This is going to be another expensive hobby

[FranklinNewhart]

My life long buddy just had his 50th birthday party last night, surprise by his wife. During conversation I told him I was getting into brewing, both he and his wife said that they had a brew kit and I could have it. Neither of them has time to do it ,kids,jobs,etc. So , this morning I go pick it up. I was expecting another typical Mr beer kit. Not so. What he gave me was a 5 gallon glass carboy ,carboy brushes, carboy carrier handle, bung, airlock,sanitizing bucket, auto-siphon ,triple scale hydrometer , thermometer, 2 big cans of LME (light) ,bottle caps and capper. video DVD. AND a home brewing book by Charlie Papazian. Now, I only need a brew kettle (just ordered an 8 gallon with 2 welded bungs)and mash tun(going to find a 10 gallon water cooler and supplies soon. I have Menards rebate bucks to cash in, perfect!). I figure he saved me about $100 ,maybe more. I might have a triple tier rig before long. Did I mention hes been my best friend since first grade?

You better keep this guy well watered. You would go a long ways to find a better beer buddy than this.

 

[Soulshine2]

I would go long ways to find a better buddy , period.

Today i bottled my Mr Beer kits . Had to go to the LHBS for a 6.5 G bottling bucket ,a 24 inch ss spoon , got some star-san and new caps. I also got a membership to their brew club which was only $25 for the year ,gets me 10% off supplies(including todays purchase), updates and notices of classes, specials or sales. the girl said usually that membership fee pays for itself within the first 3 brews ...PLUS it got me a 64 oz growler. not a bad last day of the month and start of my brewing hobby.
Bottled up a total of 38 bottles and most of a stainless steel double walled swing top growler (because I ran out of bottles)...broke one bottle on the way to the garage , the carrier bottom fell out . Sacrifice to the beer Gods...

 

[Soulshine2]

As I emptied the LBK's of their amber elixir , I went ahead and sloshed the bottom yeast layer and poured it off to a mason jar. Stuck it in the fridge for a hopefully future use. It was Safale-05 . Seemed like a hardy little fungus.

 

[applescrap]

Well, there you go!

Side note I bottle in one liter and two liter bottles. I love the idea of bottling but there's just no way I can see myself doing it.

 

[skraeling]

As I emptied the LBK's of their amber elixir , I went ahead and sloshed the bottom yeast layer and poured it off to a mason jar. Stuck it in the fridge for a hopefully future use. It was Safale-05 . Seemed like a hardy little fungus.

05 is a god damn rockstar. Very versatile and consistent yeast to have on hand.

 

[Soulshine2]

Well, there you go!

Side note I bottle in one liter and two liter bottles. I love the idea of bottling but there's just no way I can see myself doing it.

Since you brought that up. I was wondering how (long) it would keep in a large vessel such as a 1 and 2 liter bottle. Are you using PET soda bottle or glass? Glass 12 oz'er are quite a bit of work I'm sure if one was putting up a 5 gallon batch . Trying to keep as much costs as possible down. For now kegging and pressurization isn't in my budget for money or space.

 

[Soulshine2]

05 is a god damn rockstar. Very versatile and consistent yeast to have on hand.

My daily drinker beer is Sierra Nevada Kellerweis ...the one with that tiny bit of yeast settled at the bottom ...do you think it'd be possible to save that yeast to grow or would it be dead ...I don't know if they pasteurize it or not.

 

[skraeling]

My daily drinker beer is Sierra Nevada Kellerweis ...the one with that tiny bit of yeast settled at the bottom ...do you think it'd be possible to save that yeast to grow or would it be dead ...I don't know if they pasteurize it or not.

Depends if its bottle conditioned or not (my guess with yeast actually being in the bottle it is bottle conditioned). Another issue is how viable it would be. Age/still viable cells etc. Another concern would just be how many viable cells you could actually get from that. Honestly not worth it. A dry packet of it would be an infinitely easier and cheaper way to get it.

I dont do any yeast harvesting so im not really the one to ask about it. Always good to keep a packet of dry yeast on hand anyway especially a very neutral one like 05 in case you get a stuck ferment etc.

 

[applescrap]

Since you brought that up. I was wondering how (long) it would keep in a large vessel such as a 1 and 2 liter bottle. Are you using PET soda bottle or glass? Glass 12 oz'er are quite a bit of work I'm sure if one was putting up a 5 gallon batch . Trying to keep as much costs as possible down. For now kegging and pressurization isn't in my budget for money or space.

Plastic pet for sure. The general consensus is that plastic pet is not good for aging, I have my suspicions as I put those lids on pretty darn tight. If I remember correctly it is recommended to not age a pet bottle over a year. I won't get into the pros and cons but I think pet bottles are a very considerable option.

 

[z-bob]

The SN beer you like might even be bottle conditioned with a totally different yeast than it's fermented with. You can email them and ask about that and pasteurization. But don't try using yeast built-up from commercial bottles until you can brew beer with dried yeast packets. Then maybe try commercial liquid yeast. THEN you can brew with found yeast.

1 liter PET soda bottles work great. I haven't tried 2L bottles; they should work just as well, but that's a lot of beer in one sitting! I always do a mixture of glass bottles and PET soda bottles. You can monitor how well carbonation is doing by squeezing the plastic bottles.

The absolute easiest is 1L brown glass swingtops. I have 2 of those and they are a joy to use. (I should buy a few more)

ETA: The bottles i have look just like this. I wonder if they are really 750ml? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Amber-Fl...8350&wl11=online&wl12=104026119&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[Soulshine2]

at a buck a piece , that sounds like a pretty good deal. For the most part I don't like giving Walmart my money . But I could do this.
Lol,Applescrap, If I had beer that I had stored up to a year it must not be good enough to drink. The usual life expectancy of beer 'round here is about 3 days.

 

[Soulshine2]

Plastic pet for sure. The general consensus is that plastic pet is not good for aging, I have my suspicions as I put those lids on pretty darn tight. If I remember correctly it is recommended to not age a pet bottle over a year. I won't get into the pros and cons but I think pet bottles are a very considerable option.

Heres my take on that - When you go to outdoor/sporting events the beer is served out of plastic bottles from the vendors on foot. Who knows how long its been in those bottles but I'm sure if its an amber PET bottle ,its food safe, carbonation pressure safe and most likely ok for a couple months up to 6 of conditioning and storage.
I doubt the end consumers are worried about how long the beer has been in that bottle , they just want like hell to get it out as soon as possible.

 

[z-bob]

at a buck a piece , that sounds like a pretty good deal. For the most part I don't like giving Walmart my money . But I could do this.
Lol,Applescrap, If I had beer that I had stored up to a year it must not be good enough to drink. The usual life expectancy of beer 'round here is about 3 days.

I just did a google search and I ended up at Walmart; it surprised me that they sell them. I measured one of my bottles last night and they are 1L. I bought them from the LHBS about 20 years ago (and I bet they were more than $2 apiece.) I should see if they have any more.

 

[FranklinNewhart]

My daily drinker beer is Sierra Nevada Kellerweis ...the one with that tiny bit of yeast settled at the bottom ...do you think it'd be possible to save that yeast to grow or would it be dead ...I don't know if they pasteurize it or not.

Take that yeast and farm it in a little bit of beer wort and see if it grows and ferments. If it does then keep feeding it and keep it happy. Happy Yeast brews the best beer.

 

[FranklinNewhart]

at a buck a piece , that sounds like a pretty good deal. For the most part I don't like giving Walmart my money . But I could do this.
Lol,Applescrap, If I had beer that I had stored up to a year it must not be good enough to drink. The usual life expectancy of beer 'round here is about 3 days.

I shop at Walmart but I refuse to buy their one grossly overpriced product. I will not buy a plastic bag from them. 5000% profit on those suckers. That is why the Walton are rich. I never take a bag of my own to Walmart nor do I buy thiers. And I make a point of telling every person in the checkout line why I am not buying bags.

 

[Soulshine2]

Well, I've not had the best of luck with their products lasting a long time. Seems everything they sell is "made for Walmart" and pretty much if you research their method of purchasing , they tend to buy "off" or non-common sizes or blemished runs yet sell them as if they were perfect . I've read that they have bid on sea vans full of merchandise that were rejected elsewhere (because of blemishes) and re-label them for Walmart . The price of their bags are the least of my worries. I just stay away from them as much as possible.

 

[Soulshine2]

Take that yeast and farm it in a little bit of beer wort and see if it grows and ferments. If it does then keep feeding it and keep it happy. Happy Yeast brews the best beer.

how about if I were to simply try a little sugar water ? I don't have any wort going right now.

 

[Soulshine2]

facebook marketplace sale of my day ...6 gallon glass carboy with attached strip thermometer...$20 and a half hour drive to get it. Didn't think it'd hurt to have a spare.

 

[Soulshine2]

I think all I'm lacking for basic equipment is the 10 gallon fully rigged cooler mash tun and some hose. As soon as I sell off a couple big items , thats my next buy...
ok ,I might just go keg delivery since just bottling 2 ,2 gallon batches made me think of cost of bottles and caps...thinking big picture and long term. LHBS sells refurbished kegs for like $53 and I think a CO2 is $35 ...add a 2 way manifold hose rig (for a 2 keg set up)and I'll be good to go .

 

[skraeling]

I think all I'm lacking for basic equipment is the 10 gallon fully rigged cooler mash tun and some hose. As soon as I sell off a couple big items , thats my next buy...
ok ,I might just go keg delivery since just bottling 2 ,2 gallon batches made me think of cost of bottles and caps...thinking big picture and long term. LHBS sells refurbished kegs for like $53 and I think a CO2 is $35 ...add a 2 way manifold hose rig (for a 2 keg set up)and I'll be good to go .

I did a set keg in fridge and one keg for a long time. Just built a 4 tap keezer... almost wish I had done one big enough for 6, but this isnt bad.

 

[z-bob]

how about if I were to simply try a little sugar water ? I don't have any wort going right now.

Sugar water doesn't have enough nutrients. It might work if you added yeast energizer. Most people make their starter solutions with dry malt extract, or they save some of the second runnings when they make a batch of beer.

 

[StephanHaus]

I don't even call it a hobby anymore. It's become an addiction, and I just love spending money on it. All for a probably overkill system lol, but that's what makes it so fun to me. Adding the engineering to it.

 

[applescrap]

facebook marketplace sale of my day ...6 gallon glass carboy with attached strip thermometer...$20 and a half hour drive to get it. Didn't think it'd hurt to have a spare.

Got to love a good deal. I'm thinking about going to eight gallon fermenters. Are you going to use that as a fermenter, secondary? I've never used glass but I like it

 

[Soulshine2]

I don't even call it a hobby anymore. It's become an addiction, and I just love spending money on it. All for a probably overkill system lol, but that's what makes it so fun to me. Adding the engineering to it.

Thats me when I got into growing tobacco...it IS addicting and I'm not just talking about using it.

 

[Soulshine2]

Got to love a good deal. I'm thinking about going to eight gallon fermenters. Are you going to use that as a fermenter, secondary? I've never used glass but I like it

Not sure yet. Still acquiring pieces of equipment. Got it because it was a good deal and for a spare , or a 2nd in case I want to stagger batches.

 

[Soulshine2]

The morning is starting out great. My 8 gallon brew pot just got delivered

 

[Lefou]

I don't even call it a hobby anymore. It's become an addiction, and I just love spending money on it. All for a probably overkill system lol, but that's what makes it so fun to me. Adding the engineering to it.

LOL Wife calls it an "addiction".
I disagree and like to call it an obsession because it's possible to live without a beer or that sip of wine once in awhile. People do it all the time, willingly or unwillingly. One of my great-aunts declared once that if you didn't like your beer, you wouldn't be living up to the family name.

It's great to live in a time where this addiction/obsession isn't prohibited and there's more than one way to enjoy brewing. You can dream up recipes, collect gadgets and put tech to practical use, and then enjoy the fruits of your creative labor. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't wasteful unless it disrupts your life.

 

[Lefou]

The morning is starting out great. My 8 gallon brew pot just got delivered

Bet you can't wait to use it.
I feel the same about the new ANVIL 7.5gal SS kettle I bought in January.
It's just big enough to fit a stainless screen compatible with my 10gal Igloo mash tun. With a couple more cheap additions (hose barb and drip tube) it's going to be fun to see if modifications can allow for stovetop step mashing.

ANVIL already makes a kit for fermenting in the kettle, but the Igloo can't step mash on a hot stove. I plan to mash 6lb. of Vienna and three gallons of treated water to find out.

 

[PADave]

The morning is starting out great. My 8 gallon brew pot just got delivered

In the future, you'll probably be wishing you got a 10 gal. Yep, see how it just gets more expensive.

 

[Soulshine2]

In the future, you'll probably be wishing you got a 10 gal. Yep, see how it just gets more expensive.

doubt that. One 5 gallon batch at a time is just fine. I have the two carboys . I don't need nor do I have the space or can I drink anymore than that. I have whiskey to get me through any fermenter wait times.

