Texan Beginner Brewer Here Checking in

[xenochris]

Hey guys, just checking in. I recently discovered this forum and am in the research process as I gather the equipment needed to take on this new hobby head on. My name is Chris, I'm from South Texas, and look forward to eventually crafting and sampling my very own homebrew! I'm jumping right in, and looking to go grain based right off the bat. I've done shelved homebrew kits before, but I'm ready and excited to put together my own set up and get into the real deal!

Any advice or guidance would be awesome and greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Nagorg]

Welcome... You will want to have frequent unbiased feedback on your beer. I'll volunteer for the job!

 

[hunter_le five]

Welcome aboard from a fellow Texan.

This forum is an invaluable resource. Read as much as you can and ask questions about what you don't understand. It will make your first brewery go a lot smoother. Fortunately you've already done a few kit brews, so you at least you have the basics down. Read up on proper mashing techniques, and you'll have enough to get started.


Let us know how your first all-grain brew goes. Good luck.

 

[ThomasPaine]

Where are you in south TX?

 

[rekoob]

Welcome to the site.
Read, read, and read some more. Tons of info here.

Take your time putting together all your "stuff" as the $$$ amount will be staggering if you try to do it all at once.

You can brew some awesome beers with minimal equipment to get things going. Relax and enjoy the process, figure out how you want to do things in the long run and assemble items to get you on that path.

Good luck and again, welcome.

 

[Homercidal]

Welcome!

Xeno? An interesting handle for sure.

 

[Jupapabear]

Welcome! I'm in Houston, and would suggest working on a fermentation chamber asap. The quality of you home brew will be far better with a controlled fermentation. I started out all grain almost a year ago, and about 22 batches under my belt. If you are near to me I'd love to get together for a fun brew day.

 

[xenochris]

Where are you in south TX?

I'm DEEP South in the Rio Grande Valley, and thanks for the warm welcome guys. I've been reading almost exclusively about brewing for the past couple weeks as I wait for items to ship. I'm about $200 and one month away from having my fairly decent beginner set up complete. I'm aiming to brew sometime next month. Until then, I plan on reading and clearing up any ambiguities I may have so that my first brew day can be a successful one. I'm planning on attempting an IPA for my first batch, still debating on which one. I can't wait to be honest. I'm ready to learn, but most of all I'm ready to drink, which leaves me little room for error. I can already tell that attention to detail is key. I will spare no expense my first couple of brew days, until I have my style/ techniques down! Thank you guys.

 

[xenochris]

Welcome!

Xeno? An interesting handle for sure.

It's actually a song.

Xenochrist by The Faceless (technical death metal)

just dropped the 't'

 

[ThomasPaine]

If you are jumping right into all grain your biggest detail is efficiency. My first all grain batch wasn't mashed long enough and i fly sparged way too quickly. I now mash for about 60 min in a 10gal igloo and fly sparge for 30min. Also keep an eye on your volumes. I was buying 3 extra pounds of base malt for my brews until i really got a feel for my diy copper manifold. +1 on ferm temp control.

 

[SlickTX]

Welcome from an ex-Hanna High Golden Eagle. Having grown up in the Valley I can second the recommendation that you need a way to control your fermentation temps. A converted mini-fridge will give you that control and you won't have to chase off-flavors produced by yeast munching away at high temps.

 

[Homercidal]

It's actually a song.

Xenochrist by The Faceless (technical death metal)

just dropped the 't'

Ah, I see!

I'm not much into metal. Sometimes I like a little Rob Zombie.

 

[renrutle]

Welcome from another native Texian. My advice is to read, research, and study as much as you can. You will find a wealth of information on all aspects of brewing in these forums. Join a local club both for the social aspect as well as having someone local to help with any questions you have.

Cracking open your first brew is a wonderful experience.

 

[xenochris]

Welcome from an ex-Hanna High Golden Eagle. Having grown up in the Valley I can second the recommendation that you need a way to control your fermentation temps. A converted mini-fridge will give you that control and you won't have to chase off-flavors produced by yeast munching away at high temps.

The more I read the more I realize how critical temp. control is during fermentation. My first couple of batches were going to be temp. controlled via swamp cooler, ice, and a fan on high speed. They will be kept indoor at an ambient temp of around 75 so it shouldn't be too hard to drop the temp another 10-15 degrees with ice and water. I know there are more efficient ways to approach this, but I'm going to wait another month or so before I splurge to buy a fridge/ temp control for fermenting.

 

[xenochris]

Also, this may seem like a noob question (Because it is) but how do you guys know how much fermentables to add into your batch during the latter part of the boiling stage? I know adding sugar and sometimes irish moss is pretty standard, but my question is how much do you add, and what formula do you use to get there? Is it just trial and error or is it recipe dependent? Do programs like brewsmith take this into account? Also, adding sugar to bottles prior to bottling. Is this dependent on the FG? Again, sorry for the noob question, but the logistics and the math on this aspect of the brew has been bugging me.

