mattybrews
Member
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2009
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
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Hello All,
Name is Matt, and I've actually been a member here for quite some time, lurking in the background, taking tips and hints, pilfering recipes and the like. It's been a long time--years, in fact--since I've come here for my beerly fix, so I figured a proper re-introduction is in order.
I'm an NYC native, born and raised on Staten Island, been homebrewing for damn near 7 years now. Because of a litany of reasons, I have not homebrewed since Superstorm Sandy, which hit the Island (and my neighborhood) particularly strongly. Long story short, last weekend pretty much put the capstone on our refurbishing and restoring efforts, and I've got all my infrastructure (water and electrical access) back in the garage to brew. My 5-year old Nugget hop also survived not just the storm surge, and the salt water and detritus, but also a winter exposed to freezing temperatures at ground level uncovered, and a delayed spring. She just broke ground last weekend as well! I did, however, lose the kegerator and all of my temperature controlled lagering, finishing, fermenting, etc space. But all in all things are on the upswing, and I'm 98% of the way to 'being able to brew' again. I'm able to yield anywhere from 5-12 finished gallons on my system, think I'll start with something familiar and excellent, a nice American Porter. Just the thought of cracking a fresh one puts me back where I need to be. Sigh of relief...
Still I'm here for a larger reason. In the years past few years I have worked as a sales rep for a major NYC distributor, been certified by Micromatic's draught dispense institute, tended bar and started a few nonchalant craft beer clubs, all kinds of random beer related livelihoods. What I cannot escape is my love of BREWING, and I'm looking to GO BIGGER. So I recently went out and purchased some stainless steel drums, repurposed from holding A) large quantities of superconcentrated sodapop flavoring, and B) superconcentrated personal care products, in this case hair conditioner. The sizes are 55, 55, and 60 gallons, and my thought was that I would build out HLT-MLT-kettle with them. What else do I have? Gumption and some disposable income, and access to an arc welder. Like I said, I'm back to new around here, and I have not yet started poking around the build threads again, but I've got a feeling I'm in the right place. My larger goal is to build a turnkey system that can put out 1-1.5bbls at a time, sort of a plug-and-play brew system which I can begin to shop around to the local business here, with business plan in hand. I know that it's a common refrain, and I'll ask that you fine folks spare the economic concerns for this always crazy stupid idea, and consider it a labor of love. In the end, if all I've got is a serious dedicated homebrew system I can legally use more than a few times a year, haha, well that's just honky-dory.
So again, Hey All, thanks for welcoming me back into the fold, happy brewing, the good times are only a few short brew days away!
:rockin:
Cheers and cheers,
MattyBrews
Name is Matt, and I've actually been a member here for quite some time, lurking in the background, taking tips and hints, pilfering recipes and the like. It's been a long time--years, in fact--since I've come here for my beerly fix, so I figured a proper re-introduction is in order.
I'm an NYC native, born and raised on Staten Island, been homebrewing for damn near 7 years now. Because of a litany of reasons, I have not homebrewed since Superstorm Sandy, which hit the Island (and my neighborhood) particularly strongly. Long story short, last weekend pretty much put the capstone on our refurbishing and restoring efforts, and I've got all my infrastructure (water and electrical access) back in the garage to brew. My 5-year old Nugget hop also survived not just the storm surge, and the salt water and detritus, but also a winter exposed to freezing temperatures at ground level uncovered, and a delayed spring. She just broke ground last weekend as well! I did, however, lose the kegerator and all of my temperature controlled lagering, finishing, fermenting, etc space. But all in all things are on the upswing, and I'm 98% of the way to 'being able to brew' again. I'm able to yield anywhere from 5-12 finished gallons on my system, think I'll start with something familiar and excellent, a nice American Porter. Just the thought of cracking a fresh one puts me back where I need to be. Sigh of relief...
Still I'm here for a larger reason. In the years past few years I have worked as a sales rep for a major NYC distributor, been certified by Micromatic's draught dispense institute, tended bar and started a few nonchalant craft beer clubs, all kinds of random beer related livelihoods. What I cannot escape is my love of BREWING, and I'm looking to GO BIGGER. So I recently went out and purchased some stainless steel drums, repurposed from holding A) large quantities of superconcentrated sodapop flavoring, and B) superconcentrated personal care products, in this case hair conditioner. The sizes are 55, 55, and 60 gallons, and my thought was that I would build out HLT-MLT-kettle with them. What else do I have? Gumption and some disposable income, and access to an arc welder. Like I said, I'm back to new around here, and I have not yet started poking around the build threads again, but I've got a feeling I'm in the right place. My larger goal is to build a turnkey system that can put out 1-1.5bbls at a time, sort of a plug-and-play brew system which I can begin to shop around to the local business here, with business plan in hand. I know that it's a common refrain, and I'll ask that you fine folks spare the economic concerns for this always crazy stupid idea, and consider it a labor of love. In the end, if all I've got is a serious dedicated homebrew system I can legally use more than a few times a year, haha, well that's just honky-dory.
So again, Hey All, thanks for welcoming me back into the fold, happy brewing, the good times are only a few short brew days away!
:rockin:
Cheers and cheers,
MattyBrews
