Steinbier

I was born in NYC my father decided to move to the sticks where him and my grandpa had built a camp. Had an outhouse also. Mom made him put in indoor plumbing. She still cried. Silly city girl. Eventually got a pounded well when the road went through. In 75 got married and bought a place in CT that place had a dug well also. So they are rare but still around in New England. Water is not that deep around here. You know anyone who sunk a well with a sledgehammer and we’ll point? Now you do.

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Our farmhouse had been built in 1905. Water in the house was a hand pump at the kitchen sink with a well point below in the basement. There had been a hand dug well with a wind mill over it to provide water to the barn and cattle out side. The wind mill was lost to wind by a close tornado in 1933. In the early 50’s Dad put down a deeper well point with a hand pump outside the house to find water with less iron content. We would fill milk cans from that well to bring into the house for washing clothes. The water was heated on the wood fired range. Plumbing was installed in the house to have an indoor toilet and bathtub in mid 50’s.In the early 60’s had a well drilled to supply the house and barn.

Didn’t know it then but it is now called going green.

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My old house had a well driven in 1918. Prior to that they used a spring about 50 yards west. The 1918 well had a windmill and was later converted to electric using the old pumping mechanism wood rods and leather checks. We took those out in the 80’s and converted it to a jet pump. We’ve since had a new 4” put in with a submersible. We still have the old outhouse in the yard although it was taken out of service before we moved in. Deluxe, it’s a two-holer.

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We could go on for a long time about this stuff… It was how you lived and any one who hasn’t pound down a well, or even had those metal rings you’d pile curved block on, well, haven’t had a hard experience with the need to have water… I helped my Dad dig one of those metal ring and curved block wells 2 times… He would keep piling on the block as I shoveled… down I’d go… Rope and bucket to put dirt in, pull it up… You’d find a water vein, I don’t recall how he pulled me out, but then a pipe and rock handy to shovel in… Seems the rock was kinda the filter? Even at very young age, there was a cold brew at the end of the day! Crazy… Sneezles61

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We should have a topic for old timers to reminisce about the work and life in the good old days that we don’t want to come back.

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Learned alot from the old timers now we’re the old timers. Pay attention whiper snapers

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Who knew we’d be old-timers? Ha ha Sure don’t feel like it! Have we officially wandered off topic far enough to reel her back in?

One question: did you boil more than what you got from the rock? Seems like you’d have to unless you’re adding more rocks.

Thats kinda ironic… I talk of stuff I learned from the “old timers” at work, and they remind me that I’m the old timer now… Not how I view myself… After a couple of brews I… Well, have another… See how I tie this into brewing? :relieved: Sneezles61

Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember when I started thinking “look at all these old ba$tard$” and then I became one. Seems like yesterday. LOL Before I retired I’d be in meetings where I had more years of service than all the rest of everyone in the room.

I only put the one rock in which was a great way to jump start the boil. Just did the lager to see what I got, baby steps. Next time I’m going to build a smokey fire and try those lava rocks through out the boil. Probably do a porter which is something that may work good

I just watched a video where they used what looked like hunks of granite to do the boil in a wooden barrel. They kept cycling the rocks from the wood fire to the barrel using a steel basket. Appeared they were fermenting in the barrel as well. Very interesting… I think we’re going to go after this one some time as well. Your idea of a porter sounds fantastic. I was thinking a Scotch Ale maybe too.

The wooden barrel would be traditional. They also would just leave the rocks in for the fermentation. The boil would kill anything in the wood. Those old timers had it covered. I’ll bet they did BIAB. I think I’ll try it. Now to find a suitable barrel. I’ve already done mash, boil , ferment , bottle in single pot. Works nice

Just re-watched your video. Good stuff, thanks again for sharing! Looking forward to trying it as well.