I've talked to @Mertesn about homebrewing before, sounds like something I would really enjoy, but it seems like a setup like that doesn't really work in apartment life. Seeing all this really give me the itch to do something with my hands, though. This is awesome.
I own a house, but there are a lot of option for brewing with limited space.
There are two methods of brewing that are very apartment friendly and can be accomplished on a stove top.
The first is Extract brewing. This involves the use of dry and liquid malt extracts in lieu of malted grains. This method eliminates the need to do a Mash (converting and extracting sugars from grain) which requires a large insulated vessel to steep the grains in water high temps. This method saves time and the amount of equipment needed. All you need is a pot that can hold three to five gallons and a food grade bucket to ferment in.
The second method is called BIAB (brew in a bag). Traditionally all grain brewing requires three vessels: (1)a hot water tank that can hold 3-5 gallons of water and be heated, (2) a Mash vessel that can hold 5 to ten gallons, and finally (3) a boil kettle that can hold 5 to 10 gallons. Grains would be added to the Mash vessel, saturated with heated water to allow enzymes to convert starch in the grain into sugar. Then you would simultaneously drain the Mash vessel into the Boil vessel as you rinse remaining sugar from the grain with hot water from the Hot Liquor (water) vessel, this is called Sparging. You continue to Sparge until you have collected your desired pre-boil amount of wort. Wort is un-fermented beer. Then you would boil, hop, cool and add yeast. Done. BIAB allows you to still brew in the more customize-able all grain method, but it eliminates the need for a the Hot Liquor and Mash vessels. You need one larger 8-12 gallon vessel and a polyester voile bag that is about the same size as your kettle. You can buy this material at any fabric store and hand stitch it up, or have someone do it for you. You would line your single vessel with the bag, fill your vessel with your total amount of water. Heat to the desired mash temp, add your grains and mash inside the bag. When the mash is complete simply lift the bag out of the kettle and allow it to drain. Discard the spent grains and begin your boil inside the same vessel.
My system is actually just a large BIAB system with an integrated heating source with temp control. It allows me to brew 10 gallons.
If you have a stock pot that can hold 3 gallons of water, I would start off trying a 2.5 gallon extract batch. All you would need is a food grade bucket to ferment in and you'd be good to go.
Extract is simple and quick, but you miss out on a lot of the brewing process. All grain takes a bit more effort but gives you complete control over every step, and in my opinion is a much more enjoyable process. Let me know what you would want to try. I can direct you toward equipment, help you with a simple recipe to start with, and give you more of a step by step brewing rundown.
I'm an extract brewer right now. The brewing happens on my stove and fermenting occurs in my office, which has cardboard barriers to block out sunlight. It works well.
Awesome guys, thanks for the insight. After my crazy job stuff calms down in the next couple of months and I move to my new place, I may give this a shot.
I might be misunderstanding brewing, but there's particulate matter like your grains and your hops that go into the main body of fluid, right? How do you prevent it entering and gumming up your inline pump? I didn't see a filter on the inlet.
Yes, you're right. The last part I need to make is a viole fabric bag. The grains and hops will be in the bag to keep it out of the pump.
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midga"There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi(> ^.(> O_o)>Icrontian
@UPSLynx I brew in my apartment. The most difficult thing (besides keeping everything sterile) is lifting filled glass 5-6 gallon carboys in wet-hands situations. They make carriers that alleviate this mostly.
Comments
The heating element is down there in the bottom, not mounted.
The trick is to go slowly, and don't try to bend it too much at once. Go around several times and tighten the bend a little each time.
Might get the heating element installed tonight.
I've talked to @Mertesn about homebrewing before, sounds like something I would really enjoy, but it seems like a setup like that doesn't really work in apartment life. Seeing all this really give me the itch to do something with my hands, though. This is awesome.
There are two methods of brewing that are very apartment friendly and can be accomplished on a stove top.
The first is Extract brewing. This involves the use of dry and liquid malt extracts in lieu of malted grains.
This method eliminates the need to do a Mash (converting and extracting sugars from grain) which requires a large insulated vessel to steep the grains in water high temps. This method saves time and the amount of equipment needed. All you need is a pot that can hold three to five gallons and a food grade bucket to ferment in.
The second method is called BIAB (brew in a bag).
Traditionally all grain brewing requires three vessels: (1)a hot water tank that can hold 3-5 gallons of water and be heated, (2) a Mash vessel that can hold 5 to ten gallons, and finally (3) a boil kettle that can hold 5 to 10 gallons. Grains would be added to the Mash vessel, saturated with heated water to allow enzymes to convert starch in the grain into sugar. Then you would simultaneously drain the Mash vessel into the Boil vessel as you rinse remaining sugar from the grain with hot water from the Hot Liquor (water) vessel, this is called Sparging. You continue to Sparge until you have collected your desired pre-boil amount of wort. Wort is un-fermented beer. Then you would boil, hop, cool and add yeast. Done.
BIAB allows you to still brew in the more customize-able all grain method, but it eliminates the need for a the Hot Liquor and Mash vessels. You need one larger 8-12 gallon vessel and a polyester voile bag that is about the same size as your kettle. You can buy this material at any fabric store and hand stitch it up, or have someone do it for you. You would line your single vessel with the bag, fill your vessel with your total amount of water. Heat to the desired mash temp, add your grains and mash inside the bag. When the mash is complete simply lift the bag out of the kettle and allow it to drain. Discard the spent grains and begin your boil inside the same vessel.
My system is actually just a large BIAB system with an integrated heating source with temp control. It allows me to brew 10 gallons.
If you have a stock pot that can hold 3 gallons of water, I would start off trying a 2.5 gallon extract batch. All you would need is a food grade bucket to ferment in and you'd be good to go.
Extract is simple and quick, but you miss out on a lot of the brewing process. All grain takes a bit more effort but gives you complete control over every step, and in my opinion is a much more enjoyable process. Let me know what you would want to try. I can direct you toward equipment, help you with a simple recipe to start with, and give you more of a step by step brewing rundown.
Ill do a brew day video eventually, but you can see the functionality.
I might be misunderstanding brewing, but there's particulate matter like your grains and your hops that go into the main body of fluid, right? How do you prevent it entering and gumming up your inline pump? I didn't see a filter on the inlet.
@upslynx
Good deal on stainless steel pot, FYI
Very enticing....