I am so EXCITED!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

High Everypeople! I just received a bunch of giant packages from NB and am crazy to get down and brew a bunch of awesome beer!!! Im sitting on some homebrew a co worker gave me that is rounding three years of aging and it just about sends orgasms to my senses when I drink it. No way of knowing what it is, something with Belgium beet sugar. can actually taste hints of beet and other amazingly unfamiliar distinct notes. How long will those keep you think???

Anyways we have been using this site A LOT while studying the past couple months, decided to join and will support soon. How lucky am I that my wife Is into this as much as I am, and she wants to brew all-grain asap. That a bad idea? Going all grain almost from the start? I don't see why not. About to brew my first batch, the legendary starter kit caribou slobber this weekend then on Monday shop for mash tun equipment. Im going to be brewing a lot, and have multiple fermenters. I want to invent a pummelo pale or IPA??? (pummelo is like a giant green grapefruit/orange kinda thing). I'm confident, but please I am a noob that could always use advice....

 

[45_70sharps]

Welcome to brewing!

Going all grain isn't a bad idea at all. How soon depends on your comfort. It sounds like you've been studying so you've got a good start going.

Just start making good beer and when you think the time is right, jump into all grain.
You might watch some youtube video's before you start all grain. Seeing it is better than reading it.
Does your co worker do all grain? It might help having a friend that does it also. Maybe go help him brew a batch of all grain beer if he's doing all grain.

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.
That and be patient, but since you're drinking three year old beer you probably have at least a bit of understanding of that.

 

[BrewerinBR]

My second brew was an all grain after one extract kit. Built my own 3 gallon system after buying "How To Brew" by John Palmer. Brewed for about 4 months on that and then built the brew room and moved to 5 gallons. Then upgraded everything. I have completed 62 batches after brewing just 2 years. I suggest do what you are comfortable doing and move at your own pace.

All grain does not mean great beer and extract brewers produce competition winners all the time. I went to all grain because I wanted control over the entire process from research and development of the equipment, process and recipe to fermentation time and packaging.

Read and research and learn then move at your pace in your time.

Welcome to Home Brew Talk a great place and this passion we call home brewing.

 

[jamieofthenorth]

Killer. It's a great hobby. I'm somewhat new myself. I found this video particularly helpful for learning more about the all grain process:

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

A tun of thanks. Still working on getting in touch with that former co-worker. Bad idea to show up at someone's house? All of the houses on that street look the same tho.... He said that he would show me some cool stuff 9+months ago. But i bet he is on this site somewere, can't even research brewing without running into here. And yea, ive watched every youtube video multipe times-sifting through the bs of course. But that particular video ^ I noticed is one of the more creditable ones I feel, thanks again.

 

[45_70sharps]

Bad idea to show up at someone's house?
Depends on him and how well you know him.
Personally, I don't even show up at my best friends house uninvited. I'm a little different that way though.

Glad you're checking out the youtube video's. They were a big help to me since I don't have any friends that brew all grain.
I've met a couple guys around here, but I don't know them. My brother only extract brews.

Like I said, I would get some extract brews under your belt.
You can make flat out awesome beer by extract and there are a few less steps involved.
Get your technique for extract down perfect then move on. Less variables if things aren't the way you expected so easier to figure out what went wrong, and what to do to make it better. All the skills are transferable.
Take lots of detailed notes!
The notes will help you trouble shoot and help you reproduce really good beer. It will also help you when you are trying to decide what to brew next.
I ended up buying beersmith. Great software for keeping all your recipes, building recipes and taking notes.
You'll be surprised when you have a fermenter sitting there and can't remember when you started that beer.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

Haha yes I can see that happening. Maybe a simple post-it note will help me keep track. Is it a good idea to do a full boil with this kit? The video it came with shows doing it in the kitchen, but I do have the setup for outside. My pot is only 7.5 gallons, tho. Big risk of boiling over with the first hops right?

 

[45_70sharps]

Just follow the directions EXACTLY for your first few brews.
It probably says something like boil three gallons?
The hop utilization is setup for the way they wrote the recipe.

Another advantage is the top off water can be used to cool the wort.
You can even boil it a couple days ahead, then freeze it and cool the wort a lot faster.
Boiling the top off water will sterilize it and remove the chlorine.

 

[KBentley57]

Man, the only thing I can think of when I look at this thread, is how fun it must be to log in every time with that name. I can only hope your password is equally as long, and frustrating to type

 

[Demus]

High Everypeople! I just received a bunch of giant packages from NB and am crazy to get down and brew a bunch of awesome beer!!! Im sitting on some homebrew a co worker gave me that is rounding three years of aging and it just about sends orgasms to my senses when I drink it. No way of knowing what it is, something with Belgium beet sugar. can actually taste hints of beet and other amazingly unfamiliar distinct notes. How long will those keep you think???

Anyways we have been using this site A LOT while studying the past couple months, decided to join and will support soon. How lucky am I that my wife Is into this as much as I am, and she wants to brew all-grain asap. That a bad idea? Going all grain almost from the start? I don't see why not. About to brew my first batch, the legendary starter kit caribou slobber this weekend then on Monday shop for mash tun equipment. Im going to be brewing a lot, and have multiple fermenters. I want to invent a pummelo pale or IPA??? (pummelo is like a giant green grapefruit/orange kinda thing). I'm confident, but please I am a noob that could always use advice....

Welcome welcome welcome welcome!!! All grain isn't necessarily harder, but it does take longer and require more knowledge and equipment. Aside from brewing as often as you can I recommend reading as many brewing books and magazines as possible. A few must haves are "How to Brew" by John Palmer and "Yeast", by Chris White (White Labs) and Jamil Zainishef. Brewing books will give you context to sift through the countless opinions you'll see on this forum. I also advise not to look at all grain as better than extract; in fact many extract brews win home brewing competitions. An expert brewer who pays attention to all the needs of the yeast will almost always out brew an all grain brewer who just chucks in some yeast and sticks the carboy in the closet. Remember, brewers make wort, yeast make BEER!!!

Again, welcome to the greatest hobby mankind has ever known!!!!

 

[45_70sharps]

Welcome welcome welcome welcome!!! All grain isn't necessarily harder, but it does take longer and require more knowledge and equipment. Aside from brewing as often as you can I recommend reading as many brewing books and magazines as possible. A few must haves are "How to Brew" by John Palmer and "Yeast", by Chris White (White Labs) and Jamil Zainishef. Brewing books will give you context to sift through the countless opinions you'll see on this forum. I also advise not to look at all grain as better than extract; in fact many extract brews win home brewing competitions. An expert brewer who pays attention to all the needs of the yeast will almost always out brew an all grain brewer who just chucks in some yeast and sticks the carboy in the closet. Remember, brewers make wort, yeast make BEER!!!

Again, welcome to the greatest hobby mankind has ever known!!!!

I concur on the books!
I would also go so far as to say you might want to start with yeast.

Yeast is very important to understand.
You need to understand what it likes and what it doesn't like.
The quantity you pitch, the oxygen requirements, the temperature it works at, the different types of yeast.
You can follow the directions in the kit exactly, do everything right, and still get off flavors if the yeast isn't happy.

I haven't read enough of my copy. I read the parts that I was interested in, and due to the lack of time I haven't had a chance to read the rest.

 

[Varmintman]

Man the first time I brewed anything and mind you it was decades ago I stilled some moonshine for a high school science project. Yup I got a bad look from the principal and had to call my folks.

Never brewed again until last year and I jumped in whole hog into all grain.

 

[45_70sharps]

Man the first time I brewed anything and mind you it was decades ago I stilled some moonshine for a high school science project. Yup I got a bad look from the principal and had to call my folks.

Never brewed again until last year and I jumped in whole hog into all grain.

Moonshine from a kid in that part of the country? Never!

Jumping into it in all grain isn't a huge hurdle, but I do think getting the process down with less variables in extract brewing is a good way to go so that you get to make good beer right off.
If the beer isn't what you expected there are less suspects when you try to figure out what you did wrong.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

Good advise. Im currently messing around with beer smith. Looks like it will help me not post a bunch of questions later ha. But I do already have one about sugar. sorry. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/first-newb-idea-need-advice-info-plz-382181/

 

[Demus]

I concur on the books!
I would also go so far as to say you might want to start with yeast.

Yeast is very important to understand.
You need to understand what it likes and what it doesn't like.
The quantity you pitch, the oxygen requirements, the temperature it works at, the different types of yeast.
You can follow the directions in the kit exactly, do everything right, and still get off flavors if the yeast isn't happy.

I haven't read enough of my copy. I read the parts that I was interested in, and due to the lack of time I haven't had a chance to read the rest.

Yeah I think I got the most out of "Yeast" as well. I've read it cover to cover and go back to it often for reference with highlighter in hand. Find the time my friend, it's worth it!!