Homebrewer here, I've been brewing for about 3 years but have been limited in my options for upgrading equipment due to living in a small place.
I'll be moving to a house in a month or so and plan on buying a used fridge to convert to a fermentation chamber. Not sure yet if I plan on going the STC1000 route, or a pre-wired thermo-controller (more expensive), or even doing something like brew-pi with a dedicated web server. Side by side fridge with freezer side being a kegerator is also an option.
I'm interested in hearing from others who've done similar or are planning to. Just looking for some good ideas to take from. Thanks.
Been brewing with an electronic BIAB setup for a year now and extracs/kit n kilo for a year before that.
I set up a fermentator fridge with an stc-1000 and a tiny space heater and I'm really happy with the results I'm getting. Right now I'm working on an enclosure for my thermal probes and integrating temperature logging to the setup.
The picture is the second enclosure I've made for the STC-1000, it sits snugly on the fermentator. I'm doing my first lager yeast brews now and am using the https://github.com/matsstaff/stc1000p project to create fermentation profiles.
>>991464
very cool.. I've just been using a water tub with frozen water bottles and rotating them out during hot weather to control temps.
There's so many ways to go with this it's kind of overwhelming when trying to decide what avenue to take.
I definitely want to be able to ferment lagers, and an automated system that slowly ramps up temp and incorporates diacetyl rest is ideally what I'll end up going for.
Does your stc1000 just control fridge side temps, or freezer and fridge?
>>991473
It's a full fridge, as in, no freezer compartment. I can easily fit 2 buckets in it.
I also have a keezer that's using an unmodified stc1000 for maintaining an appropriate temperature.
I have a third one that I've used for mash temperature control. Like I said, I have a BIAB setup so I control the element for the mashing period. That coupled with sustained recirculation via pump keeps the temps pretty solid throughout the process.
>>991488
So a rims system or similar to? Do you recirculate to another vessel with the heating element inside?
Sounds like you've got your setup pretty dialed.
I've been so limited in space, this is really gonna open up a lot of potential.
I was thinking of the chest freezer/keezer option as well but already have a kegerator, so I'll probably just continue to dispense from that.. although I'd love to have more than two taps.
Thanks for your input, trying to explore every option before pulling the trigger
>>991532
No, not a rims system. Brew in a bag is the colloquial term for it, a single vessel setup where you have a bag holding the grains in the boil kettle with a false bottom that makes sure the grist and bag doesn't burn on the element.
I've since that picture was taken changed out the element housing for something not as nigrigged as that, but that held for a surprising amount of brews.
Can you guys give me a bare-bones idea of what I'll need yo start brewing stouts?
>>992050
Pretty much exactly the same things as you would need to brew any other beer.
I've only ever done all grain stouts/porters so I don't know what your options are with extract but I'm sure there are porter and stout extracts out there.
For all grain in the very simplest form you'd be looking at a Brew In a Bag (BIAB) system consisting of a pot that you'd either use a propane burner to heat or an electric element. Pair that with a paint-strainer like bag and you have a setup in which you can make pretty good beer.
If you're using a pilsener malt as your base, boil for 90 minutes as to reduce your DMS levels (don't cover the boil with a lid).
Ale yeasts as are common with most stouts have an ideal temperature around 20 degrees C.
Ask more specific questions and I can give you a bit more specific answers.
HEY GUYS
I need to know if you can make beer from regular store bought flour
No hops, no additives, not in grain form... plain all wheat beer from flour.
It must be possible, right?
>>992228
Bumping for this
Nice blog. Maybe you should have put it in the homebrew blog thread instead of making a new one. Now there's two threads on the same subject on the front page and it's all your fault. Congratulations.
>>992228
I'm curious too
>>991449
You can get a digital temperature controller on ebay for around $40. That plus a mini fridge which 2 corny kegs fit in should be all you need, right?
>>992228
>>992320
>>992331
>make beer from regular store bought flour
I doubt flour has been malted, so there is much stored energy to harvest.
Broadly speaking, wheat doesn't malt as well as barley. Plus it contains more proteins which will cause haze.
You could aim to make a Grodziskie, but I can't see how you could do anything with the flour powder, let alone unmalted. I think you'd end up making bread.
If you're that hard up for booze, I can offer you a lot better options.
>>992320
>>992331
>>992364
Thanks for the responses, I asked this in the other /diy/ brew thread and they told me to go home underaged.
I know there have been countless of brewers that accidentally milled their wheat too fine and went ahead and made beer with it. Statistically it's happened.
And plus, beer has been made for millennia. Hops is a relatively recent addition.
The only problem I can see is how much conversion sugars you'd get(no idea how much, I'm uneducated in such things) and how you would mix it up without getting a ton of dough balls.
I'm basically wanting to be able to make dirt cheap booze with all grain and no hops or anything, something that tastes closer to what true ancient beer would be like.
>>992416
Malted grain for brewing can be bought for <$1, but fair enough.
There was a TV series with Sam Calagione called Brew Masters that tried to brew a few ancient beers. You may get a kick out of that.
You may also want to look for a Chicha recipe.
If Prohibition started today, I'd first look at wine. It's just as cheap and much easier.
If it had to be beer from local store products, I'd stay away from powder or if possible, things that aren't malted. Malting is essentially the veal of a seed - it has a reserve of sugars, then you slay it, soak it, toss some yeast in it and enjoy.
Odds are that anything malted will be expensive. That leaves you with bypassing that process and going for fermentable sugars. Molasses, sugar, and to a lesser extent corn (dried and bulk from pet store), oatmeal, fruit, or honey.
These aren't typical beer ingredients, so you'll prolly have to try and cover the taste with something.
>more?
>>992416
>pt 2 on accident ( I'm on my phone)
The issue with flour is ... well a lot.
What a Brewer uses is that sweet baby malted barley, then soaks it for an hour in hot water to get the right proteins and sugars out, of which the barley was designed to yield. You're still looking at 10-12 lbs for a 5 gallon batch.
I've had a thick crush and a thin crush. Thick cuts down on yields, but too thin (1-2 cups of powder) will clog up your equipment and make you stop brewing for a year.
Then there is the fact your flower isn't malted, so what would it yield? I don't see it, there must be easier ways ;)
>>992499
>>992505
Uh, what about all wheat beer?
I'm not talking about barley.
Though I guess you could buy barley from a store and germinate it yourself then use that..
My understanding is that starches convert to sugars at a certain temperature, I thought that is what would make using store bought flour feasible for making beer.
>>992516
Here's a better source, the comments are great:
http://scienceblogs.com/aardvarchaeology/2009/11/21/why-malt-the-barley-for-beer/
Basically the germination is required before you can have your starch conversion.
>>992524
Oh, ok.
What stage of germination?
What condition of the shoots?
Green or before?
As soon as the seed breaks?
Etc
>>992599
for a diy, you're asking a lot of questions ;)
Are you hellbent on making beer with makeshift ingredients from the grocery store?
