My Brewing Experience Thus Far...Perhaps a Help To Any Other New Brewers

[Ballardinho]

First, a few items to note:

1. I am currently an extract brewer and have three brews under my belt. The first was a Pale Ale, the second was a Citra IPA and the third was a Pumpkin Ale that I just bottled yesterday.

2. For my first two recipes, I went with recipes from my LHBS, though I added a different dry hop to each. For the third recipe, I basically scoured the web (mostly this site ) and took bits and pieces of what I found interesting.

3. For the most part, all three batches have turned out pretty well! My Pumpkin Ale is not finished conditioning yet but the sample at bottling tasted pretty good (will probably add MORE spice, however).

So, knowing all this, I though I would share my thoughts about this hobby that has taken such a powerful hold over me! In no particular order:

1. I am scared of the yeast part of the process! I have stuck with 1056 for all three brews thus far. To be honest, I am not completely sure why I am scared of it?! I have yet to do a starter and am not really comfortable (knowledgeable) about making a decision on what to use and how much to use. Liquid v dry? Starter? Temperature control? I would say that, of all the steps and components to this process, this is the one that I need to educate myself better.

2. Taking notes has been a HUGE help! Actually, I have taken very detailed and thorough notes and I am super glad I did. I have also just recently downloaded Beer Smith and this has been a huge help as well. By the end of my brew day/night I have usually had a few beers myself, so it is nice to be able to check back and have a detailed account of measurements, steps, etc. I highly recommend you use this as a tool. One thing I have yet to do is find a "perfect" brewers note pad. Any advice here would be helpful!

3. I really recommend having a dedicated area in your house that you use to store gear and/or make your brew. I currently DO NOT and really think this would help. I have stuff stored in my furnace room, laundry room and garage currently and this needs to change. I need to take the next step (and buy my wife something nice to help...) and create my own brew space. For now, some shelving, a couple tables and a corner of a room will do great. If I ever upgrade, perhaps I will need more space than that, but this should suffice for now.

4. Cost of brewing beer? I have kept most of my receipts thus far and the numbers don't quite pencil out yet. I don't have a TON of equipment, but I have enough. Obviously, those costs will be amortized over the life of my hobby making beer. So overall I am ok with that (the more I make, the less my equipment costs!). I don't think it saves much money making beer, however. Not that it should....its about the process and that is why I do it. I am wondering, however, if there comes a point or if there is a way to really start saving money by BREWING beer as opposed to BUYING it? Along the same lines, is it cheaper to make the switch to ALL GRAIN?

5. Cleaning bottles is not fun. It's not horrible, but it isn't my favorite part of the process. I will need to seriously consider making the change to kegging, especially since I have a buddy that will give me all his equipment for free. One thing, however....I ABSOLUTELY LOVE having my own beer in bottles! I may not every completely give that up because there is just something about it...

6. I have been very ANAL about cleaning and sanitizing. I know that it adds a lot of time to my brew day, but I still think I am ok with that. I have yet to have a problem and may as well continue to go over the top with these steps!

So those are my thoughts about what has transpired thus far, here are a few thoughts about what comes next:

1. For better or worse, I will continue to do extract brewing for another 8-10 brews. I just feel like it gives me a good feel for the terminology, the process, the ingredients and the equipment with a bigger room for error. I might be completely wrong about this, of course, but that is the plan.

2. I then plan to switch over to ALL GRAIN. What will the initial costs of this transition be? I am hoping it is not too much, but realize that it will come at a price.

3. The plan then would be to increase my batch sizes. Actually, I would love to do that much sooner if possible, as I want MORE of the beer I have already made!

4. Would you recommend increasing batch sizes BEFORE changing to all grain or making the transition to all grain first? As I don't know the equipment involved, I am not quite sure about what the proper order should be.

Well, that about sums up my first few months of this wonderful, and addicting, hobby. I really do love it and I ALWAYS look forward to my next brew experience.

This has really been just a random stream of consciousness, so I apologize for being a little long winded.