 

[brewcat]

The biggest expense is equipment, but if you buy right it will last for many years. Actual per bottle cost can be very inexpensive.

 

[IslandLizard]

In the future, you'll probably be wishing you got a 10 gal. Yep, see how it just gets more expensive.

+10 ^

doubt that. One 5 gallon batch at a time is just fine. I have the two carboys . I don't need nor do I have the space or can I drink anymore than that. I have whiskey to get me through any fermenter wait times.

A 5 gallon all-grain (AG) batch (packaged, kegged or bottled) needs about 6.5-7.5 gallons of wort that gets boiled down to 5.5-6 gallons over 60-90 minutes. That leaves very little headspace (0.5-2") in an 8 gallon kettle, letting wort splash out during boil surges.

I know this first hand, for I have such a kettle.

Similar reasoning for a 10 gallon round cooler mash tun. As I wrote before, it's a bit small for larger beers and a PITA to stir since it so deep and narrow.

 

[PADave]

doubt that. One 5 gallon batch at a time is just fine. I have the two carboys . I don't need nor do I have the space or can I drink anymore than that. I have whiskey to get me through any fermenter wait times.

I'll just direct you to this thread now, so you don't have to start a new one.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=621491

 

[Soulshine2]

I appreciate your comment PADave ,but I'll be watching the boil and once it hits 212*F ,I can turn the fire down to maintain . No need for a splashing spitting boil.

 

[Soulshine2]

Ok so today I got time to wander through Menards and they had all the big coolers on the shelves finally and so after much head scratching and checking out all the models available, I settled on an Igloo 48 quart "Ice Cube" for the sweet price of $26 ,then I went back to plumbing section and went through the lead free brass fittings and ball valves and got what I think will work out for hose attachment. Got a 1/2 inch through bulkhead union as well since the Igloo isn't equipped with any kind of drain however there is a hollowed area molded in for one so guess what , I'll be installing the bulkhead there and instead of trying to fashion a braided stainless type of straining gizmo, I'll just buy a bazooka from the LHBS and be done with it knowing it works and won't crush under grain weight.
Total price (so far)of the 48 qt Igloo Ice Cube MLT with attached fittings...$56 and the bazooka is going to be another $15. So, total of $71. Thats way better than buying the ready made 10 gallon rubbermaid cooler tun from the LHBS for $165 , with my savings , I think I'll be looking for a chugger pump or a used ebay 5 gallon ball lock corny keg and the appropriate serving equipment. Weighing the price of a keg vs 5 gallon batch worth of bottles . I think kegging is more economical and from what I've read, so much easier to maintain/clean/store one item instead of 156 glass bottles and caps ...each time.
I think i should be ready to brew once this is built. Anyone think of anything else I might NEED ?

 

[Soulshine2]

oh yes...an immersion chiller...I was looking at the copper coils . I'm guessing 3/8" ID/1/2 OD will suffice . What I need to know is what length should I get- 10 ft or 20 ft.

 

[skraeling]

I appreciate your comment PADave ,but I'll be watching the boil and once it hits 212*F ,I can turn the fire down to maintain . No need for a splashing spitting boil.

A spray bottle of water is also effective.

 

[ChelisHubby]

oh yes...an immersion chiller...I was looking at the copper coils . I'm guessing 3/8" ID/1/2 OD will suffice . What I need to know is what length should I get- 10 ft or 20 ft.

you will chill faster with the longer coils.
I would recommend at least 30 feet, The better Chillers on the market can double that easily.

 

[Murphys_Law]

oh yes...an immersion chiller...I was looking at the copper coils . I'm guessing 3/8" ID/1/2 OD will suffice . What I need to know is what length should I get- 10 ft or 20 ft.

20' at a min but I think you'll still struggle a bit. My first IC was 25' and it took a long, long time to cool the wort. If you can, try to go up to 50'.

 

[PADave]

I appreciate your comment PADave ,but I'll be watching the boil and once it hits 212*F ,I can turn the fire down to maintain . No need for a splashing spitting boil.

Your exactly right, no need for a huge boil. You'll see what we mean when you experience your first hot break. Turning down when you reach 212 is too late. Just a friendly warning.
Just search youtube for 'homebrew hot break' and you'll see what happens at the start of your boil.