Need a little help…

[Big_D]

So, about a week or so ago I decided I was going to give home brewing a shot… didn’t realize what I was getting in to! It all started with an ad I saw for the BeerMkr. I thought wow, that looks pretty easy and has some cool factor to it. Then I found out it only made a gallon at a time, and of course you have to buy their kits. So then I started researching other options.. big mistake!

Here’s where I’m at. I’ve been gathering for several days now and need some advice on what else I’ll need to get my first batch through. I know there’s probably a lot more I‘ll need, but what can I get by with at this point? Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Brewing
Grainfather G30
Hop snake
Cam lock upgrade kit
Mash paddle

Fermenting (I have some decisions to make here)
SS Brewtech 14g unitank
Inline oxygenation kit
FTSS 2 heat/chill kit
Carb stone
Sight glass
Cam lock transfer lines
or
Spikes CF10
Heat/chill kit
Carb stone/PRV kit
Sight glass

Kegging
(2) 5g ball lock kegs
Co2 bottle w/regulator
Kegerator


I have a container of PBW for initial cleaning and a bottle of Star San to sanitize. Also have a lot of fittings/clamps for the unitank and CF10. My submersible pump will be here tomorrow to do a thorough cip on the fermenters.

I decided on a California Common for my first batch. Many years ago Anchor Steam was a favorite choice of mine, haven’t been able to find it for years though.. figured I’d give it a shot. I have (2) 5 gal grain kits for it.

Again, just looking for any advise here before I jump in feet first. I know there’ll be “oh $hit” moments, just trying to minimize as many as possible.


-David

 

[Big_D]

Here’s a pic of most of what I have…

 

[Big_D]

I’ve got a couple gallon jugs of water in the freezer to use for cooling and I’ve got my RO filling up a couple 5g jugs as I type. I have a refractometer that can measure OG, nothing for FG I guess since I read they don’t work well for that. I don’t have anything for ph really though.

 

[Tom R]

Wow, you like to jump in with both feet!
That's one hell of a "starter kit"!

 

[Big_D]

Wow, you like to jump in with both feet!
That's one hell of a "starter kit"!

Appreciate it! Yeah, I’m bad about that. I try to get everything used to help keep the cost down. I’ve gotten some good deals and met some great folks picking it up. Member dford really hooked me up when I picked up the SS Brewtech last night, to the point that I think I’m pretty close to being done on the gathering side and would love to get something fermenting in it.

Just worried I’ll get halfway in and realize I needed something I can’t continue without.

Funny thing is, the wife doesn’t even know I’ve got any of it yet!

 

[Pablo 54]

What Tom R said!
To be honest, I am of no help here with your equipment. I'm just going to stay awhile and oogle your setup.

 

[Big_D]

What Tom R said!
To be honest, I am of no help here with your equipment. I'm just going to stay awhile and oogle your setup.

Lol.. appreciate it Pablo!

I’ve watched a lot of videos.. I don’t see guys checking their water for cal, mag, etc. Also, I don’t see them checking ph. Are these all necessary, or is that just when you’re really fine tuning your process?

 

[Pablo 54]

I should have mentioned this:
You may already know this....I watch David Heath's channel ( David Heath Homebrew ) and he is all about the Grainfather. I get recipe ideas mainly since I don't own a Grainfather. He does such a good job with his brew videos, I've been tempted to buy one.
He does honest equipment reviews (things to add things to skip) so that might help a bit.

 

[Big_D]

I should have mentioned this:
You may already know this....I watch David Heath's channel ( David Heath Homebrew ) and he is all about the Grainfather. I get recipe ideas mainly since I don't own a Grainfather. He does such a good job with his brew videos, I've been tempted to buy one.
He does honest equipment reviews (things to add things to skip) so that might help a bit.

Appreciate it, I’ll check it out!

Do I need to get an O2 tank for the oxygenation kit? The kits I ordered have liquid yeast, so I’m assuming it would be best?

 

[Tropicpine]

I started with a 3 gallon pot, a 5 gallon plastic bucket, 25' of copper tubing fitted to a garden hose & The Complete Idiot's Guide to Home Brewing. Almost all of the beer I made while learning how I want to make beer and evolving my equipment to match for the past 16ish years has been enjoyable.
Where I have come to does not use nearly the quantity or quality of equipment in your picture but it is the equipment of choice for me.
You have not jumped in with both feet. You are clear up to your hips!
After sanitizing, much of the process of beer brewing is about controlling the temperature during the process. I suggest you enjoy practicing with a batches of water while learning the techniques so spills will not be a stickey mess to clean up.
Also pick up a good book on the subject for something to read while waiting for your test water to come to temperature. I would suggest the Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Home Brewing.
Keep in mind that if there is a perfect way to brew beer no two home brewers have as of yet agreed on what that is.
Have fun !