Thanks, all!

 

[kaconga]

Get some form of temp control and learn how to make a starter. Yeast really like to make beer but they don't give a lick about what we think in regards to taste. Proper yeast management, ESPECIALLY temp control, is the key to great beers.

Decide how big you want to go before you make the move to all grain. Otherwise you will end up with a lot of transition acquisitions. I knew I would never make more than 5 gallon batches. But I also knew I would enjoy some pretty strong beers (9%+ abv) so I went with a 10 gallon cooler for a mash/lauter tun. If I hadn't known what I really wanted to start then I would have ended up with a 5 gallon cooler and been unhappy.

 

[dkevinb]

Sounds like you're making great progress. Congrats!

1. Nothing wrong with extract brewing. You can make some really good beers that way. It's a good way to get your feet wet and get your process under control.

2. I just did my first AG batch last weekend. Total additional cost was to buy a bag for Brew In A Bag. I highly recommend reading up on it in the BIAB section of the forum here. It's very easy, only slightly harder than steeping grain for an extract batch.

3 & 4. What batch sizes are you brewing now? I went from 2.5 gallon batches to 5 gallon extract plus steeping grain batches. I also went to full boils, so I got a Bayou Classic SP10 outdoor propane cooker and an 8 gallon aluminum tamale steamer. Those two together set me back maybe $80. You can do 5 gallon batches using partial boil in smaller pots on the stove, but it's unlikely you'll be able to reasonably boil 6.5 gallons of wort on most stoves.

Going to AG/BIAB I've dropped back to 3 gallon batches for the moment because trying to do 5 gallon BIAB batches in an 8 gallon pot is problematic unless you do a separate sparge step. I want to get my process down before I start adding complications to it.

 

[duboman]

+1 on temp control and making starters or at least re-hydrating dry yeast. Regardless of what you brew, the yeast make the beer and if you treat those little buggers properly they will make you great beer!

Don't set a time limit or batch limit on extract vs all grain, Work on your process first, especially the yeast part and your beer will improve with each batch. While you are brewing with extract, begin reading "How to Brew" by Palmer if you aren't already. This book will begin to educate you on the all grain process (It can also help you with the extract, partial mash, etc. as well)

All Grain brewing is not difficult BUT it is more involved, takes more time and has many more variables involved in the process such as mash, lauter, sparging, efficiency, water chemistry, etc. all that have profound effects on the quality of beer you produce. There is also some investment in additional and properly sized equipment but if you purchase intelligently and buy quality you will only buy once. All grain is not difficult but there is a lot more to think about.

Bottling vs kegging is to me a non issue, I do both depending on the beer involved and purpose. I can bottle 2.5 cases of beer myself in about an 1.25 hours from cleaning and sanitizing to capping and boxing them up. As you become more proficient it is really not a big deal. With the kegs, you can also bottle from the keg so there is that Kegging is less time consuming but there are some nuances and costs involved in set up, maintenance and the kegs are getting more expensive as well.

Cheers!

 

[CrypticIntent]

Regarding 4, the cost:
I wanted to post this here because it is something I have tracked extensively (even though I've only been brewing since January.)

Currently I have batches 13 and 14 in primary fementation.

I do approximately five gallon batches at a time. My minimum yield on every batch is 12 pints and 24 long necks, or a total of 480 oz. (Again, bare minimum, usually I can get a few more pints and another six pack.) This is equivalent to a total of 40 12 oz. Now, if you are home brewer I'm going to assume you typically don't drink Bud Light/Coors/etc. so I'll put pricing per beer at a supermarket at $1.50 a bottle. ($9/6 pack is about average in my area.) So for 480 oz, you'd pay $60 at retail.

Between all 14 of my brews (I started all grain), my average cost in consumables (grains/yeast/water (since I can't use the municipal)/propane etc) is $37/brew.

I only need one more batch this year and I'll have paid off all my initial costs.
Obviously though I'm not counting my time at all in production costs as this hobby is how I unwind after a long week and it gives me wonderful results.

