Author Topic: Any other home brewers on here?  (Read 8448 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Any other home brewers on here?
« on: May 14, 2016, 07:12:50 PM »
I have been busy the last week building my brew stand for doing all grain beer. Started as a ratty and nasty looking 3m AV cart.



Sanding and primer later...



2 coats of gloss black after I attached the steel to hold the burners. My setup will be a 3 level with gravity flow instead of using pumps. Cheaper, less to clean etc.



And a rough idea what the finished stand will look like. I need to pick up some cedar decking for the top burner(hard to see but it will be on those shelf supports), and for the lower burner.



And a home brew after some hard work!


madlabs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 686
  • Country: us
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2016, 07:30:58 PM »
Me!

Well, I actually haven't brewed much for the last few years. I moved onto my property and haven't set it all back up. I have a RIMS system that I built but I plan on making a three tier system. I too grow sick of pumps. The RIMS was nice for making the exact same beer over and over, but other than that too much hassle. I can't remember exactly, but I think in my brew log I have over 600 gallons of beverages (beer, wine, cider and liquor) recorded. Dunno if it's cheating but I always counted the mash gallons of liquor and not the distilled gallons.

Jonathan

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2016, 05:10:24 AM »
Sweet! 600 gallons! I am impressed! I used to all grain brew with a friend in the 80's. We were doing 15 gallon batches 4 times a week to keep 2 extended families in beer. I would guess well over 2,000 gallons before I moved to far away to be brewing with her every weekend(2 batches a day, yes lots of work) but we did have brewery slaves in the form of kids to do a lot of the heavy work.

Now I do about 15 gallons a month to feed my beer habit and a couple of friends. Extract brews have come a long ways since the 80's Hawaiian Punch tang flavor! Been doing extract until I get the all grain system up and running and fine tuned. Expect a few flop batches that will be drinkable sort of! All the new extract recipes use some steeping grains(2-3 pounds) so the flavor is way better than what I remember learning to brew with in 1979!

And people think 5 gallons is a lot of beer until I put it like this, that is 2 cases of beer! If my sisters and brother in laws show up that is gone in a weekend! They already want me to brew for them again and I put my foot down and told them they can come down and use the gear as long as they clean up the mess! One of my brother in laws asked how hard is it so he came down and helped one batch. 2 hours up to your elbows in sanitizer cleaning convinced him otherwise!

madlabs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 686
  • Country: us
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2016, 10:16:03 AM »
Mary,

2000 gallons?! There goes my bubble!

Yep, it goes faster then folks might think. I had partners in brewing, so was often only keeping a half or third. And we used to brew for friend's weddings and special occasions. Nothing wrong with extract brewing, I like whole grain brewing because it is cheaper! And you do get some more control over flavor.

Guess not too many brewers here. I'm surprised.

Jonathan

Smithson

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 75
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2016, 11:12:38 AM »
    Hi:    I used to brew beer in the 70's.  It wasn't in any of these new fangled brew equipment but just in a 10 gallon crock.   I was never to happy with the crock as a friend sold it with a crack in the side of the crock that he had epoxied. I was always afraid that could be poisoning me so stopped until I could get a better crock.  I recently bought a new crock cheap but have since lost the recipe.  I used a can of malt and sugar, yeast etc.  if anyone knows the recipe please leave me a message.  I enjoyed the process of brewing and checking the batch every day. One time I diversified and brewed root beer, but the whole batch blew up and dis colored the bedroom walls.  My wife hates beer.  Arch

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2016, 04:12:24 PM »
Mary,

2000 gallons?! There goes my bubble!

Yep, it goes faster then folks might think. I had partners in brewing, so was often only keeping a half or third. And we used to brew for friend's weddings and special occasions. Nothing wrong with extract brewing, I like whole grain brewing because it is cheaper! And you do get some more control over flavor.

Guess not too many brewers here. I'm surprised.

Jonathan
I still brew  ;D , just not so much anymore. 5 gals of 190P does my house for an entire year.
Beer I used to do as well, just got out of the habit when a "small" party led to even my stash being drained  :'(
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2016, 05:53:56 PM »
Look here, they have lots of kits with everything included but the bottles and caps. People use 5 gallon buckets and lids with airlocks for fermenting now, or carboys but they are a pain to clean! http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits/extract-ale-kits if you click a kit then the more information tab the pdf instructions have the recipes listed!


    Hi:    I used to brew beer in the 70's.  It wasn't in any of these new fangled brew equipment but just in a 10 gallon crock.   I was never to happy with the crock as a friend sold it with a crack in the side of the crock that he had epoxied. I was always afraid that could be poisoning me so stopped until I could get a better crock.  I recently bought a new crock cheap but have since lost the recipe.  I used a can of malt and sugar, yeast etc.  if anyone knows the recipe please leave me a message.  I enjoyed the process of brewing and checking the batch every day. One time I diversified and brewed root beer, but the whole batch blew up and dis colored the bedroom walls.  My wife hates beer.  Arch

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2016, 06:55:50 PM »
Well we were brewing for 2 extended families with 30 beer drinkers... My own family alone was 12 beer drinkers lol


Mary,

2000 gallons?! There goes my bubble!

