More to it than I thought.

[PADave]

Update:

Monday is brew day at the house this evening! I finally have enough time to brew my first NB 1 gallon kit. It looks pretty straight forward but if anyone has any good advise I would love to have it

-Altrez

When I was doing those kits I always steeped the grains for longer than the directions say. Looking at my notes I did 20-25 min at around 150-155 degrees. After that you bring to a boil, add extract then follow the hopping schedule. Pretty simple. Checking my notes again, I also always added a little more water than the directions call for. They say 1.25 gallon for the boil. I always added another 16 oz to that.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

If the beer is supposed to be light in color, add half the extract in the beginning of the boil and the other half in the last 15 minutes. If it is an amber or dark beer just follow the directions.

 

[Jwin]

If the beer is supposed to be light in color, add half the extract in the beginning of the boil and the other half in the last 15 minutes. If it is an amber or dark beer just follow the directions.

This

 

[Altrez]

Update:

We have everything ready to start however SWMBO wanted to grill out so we are punting till Wednesday.

I took a taste and a sample vile from my Oak extra Mr. Beer experiment and it actuality tasted like beer at 10 days! Not much Oak flavor but it was defiantly beer with just a very tiny bit of sour taste.

Looks like I will have perhaps 4 gallons to bottle / keg on Sunday!

I am getting kinda excited after tasting that sample

-Altrez

 

[MaryB]

NB will actually have that in the instructions for lighter colored beers.

If the beer is supposed to be light in color, add half the extract in the beginning of the boil and the other half in the last 15 minutes. If it is an amber or dark beer just follow the directions.

 

[Altrez]

Update:

The Mr. Beer kits are really coming into shape now at the almost two week mark. I have 6 gallons to Keg/Bottle so I am going to do it 3 different ways.

Light plus will be 1 gallon in the mini keg and 1 gallon bottled.
Heavy Oak'ed will be 1/4 in Mini Oak barrel to age one month, 1/4 in mini keg and the rest bottled.

The Oktoberfest will go straight into a 2 1/2 gallon keg. I plan to just bottle two of that brew to see how it tastes in the bottle.

I am not sure how to age beer in the oak barrel I am open to suggestions. I was just going to fill it as full as I can then keep it cool and bottle after another month. I am worried about infections so again any pointers would be great!

-Altrez

 

[PADave]

Update:

The Mr. Beer kits are really coming into shape now at the almost two week mark. I have 6 gallons to Keg/Bottle so I am going to do it 3 different ways.

Light plus will be 1 gallon in the mini keg and 1 gallon bottled.
Heavy Oak'ed will be 1/4 in Mini Oak barrel to age one month, 1/4 in mini keg and the rest bottled.

The Oktoberfest will go straight into a 2 1/2 gallon keg. I plan to just bottle two of that brew to see how it tastes in the bottle.

I am not sure how to age beer in the oak barrel I am open to suggestions. I was just going to fill it as full as I can then keep it cool and bottle after another month. I am worried about infections so again any pointers would be great!

-Altrez

How do you sanitize the barrel? I know with oak chips you either want to boil them or soak them in whiskey for a few days. I guess you could fill the barrel with whiskey.

 

[Altrez]

How do you sanitize the barrel? I know with oak chips you either want to boil them or soak them in whiskey for a few days. I guess you could fill the barrel with whiskey.

From what I have read so far is that you pour hot water in them first to wet the Oak. Then you poor some whisky in to kill the bad stuff. I read that you are never to use any type of cleaner as it will soak into the wood.

Here is a few links:

https://beerandbrewing.com/VMfndCsAAKuo3ofA/article/barrel-aging-for-homebrewers

https://beerandbrewing.com/VgHaFh0AAOUAPS5J/article/prepping-used-barrels-for-aging-beer

-Altrez

 

[Stillraining]

Star San is your friend...mix 1 OZ to 5 gallons of water and fill it full and let it sit a week.

 

[Altrez]

Star San is your friend...mix 1 OZ to 5 gallons of water and fill it full and let it sit a week.

I know Star San should be tasteless but is it safe to use on wood? Have you ever soaked an Oak barrel in it?

-Altrez

 

[Stillraining]

The bottle says not to use on wood...so I guess I was wrong.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I always thought you filled the barrel with boiling water to kill off anything in it as well as to hydrate the wood so the barrel doesn't leak. Just my .02 I have no practical barrel using experience.

 

[Altrez]

I always thought you filled the barrel with boiling water to kill off anything in it as well as to hydrate the wood so the barrel doesn't leak. Just my .02 I have no practical barrel using experience.

