Walk before run?

[SmokinMesa]

Assuming that cleanliness is a given, if I had to name one thing that is critical it would be temperature. Mash, sparge, chill, ferment, condition. Get the temperatures correct at every stage and you won't go wrong.

This is one of the things I'm concerned about during fermentation. Keeping it at correct temp esp during the night.

 

[Covrich]

This is one of the things I'm concerned about during fermentation. Keeping it at correct temp esp during the night.

For starters and simplicity find a cool dark spot in your house where temp doesnt change erratically and keep it there. Are you worried about being too cool?

 

[SmokinMesa]

For starters and simplicity find a cool dark spot in your house where temp doesnt change erratically and keep it there. Are you worried about being too cool?

Well I have two main places.
1) "man cave" which is always in the shade and whilst an internal room has no heating and remains pretty cool. This time of year I would think the temperature pretty stable but would get very cold in winter.
2) lean-to which is almost a small utility room/conservatory with plastic roof. Gets some sun heating up and cooling throughout day/night.

Mostly worried about being too cool tbh.

 

[Rogermort]

Cheapest/easiest way of heating is a cheap aquarium thermometer sanitised and dropped into the wort. I was doing this with 1,000 litre batches for most weekends of last year (I had 12 months part-time professional brewing) without any issues*. They have rudimentary thermostats built in (so you don't cook your guppies) but controlled by an Inkbird is even better. If you can find somewhere consistently too cold, keeping a fermenter warm is easier than keeping a fermenter cooled.

*That sounds like I'm a very experienced brewer, I'm not, I watched a Youtube video about dry hopping this morning because I've never done it. However, what I have found is that as long as you follow the basic rules, to the letter, simple brewing isn't difficult. In fact, it's simple.

 

[SmokinMesa]

Cheapest/easiest way of heating is a cheap aquarium thermometer sanitised and dropped into the wort. I was doing this with 1,000 litre batches for most weekends of last year (I had 12 months part-time professional brewing) without any issues*. They have rudimentary thermostats built in (so you don't cook your guppies) but controlled by an Inkbird is even better. If you can find somewhere consistently too cold, keeping a fermenter warm is easier than keeping a fermenter cooled.

*That sounds like I'm a very experienced brewer, I'm not, I watched a Youtube video about dry hopping this morning because I've never done it. However, what I have found is that as long as you follow the basic rules, to the letter, simple brewing isn't difficult. In fact, it's simple.

I've heard someone else using an aquarium heater elsewhere. Here come several more youtube searches :)

Sounds like the man cave can get an upgrade then as this is the most stable place. Thanks.

 

[terrym]

I've heard someone else using an aquarium heater elsewhere. Here come several more youtube searches :)

In my view this is a better way than just dropping an aquarium heater into your brew
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-set-up-a-water-bath-for-your-fv.66407/And if you want a few basic tips on where to start in brewing try this. Most of it applies whether you do kits or go direct to AG.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...de-to-brewing-your-own-beer-from-a-kit.57526/My recommendation to newbies is to keep it simple to start with, with a couple of kits then decide what you want to do. Not everyone wants to do kits, but not everyone wants to do AG. And there will also be some who have a go at homebrewing and then give up after a few attempts for whatever reason.

 

[SmokinMesa]

Thanks for the links. Quickly discovered those and will likely use the water bath idea. Thanks for taking the time to help

 

[JRTurner1234]

Heres my 2 cents:

Don't bother with extract recipes - you probably won't get the result you want.

Go for the 'brew in a bag' method. You'll get great tasting beer and it requires less equipment and is less of a faff.

A while into the hobby I went to a 3 vessel system because I thought I'd get a better result. Now I'm back to brew in a bag, because the quality is the same!

Good luck

 

[SmokinMesa]

Go for the 'brew in a bag' method. You'll get great tasting beer and it requires less equipment and is less of a faff.

Good luck

Thanks man, I think I was leaning toward that method so will do some more reading/watching.

 

[Bedale Brewman]

@SmokinMesa Welcome. I can recommend the Festival beer kits to get you going. I'm on my third now and they are great. Even include hops for added flavour. I've also done some AG but with varying results. You never stop learning!