Need a little help…

[Big_D]

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.



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.

Fantastic info! Thank you!

For the oxygen, I’ve got an in-line kit that has a stone in it. I’ve got a small regulator, hopefully I can adapt it to fit those red bottles. It’ll be a closed transfer from the kettle to the fermenter. As the wort leaves the cooling coils, it’ll pass through the oxygenator as it goes into the fermenter.

 

[davidabcd]

Without crushing your positive attitude, I'd make a couple extract brews first. I'm not saying switch to extract brewing, but do them as a gradient so there are a few things less to know.
It could be surprising how many questions will pop up just doing an extract/extract w/grain batch. It was quite the three-ring circus when I began despite my background.
Just my opinion.
Good luck.

 

[Big_D]

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!

You guys are awesome.. I REALLY appreciate all of the great info!

Funny thing, I also ordered a porter kit when I ordered the Cali Common kits. Maybe I should start off with it. As far as PH, I know I’ve got a couple hand held meters around here somewhere. I’ll have to see what I’ve got and see if they calibrate or not.

 

[Big_D]

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.

Hopefully I do enjoy it, I’m pretty confident I will. Two of my passions are cooking (mainly on the grill) and drinking good beer. Honestly, I’m surprised it took me this long to give brewing a shot. Oh, and I picked it all up used from several different folks. It was still an investment, but my thoughts were the same as @Craiginthecorn mentioned.. if I’m going to buy equipment, try to do it once verse upgrading later on.

 

[palmtrees]

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.

If you do take my advice and go with half RO water for your first few batches, you definitely need to worry about chlorine in tap water. You can use campden tablets to easily remove it, but if you don't, the chlorine/chloramine can create terrible off flavors. Like old bandaid. Another solution is to buy spring water at the store, which will have minerals but shouldn't have any chlorine. Mix that with water from your RO filter and you should have an acceptable mineral profile for a while as you figure out all the other processes.

 

[Big_D]

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!

Awesome advice.. appreciate it! i think you hit the nail on the head. I just want to make good beer, not an award winner. And then be able to say, yeah.. I made that!

 

[Big_D]

Without crushing your positive attitude, I'd make a couple extract brews first. I'm not saying switch to extract brewing, but do them as a gradient so there are a few things less to know.
It could be surprising how many questions will pop up just doing an extract/extract w/grain batch. It was quite the three-ring circus when I began despite my background.
Just my opinion.
Good luck.

Lol.. love the circus analogy! That’s exactly what I picture the first brew day as being!

 

[Big_D]

If you do take my advice and go with half RO water for your first few batches, you definitely need to worry about chlorine in tap water. You can use campden tablets to easily remove it, but if you don't, the chlorine/chloramine can create terrible off flavors. Like old bandaid. Another solution is to buy spring water at the store, which will have minerals but shouldn't have any chlorine. Mix that with water from your RO filter and you should have an acceptable mineral profile for a while as you figure out all the other processes.

I see your in Atlanta, what do you use? I’m in Newnan, this time of year it seems they chlorinate heavier as you can smell it coming out of the tap. I’ll pick up some gallon jugs of deer park and go half and half with it and RO.

 

[jrgtr42]

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.

Well, there's worrying and thenb there's WORRYING about it. Having some chlorine in there won't poison you or make the beer undrinkable, but it may not be as good as it could be. Like I said, I've been using tap water all along and I have no issues with it.
But if you already have an RO system, of course use it. Once you move to all-grain, you'll need to adjust the minerals and such - there's online calculators that will tell you how much of whatever to add, and to be able to adjust for different styles of beer.
Obviously if you can smell or taste the chlorine in the tap water you don't want to use it as is - though I understand if you let it sit a day or two the chlorine will dissipate. |If the water is pretty much neutral, it's OK.

 

[palmtrees]

I see your in Atlanta, what do you use? I’m in Newnan, this time of year it seems they chlorinate heavier as you can smell it coming out of the tap. I’ll pick up some gallon jugs of deer park and go half and half with it and RO.

I just buy gallons of distilled at the grocery store. I brew 2.5 gallon batches, so the cost isn't a big deal to me. I've never tried brewing with the tap water here because it never seemed worth the effort to treat for chlorine and try to figure out the mineral content of the water. The municipal water reports aren't that reliable, and I have very old pipes, so who knows what the water coming from my sink actually contains.

