On another thread I cannot find we talked about my brewing kits by boiling the hops for the recommended times in just water and the steeped grains. My last kit was NBs Brickwarmer ale. I basically followed the instructions with two exceptions. First I added a pound of table sugar to the boil in the last 15 or so just to dissolve it and bring it back to a boil. It gives it a little boost and lightens it slightly. Then after the last hop addition, turn off the heat and add all of the extract. Lastly just check to make sure the temp is over 170° and it was easily.
I primed the keg with a bag of priming sugar I for got to subtract from one of the three kits I bought. Just tapped it a while ago and it is fine. No question about the hops without any sugars during the boil. Not really upfront, the style isn’t hoppy but noticeable.
Oh, one other major change. I used Kveik yeast due my lack of a good way to ferment anywhere near the temp I would like. I have read comments that it has a citrus flavor but the kit comes with sweet orange peel so I can’t tell if the yeast contributes to that or not.
BTW the beer never got cold. Fermented warm, conditioned warm and the keg is outside on our lanai (Florida speak for screened in porch) where it is 80° running through my jockey box. I’ll try to post a pic later in the day when we pour pints not a small sample.
A little foamy but going from 80 through the jockey box I’m OK with that. Not very clear either. Could be sediment since it was the second pull. The yeast or whatever. Tastes good. Maybe a little hot but considering the temps the Kveik comes out pretty clean.
Thanks for all the weather concerns. Lagers are definitely out. Winter clothes mean having to wear sock
That’s my trusty ice machine next to the jockey box. It has been through a lot when we took it in the RV. Out in the rain and near salt water. i have fixed it a few times but on it goes. Makes 27lbs of ice a day if you are awake 24 hours a day to fill it with water and empty it.
That all sounds great… I brewed a batch of chinook IPA all grain yesterday and the temp was around 38-40 and gusty winds. I set up in my yard shed and put the burner outside the door. Worked ok but by 3 pm or so I was getting cold, and then of course I had to wash and rinse all my stuff with the garden hose. Not sure how much winter brewing I will be doing … But I know the next house will be our downsized house but it will be greatly expanded in my brewing area.
Florida looks good this time of year for sure.
Long live the sun. Here on island way to warm for the month dec. Me. Getting ready to transfer. Sunday. A heffeweisen to the keg. Not. Me. Got some friends to help. Me.
Did many a brew in NY before we retired where I had to keep the garden hose indoors before filling the MT and HLT for fear of it freezing. Now being warm all winter is great but the lack of space for a lot of brewing equipment is a price have to pay.
One plus is getting back to five gallon extract makes me brew more often and different styles. Up north I do twenty gallon AG so I can put off the next brew session. I end up with four kegs of the same stuff.
Yes I just need to refine my brew area. If we were not planning to retire and move in a year or two I would build something here. Maybe I should think about doing at least 10 gal batches in the winter.
I went from 5 to 10 first @tominboston Honestly it is a little more manageable than 20. Now that I can brew 20, it seems like a waste to drag out all the equipment to do less.
We have a detached but not heated garage up north so when it’s cold but not the dead of winter I could open the doors enough to ventilate and get some heat from the burners. A carbon monoxide detector is a good idea though.
Still had the problem of running the (drinking water safe) hose out from the house so when it started getting below freezing I took it indoors and went back to 5. Clean up outdoors was the worst part. I couldn’t drag the 25 gallon kettles in the house.
If you move somewhere warm the ground water temp is useless to use for a chiller. It’s about 75° out of the tap here.
I agree. Maybe two ICs one in a bucket, cooler or something full of ice water, a pump and the second IC in the kettle. I’m told we can have an outside storage container, with approval (wife and HOA), so maybe some addition equipment is in order.
If you could devise it so it would roll out… kinda like a wheel barrow, easy to get to brewing and when done… push it back in… out a site, out of mind… Sneezles61
I’m using a hot plate now to boil extract outdoors. Propane here is around $20 for a 20lb refill or exchange. Back up north I can get it for $7. Price of paradise I guess.
Other obstacles are, again not much room for coolers and stuff. Closest LHBS is about 50 miles away and I am not sure what their prices or inventory are. It’s in Key West and rent is out of sight I’m sure.
For now I will stick to kits and minimal equipment. I have Caribou Slobber ready to keg and a Porter kit on the shelf. After the holidays I’ll sit down and make up an extract recipe and check out buying separate ingredients. I imagine with some planning and shopping around I can save a few bucks.
I do smaller batches in winter mash indoors. I picked up a couple 40 cup electric coffee pots. Heats the water to 180 add another 1/2 cold water gives me about 4 gallons hits about 168 . Do the mash and restart the pots for the sparge. Works great for 3 and 5 gallon batches. Pop the garage door do the boil. If there is snow I stick the pot in a tub full of water and snow if not use the IC in my laundry sink.
The coffee pots are a good idea. Living in a 2/2 condo with no garage and no basement even they would be a space problem I think.
I also used to stick my kettle in the snow. It was dangerous just putting it in a snow bank. If it didn’t melt evenly the kettle could tip over. A tub would have been smarter.
Down here the snow part might be tough. It has never snowed here. Some of the water lines are run on the outside of the buildings.
Do you think a 15 gal kettle is large enough for a 10 gal batch? I don’t know what the boil off would be for a batch of that size…I guess my 10 gallon mash tun would still be ok. I’ll have to start thinking about this as you are right with the comment of dragging all the equipment out and cleaning… May as well brew a bigger batch. I would definitely need to make use of a pump as I don’t want to lift 10 gallons of hot wort.
I’m gonna have to open up a nano brewery I think …
Sneezles61
