Outdoor Bulk Brew-Sesh Weekend

[BillyVegas]

I'll try to be concise...

I extract brew... still. I'm on a quest to create an extract brew that is as full bodied and delicious as an AG, generally speaking. Also, thats just another way of saying I'm tight on space in my little place, and with all my extract gear, thats about as much as my dedicated brewing closet can handle. Setting up my rig, brewing a 5g batch on my stove, and breaking it down -- with cleaning time -- is a massive pain/effort.

That being said, I plan on purchasing a Propane SQ14 for outdoor brewing while the weather is still good. I want to bring my rig outside, set up shop, and essentially brew for as long as it takes to bust out 8-12 brews -- I'll make a weekend out of it, I'm fine with that. Bulk brewing. Couple of short term ales for end of summer, some stouts and heartier ales and lagers for football season, some pumpkin brew and oktoberfest lager.

So, with my rig outside and easy access to the hose, sanitation and all materials present... I wanted to know if anyone has learned anything specific from doing something like this? I want to compare my ingredient lists on my brews and likely buy bulk materials instead of just $20-40 recipe kits -- I have a nice stash of varied amounts of hops and would just need specialty grains and LMEs/DMEs.

So once I get my extra fermentation vessels and kegs, I'm ready to do this.

Anyone else try something like this?
Any knowledge you can lay on me from your learning experience?
Advice?

 

[IrregularPulse]

8-12 extract brews will be expensive. and take a very long time!!! Good look on your marathon weekend! Not to mention the marathon week of bottling 12 batches when they're all ready at once What size boil pot do you have?
Zac from these forums marthon brews quite often, maybe look him up for advice. he does AG but should still have some pointers. I agree planning would be in your best interest to order hops and specialty grains in bulk.

 

[BillyVegas]

Well, yea -- I've done 2 in a night on my stove -- abusing it. I'd think with the SQ14 I can get a boil going much quicker, and be able to get it to temp in better times. I'd anticipate... maybe 2 full days of outdoor brewing, drinking, grilling, and hanging. I can't complain with this investment in time.

My brewpot is 35qt/8.75 gallon sized. It's stainless and I installed a weld-less fitting/strainer in the bottom. Extreme extract.

 

[samc]

Sometimes too much of a good thing is too much.

That's all I got on this subject.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Well, yea -- I've done 2 in a night on my stove -- abusing it. I'd think with the SQ14 I can get a boil going much quicker, and be able to get it to temp in better times. I'd anticipate... maybe 2 full days of outdoor brewing, drinking, grilling, and hanging. I can't complain with this investment in time.

My brewpot is 35qt/8.75 gallon sized. It's stainless and I installed a weld-less fitting/strainer in the bottom. Extreme extract.

It's definitely not a bad way to spend a couple days, but I'd call it anything but relaxing when that many brews are planned. You could try and plan though two brews with different yeast strains. then you could do say a 5G boil at double gravity and drain half to 2 fermenters and top off. Essentially getting 2 batches at once. Or just cut your batch number in half and do 10G batches this way. It would cut down variety, but simplify and give you the same amount.

 

[BillyVegas]

Valid point - relaxation would be sparse, as there will be lots of attention dedicated to the process. The idea of making two out of one is interesting, I'll have to look into that.

samc - has a point. Too much of a good thing is too much... sometimes.

 

[IrregularPulse]

samc - has a point. Too much of a good thing is too much... sometimes.

But definitely not when beer is involved

 

[Steelers77]

Insanity! If you brew that many beers in a weekend you will be my hero!

 

[BillyVegas]

Just ordered my SQ14.
Planning the brews is underway.
It's on. 8-12 is the goal. I'm going to need some more, cheap fermentation units...

 

[BillyVegas]

FYI for anyone that cares:

-SQ14 has been acquired. Ready to go.
-8 Fermentation buckets ordered from Baytec Containers. Awaiting Arrival. This + the 3 better bottles and 2 ferm buckets I have, I'm ready for 13.
-Brew list is being assembled. Tough to make, but heres where I'm at...

-BBD Double Chocolate Oatmeal Snout
-BeeCave Haus Pale
-BeeCave Robust Porter
-Bulletproof Monk
-Centennial Blonde
-Nutella Stout
-SWMBO Slayer
-Honey Pilsner
-Ketchy Chubby (LHBS Red Stripe Clone)
-Oktoberfest (NB)
-Caramel Cream Ale
-Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale
-Vanilla Bourbon Winter Ale

I's got high hopes.

