Brutus 10 Build: The Gas System

by Billy Broas on May 18, 2012 | DIY
burner-blue-flame

In this first post in this series about my build, I described the Brutus 10 frame.

Now we’re going to talk gas.

This was actually the most challenging (and frustrating) part of the entire build. There are so many little parts that must work together and the inclusion of the solenoid valves threw another wrench into things. Not to mention that every connection point is a source for a leak and the consequences of spewing propane everywhere are not to be taken lightly.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s start with an overview of how this thing works. Read More

Brutus 10 Build: The Frame

by Billy Broas on May 9, 2012 | DIY
brutus-10-frame

This weekend I’ll brew my first batch of beer on the Brutus 10. I don’t expect everything to go perfectly, but after a few tries I’ll get the kinks out.

Now it’s time to share the story of the build and just what the heck I’ve been doing for the past month.

Rather than write a huge post, I’m going to split it up into a series based around different phases of the build, starting with… Read More

Jalapeños in the Popcorn

by Eric Shepard on April 25, 2012 | Recipes
jalapenos

Hello. It is me again.

I am the guy who wrote the recent article Popcorn Jalapeño Cream Ale on this blog.

I am sure you have been impatiently waiting to find out how the beer turned out. When I last left you, the Popcorn Cream Ale was fermenting away jalapeño-less in a couple of Mr. Beer fermentors.

Feel free to refresh your memory about the brew day by checking out Popcorn Jalapeño Cream Ale. Read More

Popcorn Jalapeño Cream Ale

by Eric Shepard on March 28, 2012 | Recipes
popcorn

I am a simple all-grain home-brewer. I don’t have a Brutus 10 Home-Brewing System.

There is no fancy Blichmann top-tier brewing stand in my garage. I have no HERMS. I have no RIMS. There is no automation in my brewing process. My hot-liquor-tank is my brew pot which I pick up and empty manually into my 10 gallon gott cooler.

To drain the mash tun, I lift it up onto a table, attach a hose, open a ball valve, and let gravity move my wort into my brew pot. There is absolutely nothing sophisticated about any part of my brew day.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t get creative with my beers. It doesn’t mean I can’t experiment.

Sunday, I brewed my Gringo Cerveza Jalapeño Cream Ale (follow the hyperlink if you would like to review the recipe). I split this 5 gallon batch into 2 small fermentors. In one, I am going to add jalapeños. In the other, I am going to just let the beer ferment out into a light, sessionable, lawn-mower beer to suck down in a couple of months when it starts to get hot here in Denver.Read More

Break the Mold – Experiment!

by Wd2048 on March 19, 2012 | Homebrewing Tips
break-the-mold

Not too long ago, Billy B. wrote an article about the types of brewers personalities there are. He made the comment that while we may find one personality fits us more than others, we all have a little bit of all of these personalities in us as brewers.

I would like to appeal to a couple of these personalities. Read More

Brewing Software Collaborative Review

by Billy Broas on March 5, 2012 | Homebrewing Tips
ibrewmaster

A handful of us homebrewing bloggers on HomebrewTalk got together and decided to do a group review of brewing software programs a la The Session.

Devon over at Hollis Brewing Company is spearheading the effort and has links to all of the review posts.

My assignment was to review iBrewMaster for the Mac platform. iBrewMaster is a newer program and I’ve heard good things about the iPad version so I thought I’d give it a shot on my MacBook. Read More

Pinterest for Homebrewers

by Billy Broas on February 8, 2012 | Reviews
pinterest-logo

Without a doubt, Pinterest is the hottest social media site right now.

If you haven’t spent time on it yet, it’s basically a virtual pinboard (pin your interests, get it?). I was skeptical when I first checked it out. It seemed like something only for soccer moms, with boards of home decorations and cake recipes dominating the screen.

After using it for a week, however, it turns out it’s useful for our favorite hobby, homebrewing. Read More

The 2012 National Homebrewers Conference – Registration is Open!

by Billy Broas on February 1, 2012 | Announcements
National Homebrewers Conference 2012 Seattle

Today at 12pm ET, registration opened for the 2012 AHA National Homebrewers Conference in Seattle, Washington. The conference takes place on June 21-23.

This is the most anticipated homebrewing event of the year and Seattle’s conference is shaping up to be one heck of a good time. You can register here.

Highlights include: Read More

How do you plan your brewdays? Poll

by Wd2048 on January 30, 2012 | Homebrewing Tips
calendar

I can remember when I first got into brewing, my brew days would be an almost spur of the moment ordeal. It would start with a phone call:

Me: “Hey! I’m thinking about brewing. Interested?”

Friend: “Sure! When you thinking about doing it?”

Me: “Well, I just jumped in the car to go to the homebrew store. I should be home in about 30 minutes.”

Not a lot of planning went into it, and too often, I wouldn’t decide on what to brew until I would get to the homebrew store. Read More

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