New to brewing with lots of questions!

[Rosemary]

The idea is to beat down the wild yeast and bacteria population in your wort, and then add a couple hundred billion cells of the yeast you do want. They take it from there with biological warfare (acidity and alcohol). It worked for thousands of years before the invention of sanitizers.

That’s the truth! I’ve been reminded exactly what you said a couple times during this process: that people used to brew beer before StarSan existed! Not sure what it tasted like, but our pallets are all as finicky is a courtesan.
Fermentation is transformation. I suppose it’s really about controlling that transformation to get the desired outcome.

 

[Skeeter686]

Sanitation is definitely something I’m wondering about. ... With fermented vegetation the acidic or alcoholic environment is inhospitable to bacteria, such as salmonella and other things that caused food poisoning. ...
Everything I’m reading about beer is basically sterilize, sterilize, sterilize.

With beer, you want to keep everything after the boil sanitized so that you give the intended microbe (i.e., the yeast) the best chance of taking over the environment, and that's primarily for ensuring the quality of the beer. With the low pH and the alcohol content, it's extremely unlikely that you would end up with an infection that would make you ill. I usually shy away from the word "impossible," but it is probably nearly impossible from what I've read.

So do your cleaning and use StarSan to avoid accidentally creating a sour beer. I'd say it's more something to practice than to worry about. Worst case, you might end up with a bad tasting beer.

 

[Rosemary]

Greg Hughes. Check out amazon.com

This is a good BASIC book. It's English, but the author gives conversions for most units of measure. Note that "pints" are UK pints of 20 fl oz. A short intro and the rest is recipes. A great starting point.

I’ll get that book. I’ll never have enough books as long as I live! I have a love hate relationship with Amazon. I’ve been buying books from Amazon for 20 + years… wasn’t that what it originally started as?
You’re right about Palmer’s book. It’s a bit of a tome.

 

[An Ankoù]

I’ll get that book. I’ll never have enough books as long as I live! I have a love hate relationship with Amazon. I’ve been buying books from Amazon for 20 + years… wasn’t that what it originally started as?
You’re right about Palmer’s book. It’s a bit of a tome.

You and me both, on both points. You can do things with hard copy- like turn down the corners, annotate it and stick notes here and there. When I download stuff from pdfdrive it invariably gets printed out if I'm going to read it from cover to cover.
Amazon are getting greedier and greedier, at least here in France. I cancelled my Prime some time ago, but they remain a good safety net when others can't provide or are too slow.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Books are definitely my preferred go to when working on a project. There’s something about holding a 6x3 screen, desperately scrolling to find what I need, while doing exactly that something I’m looking for. It’s particularly grating.

At least with a book I have to stop what I’m doing to look it up. Right now I have Palmer’s How to Brew 4th edition, Brewing Porters, and Stouts by Terry Foster, The Complete Joy of Home Brewing 3rd edition and some multipurpose books on fermentation by Sandor Ellie Katz.

Big Book of HomeBrewing (2022 edition) has value to me because it is 1) more current, 2) more concise, and 3) better organized.

The BIAB content in Big Book of HomeBrewing (2022) is a solid starting point. There may be equally good videos / blogs / free content available on BIAB (but I haven't gone looking for it).

Magazines: If you have hobby money to pay for curated content (beyond books), a one year subscription to BYO or CB&B may be worth a look Both provide access to about a decade of previous magazine issues.[/i]

 

[redrocker652002]

Hi Rosemary, I was very much like your husband, I like beer (sometimes too much) but don't have too many hobbies now that the kids have grown up. I enjoy tinkering with my dad's old 56 Belair and my son bought a 69 Chevy pickup he has since abandoned in my driveway. LOL.

Now, I will admit I read your post but did not read all the replies, so if I am saying something that has already been said I apologize.

One thing I always say is if you are looking for equipment Craigslist or Facebook Market place is the place to check. Like you said in your post, most get into this but don't stay long and buy a boat load of stuff that they sell for pennies on the dollar. I was lucky enough to have a guy here want to get out of the hobby and basically got rid of all his stuff. I ended up with two truck loads of equipment, kegs, and all kinds of odds and ends I am still going thru. So, with that said, I would for sure check the local websites.

You mentioned getting a glass carboy. I would really encourage you not to. They are very slippery when they are wet, and as a member here once posted, very dangerous if they break. I have two plastic buckets I got from Norther Brewer but to be honest you can go to your local hardware store and buy them cheaper as long as they are food grade. Again, I refer to Craigslist as I have seen full setups for sale for less than 100 bucks here in my area.

