Newb from Colorado Spring

goingcamping · May 8, 2015

All;

Great forums you all have here!

I'm new to AG and have about 5-6 extract brews under my belt. It's been about 5 years since my last extract beer...not sure why I took a break...maybe because I really heavy into smoking/BBQ.

I've helped my neighbor make an AG maple-smoked rauchbier (turned out awesome). Other than that, I'm at the infancy stage of AG brewing.

I made a keezer in March and had the intentions of adding my AG brewing to fill the kegs...

Which brings me to 2 weeks ago...

Here's my set-up:
(2) 8 gallon Megapots 1.2 (with false bottom and associated valves/fittings)
(1) 120,000 BTU camp stove
(1) 5 gallon enamel pot (left over from extract brewing)
(1) 6.9 Gallon SSbrew brew bucket. (I like, but will upsize for next one)
(2) 6.5 gallon fermenting buckets (one with spigot)
(1) Specific gravity thingy (refractometer?)
(1) Stainless Steel Wort Chiller
(1) Whirlpool water filter
Misc hoses, fittings and bottling equipment.

Future: pump and going bigger!

So far I've used Beersmith2 and like it a lot. It takes some of the guesswork out for us newbs.

04-25-15: My first brew was a Schwarzbier (still in brewbucket until the 10th, then kegged and CO2 and chilled for 4 days) 1 gallon bottled and 5 gallons kegged.

05-03-15: Brewed a American Amber Ale. This one will be bottled for camping season.

05-09-15: Brewing a Nut Brown Ale. Will be kegged.

My Keezer.

Look forward to learning all I can!!!

Cheers,

~Brett

MaxStout · May 11, 2015

Welcome to the forum, from Minnesota! Looks like you're going into AG full blast. Nice setup.

That maple-smoked Rauchbier sounds good. Did you smoke your own grains?

goingcamping · May 11, 2015

MaxStout said:
Welcome to the forum, from Minnesota! Looks like you're going into AG full blast. Nice setup.

That maple-smoked Rauchbier sounds good. Did you smoke your own grains?

Where are located in MN? My folks live in Redwood Falls.

The rauchbier was yummy, had a medium-body, low hop, smoky flavor with bacon undertones. I smoked like 11-12lbs of grain (my memory is a little fuzzy on amount or types?). My neighbor built the recipe and brought me pre-wetted grains...I smoked them for 4 hours at 140*F on (2) 18" x 24" full sheet pans.
My buddy entered it in a local home brew comp and took 3rd in "other" category!

Cheers,
brett

MaxStout · May 11, 2015

goingcamping said:
Where are located in MN? My folks live in Redwood Falls.

The rauchbier was yummy, had a medium-body, low hop, smoky flavor with bacon undertones. I smoked like 11-12lbs of grain (my memory is a little fuzzy on amount or types?). My neighbor built the recipe and brought me pre-wetted grains...I smoked them for 4 hours at 140*F on (2) 18" x 24" full sheet pans.
My buddy entered it in a local home brew comp and took 3rd in "other" category!

Cheers,
brett

Nice job on the comp placing. The maple-bacon thing is a good pairing of flavors. I'm a big rauch fan. Might have to try grain smoking an expand my horizons.

I'm in the northern 'burbs of Minneapolis.