I've brewed about 10 batches on a five gallon plastic bucket system doing partial extract batches. I use a digital thermometer for temp readings when steeping grains and use a bag for my hops during the boil, have a wort chiller and bottle with the stuff that comes in the beginning brewers kit that all the homebrew stores carry. Fermenting temps are pretty consistent- the tank is in a basement within the temp zone listed on the yeast. The beers turn out fine, but I'm wondering what would be the next area you would target for improvement if this was your setup. Any thoughts appreciated. And I'd love to hear if your idea is a small step forward or a big one, in your opinion. If you have an equipment suggestion, please include a price if you know it (I'm not asking you to look it up). Thanks
Well, you didn't describe your beer (other than "fine"), but in general, relying on ambient temperatures to control your fermentation temps may get you into trouble at some point. You say that your basement is within the temp zone listed on the yeast, but I would add two things to keep in mind... - The upper end of the manufacturer's yeast strain temp recommendations is often a little too high for optimal results. - The important temperature is the temperature of the fermenting wort, not the ambient temperature. The wort temp will at times be a few degrees or several degrees higher than the ambient. So you might want to ask yourself if you're able to maintain wort temps toward the lower end. If not, think about a fermentation fridge, or some other way to positively control the temps.
If you would consider all-grain: A decent new grain mill can be had on sale for about $100 +/-. A 10-gallon cooler-converted mash tun for your home-milled grains can be had for about $175 prebuilt and considerably less if you’re the DIY type (less than $100). A propane tank and burner if you can brew outside. Keep a lookout for deals on Craigslist for those…..here’s one example (<< link) in Richmond. A book that has both a good overview of mashing and in-depth instructions of how and why to mash, and what happens during the mash. How To Brew by John Palmer fills the bill. An online version is available but go ahead and order the most recent hard copy.
I did several extract batches before deciding I was hooked on the hobby and had the ability to jump to all-grain brewing. I jumped from extract brewing to all grain and noticed a change in beer taste for the better, I may not have hit "all the numbers" (heck, I still don't), but I personally prefer the taste of all-grain beer to extract. After a couple batches without fermentation temp control, I then invested in a chest freezer and made a temp controller to ferment at appropriate temperatures. Both changes provided significant changes to my Homebrew. I agree with riptorn's costs above. If you decide all-grain is for you, you can start without a grain mill and buy your recipe pre-milled, but you may want to add the cost of brewing software to get a good handle on water volumes and temperatures. Most are free to try to see which one you like the best.
Which software do you use? Free or otherwise? I am unhappy with my current choice and am looking to change it up in the next month or so.
I'd recommend BrewCipher....and you can change up in minutes from now. https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/brewcipher-6.629625/
BrewCipher. It's free. And full dislosure: it's mine. If I didn't use BrewCipher, I'd probably use BeerSmith (not free). But it still doesn't do a few things I think it ought to, which is why I created BrewCipher in the first place. </shameless plug>
Thanks for sharing! I'm planning to move my brewing indoors with a new system soon, so I'll be sure to check this out on my first brew day.
I've only brewed with extract and steeped grains. My first 2-3 brews were from recipe kits, and I didn't like these beers at all. I then began using recipes that I found from many sources (almost all of them are clone recipes of commercial beers that I liked or are for hyped beers that I'm not able to buy here in MI) and purchased my ingredients fresh, and I've liked every batch since then. So if recipe kits are what you may be brewing with, consider moving away from them, or pay close attention to the freshness of the ingredients in the kits.
If agree that fermentation temperature control and going all-grain made the biggest improvements for me, by far. Consider that really good temperature control would also allow you to do things like cold crash and diacetyl rest in addition to maintaining ideal temperatures during fermentation itself. Cold crashing=less sediment in the bottles. All you need is a Craigslist chest freezer (free or cheap) and a $35 temperature controller. Add a cheap ($10) space heater if you need to add heat for ales in the winter months. That said, I’m assuming the reason you’re limiting yourself to one upgrade is cost? If so, I’d consider doing what I mentioned above for temperature control AND going all grain. All you need is a cheap nylon bag to get started with BiaB. You’ll actually save money buying grain over extract, even if you buy it precrushed (to avoid buying a mill), and you’ll have much more control over your recipes and make fresher tasting beer.
If you plan to brew hop forward beers, water chemistry, pH control, and kegging went a long way in improving the quality for me
Thanks for all the replies. I think making an all-grain set up is probably the next step. Chest freezer and temp control unit may happen at some point soon. Fortunately, space is not an issue. But like most of us, cost is a concern- I don't mind spending a little if it's worth it (hence posting this thread). As for the software, I'll try Brewcipher. I've used Brewer's Friend, but you can only save 5 recipes before needing to pay. Finally, as for what I meant by "fine" in my original post- I mean the beers are solid. Better than some things I've paid for but still plenty of room for improvement. I feel like I'm at a point in the hobby that I know the basic process and know enough to know that there is a TON I haven't learned. So between software, equipment and increased education about the many variables of the brewing process, I'm interested in taking the next step. Cheers.
There are several user-specified settings in BrewCipher that will be unique to your brewhouse, will change infrequently and can (should) be set up in advance of recipe development. Just a suggestion….consider going ahead and downloading BC and becoming familiar with the many seldom-changed settings before your first brew day. A mindset of "a little more cost up front can sometimes prevent a lot more cost later" is not inappropriate. As an example: If you think the possibility exists that you might move to larger batches, keep that in mind when you want to upgrade your brewpot. A couple 5-gal pots is more than adequate for 5-gal partial extract/mini-mash batches. A 10-gal (or at least 8-gal) pot is better for 5-gal all grain batches. A 15-gal pot would be plenty for 10-gal batches and typically costs around 20% more than the 10-gal pot. Have fun!
@tmm786, @riptorn is right. But I'll add that the default settings in BrewCipher are intended to work "ok" with typical beginner-ish systems, so you're still likely to get better answers than you would with some programs/calculators that don't even consider those parameters. In that case, you'd probably just use the Recipe page (until you're ready to dive into parameters). But again, a half hour or so spent with the Brewhouse Parameters page can ensure you get the best possible results, and as you gain experience with your system, you can tweak those parameters even more as you dial it in. Also worth mentioning I guess...many of the parameters are things that can be directly measured/set without even brewing anything. There are "mouse-over" (i.e. hover) comments for most of those, with tips on how to set them.