 

[GrowleyMonster]

That's quite a "starter kit" you got there!

I would stop buying stuff for a while except for ingredients, and make a few 5 gallon batches before buying anything else. Otherwise you will end up spending an extra $2000 to make the same 60 gallons or so of beer every year. And actually you are already on a good start there. Don't get me wrong... pretty much everything you have bought is useful and good quality, but you could have spent a lot less and still be able to brew great beer. No biggie, water under the bridge. But going forward from here, staying a little closer to the basics on future purchases will leave more money for more and better ingredients.

 

[davidabcd]

Another solution is to buy spring water at the store

Absolutely. I was getting a whiff now and then of chlorine from the tap water so all spring water now. I do extracts so my boil is 3 gallons. Long story short, two gallons of spring water in the freezer to 33°F for top off. Makes getting to pitching temp really easy.

 

[Big_D]

Absolutely. I was getting a whiff now and then of chlorine from the tap water so all spring water now. I do extracts so my boil is 3 gallons. Long story short, two gallons of spring water in the freezer to 33°F for top off. Makes getting to pitching temp really easy.

Good tip there!

 

[Deric]

My $0.02

You have GREAT equipment.

IF your water tastes good - get some Campden tablets and treat for chlorine/chloramines to be safe.

If brewing 5 gallons:
Get 10-12 pounds of 2 row
2-6 ounces of hops (do you like more or less bitter?)
A couple packs of GOOD dry yeast - perhaps US-05

If brewing 10 gallons double it.

Brew a batch. Keep DETAILED records. I'd suggest brewing software .... BrewFather, BrewersFreind, BeerSmith etc. I really like BrewFather.

Does it taste bad? Post here with your questions/concerns. Get feedback, adjust process as necessary.

Brew it again.

Make improvements and brew it until you think you can make it the same over and over.

Try a new recipe.

 

[superiorsat]

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.

I would suggest you start off "extract" as in extract the sugar from your all grain setup which should perform as desired. Mashing is not tough. A carbon filter or Campden tablet for chlorine and get to brewing and report back in a couple weeks. The longer you linger looking for info just means you have to keep buying over priced beer from the MAN. Lol.

 

[GrowleyMonster]

Here is a good recipe kit to just get your feet wet. Dead easy, no surprises, simple instructions. Not even particularly temperature dependent. Ferment at room temperature! Quite a nice drink, too. This, just as an example, but it was my first batch and it was darn good beer. BAM, out of the park! That first batch got me off to a great start and gave me a lot of enthusiasm to continue brewing. Even Mrs. Monster liked that one, and she doesn't like beer.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/block-party-amber-ale
You can use two complete recipe kits for one 5 gallon batch and make "Double Block" ale. But don't do that your first time at bat.

You have the stuff to go all grain recipe brewing right from the get go, but there is a lot to be said for starting in the shallow end of the pool. There are a lot of parameters to control and a lot of details you simply can't forget, that later on you will take care of as a matter of course, while hardly thinking about them. Could be a bit bewildering your first time.

With a good ingredients kit, mainly you just need to be meticulous with cleanliness and sanitation. The fine points of the process can wait while you do your first batch of ale of your first couple of batches.

You are probably used to drinking lager beer, maybe pilsner. Yeah, the yellow stuff from the grocery. And you can make a superior lager that puts it to shame, but lager is a little more complicated than a simple ale. After your kit batch or batches, try a popular ale recipe, nothing fancy, just good ol' ale. No need to continue with extract once you have your foot in the door. You got the gear, go ahead and go with all grain brewing. Get a few batches of ale in, before trying a lager. Be able to keep your fermenter down in the 50's (fahrenheit) for WEEKS, during ferment and lagering, if you want to make a proper lager beer. Ales ferment happily in the upper 60's through lower 70's generally.

 

[JAReeves]

It's quite the starter kit; I have been assembling/building my system over the span of several years, and I'm at the point where it's very minor changes if any at all. Aside from the advice you already received, I would strongly encourage you to pick an online recipe resource, especially if you decide to go all grain.

