Where to begin again?

[ron]

I'm sure there is an extensive thread for this, but I have not yet found it through the search engine. Please forgive me.

I have been out of the brewing scene since 1998, when I relocated from Fairbanks to Missouri. The only surviving equipment is a Mr. Beer brew thing that someone got me as a (well-intentioned) gift.

I used to brew with extracts, after trying and then disregarding the directions for the kits, but have not done anything since the move.

I seek advice. Should I even try brewing with extracts and the Mr. Beer thing, or should I go a different route in getting started again? Space will not be a real concern (going to use the garage), but money will be. I'd prefer to stay away from kits and would like to work my way toward all-grain at some point. I would also prefer to stay away from bottling this time around. Where to begin again?

[bigmf]

The Mr. Beer thing is not a favourite around here. The Mr. Beer kits have good ingredients, but you really should boil them. If money is an issue you should start with basic equipment first and build up to all grain mash euipment.

You could get away with a 7 gal or more bucket with lid, 5 gallon carboy with an airlock and a siphon assembly with racking cane.

The bucket is used as the primary fermontor and the vessel you bottle from. The carboy is used only as the secondary fermentor. Over time you will gain more equipment, such as an auto siphon, bottling bucket, air tight primary with an air-lock, etc.

Avoiding bottling is difficult as a kegging setup is expensive.

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by bigmf
...
Avoiding bottling is difficult as a kegging setup is expensive.

I agree with this, though I think that its worth it to go to a kegging system as soon as you know this isn't just a passing hobby. ESPECIALLY, if you are looking at purchasing bottles. IMO, Kegging is by far the best equipement upgrade a homebrewer can make.

Ideas for kegging.... I have been thinking that the following set up might work out for people who want to keg first/without dropping a lot of money.

1) 1 - 5G Cornie. $20
2) 1 - 1 picnic faucet and out/valve. ($10)
3) 1 - CO2 Charger and in/valve. ($15-20)
4) some CO2 refill cartrigdes (75 cents each) -I admit I do not know how many cartridges would be required to dispense a cornie's worth of beer.

So for $60 you can keg your beer. One, advantage to this is that all of that equipment is desirable, so that when you buy a tank and regulator (at least $100...probably $140), you can still use items 2), 3), and 4) when you take your beer over to a finds house.

cheers and beers

[Jughead]

YamahaXS, I like your poor mans keg setup.

Don't forget the fridge though. You need a way to cool that large corny keg.

What about a mini-keg setup? For about the same money you could look at a phil tap or a tap a draft.

[ray m]

I second the Tap-a-Draft suggestion...for $60 you get three 1 1/2 gal. plastic PET bottles, a valve assembly, bottle lids and a 10 pack of CO2 cartridges. You can either force carbonate a bottle or allow a bottle to naturally carbonate with priming sugar. This way, you don't have to worry about maybe having to pick up a used chest freezer or fridge dedicated to corny kegs. I'm not absolutely opposed to cornies, because there are TONS of posts here extolling their virtues.

If you need to start from scratch with equipment, etc., try visiting some of the ail-order homebrew sites like morebeer.com, austinhomebrew, northernbrewer, etc. I agree that "Mr. Beer" is a bad word here:)

Good Luck, ron!!

[ron]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I had looked at the Tap-a-Draft system and really like that idea. It is now on the "must-have" list. I look at it this way: I drink beer frequently, mostly at home, and from glassware. To me, bottles are useful in making beer portable. With the Tap-a-Draft system, I get both (slightly less portable). It seems worth the initial investment.

I would definitely prefer to forego the Mr. Beer thing, so that's good news. Let us never speak of it again.

I picked up a valve and fermentation bucket today during my lunch hour from Worm's Way. The guy there was very helpful and knowledgeable of brewing. I'll be making another trip tomorrow to pick up the rest of what I need, based on your recommendations.

When I said, "I kind of need to do this on the cheap" he just grinned and looked like I had provided him a worthy challenge. I love that attitude!

Thanks again!

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by Jughead
YamahaXS, I like your poor mans keg setup.

Don't forget the fridge though. You need a way to cool that large corny keg.

What about a mini-keg setup? For about the same money you could look at a phil tap or a tap a draft.

this time of year, fridge = garage in missouri

[ron]

Originally posted by YamahaXS
this time of year, fridge = garage in missouri

Absolutely.

