Drinkers with a Running Problem

Home Brewers... (Read 1606 times)

Trent


Good Bad & The Monkey

    Grain bags

    Lauter tun (nesting plastic buckets with holes in one)

    You may want a 6-7 gallon plastic bucket instead of a 5er.

     

    Your brew bubbling yet?  Where are the updted pics? Smile


    Prince of Fatness

      The two 5 gallon buckets and the spigot are for the lauter tun.  5 gallon is not large enough for that purpose?  I can ask the kid to try to get bigger ones.  There is a bakery at the store so he should be able to score the buckets.

       

      My homebrew shop will have the grain bags.  Do I need to line the bottom of the inner bucket with anything, or is that what the grain bag is for?

       

      As for pictures, just boring bubbling going on now.  They were about 5 - 6 seconds apart yesterday evening, so definitely slowing down.  I'll get some when I bottle, and when I crack open my first brew. 

      Not at it at all. 

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        Cool re the buckets.  You will want to install a spigot in the bottom one and drill holes in the top one.  I use my grain bag to line the lauter tun, but occasionally have the grain in it when mashing.


        Prince of Fatness

          Very simple but good example of the double bucket system here.  This made things clearer for me.

          Not at it at all. 

          Trent


          Good Bad & The Monkey

            Yeah.  I will try and shoot my brewing this weekend (my camera broke, new one is on its way).  I will get a pic or too of my tun.  It has far fewer holes than in the link.


            Former runner

               a bunch of steel cut oats

               Do you plan on doing anything special with the oats before adding them to the mash? Just curious if you need to do anything different compared to the flaked oats.

              Ross

              Trent


              Good Bad & The Monkey

                Indeed, yes.  I just did some research on this yesterday.  As with the barley, the sugars in the oats are locked up in starches.  With the oats, the starches will not release the sugars to the amylase enzymes until the starch molecules have been thoroughly "gelatinized" (or hydrated).  Rolled oats and instant oats gelatinize quickly in the mash.  Steel cut oats need to be gelatinized beforehand.  What this really means is that I simply have to cook them as if I was preparing breakfast.  So I'll probably make a few cups of the oats the day before, stick them in the fridge, then dump them into the mash on brew day.


                Prince of Fatness

                  OK, you talked me into it.  The next batch will be all grain.  It just may take me a little longer to get the equipment ready for it.  I'm thinking 3 weeks or so I'll be ready.  Since this is all your fault, what should I brew?  I want something simple for the first batch.  And think summertime.

                   

                  What I want done before I start....

                   

                  Assemble lauter tun.

                  Buy 5 gallon carboy.

                  Buy grain bags.

                  Buy larger pot (I know it's not absolutely necessary but I want to do full boils.  There is a SS 9 gallon pot on Amazon for $75 w/ free shipping).

                   

                  There is a restaurant supply store nearby.  I'll check there before buying anything.

                   

                  Mrs PH is not going to like this.

                  Not at it at all. 

                  Trent


                  Good Bad & The Monkey

                    Since this is all your fault, what should I brew?

                     

                    See, now you are talking. Heh. You will need to brew something straightforward and reasonably forgiving. Do you have a cool basement? A stable 60 degrees or cooler?


                    Prince of Fatness

                      Do you have a cool basement? A stable 60 degrees or cooler?

                       

                      Not sure.  It is cooler than the rest of the house but there is a heating vent or two down there so it probably gets above 60 on occasion.  It probably stays below 65.  I may be able to find a cool corner.

                      Not at it at all. 

                      Trent


                      Good Bad & The Monkey

                        I ask cuz I'm thinking that a nice pilsner styled lager (lots of pale malt, saaz hops, czech lager yeast) is a great way to start and hard to mess up.  In my experience, these can tolerate warmer environments than the classical icy cave where these were historically brewed.  60-65 might be okay.


                        Prince of Fatness

                          I ask cuz I'm thinking that a nice pilsner styled lager (lots of pale malt, saaz hops, czech lager yeast) is a great way to start and hard to mess up.  In my experience, these can tolerate warmer environments than the classical icy cave where these were historically brewed.  60-65 might be okay.

                           

                          Don't you need to ferment lagers longer?  I'll be impatient this first batch.  Think summery ale.  Like maybe a Belgian Pale Ale.  How complicated would that be?

                          Not at it at all. 

                          Trent


                          Good Bad & The Monkey

                            I ferment all my beers for a long time, but you don't have to.  If you want it by summer then you should go for a hoppy APA or IPA.  The Belgians tend to be a bit more tricky.


                            Prince of Fatness

                              Can you equate the taste of the lager to something on the market that I am familiar with?  I'd prefer that over something hoppy.  Also I heard that bitters are relatively simple.  True?

                               

                              I figure I'll be cracking the first one mid to late May.

                              Not at it at all. 

                              Trent


                              Good Bad & The Monkey

                                The classic Czech Lager is Pilsner Urquell.  If you have not tasted it, you will need to go out and pick one up today and drink it tonight lest you continue to live without any real meaning.

                                 

                                MTA: