Quick question for my fellow INGO members that brew their own beer..
My oldest son wants to get into brewing and I decided to join in..
we are interested in eventually doing all grain .. any suggestions on a good startup equipment kit ??
the mr. beer is a great way to get your feet wet inexpensively and make sure you like doing it first.... Had I started out w/ that I probably never would have left it... instead I have a few hundred in equipment and no room to brew..... cant wait for a bigger house!
Mind if I PM you sometime about taking the next step? I know, scientifically, how to brew, but as it turns out the technical stuff is a whole different ball game!
Take a trip into Indy to visit Great Fermentations. They have all the equipment and grains and yeasts, etc, that you'll need. Lots of good advisers and books, too. They also have intro classes to brewing every so often, Classes & Events :: Great Fermentations . There are also more than a few home brewing clubs and groups around. Not sure about any in your area, but you could check Meetup or even Facebook.
Or contact someone at Foamblowers of Indiana and see if they know of a local group in your area. Always a good idea to make new friends that are brewers!
You can if you want, but there are more successful and knowledgeable brewers on here than myself... I would still consider myself a novice.
I have spent ALOT of money with these guys and they are a great recourse.... they also offer classes.
Just saw this thread, both GF have great people working there, the Avon store has been open for about a year or so now. They have Friday Night Club but I forget which Friday's it falls on but worth asking when they are meeting up. Need bottles? Or are you kegging? My brewing has been a little lacking lately due to time constraints, therefore my keezer is on hold and I have amassed a collection of bottles.thought i would update the thread.. My son and I went to GF in avon and talked with some very very very helpful staff. we ended up buying a really nice kit ( we could spend a little more since we split the cost between us). anyway our first Belgian Pale ale is ferminting along well .. We still have to get the rest of the equipment we need for doing all grain , but we are on our way Thanks everyone for the links and advice !!
Graff? That's a new term to me.I go to the GF in avon.. they have been great to us..
our first extract batch is coming along great!..
My son is a bit cider nut and wants to make Graff,, So I will be visiting them again in the morning to get the ingredients for him and another kit for a murphys Irish stout clone for me ,, (why didnt anyone warn me that this hobby is addictive )
AG used to be more important years ago when dry and liquid malt was of questionable condition. Now, it's easily possible to make award winning extract beers.I still have to buy bottles and figure I will use them until I save up the money for a keg system. First I need to get the rest of the equipment to go All grain
Great Fermentations can set you up with a 1 gallon setup. You will brew about a 12 pack of beer each time. If you go with a 5 gallon kit you will have 50 to 60 beers to drink. I have 4- 1 gallon sets so I can brew different styles of beer and not worry about wasting a batch if I don't like it. Go all grain, it isn't difficult.
Did the PDG Pale Ale this weekend from Great Fermentation's. Pretty excited to see how it turns out as this is my first batch that has had a blow out through the airlock. Since it was clogging my airlock I took the tubing from my racking cane and put it the bung, the other end I fed into a gallon jug with some sanitized water to act as my air lock until the reaction slows down. I'm curious as to what others do when the yeast reacts so strongly. From what I've looked up its generally considered a good thing to have so much yeast activity as long as its not wild yeast causing it.
You did the right thing. I always air-locked in the form of a remote growler.