 

[hunter_le five]

Also, this may seem like a noob question (Because it is) but how do you guys know how much fermentables to add into your batch during the latter part of the boiling stage? I know adding sugar and sometimes irish moss is pretty standard, but my question is how much do you add, and what formula do you use to get there? Is it just trial and error or is it recipe dependent? Do programs like brewsmith take this into account? Also, adding sugar to bottles prior to bottling. Is this dependent on the FG? Again, sorry for the noob question, but the logistics and the math on this aspect of the brew has been bugging me.

1) Irish moss is not a fermentable, it is added to help with beer clarity. Perhaps you already knew that, but the way you phrased your question I wasn't sure. ~1 tsp during the last 10-15 minutes should suffice

2) Sugar is not generally added to the boil unless there is a specific reason for it - trying to increase ABV, make the beer taste "drier", etc. I guess it's fairly common for belgian styles or maybe high-gravity brews, but most recipes do not call for a sugar addition. If you choose to add sugar "just because", I would make sure not to overdo it. IIRC, 1lb of sugar should get you ~1% abv increase. I wouldn't add much more than that. If you add too much, it will severely alter the flavor. You could also just add more DME instead.

3) yes, programs such as beersmith can take sugar additions into account

4) How much priming sugar you add to the beer before bottling is dependent on your desired carbonation level. A free online priming calculator can come in handy for this. Roughly speaking, between 4-5 oz (by weight, not volume) is generally sufficient more most styles. Obviously this will vary depending on the style, personal preference, type of sugar used, etc.

 

[xenochris]

1) Irish moss is not a fermentable, it is added to help with beer clarity. Perhaps you already knew that, but the way you phrased your question I wasn't sure. ~1 tsp during the last 10-15 minutes should suffice

2) Sugar is not generally added to the boil unless there is a specific reason for it - trying to increase ABV, make the beer taste "drier", etc. I guess it's fairly common for belgian styles or maybe high-gravity brews, but most recipes do not call for a sugar addition. If you choose to add sugar "just because", I would make sure not to overdo it. IIRC, 1lb of sugar should get you ~1% abv increase. I wouldn't add much more than that. If you add too much, it will severely alter the flavor. You could also just add more DME instead.

3) yes, programs such as beersmith can take sugar additions into account

4) How much priming sugar you add to the beer before bottling is dependent on your desired carbonation level. A free online priming calculator can come in handy for this. Roughly speaking, between 4-5 oz (by weight, not volume) is generally sufficient more most styles. Obviously this will vary depending on the style, personal preference, type of sugar used, etc.

This is awesome, this is exactly what I was asking for. Thank you, the whole priming and adding sugar was tripping me up in the process. I'm in the beginning stages of planning out a recipe so I haven't gotten to play around with any applications yet. I've been concentrated on getting essential pieces to get my set up going. I'm about a month or so away from actually brewing so I have some time. Thank you for clarifying though, I guess once I plug my numbers into my spreadsheet or application it will give me the amount of sugar if any to add for priming or boiling stage. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[Zuljin]

Great. Another Texan.

I mean, Great! Another Texan!

Yeah. Get a kitchen scale for the priming sugar. It doesn't have to be a triple beam. I bought a cheapy at the grocery store. Measuring cups will get you by, but a scale is worth more than its weight in flats and gushers. Mix the sugar or sugar water into the bottle bucket. That per bottle business is for the birds.

It seems more and more of us closet fermenters are coming around to temperature control. A closet works. I did many a gallon in the closet. Temp control is just better in the summer. And spring. Fall. Parts of winter.

 

[SlickTX]

I normally buy the 5 oz. package of bottling sugar when I buy the rest of the ingredients, either online or at the LHBS. Beersmith has been a Godsend for me but I'm sure there are other programs or checklists out there that will get you to the same place. Just review your steps and take your time. You actually have 2 weeks from the brew day to the bottling day so don't sweat the bottling steps now.

 

[gatomalo]

Bottling sugar is generally dextrose repackaged and sold to homebrewers. You can pick up a big package (2lbs) of dextrose (got mine at sunflower shoppe) for $4. Most of the brews I've done, I end up using 1/2 cup for the 5gal batch - priming calculator will get you there more precisely based on your style. When your batch is ready for bottling, boil the dextrose with two cups of water, cool it down to roomish temp, dump into bottling bucket, rack your beer on top, and bottle away.

As for temp control - no need to splurge either. Craigslist is a great source for functioning equipment. I actually picked my upright freezer up at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $50. Unless you're only doing ales, some sort of chamber will be necessary. Pair it with one of the inexpensive STC 1000 temp controllers and you'll be set.

The other Texas tip I'd share is in regards to cooling your wort. I use a DIY wort chiller that circulates "cold" water to chill the wort down to yeast-pitching temps. In Texas, the ground water isn't exactly cold. So if you go down this route, especially with full boil all-grain batches, be prepared for lots of water. I use a couple of empty 5gal buckets and water the lawn/plants.

One last thing from a fairly newer brewer to another - it's reeeeeeeeallly easy to get caught up with all the stuff and gear and equipment. It is fun to collect and build up a hobby, but making beer doesn't need to be complex either.

good luck!

