beer D3's Newb Brew

I sent you a pair of those kits that I'd sent tctenten ... so you'll have two batches to practice brewing with ...
 
I don't know if the beer comes out tasty or not, because I didn't brew it myself ... and it was tctenten's 1st batch!
 
By the time you brew those, though, you should have a working process for brewing the kinds of beers you like ;)
 
I added a brew kettle to my xmas wish list. I think I need to look into another fermenter too. All I have is that one gallon jug. I'd probably be better off with a small keg. 
 
I'll start doing some research into this subject again. In a few months i'll be out from under my car payment and will have a few more bucks to play with. 
 
There is some basic equipment i'd like to pick up before I start brewing again. Thanks to 1010s generosity I still have plenty of sanitizer and a few the other basics. 
 
Here's my current stock. 
 
dVvBM6G.jpg


I have a co2 tank though probably needs a different regulator. Bottle filler, hydrometer, thermometer, plenty of sanitizor, graduated cylinder, bottle capper, 1 gal fermenter, a little bit of hose, several air locks, rubber air lock thingy, funnel, nice strainer, some cheese cloth socks and a bottle brush. aluminum pot pictured is a tamale pot though i'd rather not use it again. 
 
You are in the ballpark already ...
 
Can totally make beer with that's there ...
 
The pot looks a little bit small though, if that's a one gal fermenter next to it ...
 
2 gal, or ? ...
 
 
yea that's a one gal fermenter next to it. The pot is really small. I'll be in the market for a least a 5 gallon one. I can always drill it and add a valve. Much cheaper than buying one drilled already. 

By summer i'd like to have a full set up I can do in the garage with a burner, pot, maybe some those igloo cooler set ups ect. 
 
I got nothing but time to research and compile a decent set up. 
 
I'll be on nights the next two weeks so I can do some more research into what i'd need. 
 
tctenten said:
I am confused. What is the connection between ground water temps and ferm chamber temps?
Click to expand...
 
No matter whether plate or immersion or counterflow, the rate of cooling decreases dramatically as the chilling wort approaches the groundwater temp flowing through the coils ...
 
You need the wort to be at pitching temp, to pitch, and if it's too far in either direction - it's bad news ...
 
Too hot, lots of esters, too cold, premature flocculation and the yeasties never setup shop and other organisms can get a foothold ...
 
Also, if the wort it too warm, you can't keep O2 in solution, and then it's not there for the yeasties orgy ...
 
The intensity of the boil -> hot break ...
 
The intensity of the cooling -> cold break ...
 
Without those, it's haze that's hard to clear at least, and more ...
 
The handling of the wort after the boil and until like 48-72 hrs after ferm has started is one of the key periods of time, and arguably the key period of time ...
 
He's talking about 5 gallon batches, and if his groundwater is 80F, a chiller will bring his wort down to 100F pretty quickly, and then after 10-20 mins get down to 90F, and then after like a fucking hour get down to 85F, and basically get stuck ...
 
Now ... what to do? ...
 
If you pitch in that 85F wort, there can only be so much O2 for so long because it's too warm to hold much of it, and the yeasties are going to orgy like it's 1999 in there ...
 
Also, you are going to have yeast shock issues, because you have more than like a 5 degree diffential in temp of yeast/starter and wort ...
 
So, you can put the fermenter in the fermentation chamber to cool it down further, and then pitch when ready ...
 
You probably won't have created an excellent cold break, but hazy homebrew is A-OK - rustic, ever - and it works ... but it takes forever ...
 
It might be better with a real full-size refrigrator, but it sucks ass with a chest freezer ...
 
The little compressor and large air-space is meant to keep already frozen things frozen, more so than to freeze things that aren't frozen ...
 
It takes quite a long time to bring down a batch to pitching temp truth be told, and it would be longer and longer the larger the batch ...
 
So ... he, like me, is confronted with a need for a pre-chiller for his wort-chiller in all likelihood, and certainly in the Summer ...
 
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