New Brewer From Missouri

[jtswkd]

Hi, I am new to brewing but have been reading this site for the last 7 months. I was deployed (USAF Civil Engineer) and have been spending a lot of time reading and getting my initial brewing set up to what fits best.

I have a 30qt turkey fryer (39.99 Home Depot today!), Midwest supplies intermediate kit w/better bottle and a full size extra fridge for lagering/bottle storage.

I am about to have my first child and move to Florida, so my first brew won't be coming for another month or so, thinking about getting one going the end of the month and then moving it while in the secondary to my new location, what do you think?

 

[skidaddytn]

though it is possible... it sounds like a pain... I would not want to "move apartments/houses" with a primary or secondary big vessel still in action... If you have to the end of December, just do a primary only for 2 weeks then bottle before you move. If you are careful with the auto-siphon your beer will still be clear of sediment (don't be a cheap a@# and try to get every last drop). I have only ever used a secondary once anyhow, not everyone does secondaries... remember to keep your beer out of long time exposure to sun light during the move...

 

[jtswkd]

Thanks, I will try that. My truck has a cover over the bed and a rubber mat so they can hang out in the dark, the winter weather ought to keep the temps at a reasonable level as well.
The only reason I had thought about moving with a secondary is I know a guy who moved from NC to WA with 2 beers in secondary, figure if he could do it I could too.

 

[grain-pa]

hi, i would never move with a beer in a fermenter (be it primary or secondary fermentation). this could end up with much trouble such as soaked clothes and furniture etc ... which skidaddytn has circumscribed as a pain. i always keg my beers during primary fermentation, so that there is still enough unfermented sugar in the young beer in the kegs to develop the necessary amount of CO2 inside. (when i keg a little too late my 6 kg CO2 bottle has to resolve the "problem".)

since kegs explode at 3 bar (= security measure) i screw a pressure control valve on a modified tap head (with cut-off back-pressure valves on the CO2 connector and a locking device on the beer connector) and put it onto the keg. i adjust the pressure valve to 2 bar which I found to be sufficient.

If you have these accessories you should do it like this or wait until you are in Florida.

Best regards

 

[nukinfuts29]

Where you at in MO?

Welcome aboard!

 

[jtswkd]

Thanks for the insight guys. I would be moving the beers separate from my belongings as the gov't hires movers to move military members stuff.

I guess I'll just have to wait till florida to brew, I am just really eager to start as I have been wanting to do this for over a year but stupid Iraq got in the way.

I'm going to Michaels today to pick up a pasta roller with my 40% coupon so I can make my own grain mill for doing some small all-grain batches as well as the extracts. BIAB seems almost as easy as extract brewing so maybe some small 1-2 gallon batches for experiments will be in order!

 

[jtswkd]

BTW nukinfuts, I am in Ashland. Went to school at Mizzou then was stationed in NC for my first assignment. When I left for my 1 year deployment (year longs are abnormal for the Air Force) i moved my wife back home to be with family. We are moving soon eough not gonna move her back to NC so MO is where she hangs her head and were I am taking as much of my leave as possible to be with her before moving.

 

[nukinfuts29]

Hey jt,

Sorry I missed the reply. How far is Ashland from Bowling Green / Troy?

 

[jtswkd]

about 2 hours west, 15 miles south of Columbia

 

[nukinfuts29]

Thats not so far. Let me know when you get back in April we will swap some booze or something!