Which leads me to my next point. Where are you located? If you are local to someone maybe they can let yo know when they are going to brew and you can go and observe and help out to see how they do it. Or better yet, bring what you have and have a brew day with a group. I watch Youtube Vids all the time as I work nights and have plenty of free time to check them out.

The idea of the books was a good one, but for me, the Palmer book that most are going to suggest was just way over my head as a new brewer. To me, I learned more with Youtube and just posting here. But different people do things differently. There is another book that was written by Denny and Drew that I found to be a bit more helpful. It is called Simple Homebrewing. If you can find that one it might be a good start.

The 10 gallon pot and propane burner will serve you well. I used one for about 3 or 4 years and always made good beer. You have to watch your mash temps but once you get the boil going it is smooth after that. One thing I have learned but not tried is to put a fan or two pointed at the top of the pot to try and keep the steam at a minimum. Like I said, I read about it but have not tried it yet.

Yes, sanitation is key and once you get the hang of it isn't that tough. Find a process that works for you and go with it. I clean everything after brew day and store it all in a closet. The next brew day I then break out the sanitizer and sanitize my keg, buckets and anything that will touch the beer after the boil. For the most part, the sanitizing process is just to mix up some Starsan or whatever you use, and make sure it contacts everything for a minute or two. I usually mix up about 2.5 gallons and shake my buckets around then pour it into my keg and seal the keg and roll it around. Pump the liquid thru my tap and into a pot, submerse all the smaller parts in the pot and let them sit for a few. Most of the sanitizers don't need a rinse and you can just go with them right after you are done.

Sorry for the long post, but I was you about 4 or so years ago. I wanted to try it, but had not clue. My wife bought me a Norther Brewer Starter kit with an extract kit included and off I went. If you start with extract kits your process is even easier to do the boil get it into the fermenter.

If you have any questions this is a great place to be. These folks are rock stars and I have learned so much from them. You can either PM me or email me directly if you have anything you want to ask. If you are in the San Francisco area I have a lot of stuff that I am not using anymore and would be willing to part with to somebody who will get good use out of it.

Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

Edit to add that your temps in the room you use for all of this seems to be good for most lager yeasts. I used a hallway closet for a long time and it got from low 60's to mid 70's and I really never had a problem.

 

[An Ankoù]

One thing I always say is if you are looking for equipment Craigslist or Facebook Market place is the place to check.

If you are local to someone maybe they can let yo know when they are going to brew and you can go and observe and help out to see how they do it. Or better yet, bring what you have and have a brew day with a group.

The idea of the books was a good one, but for me, the Palmer book that most are going to suggest was just way over my head as a new brewer.

Find a process that works for you and go with it.

Agree with all the above, especially the second point.

If you are in the San Francisco area I have a lot of stuff that I am not using anymore and would be willing to part with to somebody who will get good use out of it.

Ditto if you're passing through Le Morbihan, Equipmment sort of accumulates- mainly from donations!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Welcome to the forum, Rosemary. Follow directions on the kit (for the most part) it is a blend of science and art to create your own wonderful “house beer”. Professional brewers have reasons and intended outcomes for every ingredient they use, and it’s okay to experiment. It’s a hobby so have fun, be challenged and enjoy the rewards of beer, cider and mead!

 

[Brewbuzzard]

When I first saw this thread I thought, I don't have a lot of questions when I brew...

 

[Rosemary]

When I first saw this thread I thought, I don't have a lot of questions when I brew...

You’re lucky! I can overthink anything.

 

[An Ankoù]

You’re lucky! I can overthink anything.

Beer helps!

 

[Thnderhill]

Welcome! FWIW, I’ve brewed many extract kits, including the stout, and they came out great. Temperature control is key! And don’t be afraid to try different styles of yeast, dry and liquid. Most importantly HAVE FUN!! Cheers!

 

[BeerNsteadofH2O]

Welcome to the forum, I haven't been at this as long as some,and your questions have been well entertained, the threat of the liquor stores closing during the pandemic made me think about brewing my own,I bought Palmers book, read it until I got cross eyed,I bought a oatmeal stout kit from Northern brewer, bought a propane fired 10 gallon kettle and a plastic conical fermenter- after 3 extract kits, I was ready to.move on, I disliked the cans or bags of lme, and the clumps of DME, I moved to all grain, 5 years latter, I have 3 conical fermenters, an electric (brewzilla gen 3.0) , crush my own grains built a largering cooler and have amassed an endless array of brewing "stuff", I only tell you this to illustrate what this hobby can become..
Enjoy the journey you are not alone

 

[Rosemary]

Welcome! FWIW, I’ve brewed many extract kits, including the stout, and they came out great. Temperature control is key! And don’t be afraid to try different styles of yeast, dry and liquid. Most importantly HAVE FUN!! Cheers!

