This place is a bad influence

[rcreveli]

Tomorrow I plan on brewing my second beer, an Irish red. Since starting this hobby the week before Christmas I have acquired.

A Starter Kit with a Glass Carboy, Fermentation bucket, Bottling Bucket etc.A 6gal better bottle and airlocks for all.

While I was at the LHBS today I picked up wine yeast to make Apfelwein when apple juice goes on sale as well as the ingredients for the Irish red.

My wife and I live in a 3BR townhouse and have 1/2 of the basement finished and 1/2 concrete. We've let junk pile up in there and today I began reorganizing. I bought 2 48wX18DX72H Wire Rack shelves at lowes on sale and set the first one up. It can now hold 12 Rubbermaid bins AND 4 Fermentors simultaneously. I still have to set up the other one

I normally drink a couple of beers a month but have been to a beer tasting and tried at least 12 beers as well as 3 or 4 at home and a few ciders this week.

I'm normally a Dilettante I drift from hobby to hobby, I've always been that way. the only interests I've kept since Junior high is Photography and cooking. I think the reason I am enjoying this so much i because it takes so much of my bread making an canning experience over the years. Maybe I just have a thing for yeast.

FYI By the summer I hope to be slanting.

Thanks for the support.

Ray

 

[twohands]

Welcome!

This place is a GOOD influence - it's saved me MUCHO wasted $$$ on simple screw-ups. And anything that gets you to organize can't be THAT bad.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[eljefe]

Welcome aboard and good luck with it. Unlike most other hobbies, this one pays ongoing dividends and you can control how much time and money you want to invest.

 

[FxdGrMind]

yup its absolutely Mind numbing the things we do.....

I started a year ago...My first I cooled with Snow packed around the brew kettle.. so I got an IC on order then even before my first beer was out of secondary.. I had built a Kegerator and then added a fermentation fridge (for summer brewing), then I went all grain... now I'm modifying recipes....

The sad thing is that with every step it got better and better beer from the improvement in process, I just tasted my first AG out of primary... OMG!!!

Cheers to all and Welcome to the insanity

 

[HomelessWook]

i started my first batch a week before the holidays as well

it is still int he primary because i have read much information saying to leave it their for 3 to 4 weeks despite what my recipe says - i trust my books and the people who have been on here over any kit recipe.

having said that -in the recent weeks since starting this hobby i have accumulated a second set up - 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary, floating thermometer, and mash bags

i need to go to the store and get some starsans and a bottle tree (i guess i could make that) before i start my next brew though or bottle the one i have.

this site is great

i too thank you all.

 

[eljefe]

i started my first batch a week before the holidays as well

it is still int he primary because i have read much information saying to leave it their for 3 to 4 weeks despite what my recipe says - i trust my books and the people who have been on here over any kit recipe.

having said that -in the recent weeks since starting this hobby i have accumulated a second set up - 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary, floating thermometer, and mash bags

i need to go to the store and get some starsans and a bottle tree (i guess i could make that) before i start my next brew though or bottle the one i have.

Buy an auto-siphon while you are there. Rack the first batch into the "sanitized" carboy and you are set for a second batch.

I use my dishwasher to sanitize bottle, just make sure you don't use any detergent or rinse agent. I usually run them through twice and have had no problems nor a need to buy a bottle tree.

If you haven't read about it yet, buy some oxyclean that is free of perfumes (I think it has a green lid and is called Oxyclean Free). I soak fermenting buckets, bottles and other non-metal equipment in it to clean everything. Just make sure you rinse it well.

 

[rcreveli]

Buy an auto-siphon while you are there. Rack the first batch into the "sanitized" carboy and you are set for a second batch.

I use my dishwasher to sanitize bottle, just make sure you don't use any detergent or rinse agent. I usually run them through twice and have had no problems nor a need to buy a bottle tree.

If you haven't read about it yet, buy some oxyclean that is free of perfumes (I think it has a green lid and is called Oxyclean Free). I soak fermenting buckets, bottles and other non-metal equipment in it to clean everything. Just make sure you rinse it well.

On the subject of sanitizing via Dishwasher. I have very hard water. Should I worry about my bottles clouding, my glasses are normally ok after a fresh CLR Treatment

 

[Dalarast]

Just anytime you see the following in a thread steer clear!

LOOK AT MY BREWRIG..

DIY BREWRIG

KEEZER BUILD

BREWHUT

DIY MICROBREWERY

Or anything along those lines... it will always have you attempting to build more and wondering WHAT else you can do.. or how you can expand your Home Depot/Lowes shopping trips!

 

[eljefe]

On the subject of sanitizing via Dishwasher. I have very hard water. Should I worry about my bottles clouding, my glasses are normally ok after a fresh CLR Treatment

Not sure. Hopefully someone else with more experience can answer this question. I don't think it would hurt anything. You can also sanitize by putting the bottles in an over. I have not done this but read about it - I think from here:
www.howtobrew.com/

 

[HomerJR]

On the subject of sanitizing via Dishwasher. I have very hard water. Should I worry about my bottles clouding, my glasses are normally ok after a fresh CLR Treatment

If you use StarSan as your sanitizer, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. It's acidic (kinda like CLR) and should knock out any cloudiness. OxyClean will leave a filmy layer as well, and StarSan will generally take care of that.

 

[homebrewer_99]

So, you think this place is a bad influence, huh?

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :rockin: