Hello from Minnesota!

Heyyaathere Max....obviously you like stouts, what's on tap, or in the bottle right now?
 
Welcome!
Tell us a bit more about your set up
Gas, electric? Batch size? Keg or bottles?
 
Thanks for the welcomes!

A little more about my setup:
I do 5-6 and 10-12 gallon batches BIAB over a propane burner in the garage. Just cheap Concord kettles from Amazon (15 and 20 gal). I silver soldered threaded fittings to accept ball valves and thermometers.

In winter, I brew 5-6 gal batches stovetop indoors, using an 8 gal Megapot. The electric stovetop doesn't kick enough heat to start a boil, so I drop a 1500W bucket heater into the wort until it starts boiling.

Fermentation in Brew Buckets. I have a 7 cu ft freezer with temp control, will hold (just barely) 2 Brew Buckets.

I bottle--actually enjoy that. A great way to spend a quiet morning. I don't go through beer fast enough to warrant kegging, so I won't go down that road.

Currently have a batch of RyePA and a few bottles of Dusseldorf-style Altbier in the fridge. Also have 52 bottles of London Porter bottle-conditioning, will be ready in a couple weeks. In the fermenter: 6 gallons of Scotch ale (wee heavy), which needs to bulk age a little while longer. I'll bottle that and set it in my crawlspace to age a few months.

Planning a north-English style brown ale soon, and maybe a Dubbel. Yes, stouts are a big favorite. I tend to brew those a couple times a year. I do like a smooth oatmeal stout, and export dry Irish stout. I'd like to do a clone of Lion Stout (tropical stout).

I'd paste in some pics, but it seems my only options are uploading from an online source; don't know how to drag something in from my desktop if that's even possible.
 
Welcome Max to this fun and interesting community. Smooth stout will be my next beer. Cheers!
 
Welcome to the forum Max

I'd paste in some pics, but it seems my only options are uploading from an online source; don't know how to drag something in from my desktop if that's even possible.

You should be able to upload a picture by selecting the Upload a File button, then Choose File.

upload_2022-11-3_12-53-35.png
 
Got it, thanks! I was trying the image button, which only allows inserting a URL.

Here are the pics.

Garage setup.
BIAB.jpg


DIY BIAB drainer thingy for indoor brewing. No more spilled wort all over the place.
BIAB_Rocket.jpg
 
Welcome to the group Max. Oatmeal Stout is my go-to drink and I brew it a couple of times a year.
 
Got it, thanks! I was trying the image button, which only allows inserting a URL.

Here are the pics.

Garage setup.
View attachment 22911

DIY BIAB drainer thingy for indoor brewing. No more spilled wort all over the place.
View attachment 22912

Your DIY drainer thingy looks pretty custom. You definitely have some metalworking skills!
 
Your DIY drainer thingy looks pretty custom. You definitely have some metalworking skills!

Thanks. It's my "rocket drainer." Just a food-grade bucket, cut off, with a bunch of 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. SS bolts, nuts and fender washers and galvanized sheet steel supports.

It solved the problem of a bag of 10-12 lbs wet grain not fitting in a regular colander and wort dripping down the sides of the kettle. Plus, the "rocket" sits with its bottom only an inch below the kettle rim, versus the colander which sits much deeper (usually into the wort).
 
So a modified Zapap mash tun.
I still have my original from ~ 15 years ago!
I'll dig it out and get a picture if I think about it.
Cheers
 
Thanks. It's my "rocket drainer." Just a food-grade bucket, cut off, with a bunch of 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom. SS bolts, nuts and fender washers and galvanized sheet steel supports.

It solved the problem of a bag of 10-12 lbs wet grain not fitting in a regular colander and wort dripping down the sides of the kettle. Plus, the "rocket" sits with its bottom only an inch below the kettle rim, versus the colander which sits much deeper (usually into the wort).
I did the same thing a few years ago with a tapperd waste bucket it fit in the hole I cut out of my keg lid.
I turfed it though I couldn't get past the plastic thing not that I think it matters at the mash temps.
 
Nice. Yeah, those MN winters can get kinda chilly. Up near Bemidji I experienced the coldest outdoors of my life, -43F. Spent several winters up that way. On purpose!

Welcome!
 

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