The itch has been scratched

JMSetzler · Jan 18, 2009

After an 8-year absence from the home brewing hobby, I have finally returned. I brewed my first batch since 2000 this afternoon. I brewed an Oktoberfest/Marzen loosely based on Charlie Papazian's Winky Dink Marzen in The Complete Joy of Home Brewing. The ingredients are as follows:

7lb BierKeller unhopped light LME
1/2 lb dark crystal malt
1 cup roasted barley
1 oz Glacier hops (7.4%) 60 mins
1/2 oz Amarillo hops (8.5%) 60 mins
1/2 tsp Irish Moss (10 mins)
1/2 oz Amarillo hops (8.5%) 2 mins
WLP029 German Ale/Kolsh Yeast

My boil volume was 2 gallons and I steeped the grains for 30 mins at 155 degrees. According to BeerSmith, my original gravity should have been approximately 1.051, and my recorded OG was 1.054 @ 63 degrees, so I think I came out very close to the estimate.

I made a big yeast starter yesterday for this batch. I used 1.5 quarts of water with 1.5 cups of extra light DME. This is the first time I have ever used liquid yeast. It took it quite a while to start showing activity in the growler, but it was active when I pitched it and it has a nice yeast cake on the bottom. I pitched the yeast about 27 hours after I started it.

I got the beer and yeast in the primary fermenter at 4:50pm this afternoon and I'm seeing some occasional bubbles in the air lock at 8pm, so the yeast seems to be taking off nicely.

The only thing that didn't go my way during today's brew was that I wanted to save some of the wort to use for priming when I bottle, and I simply forgot to do that. I had the mason jars cleaned, sanitized, and ready to go, but just forgot to do it. I'll be priming this with corn sugar at bottling time.

I don't like cooking on the stove top, but this first batch was done this way because I haven't built my wort chiller yet and I still need to go get a propane tank to use with the outdoor cooking rig.

Since my last brew back in 2000, there are some new products on the market that I haven't had a chance to try until now. I had my first experience with
Star San and I'm happy with that. I also bought a Fermtech auto siphon that seems to work really well.

I plan to leave this beer in the primary for 7 days and then rack to a secondary and let it sit for two more weeks before I bottle it...

I'm back!

eschatz · Jan 18, 2009

Welcome back to the obsession! :mug:

BrewinJack · Jan 18, 2009

welcome back... I hope its not 8 years until my itch gets scratched

Cheers

Rezilynt · Jan 18, 2009

Welcome back!!!
From everything I've researched and talking to/learning from the "old school brewers" things have changed in the last 8 years. Get ready for some new techniques to learn and try. My neighbor started in the 70's and he's always coming over and asking, "what is that" and "why are you doing it that way"? We have a good time teaching each other old/new ideas. The great thing is - They all work!

HopBomb · Jan 19, 2009

Likewise with me - I had not brewed in almost 15 years until earlier this month. Family, kids, job, and other obligations ate up all of my available play time, so I put all of my brew gear up in the attic back in '93 or so. My younger brother got bit by the homebrew bug last fall, and tried drag me back into it. At first it was very subtle, with a few simple questions on brewing. Then it became not so subtle, when he sent me a box full of fresh hops as a Christmas present. And eventually it worked. I dragged down my gear from the attic, cleaned it up, made a visit to the LHBS to replace some things and stock up on supplies, and have a super hopped up double IPA 2 weeks in the secondary as I type. I posted a very long winded story of my first late night brew session following my long hiatus here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/adventures-homebrewing-pliny-elderado-95770/

Like you, I'm amazed at all of the new gear and techniques available since I last brewed. HBT is a great resource. I can't wait to taste my first brew in 15 years, and am already planning my next recipe and brew session for next weekend. Thanks to my brother and his arm twisting.

Anyway, a big welcome back to you too. Hope you're having as much fun back in the game as me, and that your return beer turns out great. Cheers!

JMSetzler · Jan 25, 2009

I racked to a secondary fermenter today after 7 days in the primary. I really wanted to wait a couple more days but I'm going to have a very hectic schedule for the rest of the week. After 7 days in the primary, the gravity reading is 1.020 compared to the 1.054 OG. I plan to leave it in the secondary for 14 days before I bottle it. I'm hoping it ferments down to 1.014 or 1.012 in the end...