some DIY I found this evening

http://www.schwedhelm.net/brew/index.html

http://www.bamfbeer.com/

http://home.highertech.net/~cdp/

http://onebeer.net/beergadgets.shtml

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/review-my-brutus-clone-82652/

FIRST YEAST STARTER...this should be entertaining....

CHECK THE GEAR OUT!

This is my first attempt at a yeast starter and I am paranoid about overheating the BOMEX Erlenmeyer on the sttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

100th POST!!!

I think that it is about time to learn How-to-rate a beer!

A TRIP TO BOULEVARD BREWERY

coming soon

A TRIP TO BOULEVARD BREWERY

coming soon

LAGUNITA'S CENSORED ALE

Lagunita's Censored Ale

6 Gallon Batch

O.G. 1.066
F.G. 1.017
4.5-5 love plato
SRM 12.67
IBU 35


Mash
156^
150^ would be to dry and caramely

MALT
lbs 11.82 2 Rahr Base Pale
lbs 1.27 Malted Wheat
lbs 1.58 Munich
lbs 1.03 C-60 (Crystal?/Carapils?)
lbs .07 Roasted Barley (Quebrier / 500-Lovibond )

HOPS
Grams per Liter
60-27.24 Lambit 4-6%
60- 4.45 Horizon 12% (Nugget)
30-16.00 Lambit
30- 2.3 Centennial 10%
30- 4.5 Cascade 6%
00- 9.0 Centennial
00- 9.0 Liberty


Yeast:
Enlish Ale Yeast 1968
WLP002

Fermentation:
66^
Last 48 hours > 77^

Gypsum
Mash 100 ppm
Kettle 50 ppm
Final 60 ppm
Promtly remove from yeast when fermentation is complete

GUESS WHAT I MADE LAST NIGHT....

My new Stir Plate! I have been working with the idea of makeing yeast starters and have decided it was time. Until now I have been working with the Wyeast Smack Packs. They have performed well but I think that I lost out on my OG while making my un-Imperial Porter. An OG of 1.062 is definately not 1.092. I will still have to decide on a housing, but at least the unit will function.

Note: The other accessories have been ordered and I am waiting on a shipment from http://www.morebeer.com/ and http://www.northernbrewer.com/

SUNDAY SESSION: DOUBLE IPA _2008.07.06

http://destroy.net/brewing.iipa.pdf
the BN jolly pumpkin show canceled forum

haze is good, double IPA that are clear are made by pu$$ie$
light munich malt
dry hop with Columbus (substitute with Summit) for "dank" smell
cascade = grassy

1st link on page
OG 1.074
FG 1.012
summit instead of simcoe
bittering with halletau instead of warrior
Pliny like recipe (with hop sibstitutions)
145^>152-154^ mashout @ 165^
chinook and simcoe in mash (another mod from orig. recipe which only had chinook)
150-152 for single infusion
whole hops in the mash at dough-in (converts to about 30% aroma)
add gypsum to bring up the hardness (calcium sulfate) adds to the hops
little calcium carbonate

use a hopback
weighted stainless dryhop in keg

how do you take mutiple gravity readings????
always dry hop @ fermentation temperature

California Ale (neutral yeast) 001 is best at 68^
1056 can go a bit lower
550 white labs cheuff yeast
Temp control @ 68^ crash to 55^ then pull yeast off
dry hop (make sure to remove yeast before dryhopping)
english yeasts would tend to be partial fruit
experiment with belgian yeasts but it would be necessary to roust the yeasts regularly



7/2/2008 Fed. Rocommended WATERONE
Aluminum 200 ppb 42 ppb
Chloride 250 ppm 60 ppm
Copper 1000 ppb 3 ppb
Corrosivity 0 S.I. 1.09 S.I.
Fluoride 2000 ppb 590 ppb
Iron 300 ppb 55 ppb
Odor-Threshold 3 T.O.N. 1 T.O.N.
Sulfate 250 ppm 99 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids 500 ppm 316 ppm
Zinc 5000 ppb 20 ppb


70-80% basemalt domestic 2 rahr
some marris otter / vienna / munich
1% wheat head retention
5-10% dexterin malt domestic crystil 10-40
some breas carapil
? crystal 120
? pilsner malt >extra enzymes convert the mash be aggressive with it
5-15% simple sugar >to finish out add right before boil


start with RO Water
TASTY's WATER RECIPE
Calcium 110 ppm
Magnesium 118 ppm
Sodium 17 ppm
Sulfate (SO4) 350 ppm
Chloride 58 ppm


Ken Schwartz software brew water water chemistry

WATERONE WATER REPORT

2008

http://www.waterone.org/wq_reports.htm

YEAST CULTURING

http://www.realbeer.com/spencer/yeast-culturing.html

2009 PARKVILLE MICROFEST

Had a great time with great friends. Glenda happily volunteered to be the designated driver, CHEERS to Glenda!

A bit of a TASTING NIGHT!

Coming Soon...

Starters

THE BREWING NETWORK

SUNDAY SESSION 09/04/2005

STARTER
(In Erlenmeyer Flask directly on the stove)
Water (enough for 2000ml Starter)
D.M.E. (1/2 lb. ?)
Proper Nutrients
Cover with foil
Boil for X time
Rest overnight to pitching temp (68^-70^ or so)
NOTE: Wyeast (100 billion yeast cells per package) or White Labs (30-40billion yeast cells per vial)
Pitch yeast next morning when wort is in Carboy and chilled to proper pitching temperature

STARTER FOR STORAGE per Jamil Z.
5 Gallon Starter
D.M.E. (1/2 lb. ?)
Proper Nutrients
Hop to 7 IBU (optional)
Boil for 60 min. time
Chill
Can
Pressure Cook Jars @ 250^ for 30 min (Pasteurize?)
Produces Sterile wort (refer to book JOY TO HOMEBREWING as well)
Store in dark cool place
when opening use a flame to sanitize mouth of bottle/jar
add to Erlenmeyer flask
add yeast
Cover with foil
Place on Stirplate

NOTES
Does not recommend Star San in Carboy because of the file which is left behind (oil like film) kills HEAD
5 Gallon Wort requires 2 liter starter w/ 1 vial of yeast
1.030 = mild wort
1.050 = mild wort
Whirlpool Chiller drops 100^ in 1 minute (need to get pump working again)
Pitch at FERMENTATION temperature or lower
5 billion cells per degree plato
1 tube white labs yeast is good for 1.048 SG
Zinc, Servomyces
it's ok for hops to transfer to Carboy from Boil Kettle (this would just end up leaving more hop aroma

Ken Schwartz and the Fermentation Chiller

http://home.roadrunner.com/~brewbeer/

HOP GARDEN!

COMING SOON

HOPS

Hop Rhizomes Plants that we will put in to the ground this weekend! I can't wait for the HARVEST next year!

5 Cascade
5 Centennial
2 Nugget
2 East Kent Goldings
2 Brewers Gold
1 Mt. Hood


great resource
http://oregonhops.org/culture2.html

Collaboration not Litigation Ale

Good winter time beer, not the best but I would consider buying this again. It is a very unique belgian stout flavor that you notice immediately.

http://www.averybrewing.com/BigBeers/seasonal/CollaborationnotLitigationAle

2009.04.11_Brewday: High Tide ESB

#003 Extra Strong Ale #3

Strong Bitter/English Pale Ale

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 4/11/2009
Batch Size: 10.00 gal	Brewer:
Boil Size: 11.45 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50):35.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 11.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 92.14 % 0.50 lb Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.19 % 0.38 lb Crystal 55L (55.0 SRM) Grain 3.14 % 0.06 lb Chocolate Malt (475.0 SRM) Grain 0.53 % 43.10 gm Fuggle [4.00 %] (90 min) Hops 13.6 IBU 23.02 gm Fuggle [4.00 %] (15 min) Hops 1.9 IBU 8.50 gm Fuggle [4.00 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU 0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 1 Pkgs Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.034 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol:3.16 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.53 %
Bitterness: 16.0 IBU	Calories: 298 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.5 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: My Mash	Total Grain Weight: 11.94 lb
Sparge Water: 12.88 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature:4,669,868,828,147,133,800,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
My Mash Step Time Name Description Step Temp 40 min Step Add 0.00 qt of water at 150.0 F 150.0 F
Mash Notes:
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 214.2 gm	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature:60.0 F	Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith

DOUBLE DEAD GUY by ROGUE BREWERY

Very nice German Lager Doppelbock. I have enjoyed the Deadguy since my sis dropped a couple in the fridge and I heard it calling my name. We made good friends that night and to my recolection, I had never met another bock at this point...(perhaps years ago in my ignorance). I instantly thought thought that it would be a great candidate for this weekend's brew until I noticed that it was a lager. We will some day reach the levels of cold fermentation, but until then, the double bocks must wait. (I need to put the thermoset to work on the beer fridge...but is that necessary since I have discovered it sits very nicely at a 42^ at it's warmest setting (perfect for my beer embiding enjoyment).

I should note that I am halfway thru my glass and I can tell that it's presence likes to be known at the acheived 9.0% ABV.

Rogue Double Dead Guy on Beeradvocate


Homebrew recipe for Dead Guy (not Double Dead Guy)

FLOSSMOOR STATION PULLMAN BROWN CLONE

coming soon

Crankandstein

http://www.sawdustangels.com/crankandstein.html

For the HopHeads

keep your nose open for the harvest...

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/fresh-beer-once-year-wsj-article-12678/

Jack Daniel's master taster has to know his whiskey

http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2009/03/jack_daniels_master_taster_has.html

IPA Tasting

SUCCESS! I needed that after the disasterous non-Imerial Porter I recently brewed.

EUREKA! A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE

http://brewery.org/library/

SCHAFFLY'S IRISH EXTRA STOUT

GRADE: B+

Great BIG stout...

L Deep Dark Stout
A minimal head retention
S Coffee, heavy roast, chocolate
M Thick, nicely carbonated, little explosions, tingly
T Very roasty and coffeelicious, espresso maybe, bitter chocolate
D For me I obviously can feel the effects of one beer so it would bedifficult to carry on with an 8% beer on an accidental empty stomach (tied on a 12% BAC). But I definately enjoy this beer.

A Quickie: Utah Passes Homebrew Legislation

Well, it is official. The governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, Jr., has signed bill HB 51, allowing homebrewing in Utah. On May 12th, homebrewers there can make their first legal brew. Congratulations homebrewers of Utah, and special thanks to the American Homebrewer's Association for all their hard work.

courtesy of:
http://hunahpu.blogspot.com/2009/03/quickie-utah-passes-homebrew.html

Diesel Drafts

http://dieseldrafts.com/journal/2009/03/diesels-brewing-spreadsheet/
http://dieseldrafts.com/spreadsheet/

Moose Drool CLONE Recipe

Big Sky Brewery

American Brown Ale Style

Mash 154^
70% eff.
15% evap. rate
7.27 pre-boil
70 min boil

87%_10.8 lbs_Dom. Pale 2 Row Pale
10%_1.25 lbs_Crystal 80 (gives Caramel Sweetness)
2.8%_5.5 oz_Chocolate (Too much could give a tannic)
.2%_14 grams_Black (pat?)

Fuller's Yeast Strain
WYEAST
WLP 002 (English Ale)

Starting Gravity 1.052

Ferment @ 60-66-67^ (you can move to a warmer temp during the last few days to get a
cleaner taste and move away from the diacetal sp?)

IBU 26
SRM 38
ABV 5.1%
60 min_1.4 oz_Kent Goldings - bittering hops = 27 ibu
10 min_0.6 oz / 17 grams_Willamette
00 min_0.6 oz / 17 grams_Liberty

Mash Paddle

Schutte Lumber


Walnut 1x4x6 @ 20.34


At this price we could definately invade Leland's shop and sell them on ebay @ $30 a pop and and profit $40 to create some funds for overhead.
I think I recall people using lemon oil to condition the paddles


(they did not offer olive wood)

Good thing we don't live in Zimbabwe!

The Cost Of A Beer In Zimbabwe

Rabid inflation causes prices to skyrocket.
Richard Byrom
While here in the U.S., we are battling what economists call "deflation," or the devaluation of the dollar, our friends in Zimbabwe have a different problem. For a number of reasons, their monetary system has undergone massive inflation over the past couple years -- to a disastrously high degree.
The picture above was taken at Country Club bar in Zimbabwe on November 24th, 2007. At that time, a single beer would put you back Z$1 million. According to the photographer, Richard Byrom, the bar patron had been to the bank and was supplied with their remaining $500 bills. In case your math is rusty, that comes out to 250,000 notes for one cold, frosty ale.
We still think paying $8 for a Budweiser is highway robbery, but it's nothing compared to this.

http://weblogs.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2008/12/the_cost_of_a_beer_in_zimbabwe.html

TBN_Doc's Brew Day

Yeast Starter: "Doc" breaks down his process @ 1:19 in to Podcast from 1/13/2008 _ Part 1 Doc's Brew Day (can sit in fridge for about two weeks max)

RO: Reverse Osmosis water

Pre-Boil = de-carbonates the water but removes the calcium as well. One might have to re-introduce calcium to water if one does a Pre-boil

Bring HLT to 168^ - 175^ to kill enzymes for 10 min. then begin mash-in (sparge)

Mash to Boil kettle transfer rate will effect efficiency

Get a stick and mark the gallons
-Pre-boil volume TIMES pre-boil gravity = Post-boil volume TIMES post-boil gravity __solve for x

Hops Break
-Wait for the wort to boil to the point that it boils and appears similiar to egg drop soup (Hop break).
-Trickle the hops in to the kettle to avoid boil-over.

Carbonation
-Set to 12 lbs and carbonate.
-The colder the beer the great absorbtion of co2

H.E.R.M.S.

http://hunahpu.blogspot.com/search/label/HERMS

Grain Storage

Vittle Vault Stackable Airtight Container a bit pricey a about $40 a pop but a very nice option

(There are some non-stacking models that are half as much)

Long Hammer IPA

by RED HOOK

a little sweet, it doesn't embody that fresh aroma and flavor I have been leaning towards with my recently favorited IPAs
6.5%

I would rather spend my muahla elsewhere

Saint Bridget's Porter

by GREAT DIVIDE BREWING

a solid example of a porter. very chocolatey and smokey.
5.9%

I don't know if I am a big fan of porters although w/ a nice piece of BBQ or Chili to go with it seems to be a great way to enjoy one. After my first taste, I feel better about my first batch of Homebrew (at least flavorwise).

I think I am going to like this BEER stuff!

2009.01.31_Bottled the Imperial Porter

2.5 hours to bottle 50 bottles w/ clean-up

Sierra Nevada to turn beer yeast into fuel

I just saw this and you gotta love it!

The Bayou Classic Banjo Burner KAB4

It has arrived today via FedEx after ordering this last Friday...that is nice expedited STANDARD shipping! Thanks http://www.webstaurantstore.com/!

Stir Plate

I think we should make a kick ass Stir Plate like this!

-120mm comp fan
-25 ohm rheostat
-12V switch
-DC plug from a phone or similar 6 to 12V
-rare earth magnets or hard drive magnets
-stir bar
___________________________________


A 12V DC fan such as found in PC power supplies. Other voltages will work if you have the right power supply.
Two rare-earth (strong!) magnets around 12x5mm. I bought mine from Alpha Magnetics in Boronia for 75c each (+GST).
Plastic plate (must be non magnetic) for the flask to sit on. Furthermore with the aluminium plate I first tried, although it didn't interfere with the magnetic coupling between the motor and stir bar, it really gave the motor a hernia so I resorted to wood. I will replace with perspex when I get a chance.
Misc machine screws and spacers. I ended up using 40mm M3 screws which allowed me to fit two 9mm spacers (threaded) to the motor and some M3 short machine screws to hold the platform down.
One or more stir bars. I made the mistake of buying the variety that has a ring in the middle to act as a pivot. Well unfortunately it pivots every revolution and the rattling forced me to leave the starter out in the garage overnight. I will be getting the "no ring" version very soon. I sourced these from Science Supply Australia in Mitcham. They also have conical flasks.
You will also need a suitable vessel for stirring in, such as a conical flask, ideal because it has a flat base. Common glass vessels typically have a convex bottom (looking at the inside) making it difficult to centre the stir bar.


http://brewiki.org/StirPlate

___________________________________

http://www.thebitterbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=64
___________________________________
www.stirbars.com

Brew Sculpture

Brewdog has a nice basic DIY BrewSculpture that I think we can build and it looks cheap enough.

Kegerator

Brewdog

American Pale Ale - First 10 Gal. Batch

Coming Soon

Imperial Porter

Coming Soon

Vanilla Porter Bottling

coming soon

Sanitization

StarSan
-Stay under 110F (equally effective regardless of water temp as long as withing working range), work for 3 min.

Bottling
-hold caps in Star San while bottling

BrewDay Template

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pvWCxSc6omGQTxyE7tLIbcQ&hl=en

Getting excited for the Imperial Porter on Sunday

I'm thinking if it is cold like today, it may have to be the SUB-ZERO IMPERIAL PORTER.....

...but we shall see.

BrewShed

We all need one of these....ok, maybe just one of us!

Stainless Steel

Never use those green scrubbies. It erodes the oxidized layer on top.

refer to the fermentation podcast to hopefully hear about how to bring back that oxidized layer.

Do use Warm water, PBW, and little white scrubbies like the ones on morebeer.com

Late Hopping

Late Hopping with Mr. Malty


With this technique comes the question of using whole leaf or pellet hops. Petersen uses a false bottom in his boil kettle and was able to use whole hops for his experiment. His concern was that a large amount of pellet hops might clog his counter-flow chiller. However, using whole hops results in a very large mass that can make it difficult to extract the wort at the end of the boil.
The majority of brewers I spoke with use pellet hops for this technique. Pellets break up quickly and expose the alpha acids for isomerization. Brynildson says, "I would always select pellets for late/whirlpool hopping."

Sousa suggests increasing the wort volume in the boil kettle. "You’ll lose some of your wort to the large amount of hops in the kettle," he said. "Increase your batch size an extra quart per five gallons to compensate."

Copper

Never store your copper "wet". It corrodes!