[ron]

I got the stuff together, minus the kegging system, and started work on an ale.

The one problem I had was in cooling the wort down to 70 degrees quickly. I even used ice in the water. How are people accomplishing this and what does "quickly" mean in this context?

[chris1kanobi]

Quickly means an hour or less, empasis on the less. For your next investment I would reccomend getting:
25-50 ft. roll of 3/8 in. soft copper tubing ($20)
12 ft. of 7/16 id. plastic tubing ($5),
some hose clamps and a female garden hose to 7/16 id. barbed fitting ($5).
Coil the copper tubing around a 5 gallon plastic bucket creating a spring like shape. Pull one end of the copper through the spring's center and out next to the other end. This will be the "in" side of your wort chiller. Attach 6 ft. of plastic tubing and the barbed fitting on the other end. Attach the remaining tubing to the "out" end and tighten the hose clamps. You just made a wort chiller, boiling to pitching in 15 min. Sweet.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/Photos/Images/chiller.jpg

[ron]

Ah...That's cool. Thanks!

Presumably, the chiller coil passes through a bucket of water or something. Correct?

I was able to get the temp down in about 45 minutes; I thought I might be screwed at the time, but now I guess I'm OK.

[chris1kanobi]

The copper chiller goes into your boiling wort 10 min. before the end (with the irish moss). Then after 10 min. the heat is shut off and the "in" side of the chiller is connected to your water supply. The "out" side is placed in the drain or outside for watering or cleaning (this water will be very hot). Turn on the cold water and give the chiller a few gentle movements to mix things up. In about 15 min. the wort will be cool and you can remove the chiller and give it a quick rinse. OK?

[ron]

Ah, OK. Got it. I thought you must pass the wort through the coil. That's a really good idea. Thanks!

[chris1kanobi]

Ouch. Something just caught my lip. Anyways, perhaps you should read www.howtobrew.com and head down to your local brewshop for a hands on explanation of an immersion wort chiller. Then you can actually see all the parts and how they hook up. Good luck.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by chris1kanobi
...emersion wort chiller. Then you can actually see all the parts and how they hook up. Good luck.

Does you wort chiller take itself out of the kettle?

That's the only way I can think of that it would an "emersion" chiller instead of an immersion chiller ?!?! LOL

[chris1kanobi]

Oh man, I got caught by the spelling Nazis too!!!

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by chris1kanobi
Oh man, I got caught by the spelling Nazis too!!!

Sieg Hiel!

[ron]

Well, I checked last night on the beer. Here's what I found:

The beer smells great.

The beer looks great, nice and dark brown. It is fairly clear.

The beer tasted OK, until the aftertaste kicks in. It's like vinegar. My heart sank.

I went ahead and kegged the beer, hoping that the taste might improve in a couple of weeks, but I am dubious.

Any suggestions?

I'll start over after the holiday.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by ron
Well, I checked last night on the beer. Here's what I found:

The beer smells great.

The beer looks great, nice and dark brown. It is fairly clear.

The beer tasted OK, until the aftertaste kicks in. It's like vinegar. My heart sank.

I went ahead and kegged the beer, hoping that the taste might improve in a couple of weeks, but I am dubious.

Any suggestions?

I'll start over after the holiday.

It's only two weeks old - it will improve greatly - don't worry.

[toneyc]

Speaking of spelling Nazis, that would be "Sieg heil!"

:)
Toney.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by toneyc
Speaking of spelling Nazis, that would be "Sieg heil!"

Toney.

Stupid spelling Nazis are everywhere. ;)

[ron]

Thanks to all who contributed advice!

Batch number one was terrible. It tasted like vinegar.

Batch number two (Mister Brown's Brown Ale) is a great success! Very tasty, dark brown, clear, great aroma, and light in sediment. Very drinkable!

[BucksBrew]

How are you sanitizing everything?

I use "One Step", the labe says it's a cleaner and sanitizer. I use TSP to soak my kegs and lines for a couple of days. I don't think I should leave the TSP in there that long, but time is an issue sometimes with a wife and 2 kids.

[ron]

Originally posted by BucksBrew
How are you sanitizing everything?
I'm using the little tub of sanitizer I picked up at Worm's Way. I don't even remember the brand. I clean and rinse one bucket, then soak everything in sanitizer and water in the other bucket, then rinse and place in the clean bucket, and finally clean and rinse the second bucket.