Yeah that's the way I understand it. The water hydrate's the wood to stop all leaks and then you do a neutral spirit wash "Vodka" to make sure it is clean.



-Altrez

 

[Horseshoot]

Brew Day #2 will be tomorrow night! I will be making a Mr. Beer Oktoberfest kit with a booster pack. This time I will take PH levels and use my new refractometer to get a good sample.

This first 8 gallons are just test runs. I learned a lot last night. There really is a lot more to it then I thought!!!!

-Alrez

Hence the title of the thread!!!

Mike

 

[Horseshoot]

We know how to do it right in Kentucky! Go Wildcats!!!!!!

:rockin:

-Altrez

I did tell you I am a Kentucky boy, right?

Mike

 

[55x11]

Altrez, no disrespect, and I am really trying to help you, but I think what a lot of people are trying to tell you is that instead of spending $3,000 or whatever it is you spent by now on fancy equipment, combined with crappy Mr. Beer kits, (and I really thought this was some trolling joke, perhaps it is), you could have spent $20 on a decent book (or two) - or just use interwebs, for free - to educate yourself a bit about brewing process, and then train and test yourself by brewing decent to very good beers on $200 equipment (that's all it takes really) and then, MAYBE gradually scale up to greater, better tasting beers, as you learn more about the process, and find the ways to make your beers better, otherwise you might as well hire someone to brew good beer for you, and call yourself an accomplished brewmaster.

Basically it's just like any other hobby. You can buy $3,000 chainsaw or $15,000 bike but that fact alone doesn't make you an expert woodworker or a semi-professional cyclist, does it?

Again, after months of just buying stuff you are finally brewing now so maybe you are on the right path, but so many of your posts are still so, so naive and your presumption - that the fancy equipment can somehow compensate for lack of experience (while disregarding majority of advice given here) - is a very dangerous proposition.

Frankly, I am not even sure what the purpose of your posts. I am happy that you are making Mr. Beer "beer" with $3,000 equipment that pretty much anyone can make with about $50, and dreaming up about scaling up to multi barrel operation some day, but it does take some skill and some actual knowledge to do that.

Which you could have gotten for $20 book or just reading some internet forums for free and listening.

 

[Altrez]

Altrez, no disrespect, and I am really trying to help you, but I think what a lot of people are trying to tell you is that instead of spending $3,000 or whatever it is you spent by now on fancy equipment, combined with crappy Mr. Beer kits, (and I really thought this was some trolling joke, perhaps it is), you could have spent $20 on a decent book (or two) - or just use interwebs, for free - to educate yourself a bit about brewing process, and then train and test yourself by brewing decent to very good beers on $200 equipment (that's all it takes really) and then, MAYBE gradually scale up to greater, better tasting beers, as you learn more about the process, and find the ways to make your beers better, otherwise you might as well hire someone to brew good beer for you, and call yourself an accomplished brewmaster.

Basically it's just like any other hobby. You can buy $3,000 chainsaw or $15,000 bike but that fact alone doesn't make you an expert woodworker or a semi-professional cyclist, does it?

Again, after months of just buying stuff you are finally brewing now so maybe you are on the right path, but so many of your posts are still so, so naive and your presumption - that the fancy equipment can somehow compensate for lack of experience (while disregarding majority of advice given here) - is a very dangerous proposition.

Frankly, I am not even sure what the purpose of your posts. I am happy that you are making Mr. Beer "beer" with $3,000 equipment that pretty much anyone can make with about $50, and dreaming up about scaling up to multi barrel operation some day, but it does take some skill and some actual knowledge to do that.

Which you could have gotten for $20 book or just reading some internet forums for free and listening.

Hello 55x11,

To address one question, I have read 4 books on the subject already and currently looking to add 2 more. I listen to all the advise of the wonderful and very helpful people on this forum and consider them to be a very valuable resource.

As far as buying equipment I am going to need most of that stuff for later brews. And It is ok if I have around a 10 to 15% loss on things I will never use again. I consider it a learning adventure.

And I do not think I ever posted anywhere that it was my belief that having high end equipment automatically meant good beer. It takes lots of hands on time and hard work to get to where I want to be.

To spend 10 to 20 grand on brewing the perfect Mr. Beer kit is not the point. I am having a great time exploring beer brewing and doing it my way

Like I said before some people will not understand it and that's ok! This is how I am going to do it and it is different then the way you do but that does not mean that it is wrong

And yes if it cost me $20,000.00 in R&D to make the perfect Mr. Beer IPA and I can repeat it every time I brew then that to me is something awesome. I am brewing other kits and will go to all grain later this year.

Thank you for the post! And there was no disrespect taken. I think if you better understood my position you would understand the direction I am heading.