Yep, it goes faster then folks might think. I had partners in brewing, so was often only keeping a half or third. And we used to brew for friend's weddings and special occasions. Nothing wrong with extract brewing, I like whole grain brewing because it is cheaper! And you do get some more control over flavor.

Guess not too many brewers here. I'm surprised.

Jonathan

frackers

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 435
  • Country: nz
  • Picard spits "Hello"
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2016, 06:59:00 PM »
People use 5 gallon buckets and lids with airlocks for fermenting now

That's the way I do it and have been for the last 10 years or so. Only run out twice and on both occasions only for a week or so :)

I generally use a kit with good quality hopped malt and add a tin of light malt extract instead of sugar or dextrose. The next brew I will experiment with some dried hops - using a 20/80 mix of boiled and raw for the last 5 days in the bucket.

Funny how you develop a taste for your own - although I have won 1st prize at the local rural A & P show a couple of years ;)
Robin Down Under (Or Are You Up Over)

Simen

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 479
  • Country: no
  • Grimstad, Norway
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2016, 07:52:42 AM »
I too brew all-grain, although not very often. (Tastes too good! :D )

I have a small 5-6 gal. brew kettle with heating element and mash filter/tube, and a circulation pump. Fermentation in 5 gal. buckets and aging on kegs. :)
I will accept the rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. - (R. A. Heinlein)

madlabs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 686
  • Country: us
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2016, 11:27:02 AM »
My brew set up does 10 gallons a batch. Just seems like if yer going to the trouble to brew you might as well make 10 gallons. I have a couple of awesome 12 gallon glass fermenters, shaped kinda like an old school light bulb. They are a little bit of a PITA to clean but because of the shape never blow over with 10 gallons in them. I have a cap I made to allow pumping the contents out with CO2.

All this brew talk makes me wanna dust off the gear!

Jonathan

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2016, 07:08:53 PM »
Got the shelves built today, I need to bolt them in place and the upper one needs 2 L brackets to the uprights to be safe. Then sand it down and clear coat it! I left the gaps because those burners get hot underneath, hoping it is enough to keep the wood cool! I had my deck boards boiling out pitch last year when I was making sweet corn for 20 in the turkey fryer pot that is also my beer boil kettle.



I might block that lower shelf up higher, need to check it against a bucket and see if it is high enough to drain into one.

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2016, 10:57:20 AM »
Honestly? I would replace the wood with sheet metal.
You have too nice of a setup to chance it with the wood mucking things up.
NICE !!! setup BTW
A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2016, 04:04:37 PM »
I plan on a circular heat shield under all 3 burners. I have some aluminum flashing that will be perfect for that chore! I don't want heat transferring into the cabinet if I can hep it. Going to be storing all the extra bits and pieces in there like tubing, various hydrometers, fermenting bucket opener, hop bags, grain bags for smaller batches or extract batches... I have 4 tubs full of "stuff" that goes with brewing!

MattM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1167
  • Country: us
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2016, 02:28:05 AM »
Maybe talk to a sheet metal guy just for curiosity sake.  You can probably find a tinner that would help you cover that wood.  If you're worried about heat use an airgap or insulate under a metal covering.  You should be able to talk them into a sheet for under a c note, complete with bends to match your table top as long as you keep in mind they run 36" or 48" widths by 8 or 10 feet.  Stainless Steel preferable in your application

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #15 on: May 24, 2016, 09:04:48 PM »
Way out of my budget! The wood is fine, it won't burst on fire is I put a circular heat shield a couple inches above it. The hot spot under the burner is only a 4 inch circle.

Mary B

  • Administrator
  • SuperHero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3169
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2016, 08:24:30 PM »
Shelves are clear coated and mounted. I added casters to the lower shelf support to help handle the weight of a full boil kettle(6.5 gallons... at probably 10 pounds per gallon).  I need to fill the pots with water and fire up the burners, I need to measure the boil off rate of the bottom burner(makes a difference in how much water I start with) and the 2 new burners need the paint burned off the get rid of the stink.


thirteen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 980
  • Country: us
  • Single going totally off grid 1,1, 2013
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2016, 11:38:23 PM »
 a piece of 1/8 , 1/36 /1/4 plate and bend each corner down about 3/16 so there is a gap. If you have any stove paint you could paint it. Caste iron pan lid, tin foil (temp). Broken pan, Just a few thought. 13 My chuckle=  Trumps ego, Hillary's server
MntMnROY 13

Bruce S

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member Plus
  • *****
  • Posts: 5370
  • Country: us
  • USA
Re: Any other home brewers on here?
« Reply #18 on: May 31, 2016, 12:19:01 PM »
I can a-test to the stink! First time I fired ours up to start making the 5-gal of chili I was sure glad of two things.
I needed to sterilize the pot
I had it outside!!

A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard