East of the Cascades in Washington

[Aggie_Ken]

Hi all,
Richland WA here. My first introduction to brewing was as just a hired pair of hands at a brew pub in Bryan, TX. I didn't know much about it but with a little training I was mashing grains, pitching yeast and adding hops along with the guys that knew what they were doing. Years later I would sometimes say to my wife that I always wanted to try home brewing but I was turned off by the idea of extracts. Somehow it didn't seem right to do it that way after my initial intro to brewing.

Well wouldn't you know my wife comes across a 1 gallon all grain kit and got it for me for Father's Day last year. By dumb luck that first batch came out great and I was hooked. Since then I have managed to royally screw up several batches. I'm now familiar with the taste of tannins and what I think was fermenting at too high a temp. I also read a few brewing books and changed my mind on extracts. I figured that I need to get a few of the basics down and probably go through some mistakes to learn what I'm doing.

I live in Eastern WA, very close to hop central and I have two Cascade vines doing well in their first season. I have 3 young kids so very little time and I often still do small 1 gallon batches but can do 5 gallons. My equipment is in the growing stage.

Great program, very helpful. Glad to have joined.

Brewing now for football season. Gig'Em !

 

[LarryBrewer]

Welcome to the fold and welcome back to brewing. There is nothing at all wrong with doing extract batches. It is easier, requires less equipment, and takes less time. The quality of extracts has gone way up in recent years, so the resulting beer is better. Just always make sure to get the freshest ingredients you can, that makes a huge difference. When you are ready to make the jump to all grain, it will be there for you.

 

[Aggie_Ken]

Thanks for the reply LarryBrewer,

I switched to trying extracts largely due to time constraints. I have so little time to brew. I also just wanted to make a very simple Pale Ale and change only hop types. I still do some whole grain when I can get a few more hours. With the exception of the time my sparge water was too hot, I have had no real problems with the smaller whole grain batches. My worst mistake was the fermentation temps. I had my 1 gallon glass jugs in a utility sink by the exit to the garage. Kids going in and out in 100 degree weather. Bad for fermentation. Fixed that problem.

Just bottled a 5 gallon partial mash of a Pale Ale. Seemed to go well. We'll see after a couple of weeks.

 

[LarryBrewer]

Yep, fermentation temperatures are important. There is a thing called a fermentation chamber that can be used to control temperatures very closely - basically an insulated box (DIY or chest freezer), plus a temperature controller. I'm going to do a blog post on mine pretty soon.


For other ideas to consider in your home brewing progression check out our infographic:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/12/21 ... -take-you/

 

[Aggie_Ken]

Getting by with a swamp cooler in an airconditioned room now. Temps staying at 70F. Would love to make a fermentation chamber. It's on the wish list.