First Time mistakes.

By your post you were suggesting not to try making a big beer without oxygen. As I stated this is ridiculous. There is enough oxygen to complete fermentation and make excellent beer by shaking a bucket. I am not interested in having this debate as there is none. Just don't tell new brewers they can't make high gravity beer without oxygen! Take care.

 

I would have to agree I've brewed pretty big beers, 9-11% and never have used oxygen, nor have I ever agitated it. Beers came out great, maybe better if I had, but you can do it. I never had a problem.

 

That sounds like a great brew day.

Two things -

Don't stop brewing. You are going to read a lot and get very excited watching your yeast munch away. It's awesome. Then you'll notice people on here with $11,000 dollar systems talking about water readings, fermentation chambers, and oxygen rates. Don't worry about this stuff now. Brew. Learn from your mistakes and carry on. Gradually improve your system over time. A guy with zero to no experience and a expensive system with make beer worse then an experienced guy with a minimal set up.

Also, brew what you want. Don't compare your beer to commercial breweries. These guys do this for a literal living. The freshness, productivity, and fun of home brewing is what it is all about. Don't expect Sierra Nevada quality out of your first batch. But it will taste good, be fresh, and most importantly it'll be beer.

Homebrewing is a hobby and a marathon of one as well. Don't expect a sprint to making Pliny the Elder. I've seen to many people get burnt out this way.

Above all else, Don't worry relax and Have A Homebrew!

 

That is a start by having a place that you consider to have a consistent temperature, but total control would be to have a fermentation chamber that would create additional cooling in your space as needed to counter the increase in temp from the heat generated by the fermentation. Keeping the beer at 68 degrees is the goal.

 

Yeah, good luck with that. With a big beer I bet fermentation temperatures
could probably hit 80 at it's peak. I used to think the same thing. My basement sits at 60 in the summer. I stuck my 1.115 stout down there and hoped for the best. The beer was a ester bomb with instant hangover fusels.