Thanks! When you say temperature control, you mean a stable temperature, correct?

I bought two more kits from Northern Brewer: Saint Paul Porter and Captain’s Ration Export stout. I got dry yeast this time and I noticed one came with two packs and another came with one. Why the difference in quantity?
With the Dry Irish Stout, I went with the liquid yeast instead of the other options. I also purchased Fast Pitch. I’d never bought a kit before and there was a bunch of drop-down menus that I just decided I should probably pick one from each. The kit was delivered with three cans of Fast Pitch and a can of Pitch Right. Not knowing what to do with either of this products, I left them out. The liquid yeast said to pitch directly into the wort cold. I figured I didn’t need the fast pitch. And we haven’t bottled yet (today is 2 weeks from brew day and we’ve chosen to leave the beer to ferment w/o moving for secondary fermentation)

Have you ever used Fast Pitch or a similar product? I really don’t understand the benefit.
I’m amassing all sorts of stuff and I’m not sure if I need it all!

 

[Rosemary]

Welcome to the forum, I haven't been at this as long as some,and your questions have been well entertained, the threat of the liquor stores closing during the pandemic made me think about brewing my own,I bought Palmers book, read it until I got cross eyed,I bought a oatmeal stout kit from Northern brewer, bought a propane fired 10 gallon kettle and a plastic conical fermenter- after 3 extract kits, I was ready to.move on, I disliked the cans or bags of lme, and the clumps of DME, I moved to all grain, 5 years latter, I have 3 conical fermenters, an electric (brewzilla gen 3.0) , crush my own grains built a largering cooler and have amassed an endless array of brewing "stuff", I only tell you this to illustrate what this hobby can become..
Enjoy the journey you are not alone

That’s amazing! I could see myself eventually getting away from kits. But I need a better grasp of the ingredients and why and what they do. Still reading!
I figure it’s a lot like making a cake from scratch as opposed to buying a boxed cake mix from the store. Unfortunately there is something synthetically delicious and uniform about those boxed cakes! But beer seems different… maybe? It really is just ingredients put together in the same box, right? Or is using malt extract much different than using powdered malt?
It’s really disappointing that Bewer’s Art and supply (the local store that we had here in Fort Wayne, Indiana), basically went under because of Covid. I bought the kit right before everything went to hell, along with a $100 gift card that we never redeemed. Now I have to pay shipping for everything I want.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Thanks! When you say temperature control, you mean a stable temperature, correct?

I bought two more kits from Northern Brewer: Saint Paul Porter and Captain’s Ration Export stout. I got dry yeast this time and I noticed one came with two packs and another came with one. Why the difference in quantity?
With the Dry Irish Stout, I went with the liquid yeast instead of the other options. I also purchased Fast Pitch. I’d never bought a kit before and there was a bunch of drop-down menus that I just decided I should probably pick one from each. The kit was delivered with three cans of Fast Pitch and a can of Pitch Right. Not knowing what to do with either of this products, I left them out. The liquid yeast said to pitch directly into the wort cold. I figured I didn’t need the fast pitch. And we haven’t bottled yet (today is 2 weeks from brew day and we’ve chosen to leave the beer to ferment w/o moving for secondary fermentation)

Have you ever used Fast Pitch or a similar product? I really don’t understand the benefit.
I’m amassing all sorts of stuff and I’m not sure if I need it all!
View attachment 869845

Nice brewing area!

Fast Pitch is used for yeast starters. That would be used if you plan on making a starter ahead of time before your actual brew day. I have never used it nor have I made many yeast starters. Typically, a yeast starter is made to get the yeast going before it's added to your wort, give it a head start.

I just brewed a blonde Doppelbock and I used two packets of yeast rather than just one. The beer is higher ABV so I want a good dose of yeast. I also added yeast nutrient.

 

[mac_1103]

Thanks! When you say temperature control, you mean a stable temperature, correct?

Not just stable, but within the optimal range for the yeast. That range should be printed on the packet and also available on the manufacturer's website. And it's not the temperature in the room that matters it's the temperature in the fermenter. Yeast generate a good bit of heat when they're working, so the temperature inside the vessel will rise. There are simple and inexpensive ways to control fermentation temps, but it's also another great way to spend money on this hobby. Most new brewers are blissfully unaware of the benefits on their first few batches but manage to make decent beer anyway.

