dyennie
Well-Known Member
I'm going to be on the island for a couple of days and want to know if there are any board members there??? I'll be bringing a few local (Virginia) beers with me for trading/sharing.
I'm getting ready to move to Guam next spring. I'm planning on bringing my whole brewery with me. How hard is it to get supplies locally? Can you buy grain in bulk? Is there anything I should make sure I purchase and pack before I come? I'd love to any tips or hints you have that relate to brewing on the island.
Tony
Im still there. Grain and hops arent available locally, but there is a shop in Hawaii that ships here pretty cheap compared to the states. You can get a 50lb bag sent to you for $80 - $90, again not cheap compared to the states but doable. I brew all electric and notice a considerable spike in my bill on the months that I brew. Utilities are kind of expensive. Also the water is good for brewing but the ground water temp is a little high for chilling. I fill my HLT with ice and do an ice bath to chill the water before it goes into my plate chiller. I also havent quite dialed in temp control here, Ive tried a few different methods but the ambient temps make it a small challenge.
No trouble at all getting dry yeast out here, I've even had success getting liquid. Shipping costs can be a pain though. Good luck with your IPA, I'm planning on brewing this weekend too.
Hello Bobble, I’m in Guam currently. There isn’t anything brew related on the island. I wish I had brought everything I had and extra Lol. Amazon’s and homebrew in paradise out of Hawaii become your brewing life line here on the island. Oh and not sure what your wort cooling system is but may need a change, the tap water here comes in around 70 degrees. Speaking of water quality though everyone says it’s hard water and it may be but it’s ph is pretty spot on after tested. There is only one craft brewery on island and Im using the term craft loosely Lol. I live in Tumon and the pizza restaurant Brixx has brought in a brewer to open a brewery and I have been talking with him and he has offered to provide grain and yeast for purchase by home brewers. That would be huge if it happens.I am about to PCS to Guam next month and I am an active home brewer in California. Is there any equipment you wished you had before you arrived on island?
if you like podcasts there are some really good ones. When i was first starting out I learned a lot from BeerSmith. I use the BeerSmith program on my Mac. It has all the calculators and everything else i would ever need. My goto podcast now is Brulosophy. Their exbeeriments are all fun and very interesting.
Starting out brewing is much easier in the states then it will be on Guam. Once you decide you are going to get into it, I would recommend buying the good stuff from the start. I started with the basic bucket kit, simple turkey fryer kit and a crap load of bottles. Within a year I upgraded 95% of all the stuff I originally bought. Here is a good list of equipment the creator of brulosophy uses
http://brulosophy.com/methods/equipment/
My first three batches were extract (which i think you mean by "go straight to wort/fermentation") but I think you will have trouble keeping extract cool as it is mailed to Guam. Some companies (MoreBeer for example) ships their yeast with cold packs so I am sure you could get extract mailed with it also.
I personally only do BIAB (Brew in a Bag) and keg all my beer now.
www.brewinabag.com
I built a keezer from an old chest freezer I found on a facebook yard-sale page. Here is what I used as a template to build mine.
I am currently stationed at Vandenberg AFB, CA and I order most of my ingredients and equipment online. I use (www.morebeer.com) and I know they send to Guam. I buy my kegging gear from (www.kegconnection.com). Their starting kits are actually really good. I just bought stuff the other day from them in preparation for my HHG pickup next week and Guam was an option. When I used Guam to estimate my shipping as a test it kept the shipping cost the at $7.95 flat rate they offer for their stateside orders.
if you like podcasts there are some really good ones. When i was first starting out I learned a lot from BeerSmith. I use the BeerSmith program on my Mac. It has all the calculators and everything else i would ever need. My goto podcast now is Brulosophy. Their exbeeriments are all fun and very interesting.
Starting out brewing is much easier in the states then it will be on Guam. Once you decide you are going to get into it, I would recommend buying the good stuff from the start. I started with the basic bucket kit, simple turkey fryer kit and a crap load of bottles. Within a year I upgraded 95% of all the stuff I originally bought. Here is a good list of equipment the creator of brulosophy uses
http://brulosophy.com/methods/equipment/
My first three batches were extract (which i think you mean by "go straight to wort/fermentation") but I think you will have trouble keeping extract cool as it is mailed to Guam. Some companies (MoreBeer for example) ships their yeast with cold packs so I am sure you could get extract mailed with it also.
I personally only do BIAB (Brew in a Bag) and keg all my beer now.
www.brewinabag.com
I built a keezer from an old chest freezer I found on a facebook yard-sale page. Here is what I used as a template to build mine.
I am currently stationed at Vandenberg AFB, CA and I order most of my ingredients and equipment online. I use (www.morebeer.com) and I know they send to Guam. I buy my kegging gear from (www.kegconnection.com). Their starting kits are actually really good. I just bought stuff the other day from them in preparation for my HHG pickup next week and Guam was an option. When I used Guam to estimate my shipping as a test it kept the shipping cost the at $7.95 flat rate they offer for their stateside orders.
Enter your email address to join: