New Brewer, New Poster

[BrewRick]

Hi all,

I've just entered the world of brewing after many years of enjoying fine craft brews.

I've only made one home brew at the moment. A Coopers Dark Ale straight from the tin to fermenter. While this was OK for my first, I want to move on to bigger and better things, with the aim to becoming an all grain home brewer, before looking into starting a small nano-brewery in the future (maybe ten years away). Yep, I know we all want to do it, but it's a dream I want to work hard at making a reality.

So, I want to take the next step from can to fermenter brewing, and start extract brewing. I'm wondering where I should post to get some help regarding equipment I need to get started on this. I'm going to post in the extract area, hoping someone may be able to give advice on what equip I need to get started, and a basic run through of what to do.

I'm looking forward to posting and joining threads as my experience grows!

 

[Bribie G]

Welcome Rick. In many ways extract brewing is more of a sideways step from kits but can give you experience in hops, sanitising, fermenting etc. However nowadays it's a lot easier to start All Grain brewing, which is where you need to be if you would like to brew something like those craft beers you have been enjoying - what area are you in?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Welcome Rick. In many ways extract brewing is more of a sideways step from kits but can give you experience in hops, sanitising, fermenting etc. However nowadays it's a lot easier to start All Grain brewing, which is where you need to be if you would like to brew something like those craft beers you have been enjoying - what area are you in?

+1. The man's right. If I had my extract (or K&K) days back again, and this forum, I'd have jumped straight into BIAB. No more work than using grain in extract/partial mash (given you've got to mash anyway with partials), and far more flexibility.

2 things that mean the most to me brewing wise are the same whether you're a kit brewer or an AG brewer - sanitising and yeast handling. You can learn that extract brewing or AG brewing, so (IMHO) extract is superfluous in that instance.

However, I also understand that some like a safety blanket - I don't think it adds to anything brewing wise - but it might be a confidence booster until you're ready to take that jump. It's only after you take the jump, you realise it wasn't that big to start with.

Goomba

 

[BrewRick]

Thanks Bribie G.

I'm in Hobart. For a small state, there are some great microbrewerys in Tas and I'm hoping to squeeze my way into some work experience at a couple.
Since I've only just started, maybe extract brewing will help me grow confident in the things you said above (hops, fermenting etc). What do you think?
If I go this way what equipment would I need that I can still use when I progress to the next step (which would be partial mashing, i assume?)

Thanks again for replying and the welcome!

 

[BrewRick]

Thanks for the reply Goomba.
After reading the first post, my thoughts were to try some extract brewing, so I can get some confidence in using hops, sanitisation and fermenting. But I'm keen on a steep learning curve, so would love to step up to the next level quickly.
What is involved with BIAB, without going into detail? I guess I need to surf the net a bit more, and these forums. But there's so much information, it's hard to get a grasp when you're just beginning.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Thanks for the reply Goomba.
After reading the first post, my thoughts were to try some extract brewing, so I can get some confidence in using hops, sanitisation and fermenting. But I'm keen on a steep learning curve, so would love to step up to the next level quickly.
What is involved with BIAB, without going into detail? I guess I need to surf the net a bit more, and these forums. But there's so much information, it's hard to get a grasp when you're just beginning.

Depends on your budget and equipment.

BribieG is the king of the urn and has won awards. There is Nick_JD's stovetop method (which is a $20 19L big w pot - damn shame there isn't any up here in the NW - and a bit of curtain fabric from spotlight).

In Brisbane I had the 2 pot stovetop method, and I used a 25L esky as a mashtun, with 2 x $9 food grain buckets from bunnings with a tap in it for a lauter. I did a forum topic with piccies. I have won awards with this method. It cost me an extra big w pot, and a couple of buckets and a tap from bunnings, as I had the esky and of course, the stovetop.

At the moment, I'm about to restart brewing here in Tas, and it'll be a 50L keggle, with a BIAB in it, atop a 3 ring burner with a gas bottle, because that's what I've sourced.

The thing is, once you get your head around 'soak grain at a certain temp' and 'boil for an hour (or 1 1/2 hours)' and 'boiling hops for this long, adds this effect' - the equipment issue isn't that much an issue, more a 'what can I source' and 'what can I afford'.

 

[BrewRick]

Just noticed your link there (HOWTO - 2 pot stove method).

This is the sort of thing I was looking for. I'll have a good look over it and I'm sure I'll have a good starting point based on your guide. Cheers for that Goomba, you've been a great help.