Two years ago, my brother gave me a card with a free brew session ticket. We stopped by the local home brew shop and picked out the ingredients to brew a Hoegaarden extract clone recipe that we cobbled up and headed back to brew. Four weeks later we popped the top off the first bottle to discover a white ring of funk on most of the bottles. We had some sanitation lessons to be learned the hard way. Long story short, I was bitten by that little hop bug.
I started with extract kits and then experimented with some mini-mash batches. I have recently upgraded to my own all grain version of a HERMS type of system with a 5gal igloo style cooler, mini pump and my estate sale pressure cooker copper coil heat exchanger. I have turned into a beer gadget geek. When time permits I should document what I have done and post some info.
Here is what I have been up to in the last year:
• Tweaking and improving my HERMS system with a new PID temp controller.
• Immersion Chiller with a 9gal SS brew pot with propane burner.
• Upright Freezer/Beer fridge project
• Currently working on a stir plate project
Last Brews:
Hard Cider started mid-October – 4Gal Cider, 2lb honey and WLP720 yeast
London ESB started last month – All grain with Wyeast 1968 yeast
Werewolves of London Porter – All grain pitched onto the yeast cake of the London ESB
Planning a New Belgium 1554 Belgian dark ale type of beer. I inverted some sugar last night and made my own dark candi sugar syrup; we’ll see how that works out.
Special thanks to Jamil and the BN army of brew peeps that have enriched my ‘hobby’ with podcasts and posts on the forum.
Cheers for Beers!
Pete
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