Brewer's Friend Home Brewing Software

Brewing Outside on Propane

Brewing outside can be a really fun experience. It saves time for a number of reasons. First, there is is less cleanup to do before hand and afterward. Second, the water boils a lot faster than on a stove. I have waited 45 minutes to boil 3 gallons on a gas stove, but with propane it is closer to 10 minutes. Another benefit is the smell of the wort is not kept inside the house, making it easier on your family *if* they don’t like it for some odd reason.

There are of course a few downsides. It is easier to get a boil over because there is so much heat going into the kettle. I am also careful not to burn ingredients on the bottom of the kettle. Propane can be dangerous to work around, so make sure the fittings are safe and the tank is secure.

Here is an image of me brewing some English Pub Bitter. There is under 15 minutes left as the wort chiller coil is already hooked up. For instructions on how to build a wort chiller, click here. Turning on the hose and letting it shoot the warm water into the lawn is fun and I used that water to rinse out the hops bags. Cooling with wort chiller took about 10 minutes!

Make sure to check the weather ahead of time.

Posted in Brewing, Equipment | 1 Comment »

Healthy Fermentation Video

This video shows you what healthy ale fermentation looks like. It is an IPA, with OG 1.06, after three days in the primary fermenter.

Posted in Brewing | No Comments »

First batch tips

Here are some tips that will keep you out of trouble for your first batch. These tips apply to an extract style recipe using malt extract (dry or liquid).

1. Scrub the kitchen, sink, stove, and all counter tops.
2. Start boiling the water early, since that will take awhile.
3. Do not use bleach to sanitize equipment, instead get a one step no rinse sanitizer.  With bleach, there is a possibility of a bleach odor left behind in your carboy unless it is rinsed many times, but that risks contamination.  Star San is a great product and it is worth being worry free in this area.
4. Do not use boiling/boiled water to sanitize or clean anything, unless you know it is cool enough to work with.  No need for this if you use a one step sanitizer.
5. If using steeping grains, make sure to turn off the burner for the first 25 minutes. Do not let the temp get above 180F or else you can get tanic flavors.
6. Watch the pot and stir a lot when it is getting close to initial boil. Boil over is where a foamy head on the wort develops and rises over the top of the kettle, making a sticky mess. Stirring avoids this problem.
7. For wort cooling, use an ice bath the first few times. Have at least eight trays worth of ice cubes on hand to get the wort chilled quickly.
8. Prepare a sanitized jug or bottle on hand to top off your wort in the carboy with water.
9. Keep the lid on the pot while the wort is cooling. Avoid smelling it, sampling it, or checking on it.
10. Don’t forget to aerate after pitching the yeast, basically that means to rock the carboy and splash the contents around after you get everything into it.

Posted in Brewing | No Comments »