Brewing Process (in Construction)

GRAINS
-Bring the grains out to rest at room temperature one day before BREWDAY

CHILLING

The basic setup is that you put the immersion chiller in the boil pot with 15 minutes remaining in the boil. Connect the pump to the kettle spigot (out) with a length of tubing. From the pump output it goes through a hunk (about 2 feet) of the silicon tubing that B3 sells with their systems. This hunk of tubing is attached to a piece of copper tubing with a hose clamp. The tubing has a gentle curve to it and goes underneath the surface of the wort, just inside the coils of the immersion chiller. Although the pump is clean, and has been pumping 170F+ water for the past hour during the sparge, I turn it on for a few minutes to recirculate the wort through it and heat sanitize the setup. When the boil is complete, turn on the pump and the chiller water. The temp drops more than 100F in 3 minutes, using one of the beefy, B3 Super Chillers. It is 50' of 1/2" copper, which is a huge amount of surface area. The rest of the drop (another 50F or so) takes longer. Watch the thermometer until the temperature is where you want it for pitching, then turn off the water and the pump to let everything settle for 20 minutes. This allows me to rack clear wort to the fermenter and leave all the trub behind in the kettle. If you don't care about it settling, you can just run it off at that point.

There are many advantages to this technique. The first is that you're cooling the entire wort below 140F in about a minute or two. Below 140F you're not going to keep generating DMS like you will with a plate chiller or counter flow chiller. If you're into clean german lagers, this is a critical factor in success with this style. The other huge advantage is leaving the cold break behind. With a counter flow chiller or plate chiller you're sending all that cold break into the fermenter and you're going to need to get rid of it if you want the best lager possible. With the whirlpool chiller, the trub forms a nice cone in the kettle and you can leave it behind when you transfer to your fermenter.

After chiller has cooled wort to desired pitching temp, turn off the water and the pump to let everything settle for 20 minutes. This allows for racking clear wort to the fermenter and leave all the trub behind in the kettle. If you don't care about it settling, you can just run it off at that point.

Courtesy of Mr._Malty

Keg Despensing

LINE LENGTH
longer line = more pressure to compensate for lost pressure over the length

Each keg with a different style beer needs separate regulator

higher volume

PA @ 2.5 Volume (cross-reference PSI vs Temp = Volume) Here will be a link for this spreadsheet

LINE DIAMETER
smaller diam. = better pressure
Sold by the foot. 3/16" is the best size for most beer lines under 9' in length. Ideally, 5' provides the correct restriction for serving beer in the 8-14 psi range.
morebeer.com Beverage_Line_3_16_ID_-_By_the_Foot @ $0.55


Cornie Keg Dispenser
morebeer.com CO2_Injector_Ball_Lock @ $21.95

Kegging

NEED TO PURCHASE:
Ball Valve connectors x 1 gas
Ball Valve connectors x 1 beer
keg post O-Rings (spares) loof for cracks etc.
co2 line
beer line? can I use the one I have ....need to look.


ADVANTAGES:
-less to clean (1 keg vs. 48 bottles)
-can select amount of pressure (carbonation) with regulator


TIPS:
-spray starsan on everything
-when an o-ring is replaced, replace the other one as well
-inspect often (gas can leak from poor o-ring condition and lose all of the gas over one night)
-look in to KEG WASHER
-Lube Keg when equipment is warm
-BLC Beer line Cleaner (caustic cleaner)
-can naturally carbonate by adding sugar directly to the keg
-pin lock or ball lock? Ball lock is more available.

PROCESS:
connect, run to 10-15 psi to check for leaks and then release some pressure.

HopBack

http://www.deerislandbrewery.com/projects.html

I like this one

Keggle Conversion Info

step-up bit from Harbor Freight

Hops, Hops, and MORE Hops!

This is our goal anyhow. I found this nice chunk of info to grow hops at:

PicoBrewery

Hops Garden Pics

Hops Garden Pics



Back to Ask the Brewmaster.
Question: : How do I grow hops?

Answer: Growing hops can be a fun way to get outdoors this summer. With a couple of plants, you can grow all the hops your homebrew will need. In the meantime, they'll be a pleasant herbal addition to your back yard. To see what you're in for, check out my hop garden at: http://www.picobrewery.com/hopgardn.html.Hops grow from root cuttings known as rhizomes. They are perennial, so once they get started, they'll come back year after year. You can buy rhizomes at the shop, or you can get them mail order. Hop plants have distinct male or female characteristics. Hop cones, the part that is used in brewing, only come from the female plants. Whenever you buy rhizomes, you can rest assured that they are female. Unless you come across some native hop plants, male plants are generally only found at agricultural breeding facilities. Commercial hop growers (and homebrewers) generally don't want the hop cones to be fertilized, so the males are rooted out. The first thing to do is plan out your growing space. Hop plants are tall climbing vines. They'll need a tall trellis to be able to do their thing. Plan on allowing sixteen feet upwards at least, and 20 feet if room is available. The plants will need to be spaced about 5 feet apart. I've discovered that my garden, with plants at three-foot intervals, suffers from root competition. Also, with time, the rhizomes start to spread laterally. If they are too close together, they can get mixed up, so you won't know which is which. Before you plant, you should build your trellis. Hops like lots of sun, so pick a place accordingly. The easiest thing to do is use a tall south-facing wall and put up some stringer-hooks, like they did at the shop. Craig Corley built his trellis using his garage as a base. I didn't have a good south wall, so I built a free-standing frame out of sixteen-foot 2 x 4's. The vines climb up strings, which I secure with hooks. I arranged the strings so that at harvest time, I can lower the vines down. Hops like soil that is fairly light and well-drained. Typically, making some small hills help with the drainage. They also need plenty of fertilizer. Garden-variety potting soil works pretty good.The next thing to do is select the type of rhizome you want. The modern American hybrids such as Cascade and Nugget tend to grow the best in Southern California. I haven't had much luck with the traditional English or German varieties. I suspect part of the reason is that they came from more northerly latitudes, where the summer days are longer. For variety, I recommend that you select a mix of bittering and a flavoring hops. One plant will produce all you need of a given type for a year, so use your space for variety, rather than quantity. The time to plant is now. Rhizomes naturally send up fresh shoots in March. Make sure the soil is well spaded. Dig a hole a bit deeper than the length of the rhizome. When you get your rhizomes, look for the white growths. These will be the shoots, so point these up. Gently pack soil around the rhizome, so that the shoots are about an inch below ground. Keep the soil well moistened for the first month or two. The roots are fairly fragile for a while, so they are prone to dryness. For well-established plants, hops will reach a few feet tall by April. Make sure the shoots find a string to climb on. They'll continue to spiral upward as long as the strings are close to vertical. In May, they rocket upwards several inches in a day! They tend to reach the top of the trellis in June. About that time, they start producing cones. A healthy vibrant plant will produce some cones the first year. However, many do not, so don't be disappointed if your first year is a bust. The cones will be ripe in July and August. By September, they'll be done, and starting to pull back for winter. The energy in the vines gets sucked back into the rhizome, so leave the dying vines intact until the stems are fully dried and brittle.In their second year, the rhizomes tend to send out large number of shoots. For best yield, you want to cut most of these off, leaving about four to eight shoots per rhizome. This will allow the plant to focus its energy into cone production. A modest yield will be half a pound. A strong producer will yield well over a pound. Assuming your plants do well, you'll have to harvest, dry and package the cones. You'll also have to estimate their bittering content. I'll cover that in an article later this summer.