 

[xenochris]

Bottling sugar is generally dextrose repackaged and sold to homebrewers. You can pick up a big package (2lbs) of dextrose (got mine at sunflower shoppe) for $4. Most of the brews I've done, I end up using 1/2 cup for the 5gal batch - priming calculator will get you there more precisely based on your style. When your batch is ready for bottling, boil the dextrose with two cups of water, cool it down to roomish temp, dump into bottling bucket, rack your beer on top, and bottle away.

As for temp control - no need to splurge either. Craigslist is a great source for functioning equipment. I actually picked my upright freezer up at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $50. Unless you're only doing ales, some sort of chamber will be necessary. Pair it with one of the inexpensive STC 1000 temp controllers and you'll be set.

The other Texas tip I'd share is in regards to cooling your wort. I use a DIY wort chiller that circulates "cold" water to chill the wort down to yeast-pitching temps. In Texas, the ground water isn't exactly cold. So if you go down this route, especially with full boil all-grain batches, be prepared for lots of water. I use a couple of empty 5gal buckets and water the lawn/plants.

One last thing from a fairly newer brewer to another - it's reeeeeeeeallly easy to get caught up with all the stuff and gear and equipment. It is fun to collect and build up a hobby, but making beer doesn't need to be complex either.

good luck!

Yes, temp control during fermentation/ kegging are going to be my next investments. For now, I'm concentrating on my equipment set up. I am also one of those DIY types so this is a hobby I'm really glad I've stumbled into. I've always enjoyed craft beer, and I look forward to future DIY projects (just built my immersion chiller this past weekend).

Next on my list is assembling my kettles, which I'll do this weekend. Got all the parts lined up, and ready to go. That will be this weekend's task. I got 3 15g kettles. one for HLT one for mashing and one for boiling. I'm going to start at 5 gal batches then slowly work my way up to 10, so I should have plenty of room with those. I'm also going to work on a pumping system to transfer liquids from one kettle to the next.

All that's left to do outside of assembly is buy my ingredients which will wait till I'm absolutely ready. I don't want to be tempted to prematurely brew and screw it up. I want to make sure everything is good to go. I'm a pretty methodical person so that must explain why I've been utterly consumed by this. I've been reading about nothing but home brewing the past month or so, so I hope all that time spent translates into a delicious first batch of beer!

Thanks for the tips, guys. Keep them coming, they are much appreciated and will be duly noted going into this thing.

 

[ThomasPaine]

A DIY stir plate is a great thing to have and is very easy and cheap.

 

[xenochris]

A DIY stir plate is a great thing to have and is very easy and cheap.

Yeah, just added that to my cart on Amazon. The more my set up comes together the more excited I get.

 

[xenochris]

My old roommate is going to give me his keggerator in exchange for dinner and one of my vinyl records. I'm fixing to go pick it up in about a week or so.

I need to get a hold of a couple of 5gal kegs now.

Next big purchase will be a fridge and a temp. control for a fermentation chamber which I think can be done for less than $300.

 

[ThomasPaine]

If you buy a brand new chest freezer you are looking at $300 including temp control. Used freezer or fridge from craigslist and a cheap temp controller could get you going for $75-$200 depending on the condition of the thing. Best buy has freezers starting $179. You would have to make sure two carboys fit.

 

[Yooper]

Great. Another Texan.

I mean, Great! Another Texan!

That's what I was thinking, too!

Brewing in Texas can be challenging. From trying to chill wort with a chiller, when the groundwater is 80 degrees, to keeping fermentation temperatures low enough. There are a lot of brewers facing the same issues, and I know you can get lots of help here with that.

We go to the coast in the winter, near Corpus Christi. I have neighbors who brew, so I just go over to their house on brewdays if I want to brew, and don't haul my stuff there. I do bring three kegs of homebrew, though!

 

[Nagorg]

Soooo... Do you bring three kegs to Corpus all the way from Michigan? Sounds like a party!

@xenochris: Temp control during fermentation is the biggest bang for the buck. I'd recommend looking into a DIY STC-1000 controller. Whatever controller you get, dual stage is the way to go. My fermenchamber is in my garage so it is exposed to the Texas heat and the freezing temps. (Okay, we arent freezing that long...) As you know, we have a lot it times where it gets kinda warm but drops col at night. The dual stage controller (with a heater on the hot side) does a fantastic job of keeping temps just right...

 

[xenochris]

Soooo... Do you bring three kegs to Corpus all the way from Michigan? Sounds like a party!

@xenochris: Temp control during fermentation is the biggest bang for the buck. I'd recommend looking into a DIY STC-1000 controller. Whatever controller you get, dual stage is the way to go. My fermenchamber is in my garage so it is exposed to the Texas heat and the freezing temps. (Okay, we arent freezing that long...) As you know, we have a lot it times where it gets kinda warm but drops col at night. The dual stage controller (with a heater on the hot side) does a fantastic job of keeping temps just right...

That STC-1000 project looks interesting. I think I may just put one together this weekend.