Springer

if you look at the pot the black is the oxide layer . All you have to do is boil water in it for an hour or so and it will form

capt.Ron

HMMMMM
I've got 3 120qt crawfish pots.
I could make a really big batch of beer with those bad boys!!!

Springer

go big or go home. largest I have done was 40 gallons in one day

capt.Ron

So what do you use for fermenters????
8 carboys???

Bswope

Just ordered my kit fellas......... looked at all kinds and not one of them came with everything I wanted so I picked one with most of what I wanted.

I got the Deluxe kit from Northern Brewer.... need to get a few extras but nothing major... bottles and a wort chiller (may make my own)
Now I just need to figure out what i want to brew first!

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewin...arter-kit.html

capt.Ron

Find a bar that serves coronas or any other beer that's not twist off. Those ceramic flip cap bottles are really cool!! Ask them to save them for you. Sanitize them and your good to go......no need in buying bottles. Ask your friends to save their non-twist off bottles. Use 2 liter and or 20 oz plastic bottles as well. The green Pellegrino sparkling water bottles work great as well!!
It takes nine 2 liter bottles or 18 1 liter Pellegrino bottles to bottle one batch of beer.
That's alot easier than 2.5 cases of 12oz bottles.
The Cornelius keg is the way to go once you get a few batches under your belt!!!!

Bswope

Thats what im gonna do but im gonna drink the beer myself and save the bottles!! My wife's cousin just bought a beer distributor and is getting me 2 case's of Sam Adom's Cream Stout (at a discount of course).
Im gonna make my own wort chiller instead of paying $60-110 for one!

capt.Ron

Sweet deal!!!

Excellent idea!!! Not sure why I still cool mine in a sink full of water.

Springer

I have a four of the 6.5 better bottles and 5 of these in 15 gallon and 30 gallon I also have used regular kegs





I just asked all my friends who drank Sam Adams or other brown bottles that weren't twist off to save them . 5 gallons batch is approx 2 1/2 cases

First beer go with a darker ales,porter,brown nut ale or stout . Water chemistry isn't all that important with darker beers. I get my water tested once a year and I have to usually have to cut the water with distilled and or add minerals to get the right chemistry for light bodied ales and Lagers.

With tap water thats chlorinated let it sit open to the air a day or two this will let it dissipate . Chloramine does not dissapate and needs to be either filtered or remove chemically . My water treatment started using chloramine last year So I use Campden tablets which is potassium or sodium metabisulphite 1 tablet to 20 gallons of water . Chlorine when in higher amounts like in tap can cause a bitter taste in the finished beer

capt.Ron

Holy Moly!!!
Where did you get that thing???

Springer

Us plastics . Also they use these containers to ship liquid malt extract . If you have a local homebrew shop they usually will sell them


USplastic

Busboy

My wife and I have been home brewing since 1978, we made both wine and beer. About 15 years ago we had 15 gallons of larger style beer on the go and I had to go down East for 8 weeks so we quickly bottled the beer and added the sugar to the mix to carbonate the beer. We bottle all our wine and beer in 850ml glass pop bottles that have their own plastic cases.
Anyway after I was gone for a few weeks the bottles started exploding, we added too much sugar by mistake, all 15 gallons went up. You can imagine the mess when I got back, broken glass and dried beer. We only make red and white wine now with the summer light wines to mix with soda.

Bswope

Springer thanks for that info man!!
Ok here is a question... we dont drink our tap water and never had is tested we get out water delivered to us in those 5gal plastic jugs (look like carboys)
would that water be good to use?
We get it from here.....http://www.roaringspringwater.com/rs..._main?OpenForm

capt.Ron

I would be willing to bet that your bottled water would be ok to use. Of course often times those so called "Spring Water" vendors are just selling surface water but even then if boiled it'll be safe. Might give an off flavor but I digress to Springer's opinion.

madhat

Man, this thread is making me thirsty... smack, smack, smack...

I wanted to do something like this a while back, but I just don't have the time to devote to it. That, and I usually go through a full keg every 2.5-3 weeks, I don't think I could keep up...