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Getting started... any suggestions?
- Thread starter Petrosky
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- Aug 25, 2008
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I'd say an English ale style that you like. Ales are quicker, require easier temperatures (~66 to 68) for fermentation, you can use dry yeast, and if you chose a darker style, clarity issues can be masked a bit. Porter, nut brown ale, mild, etc., if you like those. Start saving bottles unless you're going straight to kegs.
I started brewing last august, and although i am not close to a pro, i would suggest the following:
1. Make sure your equipment and area is clean and well sanitized. I pour sanitizer on a baking pan and/or plate to
have an area that i can lay equipment and know its clean
2. Invest in a decent digital thermometer. Temperature is important for steeping, chilling to temperature, and
fermenting. Its good to observe for repeatability of recipes.
3. If you are looking to buy a glass carboy, go with a 6-gallon even though you are doing 5-gallon batches. The extra
head room helps keep the krausen from moving its way up the neck and into the airlock.
4. I would also buy an auto siphon. It helps!
1. Make sure your equipment and area is clean and well sanitized. I pour sanitizer on a baking pan and/or plate to
have an area that i can lay equipment and know its clean
2. Invest in a decent digital thermometer. Temperature is important for steeping, chilling to temperature, and
fermenting. Its good to observe for repeatability of recipes.
3. If you are looking to buy a glass carboy, go with a 6-gallon even though you are doing 5-gallon batches. The extra
head room helps keep the krausen from moving its way up the neck and into the airlock.
4. I would also buy an auto siphon. It helps!
Scott Ickes
Grandmaster Brewer
Get the largest boil pot you can afford! I wish I had gotten a 15 gallon pot right from the start.
SharpsRifle
Grandmaster Brewer
Sanitization, sanitization, sanitization! I have no idea why "complete brewing kits" don't come with star san.
That being said, getting a large pot to start with is good advice. I've got quite a few "large" pots that I've outgrown. I've found a keggle is small for 10 gallon batches.
Get a 10 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches. I'm going to get at least a 20 gallon pot for 10 gallon batches. If you are going for 10 gallons for example, you know you want 11 or so out of the pot to account for trub loss in a couple 5 gallon fermenting batches, you may have a gallon and a half of boil off so that takes you to 12 1/2 or 13 gallons. A vigorous boil and you have a mess.
Even if you are thinking of all grain brewing, in my opinion you should start with extract brewing to get your procedure down. You take out the variable of the mashing process. A couple degrees in the mash will change the beer you get.
Order a kit from morebeer or somewhere and follow the directions. A simple pale ale is a good start. A porter is a better start so that you can end up with something you are proud of.
Learn about yeast. You need a proper pitch rate, proper oxygenation and good temperature control during fermentation. You need to keep the yeast happy to have good beer.
Under pitching, bad temperature control or poor sanitation can cause off flavors.
Patients is the other ingredient that they can't sell you. Some beers take quite a while to be ready. All beers need enough time.
That being said, getting a large pot to start with is good advice. I've got quite a few "large" pots that I've outgrown. I've found a keggle is small for 10 gallon batches.
Get a 10 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches. I'm going to get at least a 20 gallon pot for 10 gallon batches. If you are going for 10 gallons for example, you know you want 11 or so out of the pot to account for trub loss in a couple 5 gallon fermenting batches, you may have a gallon and a half of boil off so that takes you to 12 1/2 or 13 gallons. A vigorous boil and you have a mess.
Even if you are thinking of all grain brewing, in my opinion you should start with extract brewing to get your procedure down. You take out the variable of the mashing process. A couple degrees in the mash will change the beer you get.
Order a kit from morebeer or somewhere and follow the directions. A simple pale ale is a good start. A porter is a better start so that you can end up with something you are proud of.
Learn about yeast. You need a proper pitch rate, proper oxygenation and good temperature control during fermentation. You need to keep the yeast happy to have good beer.
Under pitching, bad temperature control or poor sanitation can cause off flavors.
Patients is the other ingredient that they can't sell you. Some beers take quite a while to be ready. All beers need enough time.
