo]

I think I have the same exact freezer. I put an 8" collar on it, though. It was tall enough to fit the corneys by default, but I wanted the extra space to mount the faucets and regulators/distributors, plus my 10# CO2 tank can fit on the compressor hump that way. I can fit 6 ball lock corneys if I jam them in there. I also have a 3 gal corney I can fit on the hump, for carbonated water or root beer or whatever.

 

[Moose777]

alpo.. you can fit 8 ball lock corny kegs:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sizing-your-chest-freezer-corny-kegs-75449/
Mine is the GE 14.8 CF

That's great advice about the collar, I'm still contemplating that. I may just use it as storage and get a kegerator for the house as I have the big keezer in the garage.

Happy brewin my brother