The "GOOD MORNING" Holiday Mead Foul

I recently revisited the Mead incedent in the Fiegl household through a conversation with someone. I should cover the basics for fun here.

Generous Matt Spencer had created Mead a few years back, and handed them out to friends during the holiday party at the Isenburgs. I remember requesting one that was carbonated and being told to let it age for a bit. During this time, we (my brother Nick and I) had been refinishing the bedroom that Nick would later be bedding in. During this renovation period (extended I might add) Nick had been sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag in the living room as I recall. I imagine it was one morning in the middle of January I seem to remember waking up to Nick in the other room with some foul language and confusion. Apparently, the Mead had been tired of waiting to be enjoyed and decided to create some excitement itself by popping the cork, shooting across the room, and blasting my brother in the face. This was followed by a nice spray of mead from the kitchen to my brother in the living room.

I must say, it was no fun to clean but it's a great story!

Carboy Cleaner

Stainless Steel

DIY SloBrewer using HBN Solution that works for Cornies as well!

Carl's Vanilla Porter

We brewed this 12/31/2008. What better way to end the year? I have to apologize if there are any stainless steel scraps in the wort. There was a point when I noticed a sticker on a keg and had the grinder with a flap sander attached and ready to brush the sticker away. I have to take full responsibilty for this idiotic action. I could see what I had done after I had finally noticed James and Carl yelling over the grinder. By this point, I was done and I apparently unknowingly threw sparks all over the place. There were understandably concerned about the brewing occuring 20 inches to my left.

anyways, Mybad!

Sorry Guys.

MENDOCINO WINTER SEASONAL – IMPERIAL IPA

I like this better than the Bells IPA, there is a nice spice present.

I would give this an A

http://www.mendobrew.com/company/pr/pr_40.html

MENDOCINO WINTER SEASONAL – IMPERIAL IPA RELEASED

November 25, 2008 -- Mendocino Brewing Company announces the launch of its Limited Edition Winter Seasonal.

This Limited Edition Imperial IPA has been delicately crafted for those crisp cool days when the skies are resplendent and the air glistens with the slow fall of a million flakes, when nature gets ready to turn her thermostat way down and your desire for something warm and enthusing is almost a primal urge.Our robust, full bodied IPA is brewed with massive amounts of hops and paired with a rich blend of luscious malts. The result is a perfect balance of heady hop flavor and aroma. At 7.5% Alc. By Vol. this India Pale Ale is the perfect winter seasonal!

Mendocino Brewing Company is a pioneer in the American Craft Brewing Renaissance and has for over 25 years been brewing a range of ales that makes California proud. To herald the coming seasons you can expect coming your way a Spring Bock in the months to come.

Date of Introduction: November 25, 2008

Style: Handcrafted India Pale Ale

Alc/Vol: 7.5%

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

http://www.bellsbeer.com/index.php/brands.html

India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and incredible floral hop aroma.

Original Gravity: 1.058
Alc. by Vol.: 7.0% - 210 cal. per 12oz.
Avail. Pkgs.: 4/6/12 oz. bottles (case), 15.5 gal. keg, 5 liter (1.32) gal. mini keg
Dates Available: Year Round

Leland's American Stout #1

dark, coffee, nice amount of carbonation. for a stout. It seams as though the grains may have gotten a bit scorched, there seams to be a heavy caramel taste.

Grain Mill Ideas

Brewkats

DIY SloBrewer

IPA Recipe

http://www.tapmeister.com/display_recipe.php?id=1

Lighting IPA
Created by Tapmeister on Mar 24 2007
Makes 5.00 gallons
Style Group: India Pale Ale (Ipa)
Style Type: Imperial Ipa
Prediction Attributes: SG_i-1.09691 SG_f-1.02303 ABV-10 IBU-96 SRM-12
Ingredients
Water Supplement Schedule
1.00 teaspoon(s) Calcium Sulfate (Gypsum)
Mash Schedule
6.00 lbs Caramel 40L
16.00 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt
Hop Schedule
2.00 ozs Centennial - Whole (30 minute steep)
2.00 ozs Chinook - Whole (60 minute steep)
2.00 ozs Centennial - Whole (30 minute steep)
Other
Yeast: Super High Gravity Ale Yeast
Irish Moss
Priming Sugar: 1 cup malt


Instructions
Combine mash grains with 7.15 gallons water.
Perform an protein rest at 128 degrees for 30 minutes using infusion.
Perform an saccharification rest at 152 degrees for 45 minutes using infusion.
Mashout at 175 degrees using direct_heat.
Sparge with 4.06 gallons of water.
Run off 6.48 gallons of wort.
Current volume should be around 6.48 gallons.
Add hops per hop schedule.
Add Irish Moss as appropriate.
Total boil time is 1.00 hour(s) at which time the volume will be around 6.23 gallons.
Cool wort and transfer 5.5 gallons to fermentor.
Pitch yeast.
When fermentation is complete, prime and bottle.




This recipe provided by Tapmeister.com

Tubing

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=2490

Corny Keg

http://www.homebrewing.org/Cornelious-Keg-Lid-for-Secondary-Fermenter_p_0-999.html

http://morebeer.com/view_product/17421//Stainless_-_1_2

Stainless....maybe it is possible and affordable?

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

FCAW - Flux Cored Arc Welding-Mig Welding
Flux is contained within the electrode. It provides shielding, deoxidization & arc stabilization. Additional shielding may be added. A smoke suction nozzle around the gun or fume hood aids in reduction of smoke & fumes. Aufhauser flux cored stainless steel wire is formulated to provide all position welding & smooth, stable arc action.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/handler140/

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?f=bylogo&logourl=ChicagoW.gif&brand=Chicago%20Electric%20Welding%20Systems

White Labs

http://www.whitelabs.com/

is a world leader in fermentation sciences for the brewing and winemaking industries. We manufacture liquid yeast for professional and amateur ...

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

coming soon

Dragon Stout

Dark Rum and Guinness Stout

Australian Taxation on Brew

http://www.fairgocraftbeer.com.au/

Had Murrays Craft Brewing Co. on HBN podcasts

recipe from BREWMASTER Sean with Murray's

India Black Ale
(hoppy but black)

23 Liter batch (5 gal)
72-75% brewhouse efficiency

mash water with calcium chloride, chalk (maybe play with water)??

(using british and german malts)

6 kilos marasota pale malt
1/2 german wine and pale wheat malt
1/2 wine and vienna malt
400 grams cara hill
400 grams british crystal 145
150 grams forsets black malt
150 grams forsets chocolate malt
________

20 grams new zealand cascade
20 grams pacific haltal mash hop
27 grams super alpha 60 min add (bittering hop) boiling for 90 min now

25 grams pacific haltal
25 cascade

@ flymount
50 haltale
60 cascade

dry hopping 30 grams each at about 3 days

london ale wyeast 1028

pitching around 20-21^

mash around 67^


lack IPA

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.81 Wort Size (Gal): 5.81
Total Grain (Lbs): 17.42
Anticipated OG: 1.0784 Plato: 18.97
Anticipated SRM: 29.5
Anticipated IBU: 72.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
75.9 13.23 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.0380 3
6.3 1.10 lbs. Vienna Malt Germany 1.0370 3
6.3 1.10 lbs. Wheat Malt Germany 1.0390 2
5.1 0.88 lbs. Carahell Malt Germany 1.0340 12
2.5 0.44 lbs. Crystal 145L 1.0330 145
1.9 0.33 lbs. Black Patent Malt Great Britain 1.0270 525
1.9 0.33 lbs. Chocolate Malt Great Britain 1.0340 475

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.71 oz. NZ Cascade Pellet 7.00 14.1 Mash H
0.71 oz. Pacifica- Pacific Hallertau Pellet 5.50 11.1 Mash H
0.95 oz. Super Alpha Pellet 11.00 42.8 90 min.
0.88 oz. Pacifica- Pacific Hallertau Pellet 5.50 4.8 15 min.
2.12 oz. NZ Cascade Pellet 7.00 0.0 0 min.
1.76 oz. Pacifica- Pacific Hallertau Pellet 5.50 0.0 0 min.
1.06 oz. NZ Cascade Pellet 7.00 0.0 Dry Hop
1.06 oz. Pacifica- Pacific Hallertau Pellet 5.50 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1028 London Ale

Water Profile
-------------
Brewer states gypsum, chalk, and lactic acid added to adjust pH/mineral content

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Saccharification Rest Temp : 152 Time: 60

New Brew Supplies!

As of Monday night

2.5 cases of cap ready bottles
4x5 gallon carboys
capper
hydrometer
floating thermometer

cost = one 6 pack from the first 5 brews. Now you just can't beat that!
Thanks Marlin! We will put this to good use.

Fesh Hops

CO2 tanks

there are different size tanks you can use for co2: 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 lb, etc.
it might make sense to think that the cost to fill a 5 lb tank would be twice as much as a 2.5 lb tank, and to fill a 10 lb tank would be twice as much as filling a 5 lb tank, and so forth
but it turns out that at welding supply shops, the cost to fill a tank that is larger is usually only a few dollars more than for a tank half its size.
these costs are off the top of my head, but at a welding supply shop, the prices were like this:

2.5# - 8 dollars
5# - 10 dollars
10# - 12 dollars
20# - 13 dollars
50# - 15 dollars

so to fill a 50 lb tank, was less than twice the cost of a 2.5 lb tank, yet you get 20 times as much co2.
the '#' sign and lb are interchangable, and the '#' is stamped on the tanks.

when i say 'fill' i actually mean swap for most places. what this means is you take in your empty tank, and swap it for a full tank for the cost of the fill. you will lose your pretty new tank if you do this, but i bought all my tanks used anyway.

also, if you didn't know, the tanks need to be hydrostatically tested at least every five years. this means the tank is filled with water to a certain pressure, and the integrity of the tank is measured (i believe they measure the expansion of the tank and contraction of the tank during and after the water to see the durability of the tank) plus they look for micro cracks that can develop around the valve.

what this means to you though, is if you find a tank used (and i recommend you do! such as on craigslist or ebay - but check for shipping costs), always ask for the most current test date. if it is longer than five years, or close to five years, expect to pay for a hydrotest, and deduct that from what you are willing to pay for the tank. just so you know i bought almost all of my tanks for 20 dollars, and they were all out of test (i have a 50 lb, 3 x 20 lb, 2.5 lb, and used to have a 5 lb). so to get a full tank within test, cost me about 50-60 dollars a tank.
hope this helps!

Fermenting in a CORNY KEG

as a secondary

http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~workman/homebrew/CO2/CO2Push.html

Burners

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/brutus-ten-44403/

great deal if you can build your own


PILOT BURNER, BRASS,FOR JET
CODE: KECAP002
Price:$5.35
Model: PBUR-05
1-3/16" LONG.

JET BURNER, CASTIRON, 8" NAT. GAS
CODE: KECABJ004
Price:$26.70
Model: BUR-08
WITH 20 COPPER JET TIPS AND 150,000 BTU.


agrisupply

Bidgway

23 tip jet burner to build sculpture with

Amazon 23 tip jet burner to build sculpture with
$76.79

23 tip jet burner to build sculpture with (nat. Gas, but can convert to propane with regulator)
$22.95

Able Kitchen 23 tip jet burner to build sculpture with $77.63

BREWING Directions

1
Check List
Verify equipment and ingredients
2
Boil
Boil water. You will need at least a gallon of sterile water for a variety of small tasks. Start by boiling about 1 gallon of water for 10 minutes and let it cool, covered, to room temperature.
3
Clean and Sanitize
Clean and sanitize. It may seem strange to the first-time brewer, but probably the most important thing in brewing is good cleaning and sanitization. Clean all equipment that will be used during the brew with a mild, unscented dish detergent, making sure to rinse well. Some equipment will need to be sanitized for use after the boiling stage. You can easily make a simple sanitizing solution by filling the fermentor bucket with 5 gallons of water and adding 5 tablespoons of chlorine bleach (a concentration equivalent to 1 TBS/gallon, or 4 ml/L). Soak all items that need to be sanitized in this bucket for 20 minutes. After soaking, dump the sanitizing solution and pour in some of the pre-boiled water for a quick rinse to remove any excess sanitizer. Place the small spoon and the thermometer in the yeast starter jar and cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the fermentor with the lid to keep it clean. (See Chapter 2- Preparations, for more info,)
4
Wort
1.5 hours
Boil the brew water. In the brewpot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Pour this water into the fermentor and leave it to cool. Now bring 3 gallons of water to boil in the brewpot. You will be boiling all of the extract in just 3 gallons and adding this concentrated wort to the water already in the fermentor to make the total 5 gallons. (See Chapter - Water for Extract Brewing, for more info.)
5
Rehydrate the dried yeast. Although many people skip this step with fair results, re-hydrating it assures the best results. While you are waiting for the brew water to boil, rehydrate two packets of dried ale yeast. Put 1 cup of warm (95-105°F, 35-40°C), preboiled water into your sanitized jar and stir in the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and wait 15

Dry Hopping

FERMENT a SECONDARY @ 80-90% complete FERMENTATION
-Fill HOP SACK w/ pellets vs fresh and drop SACK w/ S.S. weights = to the weight of the pellets in to the beer.
*Remember - no COPPER after FERMENTATION

Bell's Brown Ale

td>

Good but not great. nice toasty oats flavor but seemed to be missing some body.

Fresh Hops

This was a great beer, Fresh and Grassy, Nice Mouth Feel,

March Pump Acronyms

http://www.tsgcs.co.uk/marchmay/

Magnetic Drive Pumps
893
Small Centrifugal magnetic drive pumps with DC motors.
AC
Centrifugal magnetic drive recirculation pumps for a range of OEM applications.
EMD
Small centrifugal magnetic drive recirculation pumps
HTP
Small regenerative turbine magnetic drive pumps manufactured from Ryton.
LC
Centrifugal magnetic drive pumps with encapsulated motors.
MDX
Centrifugal magnetic drive recirculation pumps for a range of OEM applications.
MMP
Multistage magnetic drive pumps for mild liquid manufactured from acetal.
MS
Multistage magnetic drive pumps for aggressive liquids manufactured from polypropylene.
MSP
Multistage magnetic drive pumps for mild liquids manufactured from polypropylene.
PCM
Magnetically driven chemical transfer pumps manufactured from machined plastic ATEX rated.
PTM
Regenerative turbine magnetic drive pumps manufactured from pp or PVDF (ATEX certified).
PW
High volume centrifugal magnetic drive pumps.
SDM
ATEX certified centrifugal magnetic drive pumps manufactured from stainless steel.
STM
Regenerative turbine magnetic drive pumps manufactured from stainless steel and ATEX certified.
TE
A comprehensive range of centrifugal magnetic drive chemical transfer pumps.
Vertical Pumps AS Industrial centrifugal column pumps.Penguin Seal-less centrifugal pumps.VSP Multistage centrifugal pumps for OEMs.VTP Turbine pumps for OEMs. Tank/Pump Systems ABF Condensate removal tank/pumps.CC Condensate removal tank/pumps.HC Hot condensate removal tank/pumps.Low boy Low profile condensate removal tank/pumps.TCP-25 Condensate removal tank/pumps.

The basics of "How to Brew"

http://webpages.charter.net/rcalley/

38 DD Fermentation Chiller

http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/38DD-Mother-of-a-Fermentation-Chiller

MyloFiore's Jamil-O-Chiller

http://www.wortomatic.com/php/articles.php?ID=11

http://www.coppertubingsales.com/copper_tubing_prices.php

Local Brew Shops

KS
OVERLAND PARK
HOMEBREW PRO SHOPPE
913-768-1090
2061 E. Santa Fe
Olathe, KS 66062

http://www.brewcat.com/

KS
SHAWNEE
BACCHUS & BARLEYCORN, LTD
913-962-2501
6633 Nieman Rd., Shawnee, KS 66203

http://www.bacchus-barleycorn.com/

Valves

http://www.lakecountypipe.com/12-Inch-Apollo-Stainless-Steel-Ball-Valve-.aspx

Stainless ....Too much work!

I have never welded and it takes too much equipment that I don't have. Too expensive. I will just have to be creative for now.

Couplings

http://www.flo-products.com/floprod/quikcntp1.html

HFC-35-NSF SeriesHigh flow polysulfone. Higher temperature and pressure quick disconnect with 3/8" flow path for minimal pressure drop. Hose barb ends for 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" tubing.
3/8" Flow
Body Materials: Polysulfone (-40°F to 280°F)
Maximum pressure: 125 PSI
Body Configuration: Pipe Thread, Bulkhead Panel Mount, In-Line
Insert Configuration: Pipe Thread, In-Line, Elbow
O-Ring Options: Food Grade EPDM

Series HFC-35-NSF Specifications

14802 W. 117th Street Olathe, KS
Telephone 913.829.5900

Is it possible to weld ??

I am really interested in what it takes to weld a nice brutus type set-up. I have been looking in to internet to see what I can find. Here is a good source of welding knowledge I will share with you.

http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.5/donaghue.html

Common Plumbing Terms/Abbreviations

Close: Shortest nipple - no pipe between threads
FIPS: Threads on the inside of fitting
MIPS: Threads on the outside of fitting
WOG: Water, Oil, Gas rated
NPT: National Pipe Thread

HOMEBREW MEETING#1

11/08/2008

A group of photos to document the first HOMEBREW DAY!

