The Official Home Brew Thread

[Kettle]

i've read that 68-72° is the ideal range

[mmmbeans]

i've read that 68-72° is the ideal range

depends on the yeast I think. my yeast says 60-70.

[Kettle]

makes sense

[Kettle]

thefuzz and I were talking over PM this weekend and he got me wondering about brew pots. stainless vs aluminum. i already am looking to get a propane burner, and after reading this article i may just go ahead and get a turkey fryer with a large pot. 30 qt would allow me to do full wort boils which a recipe book i recently bought highly recommends.

[thefuzz]

thefuzz and I were talking over PM this weekend and he got me wondering about brew pots. stainless vs aluminum. i already am looking to get a propane burner, and after reading this article i may just go ahead and get a turkey fryer with a large pot. 30 qt would allow me to do full wort boils which a recipe book i recently bought highly recommends.

I didn't know that you needed to boil the entire wort. Gonna try and find a bigger stainless pot now.

[Kettle]

you don't have to man. some recipes say to, and some literature suggests it because then you know 100% of the liquid is sanitized. i've just been using bottled water so far and boiling 2.5 gallons after which I fill the fermenter to 5 gallons.

[thefuzz]

you don't have to man. some recipes say to, and some literature suggests it because then you know 100% of the liquid is sanitized. i've just been using bottled water so far and boiling 2.5 gallons after which I fill the fermenter to 5 gallons.

That's what I did. 2.5 boiled and then added the remaining 2.5. All bottled.

[Kettle]

also i'm probably just going to get an aluminum pot for now. i want to do some of the recipes in my books that suggest full boils but i don't want to spend a bill or more on a pot.

[Kettle]

Finally did another brew. Ended up with a Dunkelweizen kit.

I used my new turkey fryer with 30 qt aluminum pot for the most part. I started with just over a half tank of propane, and ran out with about 20 minutes left on my boil.

Do turkey fryers always use so much gas? Is there anyway to minimize the gas that is used?

[thefuzz]

Finally did another brew. Ended up with a Dunkelweizen kit.

I used my new turkey fryer with 30 qt aluminum pot for the most part. I started with just over a half tank of propane, and ran out with about 20 minutes left on my boil.

Do turkey fryers always use so much gas? Is there anyway to minimize the gas that is used?

That sounds like a lot of gas, but we are talking about a lot of water here.

Did you use a lid?

Bottled my batch on Thursday. Will try one when I get back from Raleigh on Monday. Woot.

[Kettle]

It is a lot of gas. I used the lid to get to boiling, but not after. It was my first time using a fryer so I might have done something wrong. While getting to my steeping temperature I went over the desired range so I shut it off. Then it almost fell below the range so I started back up, and then too hot so I shut off again. I did all that just by using the fryer's regulator, and not shutting off at the tank. Is that a problem.

The other thing is that not only are we talking about a lot of water. It's a lot of time. The flame was lit for probably an hour and 20 minutes. I needed 20 more minutes.

I wish the instructions gave more direction on use like holding a desired temperature and minimizing the use of gas.

[thefuzz]

It is a lot of gas. I used the lid to get to boiling, but not after. It was my first time using a fryer so I might have done something wrong. While getting to my steeping temperature I went over the desired range so I shut it off. Then it almost fell below the range so I started back up, and then too hot so I shut off again. I did all that just by using the fryer's regulator, and not shutting off at the tank. Is that a problem.

The other thing is that not only are we talking about a lot of water. It's a lot of time. The flame was lit for probably an hour and 20 minutes. I needed 20 more minutes.

I wish the instructions gave more direction on use like holding a desired temperature and minimizing the use of gas.

Yea, that's true, we do have to boil for a long time.

As for the regulator....I adjust mine back and forth and never shut it off completely.

I bought a thermometer that has an alarm that I leave in the wort. I set it about 5 degrees under desired temp, and slow the boil down when it goes off.

As for conserving gas...not really sure how.

[Kettle]

i have a floating thermometer from noni bacca, but this time i used the clip on one that came with the fryer. it worked well i think.

next time i'm going to have to start with a low flame instead of the full one. i wanted to get to steeping temperature fast, and i believe it cost me time and fuel.

[thefuzz]

i have a floating thermometer from noni bacca, but this time i used the clip on one that came with the fryer. it worked well i think.

next time i'm going to have to start with a low flame instead of the full one. i wanted to get to steeping temperature fast, and i believe it cost me time and fuel.

That's probably right.

Check out the thermo's with alarms....that helped me a ton.

I think mine was 10 or so dollars from walmart, and you can step away knowing that you will be jostled if it's too low or high.