Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Hey all. I have not been around this site in years. I met a group of you long time ago before I did my first extract batch and fell off the face of the brewing world since. Great group, just over my head with info/tech.

I have made a dozen or more batches (all extract) and all seemed fine (other than a holiday spice and 2 stouts for unknown reasons). Used to brew with a friend, both rookies and he has since faded away with family priorities. So I brew rarely and never honestly knew if I was doing anything right. When to take a sample, when it's done fermenting, likely not cleaning things well enough and using tap water. I have only ever kegged, but that is the easy part. I would like to learn how to clean lines properly as well.

I do not have all the equipment for all grain, but eventually would like to dedicate part of my new garage to just that, maybe even wine. Fermenting will have to be kept in the garage as well since the house is new and the soon to be wife and kids don't need/want that in the house. I just want to keep a hold of this hobby since it's fun, interesting and obviously the end result is fantastic.

Enough babbling, if anyone is brewing sometime in the near future and wouldn't mind a mildly seasoned rookie looking over their shoulder, taking some notes of some details and items used that I do not, I'd be grateful.

Thanks
Chris

Oh and I have a free bar in my basement that's pretty basic if anyone is looking for a starter bar.

Chris,
Thanks for coming back! It just so happens that we're having a meeting tonight if you'd like to meet our group. We've grown a bit these last few years and have a pretty great bunch of people. We're going to be a t Bricks in downtown CR tonight at 7pm. Some of us will be there around 6pm to get something to eat first. Our meetings are a very social affair so we welcome new folks.

We've got people brewing all the time with just about every kind of home brewing setup you can imagine. I plan to brew this weekend myself and you'd be welcome to come watch. I'm doing all grain, but my system is about a simple/cheap as your can get, so it might be good to see as a possible next step for you. I don't have specific plans for day/time so I may be able to work around your schedule. The downside is that I live out near Stone City.

Anyway, hope to see you tonight. If not don't be afraid to ask questions on this board.


On 01/19/2012 08:57 AM, Bones wrote:

Hey all. I have not been around this site in years. I met a group of you long time ago before I did my first extract batch and fell off the face of the brewing world since. Great group, just over my head with info/tech.

I have made a dozen or more batches (all extract) and all seemed fine (other than a holiday spice and 2 stouts for unknown reasons). Used to brew with a friend, both rookies and he has since faded away with family priorities. So I brew rarely and never honestly knew if I was doing anything right. When to take a sample, when it's done fermenting, likely not cleaning things well enough and using tap water. I have only ever kegged, but that is the easy part. I would like to learn how to clean lines properly as well.

I do not have all the equipment for all grain, but eventually would like to dedicate part of my new garage to just that, maybe even wine. Fermenting will have to be kept in the garage as well since the house is new and the soon to be wife and kids don't need/want that in the house. I just want to keep a hold of this hobby since it's fun, interesting and obviously the end result is fantastic.

Enough babbling, if anyone is brewing sometime in the near future and wouldn't mind a mildly seasoned rookie looking over their shoulder, taking some notes of some details and items used that I do not, I'd be grateful.

Thanks
Chris

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Thanks. I was the Bricks posting and will try to stop in for a bit. Depends on mother nature. My snow thrower is at my gf's in Marion and I live on the SE side, so I may be busy tonight.

All I have as a must this weekend is the company holiday party Saturday night. Thanks for the offer and if our schedules meet up I'd be glad to head out your way.

I won't be brewing for awhile but your more than welcome to come watch this amature with my cheap all grain set-up the next time I get enough ambition to brew.

I also may be interested in taking that bar off your hands. Could you possibly snap a picture and bring it to the meeting or text it to me. Thanks, 608-792-9320

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Beer fridge is also free. Has holes in the side for taps which I would sell. I am sticking with picnic taps from her eon out and getting a "hole-less" fridge when I move.

You might want to think about keeping the fridge if you can swing it. If you are going to need to do fermentation in your garage you'll probably want it for temperature control at the very least (Summer). Of course that depends on if you have space for it in the garage.


On 01/19/2012 10:08 AM, Bones wrote:

Beer fridge is also free. Has holes i ... mg][/list]

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I will keep it if nobody takes it. It leaks water so it's best in a garage, but I have a drip bucket beside it now that I empty every few months. Not a big deal, but I may be taking the fridge with me from my kitchen in my current house for garage use anyway.

Maybe Im an idoiot, but how does it stand up? Is it bolted to the floor?

There is a 4' wide hutch base behind it that it's screwed to. You can have that if ya want it. I was just given the bar front and planned to buy kitchen cabinets to attach it to, countertop, etc. Obviously never happened

When would you like it gone by? Im still tring to decide what Im doing for my basement bar.

No real rush if I know I have someone taking it off my hands. main reason to get rid of it besides listing my house for sale soon is to clear out the basement to get the carpet professionally cleaned.

Beer fridge if off to Alliant Thursday.

Who wants a bar?

Also, getting married soon, so I think I am going to be making beer for my wedding if thelocation allows it

I think Ill have to pass on the bar, I have too many different things going on right now to start my bar project. Which by the sounds of it you know exactly what I mean.

Bar and fridge are gone

Let's get back to brewing. I am getting married Oct 13th at Cedar Ridge. For $200 I can bring in my own beer, so I want to make 4 kegs worth. Thinking 2 - 5 gallon batches of a lighter, maybe a wheat beer and 2 of maybe a pale ale or fat tire rip off. Should be plenty of malty goodness.