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New from the Washington coast

SharpsRifle

Grandmaster Brewer
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
133
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Location
Raymond WA
Howdy.

I'm getting ready to jump into all grain in the next couple weeks.
The gear I didn't have from extract brewing is either here or on it' way.
I'll be picking up grains as soon as I get into the city and then I'm going to give it my best effort.

I'm not sure if I'm going to go for a simple pale ale for my first batch or if maybe I'll try a Black Butte or Guinness clone.  I'm not a huge Guinness fan, but I think it's almost a very good beer and could be there with a little work.

I loaded up beersmith and I've got a couple Black Butte recipies that look worth trying so I may go that way.

My starting equipment is going to be an assortment of stainless pots, up to 5 gallons, a 10 gallon water cooler type mash tun, 185k BTU burner, a digital scale for grain measuring, and all the stuff you would have for a decent extract brewing setup.
Next purchase will probably be a grain mill.

I'm just planning on batch sparging for now but may end up getting a sparge arm later if I learn that I need it.

Should be fun.  My hope is that I can learn enough to make interesting new beers within the next few months.
I was trying to figure out how to setup beersmith for my tun so that I can hit the mark on mash temp's, but I see that's been a real problem for a lot of people.

I may be askig a few questios on here.  Looks like with a search most of the good questions have been answered though.

David
 
Of the things you listed here, I do not see the most important part of making beer.  How do you plan to control the fermentation temperature?  The rest of the equipment does not make much difference at all.   

I have encountered many homebrewers, without fermentation temperature control, migrating to all grain from extract and were disappointed that the beer was not all that better.  It was just harder to make. 

If you don't have temperature control and you have been happy with your extract beer, then the all grain batch will most likely be fine.  Just be prepared for it not to be dramatically better than your other batches.
 
jomebrew;

I appreciate the input.  Before it's done I'll probably need a lot more input from guys that have been at this.
I do have anything from 55° to 65° or so covered in various parts of my house this time of year.  I also have a chest freezer for a kegerator that I can set the temp to something else more desirable depending on the yeast used.
I want to get another chest freezer or a fridge that I can also use as a separate controlled fermenting environment later.  That, like a grain mill is going to have to wait.  For now I just have to choose my brew based on the available house temp's or using my kegerator.
 
Welcome, SharpsRifle, from here in Ilwaco. Glad to have someone else local on here.

Ed
 
Ilwaco!!!  I graduated from there.  Grew up in Ocean Park.  I'm in Raymond right now.
Maybe we'll have to get together some sunny day and compare brews!

Are you originally from the area?
 
Grew up and graduated Orange County, NY. Moved to Clatsop County 35 years ago, and to Ilwaco in 1999. Another 25 years and I become a "local".

Ed
 
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