new to brew!

OctoBrewing · May 21, 2011

I am new to all of this, but I got a great deal on a 3 stage all grain system, I'm hoping to get the know how, and some expierience, and maybe someday own a brewery. Can anyone tell me what I'm getting into here besides money? Tips- pointers and ideas would be awsome!

djsethall · May 21, 2011

Holy cow, jumping into murky water without testing how deep it is. Don't hit your head. Lol. With that out of the way, it appears that you have a two tier RIMS setup, picture is kinda blurry. The top tank is your Hot Liquor Tank (HLT). That is where you get your water hot. The tank next to that appears to be your Mash Lauter Tun (MLT) and the final one appears to be your boil kettle (BK). If you could snap some shots a little more up close, I could tell you more. Gig Harbor eh? I'm just down the 5 in Olympia, well over the 16 and down the 5. Nice to meet you and welcome to the forums. If you have questions, which you obviously will, feel free to ask. You can always PM me if you need help.

OctoBrewing · May 21, 2011

Well, turns out when you work on a boat in Alaska your only way out is to jump in! And if the water is clear, it's a trick. So if I bump my head, I go back to Alaska, if not then good! Appreciate your help.... Here's some more pics....

Kegcowboy · May 24, 2011

Sorta like.............uhhhhhh my parents gave me this Ferrari to practice driving before I get my license.

djsethall · May 24, 2011

Kegcowboy said:
Sorta like.............uhhhhhh my parents gave me this Ferrari to practice driving before I get my license.

Exactly. Have you watched any videos on all grain brewing? . If you watch some youtube videos, you will get an idea of how to do it. Just do me a favor and don't waste any time watching anything by "takesomeadvice", he will just confuse you as he doesn't know what he is doing at all (just a warning, not trying to be negative). The system you bought is a nice system, but, I would be scared if I tried my first brew on a system like that. If I were you (which I'm not), I would start off with a simple brew like an extract kit. Once having an extract kit or two below my belt, I would try a few mini mash brews to get the idea of what processes are happening. This hobby is just as much science as it is an art. "Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie Papazian is a good book to read about brewing beer and its origins, processes and the science behind it. This forum is a valuable resource for questions to be answered and sometimes just to bounce an idea off another set of ears. It would be beneficial for you to maybe have someone walk you through an actual brew day so you have an idea of what ou are getting yourself into. Did the system you bought come with fermenters, airlocks, kegs or co2 system?

fall-line · May 24, 2011

Wow - welcome aboard! You have a great setup there, enjoy the learning process!

Kegcowboy · May 25, 2011

Nice score - just the same- youtube should give you a quick lesson.

HerotBrewer · May 25, 2011

Welcome! Much to learn here and many helpful people who are always ready with advice.

OctoBrewing · May 31, 2011

Thanks guys!!!! Just bought a house with the ol' mother in law appt thats working great so far lol. I live here on the olympic peninsula of washington.. I can see alot of people on this site are local too, if anyone wants to hook up and help me out with this thing, i dont know what incintives it would take, but ill feed you, beer you, and even pay you if you want.... im pretty sure thats what im going to need like you all were saying...is and actuall day with somone giving me the breakdown on it over a few beers... any takers???