Is there a reason that you prefer to ferment in the carboy with a blow off tube rather than using a bucket initially?  Probably a personal preference thing but just asking.

Mostly it's personal preference. My main concern is the bucket getting scratched and giving bacteria a place to live. Plus after using my bucket for several batches I noticed that it acquired a strong smell that didn't seem to fade. I still use the buckets for handling water and bottling. I use the airlocks when I don't overfill the carboy. I had a friend lose a couple gallons of porter (on his ceiling) when his airlock got plugged up. So the blow off tubes are cheap insurance.

Tomorrow is brew day.  Got the equipment out of storage and have cleaned it.  Thunder suggested that I try a tweak to the oatmeal stout that was planned: breakfast stout.  AKA Oatmeal and molasses stout.  I have done some research and it appears that molasses complements a dark beer incredibly well.  Sooo...

 

• 5 lbs 2 row American Malt
• 5 lbs Maris Otter Pale Malt
• 1 lb Chocolate Malt
• 1 lb Roasted Barley
• 1 lb 60l Crystal Malt
• ~3-4 lbs steel cut oats
• 2 oz Hallertau
• 2 oz Golden
• 2 oz Cascade
• Wyeast British Ale II yeast
• ~10 oz dark blackstrap molasses

 

I will mash together the American malt, the MO and the oats in my mash pot (4.5 gallons, I measured it) with about 2-3 gallons if possible, and I will steep the chocolate, roasted and crystal malts in another gallon or so of water in a second pot.  I will then sparge all this with enough water to get to about 5.5 gallons, again if possible.  Hop and then add the molasses and drop into the primary fermenter bucket (7 gallon size) and add yeast once cool...

As you can see, the stout will now be aged on mud.

I thought of this but figured it was inappropriate to ask.  I wish I were close by .... I'd bring you some of my home brew.  You need it more than I do.

 I was thinking the same thing. I could UPS some "yeast samples" to help with the cleanup.

 Hey, Trent.  Sorry to see all that damage.  I hope things get back to normal soon......man, that just sickens me to see all your pictures.  My thoughts are with you and all those touched by this devastation.

Do you name all your beers?  If so, is that going to be a Cumberland Mud Stout?

What's next to it..........is that a mead sitting there?  I haven't done a mead in probably 15 years..........

 

As you can see, the stout will now be aged on mud.

 

Interesting.  I just had the first beer out of my first all grain batch.  Two weeks in the bottle.  The interesting part is that it was not that different than the beer that I brewed from the kit.  I think that the key is the two weeks.  The dunkleweizen from the kit improved tremendously over time.  I'm thinking that I just got the feel for what "green beer" is.  I think that this beer will be pretty good if I just let it age for a few more weeks.

The Belgian Blonde tasted much better after 4 weeks.  I am seeing that patience is the key to successful home brewing.

I brewed a bitter yesterday afternoon.  Just having that first batch under my belt made things go much quicker.  I'd say that it took about 5 hours from start to finish.  Not bad.  This morning the air lock was bubbling away.