Cool Gadgets

So here are some great gadgets from the Brewing Network I found:
In Line Filter
Pond Pump Cooler
Ever Changin Tap Handles

O'Toole's Brewpub Scoring Review

O'Toole's Brewpub Scoring Review
weight score (5*) comments
Squatters, SLC
beer 50% 4.5 Well balanced if a little light on the grain for both the porter and pale. Pale had a very nice flowery finish
food 30% 5 Great fish and chips, other food looked exceptional (delicious looking yellow curry, grass fed burgers, good looking salads and home made mac&cheese) provisional 5 'till I try 'em again.
ergonomics 10% 3 Busy, crowded, not too dark not too light
staff 10% 4 Young and friendly
patrons 10% 4 Diverse from curry-eating skaters to burger eating golfers

weighted 97

Chama River, Albuquerque
beer 50% 5 Textbook examples across the board, nothing surprising but each glass was a precise representation of the style
food 30% 3 Meh, nothing to complain about but completely lacking excitement. Good, just boring
ergonomics 10% 2 Crowded, too clean and pressed for it's own good. Most pretentious brewpub I've ever been to. As a fancy restaurant it's a 4.5, as a brewpub it's a 2.
staff 10% 3 They know they're at the nicest restaurant in town, do you?
patrons 10% 1 They're there to look good.

weighted 80

Free State Brewing, Lawrence
beer 50% 5 Delicious and creative without losing substance for the sake of one note. Good beer.
food 30% 4.5 Try the specials
ergonomics 10% 3 Loud to extra loud, crowded to "my god it's crowded"
staff 10% 4 Knowledgeable about menu and beer, usually quick, sometimes cute.
patrons 10% 5 yeah.

weighted 101

Power Plant Brewing, RIP
beer 50% 4 Good pale, specials are hit and miss
food 30% 3 Good effort in the menu design, spotty execution by the staff.
ergonomics 10% 4 Loud to extra loud, empty to "my god it's empty", would score lower without the deck.
staff 10% 3 1 good barkeep at a time does not a staff make.
patrons 10% 5 yeah.

weighted 82

Trailhead Brewing, St. Louis (St. Charles)
beer 50% 2 Brewpub starter kit stuff, unimpressive but not undrinkable
food 30% 4 Good portions, standard fare.
ergonomics 10% 3 Pleasant enough, kitsche from a kit feels more authentic than most.
staff 10% 2 Way overburdened by our big group on a slow weeknight.
patrons 10% 3 Didn't register either way,

weighted 60

Gluek's, Minneappolis
beer 50% 4 Well executed if leaning slightly towards a mass-production mildness
food 30% 4 Fun menu without being deliberately eccentric, good stuff for a bar kitchen.
ergonomics 10% 4 A nice "beer hall" feel to things, comfortable.
staff 10% 4 Nice enough, attentive and they know their beer
patrons 10% 4 Good mix of young urbanites and happy-hour downtown workers.

weighted 88



* note on the 5 scale: 1 - offensive, 2 - not good, 3 - "meh, ok", 4 - noticeably good, 5 - exceptionally good

A Respectible Bottling Resource: ReUse

I think we should start drinking Grolsch

http://flickr.com/photos/broox/2273136320/

Keith's Ideal budget brewsculpture

1st Event Proposal - " The Birth"

James :
You kids are reasonably smart...
Winter is approaching...
My supply is dwindling...
Who wants to start homebrewing? I know Leland has expressed an interest, and I know Keith has done it in the past. I've got a few brews under my belt (in more ways than one), but I'm still relatively newbish.
With the strong-ales fest at the power plant only a memory, somebody's gonna have to make all of those barleywines!
- James

On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 6:48 PM, Keith :
You had me at "barleywine"
got any good recipes?
...more importantly, who has what apparatus? I decided my aluminum pot and kitchen stove had to go before I tried again (the stove actually had good output, but would prefer something not in the wifes kitchen). I haven't found a 5/6gal stainless steel pot that was in my pricerange yet, though I have seen a few high output propane burners that were reasonable (usually attached to aluminum turkey pots). My most valuable input would be one good carboy (or two, now I don't remember) and an immersion wort chiller. If anyone has a line on cheap stainless steel I'm all ears.

On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 7:40 PM, Leland :
As James pointed out, I am certainly in. I was planning on a reasonable investment this fall, so if there is a particular toy that would benefit us all, speak up....
I (of course) will be attempting an IPA.

On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 8:17 PM, James :
An IPA to start out with would probably be a good thing - if people are excited about doing a barleywine, I'm all in - my keggletun (part of a goofy Australian allgrain method) will only hold 20lbs of grain, unfortunately, so I'd have to do some tweaking of my recipe to get it to work. We'd also have to wait six months before it would be aged long enough to be good.
Leland, I think, is interested in going all-grain immediately, which is both commendable and insane.
Come to think of it, it would be pretty interesting for one of us to start with a simple in-kitchen stovetop extract setup (investment of about 150 bucks), while Leland goes ballsout with a traditional allgrain setup, and I continue with my all-in-one keggleton brew-in-a-bag method.
morebeer has some good stuff, no matter what your initial investment might need to be. I can answer most beginner's questions, so shoot if you have any.
Time to start saving bottles!

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 8:38 AM, Jeremiah :
Since I haven't ever actually invested any time towards research, I would be interested in being the "extra wheel". Keep me informed, I will just observe this year and I am more interested in documenting your hairbrained idears.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 9:48 AM, Matt :
I have several carboys and some other gear, but would all need a good cleaning as it has sat unused for a few years. I was contemplating brewing a new mead batch to commemorate the year.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 10:05 AM, James :
mmmmm mead.
if people are interested in contributing gear to others to get them started quicker, and save some dough, then maybe we should list the stuff that we have extra.
I've got:
3 gallon enameled pot for small extract batches
(I did my first batches in this - it works fine)
1 plastic fermentor bucket
(I've since moved to an all-glass setup)
probably some odds and ends.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 10:17 AM, Carl :
Should someone with a lot of space volunteer to host this chemistry experiment?
Then everybody can just bring all their stuff and see what's available to work with?

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Matt :
I could host some brews, but it would be a few weeks before I have the space available for storage.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:32 PM, James
Once we all get going, it would be awesome to do a multi-brew-day where we all make a batch at once.
Goes well with chili and a cold day. Everybody should probably get a few brews down before something like that happens, though.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:36 PM, Leland :
I was actually thinking that we could do something like that during
the event I sent the invite for in early November.
Everybody interested could put together a batch.
There is space out on my deck, and if its to cold outside the shop can
be cleaned for brewing.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:42 PM, Matt :
Perhaps I missed that invite. None the less, sounds like an excellent plan. As a bonus, one of my sales girls is going home to Hungary this month and promised to return with some of her father's schnapps recipes. We will see how that pans out.

Nevermind leland, I just got the invite.

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:43 PM, Jeremiah :

Can we be in agreement that there will be no glass bombs detonated on the tablesaw? Because I would have to count myself out if that were the case!

On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:45 PM, Matt :
With the bulk we are speaking off, perhaps we should just crank up the temp on leland's water heater.