NYC Apartment Brewing Challenges

[culturejam]

My homebrew club is actually the "New Brighton HomeBrew Society" started by a couple of artists from the north shore. I went to St. Peter's for high school.

Nice! We lived on Kissel Ave. There are like three of them, but we lived on the one between Castleton Ave and Forest Ave (half a block from St. Vincent's).

Our house was a massive two-family home. Our side alone was about 2500 sq ft. And there was a detached garage, but the landlord reserved it for his stuff. Whattayagonnado?

 

[Nokitchen]

I have no space for an ice bath

Are you sure about that? Mine only extends a few inches from the radius of the carboy.

As a NYC small-apartment homebrewer (note my username ), one of the best non-standard purchases I ever made was a 40-quart aluminum pot at one of those restaurant supply places in Chinatown. I use it both as a brewpot and as a swamp cooler for the fermentation. As a brewpot it extends over all four burners on my tiny oven, vastly increasing the quality of the boil (it does require full-volume boils; evaporation is of course higher given the higher surface area relative to more conventional brewpots). After the wort is in the carboy I clean the pot and put the carboy into it, then fill the pot most of the way with water. I regulate temperature with ice packs I made from old bottled-water bottles. Be sure to throw some iodopher in the cooling water or nasty things will grow during your fermentation.

There are some special care instructions before you use aluminum as a brewpot so you'll want to pay attention to those if you go that route. But even if you don't I'd be surprised that you don't have even a couple inches on each side to fit one of these pots for cooling.

 

[Kahler]

Seriously dude, move out of the city. It was the best thing the wife and i ever did. We're in Astoria now, paying half the rent on an apt thats twice the size (1000 sqf @ $1700) and only 15 minutes to midtown.

Nokitchen: amen to the brewpot cooler, i do the same thing.

Is there an NYC brew club out there???

 

[maida7]

Is there an NYC brew club out there???

When I lived in NYC (6 years ago), there were 2 clubs. One that meets in Manhattan and another that meets at Mugs Ale House in Williamsburg. The latter club is called the Malted Barley Appreciation Society The MBAS meetings were always a lot of fun.

 

[Kahler]

Awesome! Thanks, i appreciate the link!!

 

[Airborneguy]

Avoid the NYC Homebrewers Guild (the Manhattan one). Very pretentious group. I went to one event and quickly decided never to go back. The emails I got regarding a simple question from the "dear leader" were the most offensive emails I have ever recieved from someone I don't know.

 

[Nokitchen]

The Manhattan-based group meets at Burp Castle on the third Tuesday of each month and their site is here.

 

[Nokitchen]

Avoid the NYC Homebrewers Guild (the Manhattan one). Very pretentious group. I went to one event and quickly decided never to go back. The emails I got regarding a simple question from the "dear leader" were the most offensive emails I have ever recieved from someone I don't know.

Huh. That's vastly different from my experience there over the last couple years. I'm sorry that happened. I assure you that if you return that won't happen again. I'm not a club officer or anything but I can vouch for the non-douchiness of those who are.

My biggest problem is that the group has outgrown its meeting space and won't admit it out of loyalty to the people who have been so helpful for so long. They need a much, much larger space.

 

[culturejam]

Burp Castle is awesome. :fro:

 

[Airborneguy]

Huh. That's vastly different from my experience there over the last couple years. I'm sorry that happened. I assure you that if you return that won't happen again. I'm not a club officer or anything but I can vouch for the non-douchiness of those who are.

It could have been an isolated incident, I'll admit that, but it was only last year. Vlad (?) sent some pretty heated emails to me when I asked him a question about the contest last year. It really surprised me because I can say 100% there wasn't anything in my email that was even remotely offensive. The question was trivial also, nothing 30 seconds with zero drama couldn't have handled (and it wasn't about score sheets ).

 

[Nokitchen]

Weird. Vlad can be brusque (he's from the Bronx, after all ) but I've never known him to be rude. I have no reason to doubt your account so all I can say is a) perhaps you caught him at a bad moment (putting together that competition is a huge undertaking) and/or b) maybe Vlad sucks at email.

Again, I'd encourage you to stop by a meeting. You may or may not have fun and may or may not find it's for you but I can at least guarantee that if you meet Vlad in person you won't describe him as offensive.

 

[cbauer210]

I was thinking about checking out the Guild meetings next month. Anyway.....back on topic. I decided to step up my game and stumbled across a good sized wine fridge for $150 at Home Depot. I then ran off to Brooklyn Homebrew for a Ranco ETC. I now have an American Wheat happily bubbling away at a comfortable 65 deg. Pics!

 

[electrichead]

About time you stepped it up slacker. Great solution. I like that you can monitor it without opening the door and letting the heat in.

 

[Kunkemonster]

Are you sure about that? Mine only extends a few inches from the radius of the carboy.

As a NYC small-apartment homebrewer (note my username ), one of the best non-standard purchases I ever made was a 40-quart aluminum pot at one of those restaurant supply places in Chinatown. I use it both as a brewpot and as a swamp cooler for the fermentation. As a brewpot it extends over all four burners on my tiny oven, vastly increasing the quality of the boil (it does require full-volume boils; evaporation is of course higher given the higher surface area relative to more conventional brewpots). After the wort is in the carboy I clean the pot and put the carboy into it, then fill the pot most of the way with water. I regulate temperature with ice packs I made from old bottled-water bottles. Be sure to throw some iodopher in the cooling water or nasty things will grow during your fermentation.

There are some special care instructions before you use aluminum as a brewpot so you'll want to pay attention to those if you go that route. But even if you don't I'd be surprised that you don't have even a couple inches on each side to fit one of these pots for cooling.

Yup, that's what I do. I live in a 250 square foot apartment in Seoul, South Korea. It can be done.

 

[maida7]

Happiness is a controlled fermenter.

 

[italarican]

Are you sure about that? Mine only extends a few inches from the radius of the carboy.

As a NYC small-apartment homebrewer (note my username ), one of the best non-standard purchases I ever made was a 40-quart aluminum pot at one of those restaurant supply places in Chinatown. I use it both as a brewpot and as a swamp cooler for the fermentation. As a brewpot it extends over all four burners on my tiny oven, vastly increasing the quality of the boil (it does require full-volume boils; evaporation is of course higher given the higher surface area relative to more conventional brewpots). After the wort is in the carboy I clean the pot and put the carboy into it, then fill the pot most of the way with water. I regulate temperature with ice packs I made from old bottled-water bottles. Be sure to throw some iodopher in the cooling water or nasty things will grow during your fermentation.

There are some special care instructions before you use aluminum as a brewpot so you'll want to pay attention to those if you go that route. But even if you don't I'd be surprised that you don't have even a couple inches on each side to fit one of these pots for cooling.

I think you just saved me! My apartment is already getting too warm for the milk stout I brewed today, and I was surprised to see my 40 quart turkey fryer could fit my fermenting bucket with just enough space for some water and a few ice packs. I plan to swap out ice packs each day and just leave the bucket in my pot. Thanks!

 

[mforsman]

I've already done two saisons due to the heat. I wish there was another more tolerant yeast. Any ideas outside of water baths / another fridge?

 

[mforsman]

My new 10 gal kettle just showed up. At least with two burners I can finally get a REAL rolling boil.