 

[feinbera]

+1 on temp control. Since I started, I've switched to all-grain, built an immersion chiller, mucked around with protein rests and hop stands... but, by far, the biggest overall win for quality and consistency was a 15-gallon plastic bucket to make a water bath for my fermentor, and add hot tapwater or frozen half-gallon plastic milk jugs to keep the temperature within a degree or two of target.

A couple other notes... spring for 10-gallon equipment, you'll need it for high-graivty 5-gallon batches, and you'll appreciate the extra space even on normal batches. And, for me, partial-mash was an excellent stepping stone for a couple of batches; it let me get my toes wet with the mash process, but still had the safety net of most of my fermentables in extract form, so I knew I'd still get beer even if I screwed something up.

 

[Halifax]

Great post, I am new to home brewing and have done lot's of research already. For me, the interest is more the process than making the beer, well at least for now. Doing all the research, setting up the system, getting the gear has been exciting. I am going right into AG BIAB, seems to be the way to go and most likely where I will stay long term. The yeast / fermentation is still something I am studying. As mentioned above, I ordered a 10 G pot for versatility while keeping the equipment size to a minimum. The biggest problem for me too will be where to keep everything, only a small shed and no garage. Sure I will find room but it won't be easy.

Last, I will say I have no interest in replicating a beer. The main reason for my interest is creativity. Being artistic, I desire to make something unique and plan to range from really rich porters to really bitter ales. I will always visit the local tap houses as I really enjoy craft beer but what I make at home will have to be different. The thought of saving money never crossed my mind.

Look forward to seeing other posts on this and will be sure to add my experience as I brew a few myself.

 

[CrypticIntent]

Last, I will say I have no interest in replicating a beer. The main reason for my interest is creativity. As an artist and musician, I desire to make something unique and plan to range from really rich porters to really bitter ales. I will always visit the local tap houses as I really enjoy craft beer but what I make at home will have to be different. The thought of saving money never crossed my mind.

I keep all the data because I'm a math/physics nerd. I brew beer for these reasons.

My wife loves the fact that I typically just go into our local shop and decide to mix whatever grains/hops fit the palette (since my shop is small, very limited/rotating yeast strains, and I haven't started keeping my own)

 

[Ballardinho]

This is all GREAT banter!

I agree with everyone here and appreciate that you like the post. I, too, am not all that concerned with replicating or cloning beers. That being said, I do like what I like and want to use that as a guide to create, in my mind, something better!

I also agree that the process is probably the biggest thrill of all.

Lastly, I really wish that I had someone with a more "science-y" background that I could partner with in this endeavor! It would make some of the process go much more smooth....

Thanks, all, and best of luck to all of you!

 

[MaxStout]

This is all GREAT banter!

I agree with everyone here and appreciate that you like the post. I, too, am not all that concerned with replicating or cloning beers. That being said, I do like what I like and want to use that as a guide to create, in my mind, something better!

I also agree that the process is probably the biggest thrill of all.

Lastly, I really wish that I had someone with a more "science-y" background that I could partner with in this endeavor! It would make some of the process go much more smooth....

Thanks, all, and best of luck to all of you!

For someone with just 3 brews, you seem to have the basics down well. Don't worry about not having the "science-y" background. Just have a passion for making better beer, and you will.

Don't try to tackle everything at once. Each time you brew, add an element that takes you out of your comfort zone. In your OP, you mentioned yeast. Use a different strain next time, brew a completely different style and try to get the ferm temp dialed in for that strain. Then next time, maybe make a starter and see how that improves your beer. And so on. Learning this craft is an iterative process and each additional task you become comfortable with only makes your brewing experiences better and more versatile.

As to finding someone to partner with, check out your local brew clubs or ask around at your LHBS to see who lives close by. I was fortunate to make a couple brew friends, both of whom had a few more years of experience. I have learned a lot by hanging out with them and brewing together.