 

[Jag75]

I use the Grainfather and have the Cf5 . You will love the Grainfather. Download the app , get a false bottom , take out the ball and spring and you'll be brewing up a storm .

Also unless you have gypsum, CaCI2 and lactic acid I wouldn't use RO water. Get a
mash program as there's numerous ones to choose from. I use Bru n Water.

 

[Jag75]

Appreciate it, I’ll check it out!

Do I need to get an O2 tank for the oxygenation kit? The kits I ordered have liquid yeast, so I’m assuming it would be best?

I use a big plastic brew spoon . Mix up the wort good and pitch . All good .

You could do the o2 tank , or aquarium pump as well.

 

[Jag75]

Appreciate it! Yeah, I’m bad about that. I try to get everything used to help keep the cost down. I’ve gotten some good deals and met some great folks picking it up. Member dford really hooked me up when I picked up the SS Brewtech last night, to the point that I think I’m pretty close to being done on the gathering side and would love to get something fermenting in it.

Just worried I’ll get halfway in and realize I needed something I can’t continue without.

Funny thing is, the wife doesn’t even know I’ve got any of it yet!

Being married for almost 27 yrs I've learned it's better to ask for forgiveness then permission

 

[bracconiere]

you're going to need a bigger stomach....

 

[Big_D]

I started with a 3 gallon pot, a 5 gallon plastic bucket, 25' of copper tubing fitted to a garden hose & The Complete Idiot's Guide to Home Brewing. Almost all of the beer I made while learning how I want to make beer and evolving my equipment to match for the past 16ish years has been enjoyable.
Where I have come to does not use nearly the quantity or quality of equipment in your picture but it is the equipment of choice for me.
You have not jumped in with both feet. You are clear up to your hips!
After sanitizing, much of the process of beer brewing is about controlling the temperature during the process. I suggest you enjoy practicing with a batches of water while learning the techniques so spills will not be a stickey mess to clean up.
Also pick up a good book on the subject for something to read while waiting for your test water to come to temperature. I would suggest the Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Home Brewing.
Keep in mind that if there is a perfect way to brew beer no two home brewers have as of yet agreed on what that is.
Have fun !

Solid advice.. appreciate it!

 

[Big_D]

I use the Grainfather and have the Cf5 . You will love the Grainfather. Download the app , get a false bottom , take out the ball and spring and you'll be brewing up a storm .

Also unless you have gypsum, CaCI2 and lactic acid I wouldn't use RO water. Get a
mash program as there's numerous ones to choose from. I use Bru n Water.

I’ll definitely be doing away with the ball and spring when I install the cam locks. As for the RO, I’ve read so many water threads it’s a blur. The final one that I read and decided to stop on said just use the RO without any additions… is that going to be an issue?

 

[Big_D]

I use a big plastic brew spoon . Mix up the wort good and pitch . All good .

You could do the o2 tank , or aquarium pump as well.

Do you think the whirlpool method will be good for liquid yeast?

 

[Big_D]

Being married for almost 27 yrs I've learned it's better to ask for forgiveness then permission

LMAO… I stopped asking permission years ago when I showed up to little league practice in a Vette!

Appreciate all the replies and advice!

 

[Big_D]

you're going to need a bigger stomach....

LMAO… My pants are already tight though!

 

[jrgtr42]

I have a refractometer that can measure OG, nothing for FG I guess since I read they don’t work well for that.

Refractmeters will work fine for FG as long as you use a calculator. I use this one Refractometer Calculator. Just make sure you get the measurements in brix as well as 'regular'. The \first several times I brewed using it, I backed up the measurement with a hydrometer, and when punching in the numbers I got the same results, plus or minus margin of error, I don't bother anymore unless something doesn't seem right - and more often than not it's still an ID-10-T error (my mistake...)
It sounds like you have better equipment already than probably 90% of us all on here. I would still recommend starting with a couple extract kits to get the hang of the procedure - mashing is yet another thing to worry about when as a newbie, you'll be worrying about EVERYTHING.
If you haven't already, get and read John Palmer's How To Brew - the first edition is free online, but he's changed his mind on a few things since, get the most recent edition - and Charlie Papzian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Both books are invaluable for anyone brewing.
As far as the RO question goes - you can use the RO water with no additions if you're brewing with extract; the water they used to mash with had all the nutrients and minerals needed. However, if and when you go to all-grain, you'll want to use the additions.
If your tap water tastes good (i.e. doesn't taste like much of anything) it should be fine for brewing. If you won't drink the tap water, then going RO is a good idea. I've been brewing for almost 15 years, 3 different places, and I'm just now starting to look into water chemistry. My beers have been fine till now. IMO temp control and yeast health are more important to good results (again, if you're starting with pretty good water in the first place.)