SharpsRifle said:
I couldn't agree more. I brew 5 Gallons and use an 8 Gallon pot and the constant fight with boil overs (having to turn off the burner and restart it as much as three times) will make you wish (as I do) that you had spent the extra $40 and gotten a pot that will greatly simplify things.
My suggestion would get a kit from Mr. Beer and start from there. That way you can get used to making a few batches, then you can step up to the next level. I wrote a few getting started tips here. http://www.squidoo.com/Home_Brewing_Beer 
SharpsRifle
Grandmaster Brewer
JmNYC said:My suggestion would get a kit from Mr. Beer and start from there. That way you can get used to making a few batches, then you can step up to the next level. I wrote a few getting started tips here. http://www.squidoo.com/Home_Brewing_Beer
My personal advice would be to avoid the Mr. Beer setup. It's probably great for what it's intended for but there is nothing of any use if you move on to extract or all grain brewing.
Scott Ickes
Grandmaster Brewer
I don't turn my heat down to control vigorous boils that look like they're going to boil over. I use a water bottle and mist it. This calms down the foaming quite nicely and allows me to keep my boil temperature where I want it.
Maine Homebrewer
Grandmaster Brewer
Don't forget to get (or make) a chiller of some sort. Very important.
Bringing gallons of boiling sugar water to room temperature without one is no fun. No fun at all. And it can increase the risk of infection if you do something thoughtless like adding ice.
Get a chiller.
Bringing gallons of boiling sugar water to room temperature without one is no fun. No fun at all. And it can increase the risk of infection if you do something thoughtless like adding ice.
Get a chiller.
Do not buy equipment twice.
Part of any hobby is the planning stage. Be thoughtful in your planning. Look to your future in the hobby and purchase equipment for the long term.
Build a five gallon brewery that is easily expanded to ten gallons. Plan that ten gallon brewery to become 15.
From boil kettles, to flasks for propagating yeast, think of the next stage of your breweries development.
Part of any hobby is the planning stage. Be thoughtful in your planning. Look to your future in the hobby and purchase equipment for the long term.
Build a five gallon brewery that is easily expanded to ten gallons. Plan that ten gallon brewery to become 15.
From boil kettles, to flasks for propagating yeast, think of the next stage of your breweries development.
I've restarted with malted extract kits after a long inactivity and I would suggest a little organisation on brew day and afterward e.g.
Get all you need (bucket, boiler, hygrometer thermometer etc ready and clean)
Leave the brew alone and covered till the activity has died down before you start measuring the FG.
Bottle and remember to thoroughly clean and dry your equipment including brew bucket immediately after use
Give the bottles a good rinse to remove yeast and beery smell after drinking then leave to dry on a bottle drainer.
Cleaning, rinsing and drying equipment and bottles after use means that subsequent batches are easier than the first.
Get all you need (bucket, boiler, hygrometer thermometer etc ready and clean)
Leave the brew alone and covered till the activity has died down before you start measuring the FG.
Bottle and remember to thoroughly clean and dry your equipment including brew bucket immediately after use
Give the bottles a good rinse to remove yeast and beery smell after drinking then leave to dry on a bottle drainer.
Cleaning, rinsing and drying equipment and bottles after use means that subsequent batches are easier than the first.
Mtnmangh said:
Also to ovoid boil overs, I have a digital thermometer that has a temp alert. I set if for 210 and when it reaches that I monitor the boil. If you keep stiring the top 3" of the foam, you eventually hit the hot break and all the foam materials coagulate as trub and don't foam anymore.
Foothiller
Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2013
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I agree with starting with the Mr Beer kit. It's an easy introduction to the basic processes, and you can take steps from there at whatever pace is comfortable for you. For ingredients, I have moved on to becoming comfortable with steeping grains, partial mash, and all grain, using all of these for different brews depending on their requirements, but all still use the Mr Beer fermenter. For me, the 2.3 gallon size with a 3-week fermentation cycle is the right production rate, drinking 2 beers per day including occasional meals at restaurants and trying various commercial beers to get familiar with styles. More volume than that just builds my inventory and takes a while to bring down. Beersmith software is adaptable to my equipment sizes.