beer D3's Newb Brew

Damn. Go to sleep for a few hours and you guys have a beer party.

Looks pretty good D3. I would do another kit or 2 just to get the whole process down. I have done 3 and my third was much more relaxed due to the prior experiences.

The 5 gallon brews are another whole set of equipment...just think about 5x the amount of grain... That is why I am going to do a 2 or 3 gallon batch and see how that goes.

You may know this, but I didn't, for final gravity you cannot use your refractometer.

Grant we will do a tandem brew at some point. Maybe I will stay up one night. Your yeast rehydrating is a bit different than JP's technique.
 
Ozzy2001 said:
I've only ever done 5gal batches. First 2 were extract. I think you could argue that a small batch could be harder. Less margin for error.
Looks good D3
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On your 5 gallon batches. Are you heating on stove? And for mash/sparge I think you use one of those Gatorade coolers?
 
tctenten said:
On your 5 gallon batches. Are you heating on stove? And for mash/sparge I think you use one of those Gatorade coolers?
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I did the extract batches all on the stove. When I switched to AG I do everything preboil inside. I heat my strike water and sparge on the stove. And yeah, I use a 10 gal cooler with a false bottom for my mash tun. You just have so much more water with AG that I get a lot of boil over so outside on the burner is the only option.
Once I get the keggle going I may move all operations outside and build a rack. I'm going to need to buy a better burner though too once I change that up. The one have have now is a sh!ttiy one from the turkey fryer kit. It's horribly inefficient for the gas it uses.
 
Ozzy2001 said:
I did the extract batches all on the stove. When I switched to AG I do everything preboil inside. I heat my strike water and sparge on the stove. And yeah, I use a 10 gal cooler with a false bottom for my mash tun. You just have so much more water with AG that I get a lot of boil over so outside on the burner is the only option.
Once I get the keggle going I may move all operations outside and build a rack. I'm going to need to buy a better burner though too once I change that up. The one have have now is a sh!ttiy one from the turkey fryer kit. It's horribly inefficient for the gas it uses.
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What size pot do you use for the boil? I am assuming 30 qt or larger?
 
Looks like most the action has died down as far as blowing off, still producing gasses though. 
 
What I find interesting on gumballhead clones is every one of them so far uses just amarillo hops. The infographic you posted earlier the brewer said it uses amarillo, warrior and simcoe. 
 
Could be that the magic happens from specific conditions THEY have with only Amarillo, but that he decided to ferm his way, and add character using some other hops ...

I agree, though, clone's seemed to be layered Amarillo ...
 
I was waiting for you to start a thread also....come back and 4 pages.  Beer looks good. 
 
My thoughts FWIW
 
The fermenter and blow off jug can be on the same level.  Get and old pickle jar, jug or any container with a plastic lid and fill with sani.  Drill a hole in the lid to force blow off tube in so it won't pop out.  Drill another hole for escaping Co2 or just put the lid on loosely.  The tube end just needs to be under the liquid.  I was fighting the tube popping out as well. 
 
Don't get hung up on hops.  Just find a kit in the style you like.  I have not yet dry hopped and don't plan on it for a while.  That's just one more thing to go wrong until you get your technique and sanitizing down pat.  Dry hopping in the neck of a bottle would be a real pain.
 
I use a simple app (Wort) and plug all my hops/boil timing.  Hit start at beginning of boil and sounds a pre alarm and an alarm for adding which hop.  It helps to keep focused if you get side tracked.  I think Beersmith has one also.  Plugging in numbers, ingredients, timing and so forth helps to understand the process and memory.
 
Stick with small beers < 1.060 until you get comfortable technique and pitching yeast.  I have had faster starting bubbles/action with smack packs and rehydrating dry yeast.  I have saved yeast and made starters.  They worked but it was just another step to make me nervous and think I f....ed up. 
 
5 gal BIAB is so simple if you have the boiling capacity/heat source.  Your first few pics and basically the same process.  I keep looking at the other systems and there is no reason for me to go all out unless I move onto bigger beers. 
 
Keep it simple and move up instead of trying to clone that perfect beer and hop schedule.     
 
grantmichaels said:
Woke up LOL at D3 making hop-less beer last night ;) ...
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That's funny, my first brews my wife walks into the office where I have them bubbling away nicely, 2 Beers and a Cider and all 5 gallon batches and says "Get this out of my house!" so I move them out to our 90dF garage not thinking about it at all. Post up what I did and within minutes Fiddy and Sum are PMing me saying get it out of that garage, you cant brew at that temp!!! So I finally came to an understanding with the wife about brewing. 
 
tctenten said:
Grant we will do a tandem brew at some point. Maybe I will stay up one night. Your yeast rehydrating is a bit different than JP's technique.
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Actually, I think it would be really cool to have a Brew Down. Maybe something like wheebz gives us grains and hops to use, perhaps the style and then we take it and develop a recipe and brew it up. Everyone sends wheebz a bottle and he judges them. Believe me having wheebz just go through one of your beers will tell you a LOT about your brewing. What you did right and where you need to improve.
 
Boss might even give a crown if we approach him about it right ;)
 
I fully intend to send Wheebz bottles in the next few weeks ...
 
I have five worth sending ... the sixth is the BBS wheat kit beer, and there's no real point sending that one since I don't know what it's made of ...
 
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