 

[Coastalbrew]

In addition to the two books already mentioned, I like the homebrew recipe Bible by Chris Colby. It starts out very simple with extract and slowly moves you into extract with stepping grains, mini mashes and then all grain. It is full of recipes specifically designed for each brewing process and in a wide variety of styles. It's a great resource for new brewers that is very approachable and much less detailed than Palmers how to brew.

One other thing to consider with your water is, if it is municipal water, what chemical is used in it chlorine or chloromine? Both need to be removed from the water before brewing. You can use Campden tablets to remove them both, or other methods for chlorine, but either way you'll want to get them out for brewing.

Welcome to the obsession.

Cheers!

 

[McMullan]

I'd go out and buy a few extract kits to start off with. You'll still get to use some of your shiny new kit. Although brewing isn't difficult there are many factors to get within certain ranges. It would be a shame to get it wrong and put yourself off home brewing, especially after the investment and enthusiasm. In addition, or at the very least, run through one or two mock brew days using water and the kit manuals. I take my hat off to you. You haven't jumped in with both feet. You've dived in head first.

 

[palmtrees]

I’ll definitely be doing away with the ball and spring when I install the cam locks. As for the RO, I’ve read so many water threads it’s a blur. The final one that I read and decided to stop on said just use the RO without any additions… is that going to be an issue?

If you do extract, plain RO will work best. The extract has plenty of minerals already in there.

However, if you do all-grain, you need some minerals in your water. If you use tap or spring water, it's best to adjust what's already in there (though figuring out what's already in there can be difficult, which is why I use distilled). If you use RO or distilled, then you will have to add everything you need for brewing.

Water is a very complex topic in the brewing world. And I think it's important to understand that water adjustment isn't essential. It can take good beer and make it great. But it's not going to be the thing that screws up your first beer. So I would suggest keeping things super simple for your first brew day. Going with half distilled and half spring water is a pretty safe route that won't result in any off flavors.

After a few batches, here's what I suggest. Use all RO water. Buy some gypsum, calcium chloride, and lactic acid. Get Bru'n water. It's worth $20 for the paid version. And then watch a YouTube video on how to use it. It's actually very easy once you get the hang of it. The purpose of water adjustments is basically two things: (1) making sure your mash pH is between 5.2 and 5.6 (you're basically using minerals to counteract the ph impact of the grains) and (2) making sure you have the right balance of minerals in the final beer so you get the right taste profile. Do some reading about both of those topics, and trust any post you see on here by Martin Brungard. That will help you figure out what adjustments to make in brun water.

Do you think the whirlpool method will be good for liquid yeast?

Oxygenating wort (as opposed to aerating it, which is what shaking or stirring will do) is another thing that will help you make great beer but isn't essential for good beer, particularly your first batches. Plenty of brewers have good success with liquid yeast without using oxygen. And honestly, making a yeast starter with your liquid yeast is more important than oxygenation. So I'd focus on figuring out yeast starters so you can boost your cell count. That said, oxygenation is useful! If you have an oxygen wand, just get the little red oxygen tanks you can buy at home depot and oxygenated your wort for about 60 seconds before pitching. Using an oxygen wand will add more oxygen than an aquarium pump, which in turn will add more than shaking or stirring. If you use a yeast starter and oxygenate, you should have a very healthy yeast colony that starts fermenting in a few hours of pitching.

 

[bracconiere]

as a newbie, you'll be worrying about EVERYTHING.

i was 18 when i was a newbie...didn't have a care in the world!

If your tap water tastes good (i.e. doesn't taste like much of anything) it should be fine for brewing.

damn, i just saw someone's tap water that would make you question that!

 

[Craiginthecorn]

Yikes! Did your dad throw you in the deep end when learning to swim? The truth is, you probably saved yourself a fair amount of money by skipping the starter equipment, as long as you stick with the hobby.

Cal Common is a good choice for a first brew. Not the absolute easiest, but close. My usual recommendation has been something with lots of dark roasted malts, like a porter, whose strong flavors can mask flaws. However, that advice is decades old, from the bad old days before StarSan. And no one I've given that advice to in the past has started with equipment like yours. If you make mistakes, though, Cal Common will reveal them.

Someone suggested looking at Bru'n Water. It's a fine piece of software, but I would not recommend you go down that particular rabbit hole at this juncture. It's not very user friendly. The Grainfather app now has a beta version of a feature for calculating water salts. I would start with that when you're ready.

One piece of equipment that I think you'll want to add fairly soon is a mill. You'll have better predictability from batch to batch if your grain is crushed consistently, plus there ultimately a significant cost advantage when buying base malts by the bag. Also, do you have a way to measure pH?