I bought two more kits from Northern Brewer: Saint Paul Porter and Captain’s Ration Export stout. I got dry yeast this time and I noticed one came with two packs and another came with one. Why the difference in quantity?

Brews with higher starting specific gravity need a bigger yeast pitch.

Fast pitch is canned starter wort. It's for building up a large amount of healthy yeast before adding it to the wort.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

That’s amazing! I could see myself eventually getting away from kits. But I need a better grasp of the ingredients and why and what they do. Still reading!
I figure it’s a lot like making a cake from scratch as opposed to buying a boxed cake mix from the store. Unfortunately there is something synthetically delicious and uniform about those boxed cakes! But beer seems different… maybe? It really is just ingredients put together in the same box, right? Or is using malt extract much different than using powdered malt?
It’s really disappointing that Bewer’s Art and supply (the local store that we had here in Fort Wayne, Indiana), basically went under because of Covid. I bought the kit right before everything went to hell, along with a $100 gift card that we never redeemed. Now I have to pay shipping for everything I want.

Starting out with kits are a great way to get introduced into brewing. Everything should be there to make a batch of beer, measure out so not much to worry about. Many brewers use kits all of the time.

I brew all grain, ten gallon batches but I started out with extract kits. You need to learn the basics and they provide that learning curve. With every kit you brew with think about what each ingredient brings to the party.

 

[mac_1103]

I figure it’s a lot like making a cake from scratch as opposed to buying a boxed cake mix from the store. Unfortunately there is something synthetically delicious and uniform about those boxed cakes! But beer seems different… maybe? It really is just ingredients put together in the same box, right? Or is using malt extract much different than using powdered malt?

Good analogy, but while most cake mixes make pretty good cake, there's quite a bit of disagreement about whether all beer kits make good beer. The ones you're using are fine though.

Powdered malt is malt extract (DME = dry malt extract; LME = liquid malt extract). LME can get stale depending on how and how long it's stored. This is less of an issue with DME. I find LME to be a pain to work with. Other people think DME is just as big a pain. There are ways to make both easier. The forum is filled with threads on these subjects.

 

[Rosemary]

And it's not the temperature in the room that matters it's the temperature in the fermenter

Thank you for clearing that up!

 

[Rosemary]

Good analogy, but while most cake mixes make pretty good cake, there's quite a bit of disagreement about whether all beer kits make good beer. The ones you're using are fine though.

Powdered malt is malt extract (DME = dry malt extract; LME = liquid malt extract). LME can get stale depending on how and how long it's stored. This is less of an issue with DME. I find LME to be a pain to work with. Other people think DME is just as big a pain. There are ways to make both easier. The forum is filled with threads on these subjects.

Thank for the information! The acronym explanation is very much appreciated. I had no idea.

 

[Rosemary]

Nice brewing area!

Thanks! Do you know the area? I keep hoping that there is a nearby, clandestine home brewing store that has somehow escaped the Internet’s notice. So I don’t have to get everything shipped…

 

[mac_1103]

The acronym explanation is very much appreciated. I had no idea.

RDWHAHB (relax don't worry have a home brew). If you don't have any home brew that's ready to drink yet then have a commercial beer while you're waiting.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Thanks! Do you know the area? I keep hoping that there is a nearby, clandestine home brewing store that has somehow escaped the Internet’s notice. So I don’t have to get everything shipped…

No idea where you're located. I'm in Wisconsin and buy most of my ingredients from RiteBrew. They are very local to me but I have read good posts that their shipping is reasonable. They also sell brew kits.

If you haven't done so already, read up on the included ingredients so you have an understanding of what they add to the recipe. There's also books on recipe building that might help.

 

[Thnderhill]

Thanks! When you say temperature control, you mean a stable temperature, correct?