FWIW, I use Brewer's Friend. Great calculators for measuring all sorts of things and processes, and the recipes I make are fully downloadable so I can keep accurate records of how my recipes have changed over the years. Others will have their favorite, I am sure, but pick one that fits your process. I don't always have room for my laptop in the garage when I am brewing, so using my phone to modify my recipe on the fly as calculations come in is easy with Brewer's Friend. Most of my recipes are public, so take a look if you are interested:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/brewer/182475/reevesie

 

[GrowleyMonster]

It's quite the starter kit; I have been assembling/building my system over the span of several years, and I'm at the point where it's very minor changes if any at all. Aside from the advice you already received, I would strongly encourage you to pick an online recipe resource, especially if you decide to go all grain.

FWIW, I use Brewer's Friend. Great calculators for measuring all sorts of things and processes, and the recipes I make are fully downloadable so I can keep accurate records of how my recipes have changed over the years. Others will have their favorite, I am sure, but pick one that fits your process. I don't always have room for my laptop in the garage when I am brewing, so using my phone to modify my recipe on the fly as calculations come in is easy with Brewer's Friend. Most of my recipes are public, so take a look if you are interested:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/brewer/182475/reevesie

Indeed. I use their recipe calculator just to try stuff in a virtual brew world and get an idea of what to expect from this or that, and tweak things with a reasonable expectation of results. My next batch, something like this. Might add some flavorings, might not.

Gentilly Imperial Oatmeal Chocolate Stout | No Profile Selected BIAB Beer Recipe | Brewer's Friend though I should have named it Gentilly Imperial Oatmeal Chocolate Cream Stout.

 

[Teufelhunde]

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?

Good luck with that (if you are talking about the small red tanks from the hardware store), as they are backordered everywhere.....

 

[Big_D]

Good luck with that (if you are talking about the small red tanks from the hardware store), as they are backordered everywhere.....

Our Lowes had 10 in stock, I picked up 2. Not sure how to set the rate though on the regulator. These bottles feel like they have hardly anything in them.

 

[palmtrees]

Our Lowes had 10 in stock, I picked up 2. Not sure how to set the rate though on the regulator. These bottles feel like they have hardly anything in them.

What kind of regulator do you have? I have one that just has a gold knob I can turn to make the flow faster, with no indication of flow rate. Not ideal, but it was the right price for me. So I open the valve just a bit, close to as light as it can go. And then let it go for 60 seconds on normal gravity brews and 90 seconds on higher gravity. That should be all you need. It's lasted me more than 15 brews so far, so I bet your tank will go further than you think.

Now if your regulator has a flow rate to it, there's an optimum range you can hit. I'd search flow rate on this forum and tons of posts should pop up.

 

[Big_D]

What kind of regulator do you have? I have one that just has a gold knob I can turn to make the flow faster, with no indication of flow rate. Not ideal, but it was the right price for me. So I open the valve just a bit, close to as light as it can go. And then let it go for 60 seconds on normal gravity brews and 90 seconds on higher gravity. That should be all you need. It's lasted me more than 15 brews so far, so I bet your tank will go further than you think.

Now if your regulator has a flow rate to it, there's an optimum range you can hit. I'd search flow rate on this forum and tons of posts should pop up.

I‘ve got the same one. It might be a little different setup though, it’ll be going through a stone as the wort gets transferred to the unitank. Here’s a pic.. I ran out of hose so I had to improvise a little.

 

[Big_D]

A little better pic, I have a sight glass to see how much it’s putting in. Problem is, I know it’ll take more than 60 seconds to transfer over. I guess I should only use it for a minute and then close it off.

 

[palmtrees]

A little better pic, I have a sight glass to see how much it’s putting in. Problem is, I know it’ll take more than 60 seconds to transfer over. I guess I should only use it for a minute and then close it off.


View attachment 752553

I haven't used an inline system, but I've read about them and seen them used on YouTube brew videos. My understanding is you only run the oxygen for a short period of the transfer. It is possible to over oxygenate which can hurt your beer, so I'd err on the side of less when you're using pure oxygen. I would think a minute or so of inline oxygenation should do fine for you. Happy to be corrected by anyone who uses those!

 

[Saunassa]

I am on a well with a newer softener. While the water is good there is still some clear water iron that it is noticeable in lighter beers. I buy spring water when it is available otherwise I get the RO water at grocery store water station I started out using a blue enamel stock pot and a bmb fermenter and a thermometer.
You have a hell of a system, running a batch of water through all the steps, heck throw in a few hops even to break in and if it leaks no sticky mess.