The G30 is a solid machine.Be sure to occasionally scrape the bottom with your paddle during the boil to avoid scorching, especially if you have the 220V version. Also, don't worry about wort going down the overflow pipe during mashing. It's essential that the area beneath the malt basket has sufficient liquid and the overflow pipe helps ensure that.

Best of luck!

 

[Big_D]

Refractmeters will work fine for FG as long as you use a calculator. I use this one Refractometer Calculator. Just make sure you get the measurements in brix as well as 'regular'. The \first several times I brewed using it, I backed up the measurement with a hydrometer, and when punching in the numbers I got the same results, plus or minus margin of error, I don't bother anymore unless something doesn't seem right - and more often than not it's still an ID-10-T error (my mistake...)
It sounds like you have better equipment already than probably 90% of us all on here. I would still recommend starting with a couple extract kits to get the hang of the procedure - mashing is yet another thing to worry about when as a newbie, you'll be worrying about EVERYTHING.
If you haven't already, get and read John Palmer's How To Brew - the first edition is free online, but he's changed his mind on a few things since, get the most recent edition - and Charlie Papzian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Both books are invaluable for anyone brewing.
As far as the RO question goes - you can use the RO water with no additions if you're brewing with extract; the water they used to mash with had all the nutrients and minerals needed. However, if and when you go to all-grain, you'll want to use the additions.
If your tap water tastes good (i.e. doesn't taste like much of anything) it should be fine for brewing. If you won't drink the tap water, then going RO is a good idea. I've been brewing for almost 15 years, 3 different places, and I'm just now starting to look into water chemistry. My beers have been fine till now. IMO temp control and yeast health are more important to good results (again, if you're starting with pretty good water in the first place.)

Appreciate the reply.. great info!

I‘ve read conflicting info on water and if it tastes good, it should be fine. But then I figured there’s probably a lot of folks out there brewing with just tap water. I was worried about the chlorine though. I figured since I have an RO/DI setup, I‘d use it to be on the safe side. I can produce 10 gals of RO in a couple hours. It’s just RO, I disconnect the DI when I’m filtering for anything we consume. When I run the DI, the TDS is 0 ppm.. the water is stripped clean.

 

[Big_D]

In addition to the two books already mentioned, I like the homebrew recipe Bible by Chris Colby. It starts out very simple with extract and slowly moves you into extract with stepping grains, mini mashes and then all grain. It is full of recipes specifically designed for each brewing process and in a wide variety of styles. It's a great resource for new brewers that is very approachable and much less detailed than Palmers how to brew.

One other thing to consider with your water is, if it is municipal water, what chemical is used in it chlorine or chloromine? Both need to be removed from the water before brewing. You can use Campden tablets to remove them both, or other methods for chlorine, but either way you'll want to get them out for brewing.

Welcome to the obsession.

Cheers!

Appreciate the reply, I’ve definitely got a lot more reading to do it sounds like.

 

[Cammanron]

Here’s a pic of most of what I have…

View attachment 752248

Let's hope you really, REALLY enjoy brewing because it looks like you have quite alot of money sunk into it already.
My biggest investment was a Blichmann Hellfire burner. I only got that after realizing I can't brew properly without a strong source of heat, like a propane burner.

 

[Big_D]

I'd go out and buy a few extract kits to start off with. You'll still get to use some of your shiny new kit. Although brewing isn't difficult there are many factors to get within certain ranges. It would be a shame to get it wrong and put yourself off home brewing, especially after the investment and enthusiasm. In addition, or at the very least, run through one or two mock brew days using water and the kit manuals. I take my hat off to you. You haven't jumped in with both feet. You've dived in head first.

Thanks for the reply! A lot of suggestions on going with an extract kit verse whole grain to start off. I guess the mash process is a little more challenging than what I was thinking. I helped my dad years ago do a BIAB batch, I remember it was quite a process. I’ve got a couple weeks off from work. I can do a couple water trial runs, and then an extract kit followed by an all grain and compare them to see how they come out.

 

[kmmuellr]

Wow. Hell of a set-up.

I've been brewing since 1996, and still recommend the same things. Relax, don't worry, and have a home brew! Read Papizian and Palmer, and don't go into the weeds until you've got a few batches under your belt.

Brewing is easy. Making award winners can be nuanced, but certainly not difficult to brew great beer w/ minimal equipment!

I currently have a beer keg eBIAB set-up that I made. Works great, and is easy to use. I'd love to have the conicals that you have, but don't need them to make great beer.

Water - I use water from the tap, sometimes make additions, but usually don't. Never made a specific chemistry from and RO start.

Since you have the equipment, doing AG will be easy for you. No need to do an extract batch. Clean and sanitize, watch your temps, and don't pitch your yeast while still hot, and you'll end up w/ good beer.

Enjoy!