I bought two more kits from Northern Brewer: Saint Paul Porter and Captain’s Ration Export stout. I got dry yeast this time and I noticed one came with two packs and another came with one. Why the difference in quantity?
With the Dry Irish Stout, I went with the liquid yeast instead of the other options. I also purchased Fast Pitch. I’d never bought a kit before and there was a bunch of drop-down menus that I just decided I should probably pick one from each. The kit was delivered with three cans of Fast Pitch and a can of Pitch Right. Not knowing what to do with either of this products, I left them out. The liquid yeast said to pitch directly into the wort cold. I figured I didn’t need the fast pitch. And we haven’t bottled yet (today is 2 weeks from brew day and we’ve chosen to leave the beer to ferment w/o moving for secondary fermentation)

Have you ever used Fast Pitch or a similar product? I really don’t understand the benefit.
I’m amassing all sorts of stuff and I’m not sure if I need it all!
View attachment 869845

Yes, stable temperature- I use a heating wrap on my fermenter, which keeps it a constant 68°, with a digital controller. I’m in Connecticut so I need that in the winter brewing months
The kit that came with two packets of yeast is probably a higher alcohol brew, so it benefits from having two packets of yeast. The fast pitch is a product designed for making a yeast starter. The starter is basically a mini wort that gets the yeast working prior to adding it into the full batch. Do a Google search on yeast starters you’ll learn a ton.
You’re doing great!!

 

[Ramjet]

You also might want to search for a local home brew club another good way to learn about brewing.

 

[Skeeter686]

Yes, stable temperature- I use a heating wrap on my fermenter, which keeps it a constant 68°, with a digital controller.

Yes, some form of temperature control would be enormously helpful.

A friend of mine had brewed years ago and her beers never seemed to be better than mediocre. This was years before I started brewing, so it's hard for me to assess her process at this time, but temperature control comes to mind. She didn't have a basement and I believe she fermented in one of the upstairs bedrooms, so the temperature probably wasn't ideal.

The OP has a basement, and the temperature range sounds pretty nice. If anything, she may need to keep the beer slightly warmer in the coldest parts of winter, and that's kind of dependent on the yeast. Overall, it sounds like she should be in a pretty good place as far as temperature goes.

 

[leedspointbrew]

Agree with all the above, especially the second point.

Ditto if you're passing through Le Morbihan, Equipmment sort of accumulates- mainly from donations!

If I'm passing through your corner of Bretagne, maybe I'll take you up on that, but more importantly buy you a Brasserie Lancelot brew that you do like; I'll stick with Tellen Du.

 

[An Ankoù]

If I'm passing through your corner of Bretagne, maybe I'll take you up on that, but more importantly buy you a Brasserie Lancelot that you do like; I'll stick with Tellen Du.

Lancelot make some excellent beer and I think they probably make the best buckwheat beer I've tasted, I'm just not fond of buckwheat beer. Their blonde and Cervoise Lancelot are excellent, as is Duchess Anne. There are a couple of "organic" ones I like, too.
They had a go at an American IPA and I wish they hadn't, it didn't work. But an excellent brewery nonetheless and not afraid to experiment.

Haven't tried a Black Harp for some years, though. About time I tried one again.

 

[redrocker652002]

Having breezed thru the posts since mine I think you are getting some solid advice. I started with Extract kits from Morebeer and Austin Home brew. I really enjoyed that cause it was easy,, not very messy and I could do it inside and not have to worry about propane and all that. With that said, my brother came over one day and watched as I did an extract and said he wanted to try it as well. So we did a couple of home brew days with plenty of beer consumed as well. LOL.

Knowing now what I know, I think if you were to put an extract brew and an all grain brew together the average joe would not be able to tell them apart. I am sure some will argue that, but that is my opinion. The biggest thing for me to realize was this is a hobby and the fun is in the process.

Temp control for me was pretty simple and if you look up the yeast you are using it gives you a temp range. Most of them are well within a dark closet or a corner of a room for me. I use dry yeast for the most part as it is just easier. I tried liquid yeast and I did not have much success. Bottom line is, have fun with it. Don't get too hung up on the numbers. If you can keep a closet within the range of the yeast with just a fan and a bucket of ice or something like that to keep it cool that is all you need. I was able to snag a used dorm fridge that my brother abandoned at my mom's when he moved so I now use that as my fermenting fridge and the bucket fit right into it perfect. So, I occasionally check Craigslist to see what is out there and there is so many that get into this and get out and sell their stuff really cheap. There is a thread with a guy who's dad passed and he is trying to get rid of alot of stuff, check that out and see what might be useable for you and PM him. There are plenty of cool new shiny gadgets to ogle at, but to be honest, my setup was, until recently, a propane tank, burner and a 10 gallon pot. Two plastic buckets to ferment in and a bunch of different size tubing to moving things around.

Not sure where you are, but if you are in the San Francisco area you are more than welcome to give me a PM and come by the next brew session and bring your stuff and we can do a brew day. Hubby is welcome as well as is any children or pets you may have. LOL

Either way, keep posting questions you may have as these folks are rock stars with info.

Dino