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GM's Thread About Everything/GM's Thread About Nothing (21 Viewers)

K4, Eom, Frosty - first of all, how are you? congrats and welcome to homebrewing.

Second, do yourselves a favor and try to keep the beer as cool as is practical during fermentation. High 60s-low 70s is fine, but much above that you start getting some headache-inducing byproducts. I'm assuming you don't have a temp-controlled fermenter at this point, so a couple of ways to do this are:

(1) find the coolest spot in your house, like a closet or a room where you can shut heating vents (check local listings)

(b) keep a damp t-shirt or towel wrapped around the fermenter for some evaporative cooling (which is also the name of my Marvin Gaye tribute band).

 
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Frostillicus said:
eoMMan said:
ScottNorwood said:
krista4 said:
First batch of Mr krista/stepkrista beer is fermenting or some such now. It's allegedly going to be a Dubbel.
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Don't get a yeast infection
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I got one of those beer making kits for Christmas. I think it yields a couple six packs and takes a couple weeks to ferment. I might get the process started this weekend.
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omg me too
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I got one a few years back. Bottled them up and stashed them in some lower cabinets. Forgot about them until a few exploded. Quite a mess.

 
My worst license photo was my first NJ license when I moved after getting married. It was just a year or two before they started doing digital ones (which was like 5 years behind Ohio somehow) and when the lady laminated my license, the photo hadn't dried all the way and it smeared it a bit. Of course it smeared right across my mouth and made me look like I had a cleft palet.

 
heckmanm said:
K4, Eom, Frosty - first of all, how are you? congrats and welcome to homebrewing.

Second, do yourselves a favor and try to keep the beer as cool as is practical during fermentation. High 60s-low 70s is fine, but much above that you start getting some headache-inducing byproducts. I'm assuming you don't have a temp-controlled fermenter at this point, so a couple of ways to do this are:

(1) find the coolest spot in your house, like a closet or a room where you can shut heating vents (check local listings)

(b) keep a damp t-shirt or towel wrapped around the fermenter for some evaporative cooling (which is also the name of my Marvin Gaye tribute band).
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This already sounds too hard.

 
what does Vanna White do? i mean she doesnt turn the letters around anymore, just presses them after they light up. with technology, i figure the letters can just reveal themselves.

 
Chemical X said:
what does Vanna White do? i mean she doesnt turn the letters around anymore, just presses them after they light up. with technology, i figure the letters can just reveal themselves.
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She was never needed in the first place. A stagehand could have turned the letters backstage. She was there, just like any of those broads on gameshows in the 70s, for T&A purposes only.

 
heckmanm said:
K4, Eom, Frosty - first of all, how are you? congrats and welcome to homebrewing.

Second, do yourselves a favor and try to keep the beer as cool as is practical during fermentation. High 60s-low 70s is fine, but much above that you start getting some headache-inducing byproducts. I'm assuming you don't have a temp-controlled fermenter at this point, so a couple of ways to do this are:

(1) find the coolest spot in your house, like a closet or a room where you can shut heating vents (check local listings)

(b) keep a damp t-shirt or towel wrapped around the fermenter for some evaporative cooling (which is also the name of my Marvin Gaye tribute band).
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:thumbup: Thanks. Ours is in a 64-degree spot right now; hoping that will be good.

Uruk, I have no idea the answer to your question. I'm staying out of it as much as possible, including w/r/t the drinking of it.

 
I have a non climate controlled added on room to my house, that in the winter can get down into the low 50's. We just keep the door closed. Is that too low to ferment beer? How cold is too cold? I was thinking of starting this up, and wondered if this would be ok.

 
IIRC, heckman is way further along than I am in the art of brewing so listen to him if he disagrees with me........ I like to keep my fermenters cool for two weeks (whatever the temp in my basement is - right now it's low 60s) then move them to room temp upstairs for another week just to wake up any dormant yeast. I don't know if that 3rd week really helps (or hurts) anything, but most of my best batches have been done this way.

 
krista4 said:
heckmanm said:
K4, Eom, Frosty - first of all, how are you? congrats and welcome to homebrewing.

Second, do yourselves a favor and try to keep the beer as cool as is practical during fermentation. High 60s-low 70s is fine, but much above that you start getting some headache-inducing byproducts. I'm assuming you don't have a temp-controlled fermenter at this point, so a couple of ways to do this are:

(1) find the coolest spot in your house, like a closet or a room where you can shut heating vents (check local listings)

(b) keep a damp t-shirt or towel wrapped around the fermenter for some evaporative cooling (which is also the name of my Marvin Gaye tribute band).
Click to expand...
:thumbup: Thanks. Ours is in a 64-degree spot right now; hoping that will be good.

Uruk, I have no idea the answer to your question. I'm staying out of it as much as possible, including w/r/t the drinking of it.
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It should be, but fermentation is exothermic (the heat is coming from INSIDE THE BEER). So option (b) may still be a good idea.

 
Seatown Mofos said:
I have a non climate controlled added on room to my house, that in the winter can get down into the low 50's. We just keep the door closed. Is that too low to ferment beer? How cold is too cold? I was thinking of starting this up, and wondered if this would be ok.
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That's getting pretty low for ale yeast, which is what you'd normally start out with. It would go very slowly at least, and could go dormant. If you can get a lager yeast, it will do much better at those temps (even if you don't make a "true" lager), but any yeast will take longer to ferment at those temps. If you don't mind giving it an extra week or two, go with it. Alternatively, you could keep the fermenter closest to a wall shared with the heated part of the house, and maybe cover it with a large box or blanket.

Ale yeasts will do pretty well between about 60F-72F. Also, see my reply to K4 above - during active fermentation, the beer temp can be up to 10F above ambient.

Uruk-Hai said:
IIRC, heckman is way further along than I am in the art of brewing so listen to him if he disagrees with me........ I like to keep my fermenters cool for two weeks (whatever the temp in my basement is - right now it's low 60s) then move them to room temp upstairs for another week just to wake up any dormant yeast. I don't know if that 3rd week really helps (or hurts) anything, but most of my best batches have been done this way.
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That's a pretty good approach. Most of the "damage" from high temps will come in the early stages, when activity is highest. That late warmup can also help clean up some byproducts from the early part of fermentation that could otherwise leave some off-flavors in the beer.

Here's a great resource on the topic (and many other topics)

 
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.

 
General Malaise said:
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.
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Exactly.

 
Thanks heckmanm and U-H. I didn't know what the perfect temperature range was, and now knowing that I should keep it above 60, I can just leave that door open enough to regulate the temperature as needed to keep it in the optimal range.

Also thanks for the link. I've grabbed a few books to read before I start out. Want to be prepared and not ruin the first batch. What I gather so far is cleanliness is the biggest factor in making sure your beer doesn't turn out bad.

 
Officer Pete Malloy said:
General Malaise said:
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.
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Exactly.
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I'm guessing he was going with a kit, using malt extract powder or syrup. If so, that's an easier approach, but considerably more expensive.

Most people who stick with the hobby eventually move to "all grain", which takes more time (and equipment), but would probably drop the cost of ingredients closer to $15-20. But to go that route, you really have to enjoy the process and the "I made this" aspect, because you're looking at 5+ hours (during which, of course, you CAN be drinking).

I've gotten away from it in large part because I like having several different beers at the house to choose from, and don't go through it fast enough to want 5 gallons of each one. But I know guys who have 5 or more of their own brews on tap at any time, and don't drink much else.

 
General Malaise said:
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.
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Part of it is the fun. A friend and I do it together, which is more enjoyable to me than doing it by myself.

I'm still using the extract kits, which is what your BIL uses. Works out to about $1/bottle but it's better than most you can buy in that price range. You're not buying a high volume Tripel for $.08/oz. Also - and maybe this is my imagination, though I've heard others say it too - I don't have near the morning-after effects that I get with commercial beer.

I had planned to be in all-grain, multiple burner, Lager and Pilsner-making mode this season but didn't get there. Just from reading around, it seems the holy grail is getting the cost down to $.10/bottle for ingredients (of course, that doesn't include the equipment upgrades or time).

 
Uruk-Hai said:
General Malaise said:
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.
Click to expand...
Part of it is the fun. A friend and I do it together, which is more enjoyable to me than doing it by myself.

I'm still using the extract kits, which is what your BIL uses. Works out to about $1/bottle but it's better than most you can buy in that price range. You're not buying a high volume Tripel for $.08/oz. Also - and maybe this is my imagination, though I've heard others say it too - I don't have near the morning-after effects that I get with commercial beer.

I had planned to be in all-grain, multiple burner, Lager and Pilsner-making mode this season but didn't get there. Just from reading around, it seems the holy grail is getting the cost down to $.10/bottle for ingredients (of course, that doesn't include the equipment upgrades or time).
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A lot of the guys around here go in and buy grain in bulk - sharing a pallet of 50-55 lb bags. I haven't participated, but it's MUCH cheaper than buying a few lbs at a time for each batch. But these guys are also brewing 2-3 times a month, often 10 gallons at a time.

 
Yeah, my local Homebrew supply store runs a co-op for bulk buying. It's a really good idea if you don't want to store a bunch of grain. That seems like a good starting place for me when I go AG.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
General Malaise said:
I spent an afternoon brewing beer with my BIL in Michigan a few years ago. Dark IPA. Fun time. Enjoyed it immensely. At the end, I asked how much this would yield, and he said "about 2 cases" and then I asked approximately how much did he spend in supplies for this and he said "about $45". I did some MOP math in my head and concluded that he'd spent about $45 for 2 cases of beer which is about what you'd spend at Rite Aid for the same.

It was then that I decided home brewing just wasn't for me. Far too lazy to produce something I can buy for the same amount of money made by a pro.
Click to expand...
Part of it is the fun. A friend and I do it together, which is more enjoyable to me than doing it by myself.

I'm still using the extract kits, which is what your BIL uses. Works out to about $1/bottle but it's better than most you can buy in that price range. You're not buying a high volume Tripel for $.08/oz. Also - and maybe this is my imagination, though I've heard others say it too - I don't have near the morning-after effects that I get with commercial beer.

I had planned to be in all-grain, multiple burner, Lager and Pilsner-making mode this season but didn't get there. Just from reading around, it seems the holy grail is getting the cost down to $.10/bottle for ingredients (of course, that doesn't include the equipment upgrades or time).
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, I had a blast doing it but much preferred being the co-pilot. BIL brews up some really good beers and has his own kegerator, which is quite nice.

 
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