SteveBrewSD's Intro

[SteveBrewSD]

Hello all,

I'm a Mech. Engineering Student in San Diego, CA and have recently gotten into brewing. I love beer as well as the feeling of crafting something myself so I think this hobby is perfect for me. I did one partial extract brew to start and now have dived into All Grain brewing. I appreciate all the info I have gotten from this site and am excited to improve my skills.

Right now my setup is a good turkey burner, 8 ceramic pot, plastic bucket primary, 6.5gal glass secondary, and my most recent addition is a 10gal cooler mash tun I made.

I am excited to try as many beer styles as I can and keep learning.

SteveBrewSD

 

[Warped04]

Welcome to the forums! There's a ton of people on here from Diego on here!

 

[joknatson]

Man Steve, your equipment is mine exactly (got a ball valve on that 8 gallon kettle?). I skipped extracts...went straight to building the mast/lauter tun and all grain brewing.

How long have you been brewing? What do you use for chilling? What about software? Hows your SG/FG efficiency? Am I asking too many questions? Sorry, don't know any brewers in town aside from my lonesome self.

 

[SteveBrewSD]

No ball valve on it yet! I'll save that for a stainless pot someday I think.

I brewed a partial extract pale ale first and was somewhat happy with it but I knew I really wanted to get into all grain. I have ,y first all grain batch, an IPA, fermenting now and am about to do a blonde ale. I use 3/8in 25' wort chiller for cooling (only $50 at monsterbrew.com). I've been sampling many different types of free software right now to see what works (beerformulator.com mostly). I'm in the process of calculating my efficiency right now.. Just been reading a lot on this site and trying to get better!

What have you brewed so far?

 

[joknatson]

About 5 all-grain batches so far, but nothing really successful. My beers are plagued by a smokey, corny flavor. Thinking my fermentations were getting too hot in the summer, causing off flavors. Waited until it cooled off to start spending my money again. Have a hef in primary right now.

I can highly recommend BeerSmith for software, but that's only because it's all I know. I swear by it.

Do you get your ingredients at Ballast Point?

 

[Warped04]

Man Steve, your equipment is mine exactly (got a ball valve on that 8 gallon kettle?). I skipped extracts...went straight to building the mast/lauter tun and all grain brewing.

How long have you been brewing? What do you use for chilling? What about software? Hows your SG/FG efficiency? Am I asking too many questions? Sorry, don't know any brewers in town aside from my lonesome self.

There's a great club in town called chug.

 

[joknatson]

Compromising Health to the Utmost, Gladly.

I'm gonna have to get in on this chug business, they seem pretty darn active!

 

[SteveBrewSD]

Ya I do get my grain/hops from Ballast Point. I was hoping to skate by using the free software but I read up on Beersmith an I think I'll take your advice and go for it. Its actually not too expensive!

 

[Warped04]

Its actually not too expensive!

For what you get, I totally think it's worth it.

 

[starrfish]

good thin steel economy 10gal pots can be found online but my first 50 batches came from an enameled pot! welcome aboard! look up hop spider or sputnik here makes straining so much easier with out valve



mine