Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

It's my second anniversary of restarting my home brew activities and it's time to celebrate.

So, first up, a Bell's Best Brown Ale clone. I really enjoy this seasonal and I want to enjoy it through most of the winter; so I am going to make my own.

Assembled the ingredients today, pulled together the schedule tonight, tomorrow is brew-day.

Get this one in the bucket....and then it is on to an American Rouge Stout.

When do you acquire the new equipment?


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I'm still considering my options.

The way I see it, continuing to hone my skills by brewing manually should help me understand the system that will work best for me.

I think I have convinced myself, that I am not going to go the path of a three kettle system. It just takes up too much space and there are more things to clean.

I am going to continue to do my homework to evaluate the BIAB systems against those like the Grainfather. I would like to make a move in the next three months.

So for now...I'll run two kettles for mash/sparge water, and then one will be used for the boil. Still some lifting or siphoning, but I can handle that for a while until I decide upon the system I want.

I might consider building that BIAB DIY project; I've got the knock-outs to make the holes - and I know I can fabricate a 110 or 220 controller....It would save me some $$$$ that I could use for other toys.

I wouldn't let cleaning be a major factor to not do a three kettle system. HLT is just tip upside down and let dry. Mashtun you have to clean though. So two kettles to clean and most the other stuff is the same. If space is a concern, obviously a 3 kettle system takes up more but I know my system only takes a footprint of 2' x 4' if I want to move the mashtun back to the stand. That includes clearance for my burners from the walls too. You have the right approach. Keep brewing and figure out what will work best for you.