My Homebrew thread, updated with pic of final product

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I love the smell filling my kitchen now. Hoping to end up with a Petes Wicked Ale type nut brown ale.

Crystal, chocolate, special roast & victory malt grains

Galena, Cascade & Mt. Hood hops

Nottingham dry ale yeast

1lb of dry malt extract

6lb of liquid malt extract

Thats what I'm using, so fingers crossed

[Cobra2717 0]

Send me a bottle when you are done :P

[M-Cohen 0]

If it works out bring some to the MSH skate.

Do you have previous experience?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

If it works out bring some to the MSH skate.

Do you have previous experience?

This is my second batch, first was an american ale, was bottled about a week ago, so have a few weeks to go to see how it goes.

I really like Petes wicked ale, so was trying to brew up something comparable, and this doublenut will hopefully be somewhat similar.

[MattyBoy 1]

hows the fermenting coming along?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

hows the fermenting coming along?

Bubbling slowed to about every 5 to 6 seconds now, so I'm going to take a hydrometer reading on sunday, and if the gravity is down to 1.014 I will bottle it up.

The original should have been 1.053, mine was 1.056, so not sure if that will delay it a bit.

If so, I'm going to let it ferment another couple of days, then bottle.

Don't want any exploding bottles, so will let it ferment up to 10 days to get the gravity down.

Still have to wait 4 weeks after that before I can get drinking

[trox_355 0]

I'd love to try this some time. For now though, I'm happy with the delicious microbrews around here.

allsmoke, how many bottles can you normally claim from a batch?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I'd love to try this some time. For now though, I'm happy with the delicious microbrews around here.

allsmoke, how many bottles can you normally claim from a batch?

Well, I use 22 oz bottles instead of 12 oz., simply because, if I'm going to sit down and have a beer, I usually don't have just one, so why not get a bigger one, I have the glasses that can hold a 22 oz beer.

With a 5 gallon batch (which is a normal brewing size) I get 59 22 oz bottles.

In terms of economics, after you already own the equipment (I spent about $200ish in equipment costs), its a lot cheaper.

The beer I'm trying to make now, is a clone, or close to it of Petes Wicked Ale, a caramelly smooth brown ale.

59 x 22 / 12 = 108 (to get the number of 12 oz bottles you get from a batch).

Where I live (close to DC) a sixpack of Petes is about $7.99. So I would buy 18 sixpacks to get what I get from homebrewing.

Thats $143.82 (plus tax)

The ingredients I bought cost about $40, then 5 1 gallon bottles of spring water, $5(they say you can use tapwater, but for the value of $5, it's worth it)

So, I get the same amount of beer for $45, that would normally cost me $144ish.

Do two batches, and your equipment has already paid for itself

[number21 3]

As it's fermenting does it need to be in a temperature controlled area?

I have always wanted to do this, but being an apartment dweller i don't have the space. However my girlfriends apartment has an enclosed porch and i was thinking of trying it there. The porch isn't temp controlled though.

I would obviously try a started kit first.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

As it's fermenting does it need to be in a temperature controlled area?

I have always wanted to do this, but being an apartment dweller i don't have the space. However my girlfriends apartment has an enclosed porch and i was thinking of trying it there. The porch isn't temp controlled though.

I would obviously try a started kit first.

Yes, it needs to ferment between 68-72 degrees. I have been wanting to do it for a while, but couldn't because we were in an apartment too.

We got into the house, and the utility room is a good size, I said to my wife, you can have the house, but this place is mine.

There is a bench set up, so I can store stuff under that, to keep it out of the direct light, the room is solid brick, so easier to control temperature, there are shelves overhead, which is where the bottles will go after I bottle.

And the other side of the room is my hockey locker.

Painted Concrete floors, old bench, overhead presses, about 10 by 12 foot total space, but it's a hockey room and brewery, so I love it :lol:

[number21 3]

Dang! But i figured temp control was important. Guess I won't be brewing anytime soon. Unless I do it at a relatives place.

Sounds like a nice little retreat you have in your house Allsmoke!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Dang! But i figured temp control was important. Guess I won't be brewing anytime soon. Unless I do it at a relatives place.

Sounds like a nice little retreat you have in your house Allsmoke!

Yeah, this is the hockey side of the room

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10016981@N02/845488910

the other side I haven't done yet, but I've been sort of doing a photo diary of the brewing process, so will probably have a couple of shots up when I get to bottling

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

I expect a six-pack. :)

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I expect a six-pack. :)

I think I can do that, all things considered, unless it turns out bad, then you can have a 29 pack

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

LOL...wait, 30 bottles? My bad, I'll take one, I thought I read you made a ton!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

LOL...wait, 30 bottles? My bad, I'll take one, I thought I read you made a ton!

They are 22 oz bottles, so I will send you 3, almost the same as a sixpack.

I made 5 gallons

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Mmmmmm, just transferred from the primary to the secondary fermenter. The smell was so good, I was tempted to have one there and then, of course that would be idiotic, as it needs 3 more days to ferment, and 4 weeks in bottles with the priming sugar to carbonate.

Here are some pics

Primary fermenter, Secondary Fermenter (glass carboy), bottling bucket

Mid Siphon from primary to secondary

This is the other side of "my" room in the house, one side my hockey stuff, the other, my "brewery"

In the presses overhead there is sanitizer, priming sugar, bottle caps, a bottle capper, ingredient jars.

The 3 boxes on the counter are bottles (36 x 22oz bottles)

More photos for anyone interested

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10016981@N02/...57600938033406/

[acollette49 0]

the ale pail!!!

a couple of friends and i have been brewing for about a year. after some craptastic batches with extract, we went all grain. so much more control...and so far, better results. we just bottled a smoked porter and have a saison still rocking out in secondary.

..there is nothing wrong with taste-testing at every step of the process.

good luck!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

the ale pail!!!

a couple of friends and i have been brewing for about a year. after some craptastic batches with extract, we went all grain. so much more control...and so far, better results. we just bottled a smoked porter and have a saison still rocking out in secondary.

..there is nothing wrong with taste-testing at every step of the process.

good luck!

Is the all grain harder than the extract? I'm assuming there will be a much longer boil involved, or am I assuming wrong?

[acollette49 0]

its not harder...just takes a little longer. the mash in/sparge takes a couple of hours. then you do the normal boil...anywhere from 60min to 120min.

[number21 3]

cool! keep those photos coming.

Hope to try tis out on my own sometime!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

cool! keep those photos coming.

Hope to try tis out on my own sometime!

Well, I'm going to be bottling either tonight, or tomorrow night, after that, it's just 4 short weeks until I start drinking them

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, final progression...

First, Final gravity was reached, I mean, exactly reached. 1.012

So, I boiled up the priming sugar, mixed into the bottling bucket, and started bottling (I'm using 22 oz instead of 12 oz bottles)

Final result is 24 bottles (could have been 26, but didn't want to bottle up the last bit, because the sediment would have made it too bitter

4 weeks to go, and it should be fully carbonated (can probably drink after 2, but want to do it right, not hurried)

Full set of photos are

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10016981@N02/

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, so after 2 weeks of waiting, I took the first bottle out, chilled it, and just opened it.

If I do say so myself, it's very tasty

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Hoooook it up!