Who are the brewers up in this zoo?

[pooods]

Been at it off and on for a little over a decade. Currently on a year long dry spell due to life getting in the way. Hope to get a brewday in soon!

 

[Cobrabit]

Like you, I haven't made a batch in a long time since my daughter was born (will be 2 in January). Before that, I've brewed about 45-50 batches, but still hadnt stepped up to the plate with all-grain due to space and time limitations.

IPAs being my favorite, but have tried many other ales in the past. Typically stick with high gravity though. With a new house and a garage, I may look to try a lager this fall if I can find the time where the wife and kids are out of the house for several hours.

 

[pooods]

New garage! Nice! I see a brewery in the works.

It has been unusually hot here since April. No one wants to be next to a full bore hurricane burner when it is 90F.

When it that hot ground water temps cause issues with my plate chiller. The water is too warm to get the wort to pitching temps. I have tried pre-chilling the water without luck.

 

[Cobrabit]

Yep new garage, but still filled with boxes from moving and taking in boxes from my wife's grandmother and uncle after the uncle passed away right before Labor Day. Doubt I'll be brewing anytime soon, but plans are to have my weight room and brewing equipment on one side with storage on the other. I don't have a car worth putting in the garage, so more room for everything else once 'life' settles.


Ground water temps that high does suck for chillers. When I brewed in the summer, I would just use a bag of ice. I know there was always a chance of having some contamination, but with over half my werts cooled that way, I never had an infection.

 

[pooods]

"Life settles", does it ever after a kid?

It is difficult to drop 10 gallons to pitching temps with just ice.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

About a month ago I had an Oktoberfest party. Served up a traditional Marzen, a Festbier, a Helles (the most popular beer in Germany for Oktoberfest), a Dunkelweis, and a Hefeweizen.

 

[pooods]

You brewed?

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

I brewed a lot from around 98-04, then sporadically afterwards as children started interfering. Will probably not get back into it until they're out of the house, if at all.

It was fun for a while, but the batches were usually just meh and I found that the amount of work wasn't worth the enjoyment I got out of sipping a home-brew. I'm not one of those super-beer-geeks who was into logging OG's and SG's.

Good luck with your efforts

 

[pooods]

I am/was one of those. Water chemistry, the whole deal. Been a year since I have had a chance to keg anything. Well, I did make cider recently but that is easy. I miss it.

For me brewing his a great combination of creativity and science. I gave away more than I actually drank. I have made some awesome batches and I have made some crap.

 

[Guy Incognito]

I need to get back at it. Life got in the way this year though.

Still need to brew my cider, and I have all the fixings for a good oatmeal stout on hand.

Will make my session pale this spring, though. I missed having that on tap this past year.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

For me brewing his a great combination of creativity and science. I gave away more than I actually drank. I have made some awesome batches and I have made some crap.

Word.

It helps if you have a partner who's as into it as you are. Before we got married, my wife and I made four batches to give away as party favors at our wedding. They were all pretty good, some of the best ones we ever made. And we had so much fun doing them, even the racking.

We did a lager, a brown an IPA and a stout - four of the easiest, nothing fancy, no adjuncts, and all from kits because we needed to get them all done fast. Nothing we've done since then has even come close, and a few of them we just couldn't drink. THAT was the part I couldn't take anymore...I NEVER leave a bad beer unfinished.

 

[pooods]

I had a blast building my rig. It is a single tier RIMS set up based with dual pumps. Built and wired my PID controller and everything. I am amazed I did not electrocute myself.

Similar to this except the RIMS tube and controller are mounted behind the mash tun. Mine is more compact. Pumps and valves in the front.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

I had a blast building my rig. It is a single tier RIMS set up based with dual pumps. Built and wired my PID controller and everything. I am amazed I did not electrocute myself.

Similar to this except the RIMS tube and controller are mounted behind the mash tun. Mine is more compact. Pumps and valves in the front.

Damn, you ARE a super-geek! Nice setup. Do you only do kegs, or do you bottle any batches? I'm guessing yes if you give a lot away

 

[pooods]

Word.

four of the easiest, nothing fancy, no adjuncts, and all from kits because we needed to get them all done fast. Nothing we've done since then has even come close, and a few of them we just couldn't drink.

The simplest recipes always turn out the best. There will always be those folks, usually noobs, that try to add unicorn testicles to a base stout. Those end up tasting like crap.

 

[pooods]

Damn, you ARE a super-geek! Nice setup. Do you only do kegs, or do you bottle any batches? I'm guessing yes if you give a lot away

Once you go kegs, you never go back! So much easier than bottle. Rack into a keg, let it cool overnight, "quick" force carbonate, let that settle for a day or two, consume. I fill growlers and give them away. I have a Blichman bottling gun if I need to cap something.

My keezer kicked the bucket this summer. Have 3 regular faucets and a stout faucet. Need to rebuild it but I haven't found a cheap freezer yet.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

You brewed?

Yep. That was after I brewed a brown, a red, a trippel, a wit, a New England IIPA, and a Black IPA.
Well not exactly after. The Marzen and the Festbier had been lagering since the end of April.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

The simplest recipes always turn out the best. There will always be those folks, usually noobs, that try to add unicorn testicles to a base stout. Those end up tasting like crap.

Just made a hybrid Oatmeal/Milk Stout. It is outstanding...

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

Once you go kegs, you never go back! So much easier than bottle. Rack into a keg, let it cool overnight, "quick" force carbonate, let that settle for a day or two, consume. I fill growlers and give them away. I have a Blichman bottling gun if I need to cap something.

My keezer kicked the bucket this summer. Have 3 regular faucets and a stout faucet. Need to rebuild it but I haven't found a cheap freezer yet.

Gotta be careful with the quick carbing. Easy to put some carbonic bite into your beer. Unless of course you are setting the specific carb pressure and using a carbonation stone. For quick turn around in a keg, I recommend this...

QuickCarb™ | Blichmann Engineering

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Ehh...gettin' too nerdy in here for me. Y'all have fun

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

Ehh...gettin' too nerdy in here for me. Y'all have fun

Oh, you have no idea...