• Welcome to the new forum! We upgraded our forum software with a host of new boards, capabilities and features. It is also more secure.
    Jump in and join the conversation! You can learn more about the upgrade and new features here.

New brewers from New Mexico

E

Enchanted Brew

We live in a remote location in the northeast corner of New Mexico.  We last homebrewed about 25 years ago but all we remember about the beer we brewed was that it wasn't all that impressive.  Hope to change that this go around.  Currently have a 5 gallon batch of nut brown ale fermenting.  If that batch turns out OK, we would like to expand our brewery, get out of the kitchen, and increase production.  We'll be needing a propane cooker, 7 1/2 gallon brew pot, and some sort of quick cooling device.  Any suggestions for a good source for these items would be greatly appreciated.  Next recipe in line is a Kolsch.  Our water comes from a well on the ranch and we hope that makes a difference in the beer that we brew.  We're always hoping to fine tune our brewing process and hope you experts out there will answer all our questions so we'll be making great beer just like you guys.  Our nut brown ale should be ready for drinking about March 14th, we think.  We hope we did OK on that batch.  Thanks.

Bruce & Barbara
 
Welcome aboard! Have you ever had a water profile created for your well?  That would let you dial in the minerals, etc.

I tend to let nature influence my brews (like lagering in a really cold part of my basement) so I hope your water makes it great.

Do you have a chiller?  If you are going to a bigger pot/boil, a simple immersion chiller is a big help to get the wort down to pitching temp fast.
 
Enchanted Brew said:
We live in a remote location in the northeast corner of New Mexico.  We last homebrewed about 25 years ago but all we remember about the beer we brewed was that it wasn't all that impressive.  Hope to change that this go around.  Currently have a 5 gallon batch of nut brown ale fermenting.  If that batch turns out OK, we would like to expand our brewery, get out of the kitchen, and increase production.  We'll be needing a propane cooker, 7 1/2 gallon brew pot, and some sort of quick cooling device.  Any suggestions for a good source for these items would be greatly appreciated.  Next recipe in line is a Kolsch.  Our water comes from a well on the ranch and we hope that makes a difference in the beer that we brew.  We're always hoping to fine tune our brewing process and hope you experts out there will answer all our questions so we'll be making great beer just like you guys.  Our nut brown ale should be ready for drinking about March 14th, we think.  We hope we did OK on that batch.  Thanks.

Bruce & Barbara

Welcome back to this hobby.  And, welcome to BeerSmith.

People that have brewed for a number of years tell me that in the last 15 or so the ingredients have gotten so much better.  And, our brewing processes have advanced mainly because of our ability to pass information via the web.

 
I recently picked up a book called Brew Ware by Karl Lutzen and Mark Stevens.  it is filled with equipment that will help in brewing your beer and descibes how to build it.  Very good book imo.  You should be able to look it up on Amazon.  I purchased it in Barnes and Noble.  Worth the money.
 
Would you please provide a couple of web sites, places we could go to purchase a propane burner and a 30 quart stainless stock pot?  What's a fair price for each?  Also, do you make your own wort cooler or purchase from brew store (the 3/8" copper coil gadget)?

Do you use your high output propane burner in the house to boil wort?  We have a huge utility room with really large and thick Mexican tile floor.  I say we work in that room.  The boss is concerned with having an open flame in the house.  What do you guys do, and do you all boil the entire 5 gallons at one time?
 
www.northernbrewer.com (MN)
www.ebrew.com (NC)
www.morebeer.com (CA)
www.austinhomebrew.com (TX)

I got the Hurricane burner from Northern Brewer, and it's great.  Several friends have said they liked it too.  It's rumored to be fuel-efficient but one certain difference is that it's quiet.  Some burners sound like aircraft.  I find the Hurricane barely noticeable, which might be important inside and to the boss. 

A friend brews every weekend in a double garage.  If it's really cold, he'll lower the big door almost to the ground and crack the side door for ventilation.  He's still alive.  Ensure your fresh air.

30-quart pots are usually $78 to $85, I think.  A full-wort boil is desirable for many reasons, and you should be able to boil ~6.5 gallons in a 7.5 gallon pot, leaving ~5.5 after an hour's boil.  A spray bottle of cold water and/or "Ferm Cap S," a foam control additive will help keep the boilover foam in check.  (Until you get the hang of boilovers, don't turn your back until you have a rolling boil with no foam on top.)

You'll still boil over one day, but better later than sooner.  ;)
 
Back
Top