[fredthecat]

1) Work on my ability to influence attenuation through mash temps. I've been all over the place lately.
2) Try to incorporate some low oxygen techniques including OxBlox and spunding. I'm curious to see if I notice a difference.
3) Brew two styles I haven't tried before, Maibock and Pre-Prohibition lager.

just curious re: all over the place on attenuation - are you hitting your intended mash temps? im also interested in dialig my attenuation into what i want on brews that are ~95%+ base malts. ive been also working on length of mashes since ive been getting what i wanted sometimes that way.

maibock is an underrated style imho. there is a lot that can go on in there

[HEUBrewer]

I hope to get at least a dozen beers brewed this year. 

[chumley]

Having been laid up for three weeks after knee replacement surgery. I have been contemplating when I get back to brewing this spring  and have a couple of resolutions.

1. Get back to brewing many more varieties of beer by brewing 5 gallon batches. Over a decade ago, I went from 5 to 10 gallon batches.  I really liked being able to split a batch between two different yeasts, but found myself thinking, do I really want to drink 10 gallons of that? So I have stuck to the tried and true favorites like continental pilsners, English bitters, American IPAs, and Belgian tripels and saisons. Beers that I know I will drink 10 gallons of without batting an eye.

This year I am going to brew more 5 gallon batches of beers I used to brew in the past, but haven't in 10 years. Porter, weiss, a spruce beer, oud bruin, are all on the schedule.

2. Finally break down and buy a pump. All the talk of low oxygen brewing has got me talked into it, as well as the fact that I am 62 years old and lifting 2-3 gallons of hot water to dump in my mashtun at the top of my brew tower has limited appeal these days, especially to my back.

[jherzjherz]

I hope to get at least a dozen beers brewed this year.

I like it. 12 is a great #.

[jherzjherz]

Having been laid up for three weeks after knee replacement surgery. I have been contemplating when I get back to brewing this spring  and have a couple of resolutions.

1. Get back to brewing many more varieties of beer by brewing 5 gallon batches. Over a decade ago, I went from 5 to 10 gallon batches.  I really liked being able to split a batch between two different yeasts, but found myself thinking, do I really want to drink 10 gallons of that? So I have stuck to the tried and true favorites like continental pilsners, English bitters, American IPAs, and Belgian tripels and saisons. Beers that I know I will drink 10 gallons of without batting an eye.

This year I am going to brew more 5 gallon batches of beers I used to brew in the past, but haven't in 10 years. Porter, weiss, a spruce beer, oud bruin, are all on the schedule.

2. Finally break down and buy a pump. All the talk of low oxygen brewing has got me talked into it, as well as the fact that I am 62 years old and lifting 2-3 gallons of hot water to dump in my mashtun at the top of my brew tower has limited appeal these days, especially to my back.

Pumps are game changers and applaud your going back to the styles you have brewed but not in a while. Like old friends they are always welcome. Just gotta open the door.

[OttoKringer]

1) Work on my ability to influence attenuation through mash temps. I've been all over the place lately.
2) Try to incorporate some low oxygen techniques including OxBlox and spunding. I'm curious to see if I notice a difference.
3) Brew two styles I haven't tried before, Maibock and Pre-Prohibition lager.

just curious re: all over the place on attenuation - are you hitting your intended mash temps? im also interested in dialig my attenuation into what i want on brews that are ~95%+ base malts. ive been also working on length of mashes since ive been getting what i wanted sometimes that way.

maibock is an underrated style imho. there is a lot that can go on in there

Sorry for the delayed reply: I use an Anvil Foundry with recirculation and have found it can take quite a bit of time before the temp in the center of the malt pipe comes up to my intended temperature, so I intentionally overshoot, stir gently, and recirculate. This may contribute to attenuation being a bit higher than I intend (longer times at lower temperatures). My typical attenuation for pale lagers is about 80%. With my last two brews, I raised my conversion rest temperatures by a few degrees and had attenuations of 75% and 76%, so either that method works or it was dumb luck. I believe length of mash is an issue for me as well since I take samples from the recirculation and measure them with a digital refractometer. When the gravity stops going up, I assume the mash is complete. While this method is great for efficiency, maybe it's not best for styles where you want lower attenuation.

My first Maibock was at Gordon Biersch in DC many years ago, so it's about time I tried to brew one!

[fredthecat]

Sorry for the delayed reply: I use an Anvil Foundry with recirculation and have found it can take quite a bit of time before the temp in the center of the malt pipe comes up to my intended temperature, so I intentionally overshoot, stir gently, and recirculate. This may contribute to attenuation being a bit higher than I intend (longer times at lower temperatures). My typical attenuation for pale lagers is about 80%. With my last two brews, I raised my conversion rest temperatures by a few degrees and had attenuations of 75% and 76%, so either that method works or it was dumb luck. I believe length of mash is an issue for me as well since I take samples from the recirculation and measure them with a digital refractometer. When the gravity stops going up, I assume the mash is complete. While this method is great for efficiency, maybe it's not best for styles where you want lower attenuation.

My first Maibock was at Gordon Biersch in DC many years ago, so it's about time I tried to brew one!

that sounds like you have it right. yeah, its just dialing it in. mash length is definitely a good tool as well. and kind of easier (for some setups) than hitting an exact mash temp

[kgs]

My first homebrewing resolution was to check in on the Forum from time to time, so here I am. My work and family life has me very busy, but I retire later this year (date tbd) and I am looking forward to more than two or three brew days a year. It may not be THIS year, but I'll get there.

Meanwhile, I want to build more accessibility into my brewing routine. I have a pulley system that works fine for pulling the malt pipe from my Mash & Boil for my 3-gallon batches (albeit maybe with a tiny bit of huffing and puffing) but I have thought about pump transfers for moving wort to the chiller pot and then into the fermenter. I actually own a March pump I bought years ago and used once or twice. I am thinking toward what I want to still be able to do as I approach my 70s (how did that happen..??).

I would also like to master bottling from a keg. But again, this may be a "next year" thing. Meanwhile, I will try to participate in this year's Big Brew.

Today is my 15th homebrewaversary - I can still recall the homebrew store staff helping me load my gear into my car. A lot of water under that bridge!

[denny]

My first homebrewing resolution was to check in on the Forum from time to time, so here I am. My work and family life has me very busy, but I retire later this year (date tbd) and I am looking forward to more than two or three brew days a year. It may not be THIS year, but I'll get there.

Meanwhile, I want to build more accessibility into my brewing routine. I have a pulley system that works fine for pulling the malt pipe from my Mash & Boil for my 3-gallon batches (albeit maybe with a tiny bit of huffing and puffing) but I have thought about pump transfers for moving wort to the chiller pot and then into the fermenter. I actually own a March pump I bought years ago and used once or twice. I am thinking toward what I want to still be able to do as I approach my 70s (how did that happen..??).

I would also like to master bottling from a keg. But again, this may be a "next year" thing. Meanwhile, I will try to participate in this year's Big Brew.

Today is my 15th homebrewaversary - I can still recall the homebrew store staff helping me load my gear into my car. A lot of water under that bridge!

Congrats! My 26th is March 19.

[BrewBama]

I never know when to start counting: when I brewed my first batch in 1992 or when I restarted brewing in 2013 when AL made homebrewing legal after a very long layoff.  Probably the later. Either way, congratulations on the 15th!

[HEUBrewer]

Congrats on your 15th anniversary.  This is such an incredible hobby.  All in all it is pretty forgiving you can make it as simple or as complex as you want with the end result is a beverage you, your friends and family can enjoy. 


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[HEUBrewer]

I never know when to start counting: when I brewed my first batch in 1992 or when I restarted brewing in 2013 when AL made homebrewing legal after a very long layoff.  Probably the later. Either way, congratulations on the 15th!

That is another reason why this hobby is so great.  You can stop/restart at any time.  I took a year or so off a couple of times when the kids were little but picked it back up again.  My biggest changes occurred in 95 or so when I switched to all grain.  My brewing setup has been pretty much the same since. As I posted on the picture post I am still amazed you can make and serve this at home.  When that amazement ends I will stop brewing.   


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[jeffy]

I started home brewing in January, 1990, so it’s been 34 years and 449 batches, which is consistently about 13 brew days per year.

[Drewch]

4 years and 76 batches.

[fredthecat]

just to mention since others are and so you can see i took a break for a period and also slowed down a lot in a period -

first homebrewed in 2009 - have made about 98 batches of alcohol, i think some of that number includes large starters since im just going on the numbers i have as txt files, the batch number in the title of each.

probably more like 75