 

[Steelers77]

You need any hops for all those beers? Good luck brother, that's one hell of an undertaking!

 

[BillyVegas]

I will. I did a bulk hop buy not too far back. I'm going thru my inventory and seeing what I need.

 

[Steelers77]

Yeah I remember, So how long do you think it will take to brew all of these?

 

[BillyVegas]

I got those hops from you? Sweet! Thanks again- everything was packaged great and all looks phenom.

How long? Not sure. Not only will it be my first bulk-brew weekend, It'll be my first outdoor brew and first propane/SQ14 burner usage. I originally wanted to make it happen in one REALLY long day, but I don't think that's realistic at this point. If I narrow it down to 12 brews... 6 on Day1 and 6 on Day2... I think I shouldn't have a problem. I'm anticipating unforseen outdoor delays that I can't imagine as of yet, but the cut down on my boil time should keep me within my estimates. I think I can set it up in a way that once I get the wort from the kettle thru the chiller into the fermentor - I can have my next pot boiling by the time I get Brew1 to its resting place.

It also helps I should have some extra hands around to drink beer and learn about homebrewing.

 

[BillyVegas]

Order placed. We're definitely looking at a full on weekend of brewing here. One day is impossible at this point - Looking at a full on Labor Day weekend Brewfest!

On the menu...

Lagers:
-Triple Hopped German Pils
-Ketchy Chubby (LHBS Red Stripe Clone)
-Oktoberfest (LHBS)

Ales:
-Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale Ale
-Experimental Hefe
-Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale
-Belgian Amber Ale (blackswamp bootleggers Fat Tire clone)
-SWMBO Slayer
-Caramel Cream Ale
-Vanilla Bourbon Winter Ale
-Bee Cave Brewery Robust Porter
-Double Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
-Nutella Stout

Now if only I can get my outdoor filter setup for my hose working by next week...

 

[Steelers77]

Must not have ordered from me I have nothing going to Jersey. Hmmmmm. Oh Well!

 

[BillyVegas]

I got all my hops from you! I still haven't used them... I ordered all my grains/extracts from BMW... If I need hops I know where to go.
Didn't notice you had a full on storefront - I should have got my Perlick 525 SS from you...

 

[BillyVegas]

ITS ON

Rig is set up. Took me a while to get the feel for the new SQ14 at first... but after setup and delays... I'm 1/2 through the first brew.

Rage on.

 

[Steelers77]

F'in a Cotton, F'in a!

 

[BillyVegas]

Triple Hop Pils in the Primary - No Chill at that.

I may just No-Chill this whole day... that was easy... too easy...

Oktoberfest grains steeping now.

 

[BillyVegas]

8 Deep.

Keep on truckin'.

 

[Steelers77]

What's the final tally?

 

[BillyVegas]

11 5g batches.

The other 2 I coudlnt brew... Pumpkin cans aren't in ANY supermarket in the area... and I ran out of Chocolate Malt and Cocoa Powder for the Nutella Stout... those two will have to wait until next week or so.... or maybe tomorrow...

 

[samc]

Pictures?

otherwise you know everyone will say it didn't happen. At least a shot of the fermenters going!

 

[BillyVegas]

Ill cap a few in a few... finishing up with some friends here and cleaning up the debris...

I'll snap some.

My living room looks terrific with 11 primaries behind my couch... just ask my girlfriend.

 

[BillyVegas]

11 Beers. 48 Hours.

Started Saturday AM - Ended Sunday pre-midnight. Had to bail on my Nutella Stout and Pumpkin Ale due to lack of Chocolate Malt, Cocoa Powder, and Canned Pumpkin.
They can wait.
This was enough.

Water Filtration Station:

1 of 11 Boiling:

The Setup:

Fin:

Lots of brewing. Lots of neighbors wondering what the hell was going on. Lots of eating, lots of drinking, and lots of enjoying some gorgeous weather on the water.

You'll notice the airlocks aren't complete -- due to no-chill I've capped with Vodka/StarSan soaked cottonballs, soaked foil, and caps. These are heading to the dungeon tomorrow for conditioning, lagering (for some), and pitching.

 

[BillyVegas]

Ales looking good - requiring blow-off tube installation tonight when I get home.
Lager 1 was pitched last night after getting to target temp - the other 2 get pitched tonight.

Ales Below: