Re-introduction

[Brewno]

I'm not actually new here but at the same time I am....confusing?
I joined here about 2 years ago or so when I began Homebrewing brewing. I have trouble maintaining temperature in my house so haven't brewed much. I brew in the fall when it's cool and that's about it. So it seems I'm not around the forum when I'm not brewing and come fall I'm back

Actually I brewed last Oct and it was ready in the beginning of Nov when I returned from a cruise. I was planning on brewing another one and my grand daughter was born a month early which put a halt on that idea. This is because my daughter was in the process of moving from her apartment when it happened so I moved them all (furniture and all) into my home for a couple of months until they could find a place. I didn't brew in that time for obvious reasons one of which was my equipment being buried in the garage.

Well, I just brewed up this years batch which was my own recipe (with the help of Beersmith). It's what I'm calling an Imperial or double IPA. It came in around 97 IBU's and 8.7% ABV. When I bottled I chilled the 1/4 bottle I had left in my bottling bucket and tasted it later and it was actually already pretty drinkable other than it wasn't carbonated. I may be crazy but I could swear I got a slight buzz from it!!

Anyway, since I'm not here a lot and I'm sure there a lot of new people here I thought I would re-introduce myself before disappearing again

I just whipped up another recipe (since the one I just bottled is too strong for my wife) for a sort of Amber ale which I'm looking to brew within the next couple of weeks. So maybe I 'll be hanging around a little longer? Like I said, unfortunately it is a bit warm in my house in the summer so I don't brew then. In winter there is a fine line between keeping my basement warm enough for living conditions (we spend most of our time there...it's like a family room) and it being too cold (it is a basement after all), so brewing/fermenting gets tricky. So in the 2 years or so since I began I've only made 5 batches.

Happy brewing

 

[BarleyWater]

5 batches in a year and a half. I guess some people do have the ability to control this obsession we call homebrewing. You have been around here longer than me, and I am at like 3 dozen now. And then ther's Bill, he's in the thousands.

Since you've only got two batches going this year, I hope we can help you make them the best beers possible.

 

[Brewno]

I really lack the time....well, and the money. :cross:
I don't know how some people afford to do so many extract brews. Especially two in the same month.

 

[Brewno]

double post

 

[Jaybird]

so 4 AG batches a month is "out of line" is that what your saying??
Welcome back Brewno
Cheers
JJ

 

[Brewno]

so 4 AG batches a month is "out of line" is that what your saying??
Welcome back Brewno
Cheers
JJ

Just a little Well, AG is a bit cheaper....I'm all extract and grain. (although more time consuming....I couldn't do it).

This last batch cost me $70 just for ingredients. Then there was bottles of spring water, bags of ice, little odds and ends and before I knew it it was $100.

 

[Jaybird]

Just a little Well, AG is a bit cheaper....I'm all extract and grain. (although more time consuming....I couldn't do it).

This last batch cost me $70 just for ingredients. Then there was bottles of spring water, bags of ice, little odds and ends and before I knew it it was $100.

DAMN BRO!!! 100 bones for a batch I spend like $30 for a 12 gallon batch
JJ

 

[Brewno]

I spend nearly the same every batch except my first which was just 2 cans of LME. This time, since it was a year since my last batch, I needed (or bought because I'm anal) new hose/tubing for siphoning. A new bottle of Star San, hop and grain bags and new thermometer...oh, and a strainer.

I priced out ingredients for my next batch and it comes to $45. I would need bottles since I have beer sitting in my other ones...another $16. Bags of ice for cooling wort, 6-7 bucks....spring water about $5 (I use three in my kettle since my tap water sucks) and top off to 5.5. Distilled water for my Star San $2. I figure at least $60. So that's $160 (that I don't have) spent in the last 2 months. Ahhh, the price of good beer

The brew I just bottled is a big Double IPA (my own recipe) so I had a lot of ingredients...big malt and big hops. BIG $$$ (and Big ABV) Hey, I ain't complaining....only that I can't brew more!!!!

I can't wait to brew my next one. I like brew day....hate bottling.

Tommy