-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Hence the title of the thread!!!

Mike

And it is true! I am learning new things daily about the art of beer brewing!

-Altrez

 

[Northbank]

My shopping list:

How to Brew $11.08 .... glad I supported the author, but I tend to lean on the website more.

Beer Captured $4 (Amazon second hand market)

CloneBrews $4 (Amazon second hand market)

... I don't really want to clone beers, but I did want access to recipes that felt familiar so i could see what went into them... the books are available for $0.01 on Amazon, you just pay the shipping.

A basic home brew kit $89.37 - Hydrometer, Bottling Bucket, 6.5 gallon glass carboy, bung, airlock, bottle capper, racking cane, siphon hoses, sanitizer.

Beer thief $11.43
Carboy Carrier $11.24
Auto-Siphon $12.50
Stopper Thermowell $20.75
Inkwell Temperature Controller $34.99
Chest Freezer $100 (Craigslist 7cu, bit enough for 2x 5 gallon batches)
Second Hydrometer with tube $18
Big ass spoon $8
5.5 gallon Stainless Steel pot ($65 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-Style-22-Quart-Covered-Stockpot/19581118 --- I really love this thing, its sturdy as all hell, and so much nicer than the cheaper aluminum pots that are super thin ... I used this as a carboy carrier for my last batch ...)
Replacement bottle capper $22 (my kit version was a pile...)
Neighbors saved bottles for me. I have about 150 and it cost me the promise of future beer.

This is my basic setup .... Everything purchased came out of necessity, because I found I needed it. I felt guilty spending this much.

Consumables ...

Star San $11.98
True Brew Extract Porter Kit $36.93 (my intro ... a kit ... turned out nicely with some aging. Decided I needed more variety in my beer than the remaining 40 porters ) so ....
Self built IPA extract recipe $35.00 (wonderful hoppy smells when I open my freezer!)
2lb corn sugar $5
Gelatin $5
Whirlfloc $5

Upcoming ...

1 5 x gallon secondary (Lagering... $30 ... I don't want a yeasty lager)
Lager ingredients (~ $20ish)
1 6.5 gallon primary fermenter (because doing one batch at a time blows ... these are all over craigslist for $15)
2 Airlocks $10
1 Blowoff tube
Investigating BIAB
BeerSmith $25ish

Follies

Cascade, and Magnum hop rhizomes ... $5 ... they are a little late to get planted but fun and I have the space. This might really pan out next year.

.... I can't think of anything else I'll need unless I just keep adding carboys to really age things.



At times I have felt like I was taking things way to far, spending far too much, and ..... this thread makes me feel so frigging healthy. So trolling or demented ... thank you ..... I think ...

 

[Altrez]

My shopping list:

How to Brew $11.08 .... glad I supported the author, but I tend to lean on the website more.

Beer Captured $4 (Amazon second hand market)

CloneBrews $4 (Amazon second hand market)

... I don't really want to clone beers, but I did want access to recipes that felt familiar so i could see what went into them... the books are available for $0.01 on Amazon, you just pay the shipping.

A basic home brew kit $89.37 - Hydrometer, Bottling Bucket, 6.5 gallon glass carboy, bung, airlock, bottle capper, racking cane, siphon hoses, sanitizer.

Beer thief $11.43
Carboy Carrier $11.24
Auto-Siphon $12.50
Stopper Thermowell $20.75
Inkwell Temperature Controller $34.99
Chest Freezer $100 (Craigslist 7cu, bit enough for 2x 5 gallon batches)
Second Hydrometer with tube $18
Big ass spoon $8
5.5 gallon Stainless Steel pot ($65 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-Style-22-Quart-Covered-Stockpot/19581118 --- I really love this thing, its sturdy as all hell, and so much nicer than the cheaper aluminum pots that are super thin ... I used this as a carboy carrier for my last batch ...)
Replacement bottle capper $22 (my kit version was a pile...)
Neighbors saved bottles for me. I have about 150 and it cost me the promise of future beer.

This is my basic setup .... Everything purchased came out of necessity, because I found I needed it. I felt guilty spending this much.

Consumables ...

Star San $11.98
True Brew Extract Porter Kit $36.93 (my intro ... a kit ... turned out nicely with some aging. Decided I needed more variety in my beer than the remaining 40 porters ) so ....
Self built IPA extract recipe $35.00 (wonderful hoppy smells when I open my freezer!)
2lb corn sugar $5
Gelatin $5
Whirlfloc $5

Upcoming ...

1 5 x gallon secondary (Lagering... $30 ... I don't want a yeasty lager)
Lager ingredients (~ $20ish)
1 6.5 gallon primary fermenter (because doing one batch at a time blows ... these are all over craigslist for $15)
2 Airlocks $10
1 Blowoff tube
Investigating BIAB
BeerSmith $25ish

Follies

Cascade, and Magnum hop rhizomes ... $5 ... they are a little late to get planted but fun and I have the space. This might really pan out next year.

.... I can't think of anything else I'll need unless I just keep adding carboys to really age things.



At times I have felt like I was taking things way to far, spending far too much, and ..... this thread makes me feel so frigging healthy. So trolling or demented ... thank you ..... I think ...

Hello,

That's a nice list! I have went a different route but that is defiantly everything you need to make some great beer! I think people get confused thinking that I do not know that anyone can make great beer for less then $100!

I never said that anyone needed any special equipment to brew. I choose to buy things that I want to experiment with that I feel comfortable buying. This is my hobby and drinking beer is just a small part of it for me

Again so we are all of the same page. I could of purchased a NB kit brewed it and had good beer 6 weeks later for less then $100. After reading how bunched up everyone gets over the way I am doing things it has been worth the price of admission



"Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things.

They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

-Altrez

 

[PADave]

That's what makes home brewing great. You can make what you want, how you want, when you want. As long as you are happy with everything that's all that matters. And if not happy, you can change whatever you want.

 

[Altrez]

That's what makes home brewing great. You can make what you want, how you want, when you want. As long as you are happy with everything that's all that matters. And if not happy, you can change whatever you want.

You are 100% correct and that is why there are all type's of home brewers! It is a big ol mixing pot of people doing diffrent things all for the love of beer



-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Update:

After much thinking I decided to go ahead and buy a small water distiller. This is the model I ordered it should be here next week.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ANW7HQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I think this will cost me less then .35 cents per gallon and should pay for it's self in 6 months.

I will post some pics and test results when It gets here.

-Altrez

 

[Jwin]

Distills 1 gallon every 5.5 hours (ideally).
So, assuming you will ever get to 5.5g AG batches at minimum, you will need to run this thing for a week straight , considering in downtime to clean it, refill, etc.
Pay for itself? obviously not a concern.
heavily recommend adding the Water book to your amazon order or this thing will be of no use.

 

[Altrez]

Distills 1 gallon every 5.5 hours (ideally).
So, assuming you will ever get to 5.5g AG batches at minimum, you will need to run this thing for a week straight , considering in downtime to clean it, refill, etc.
Pay for itself? obviously not a concern.
heavily recommend adding the Water book to your amazon order or this thing will be of no use.

Hi Jwin,

When I get to 5.5g AG I will buy the big unit. I am in 1 gallon / 2 gallon land now so it will be fine. The water kit from hach that I am looking at buying after I get a few more brew days under my belt comes with that book:

http://www.hach.com/craft-brewing-test-kit/product?id=21481774051

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Brew Day is underway this evening! I am using the NB 1 gallon kit and it is AWESOME! Everything smells so fresh!! I am brewing The Plinian Legacy.

-Altrez

 

[Jwin]

Due to the mobile app being crap, I don't have the energy/care to type my response three times
Order the water book and look at the LaMotte kits.
$800 water kit for distilled water is pure ignorance.
I'm done with this thread.

 

[Altrez]

Due to the mobile app being crap, I don't have the energy/care to type my response three times
Order the water book and look at the LaMotte kits.
$800 water kit for distilled water is pure ignorance.
I'm done with this thread.

Hello Jwin,

I am sorry that you feel that way. I will check out the LaMotte kits as well.

Take care,

-Altrez

 

[kh54s10]

Altrez, it is great that you want to experiment and have lots of expensive equipment. Just keep in mind that a large part of what you have bought, most other home brewers will never buy (or need) through their entire time brewing.

I surely wish I had all the money that you have spent on advanced (and unnecessary) equipment so that I could use it to buy ingredients to brew BEER. I would still have a ton left over for other things......

And no disrespect intended. Just trying to explain why others are puzzled by this whole thread.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Altrez - I'd like to give you credit for how you handle yourself. You've been given some crap and just roll with it. I've seen many internet meltdowns over less!

Cheers to you, buddy!

You seem like a dude that likes to tinker and if buying a $800 piece of equipment to make a $2 gallon of water is in your budget...your money so go for it! I wouldn't go that route but...!

You kinda remind me of a guy that buys a F1 car and learns to drive it at the go-cart track!

Personally, I think this thread is fun. Have a good time and I hope you like the beer you make! I've told people over and over again that it's as much fun making beer as drinking beer so if all the "toys" you have is part of your fun then you're doing it right, I say.



PS: you really don't need to buy all this crap to make good beer! .