Just Thought I'd Introduce Myself.

[Beerisyummy]

Hi AHBers,

This is my first post.

Thankyou for all the info I've managed to glean so far. I did try to post a longer explanation of what I'm trying to do, but it didn't load and was lost.
I have no intention of writing it again.
The long of the short is.....I want minimum space used and I don't want to buy too much equipment. $$ are to be kept to a minimum on this one.

Anyway, I'm moving towards the brew in a bag method after my sixth brew of various kits with different hop and sugar additions. The tatse of the kit beers is pretty good now but it still tastes like the can.
Im assuming I'm not the only one who tastes all the ingredients as I go along? The flavours keep changing over time although the original characteristics are unmistakable.

I know everyone loves pics, so I'll share a few of my budget setup. Please bear in mind that I have a hobby background in reef tanks ( amongst many others) and a professional background in the building industry. My selection of equipment is currently based on what I have lying around.


A home made fridge.

mk1.

mk2.

and my first starter experiment with a satchel of kit yeast.

Cheers
Ross.

 

[bignath]

a homemade frige????

fuckin' hell.

you've got some skills mate, welcome aboard (at long last)


If you can make a fridge, you'll have no problem making kick ass beer.

 

[Logman]

If that's the gadgets you've made doing 6 K&K brews you're going to fit in fine around here

 

[JDW81]

Nice use of the coffee plunger there too. All mine gets used for these days is steeping hops for late additions.

Welcome aboard.

 

[warra48]

I know he'll fit in fine around here.

He's been (so he says) enjoying my beers for the last few years.
Won't be long before he's outbrewing me in quality.

Oh, and he's also taking very good care of my daughter, seeing as he's married to her.

 

[Wal05]

I want minimum space used and I don't want to buy too much equipment. $ are to be kept to a minimum on this one.

I wish you luck with this one. If you are like the rest of us you will not be able to help yourself!!!!

Cool fridge. B)

 

[Beerisyummy]

Thanks for the welcomes and encouragement guys.

I'm still trying to get my head around this sites functions and will need to work out how to get automatic alerts. Although, in saying that I wouldn't have been much good at replying last night anyway.
Anyone who says " homebrew won't give you a hangover" needs to try smashing 12 stubbies over a couple of hours, getting up at 530 the next day and spending the whole day running buckets of materials up stairs. All because the plumbers couldn't be bothered digging a drainage pit down to suit the existing ground levels. (Please don't think I'm promoting stupidity. I got some really bad news last night and the beers seemed like a good idea at the time).

The homemade fridge thing was just using some old styrofoam boxes and a spare aquarium chiller/heater I had lying around. The boxes were live transport packaging for corals from my collector and the chiller is a peltier device that will hold 60ltrs of tank water to a set temperature between 4c and 40c. If I stuff with the calibration settings I can get the chiller down to 2c.
The first try at a fridge used a garden hose wrapped around the fermenter with the temperature controlled water
coming from a 50l+ Ltr esky. I didn't realise just how active the yeast was until I did the starter in the coffee plunger, saw it practicly boiling and that made me realise just how much heat was generated from a healthy fermentation.
The second try just involved half filling the styro box with water and sitting the fermenter in the water. Cut a hole in the lid and make a little styro hat for the bit that sticks out and I'm away. Works a treat and will heat or cool the wort accordingly.

I don't mean to sound like a tight arse with the whole " must be cheap" thing but my last hobby cost a freaking fortune to learn and I don't fancy going down that all too easy road again. I've got crates full of excess equipment for all sorts of water chemistry modifications and biological filtration so the step to brewing should be a pretty gentle one. At least that's what I'm tlling myself.

My goal is to brew decent beer without letting it consume too much space and time in the big city. Maybe a little fun along the way will be a good idea too.

Here is beer #2 which is green but also drew a short straw. I can't be going to the bottle shop anymore unless I need specialty tasters.
I dropped this one and mixed in some sediment so it could be clearer. Still tastes like a can and DME mind you.

And for those of you who think yeast and sanitation management is a daunting task. This was my last home hobby.
A lot of the stuff that this hobby involves crosses over to the brewing game from what I've read so far. The only difference is that with this one everything dies if you're impatient.
I look forward to brewing with you all and possibly sharing a few tricks I've picked up over the years.

Note: This shot is not the tank in it's prime and the left side is under my DIY 200w LED while the right side waits for the hombrew to stop costing me. I aggresively pruned the tank two weekends ago so it looks pretty bare.


Peace out.

 

[Beerisyummy]

I know he'll fit in fine around here.

He's been (so he says) enjoying my beers for the last few years.
Won't be long before he's outbrewing me in quality.

Oh, and he's also taking very good care of my daughter, seeing as he's married to her.

It might take awhile to outbrew you there buddy. I give you at least a few years headstart.

On the daughter front, it seems you know how to make more than just a good beer. She's an amazing woman and I'm thankfull she hasn't given me the flick yet.