Michigan, the UP is my home state. I just happen to live in Wisconsin.
Welcome back to brewing and the forum!
I brew in the basement, all grain so not much help, but you got lots of solid advice already that should help give you some ideas for your brewing.
With the wacky weather plowing through the country I wouldn't expect grain prices going down. Maybe before harvest time it'll be better. Lots of factors affecting our brewing ingredients.
Good point! If your keg is empty, hook everything up on it for a dry fit into that fridge. You got two lines/connectors to deal with. Also might want to determine where your co2 tank is going to fit - inside or outside. Outside means you're going to need to get the hose inside. That can be...
From my end, even with the model number it's hard to determine if the door needs to be modified. You can figure that out easier.
Most of those doors are easy to modify if you need to.
You're going to have to measure the usable bottom portion inside the fridge first, then the diameter of the keg you want to use.
Or place your empty keg in and see if the door hits it.
It may be possible your keg will fit without modify the door.
I do a full volume mash and no sparge method. You do need a large mash tun to hold everything though. Mine is an insulated cooler, slotted manifold on the bottom and drain valve. The cooler cover also has a spray head so I can do recirculation with a small pump. I don't use that very often.
Knowing the gravity with give you an idea if fermentation has stopped. If it's not you might want to roust it a little. Depending on your secondary vessel you could gently shake it. If the yeast has slowed down a little shake could wake them up to eat more of the sugar present.
I have a hop spider, used a couple times in the boil kettle. I think just throwing the hops in the kettle is fine, one less thing to clean. Doing a whirlpool after the boil works fine to contain most hop debris and hot break material.
To each their own though, what works for me might not be...
Congratulations on the brew and the upgraded equipment! It's always fun getting new stuff and putting it to work.
Waiting to hear more when the time comes. Good luck on your next steps.
Yup, same thing for me, retired two years earlier than my planned date.
I figured I could make more money, just couldn't make more time.
Not everyone can do it, but if you can, Do It!
I'd be very happy, in many ways, if that was my only beer.
It is a great style to have around. I have made a couple before but it's been a long time. Ya got me thinking . . .