OMG, you guys!!!

JeffPorter · Post by **JeffPorter** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:50 pm

Do you use a turkey fryer as a kettle or a lauter tun?

KwaiLo · Post by **KwaiLo** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:12 pm

The turkey fryer would be the boil kettle and the hot liquor tank. You can work with 2 coolers, and get your sparge water to temp, dump it into one cooler, then transfer from cooler to cooler to sparge though.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:12 pm

I use the turkey fryer pot mostly to heat water, just because its so thin.

JeffPorter · Post by **JeffPorter** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:15 pm

so...should I get out of my kitchen and into the back yard to brew? Is that easier...

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:24 pm

JeffPorter wrote:so...should I get out of my kitchen and into the back yard to brew? Is that easier...

probably not, but it gives you way more ability to experiment

Peter Collins · Post by **Peter Collins** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:32 pm

JeffPorter wrote:so...should I get out of my kitchen and into the back yard to brew? Is that easier...

Not unless you have to.

I do 5 gallon batches all the time on my stove top. I do all grain with a cooler for a mash tun and a 7 gallon keggle for my boil kettle. It works and the beer is decent. Yes, it would be more efficient to do 10 gallons outside on the turkey frier with the larger set up but I'm very often brewing on my own and things get heavy etc., etc.

My set up inside is VERY manageable and I really don't mind brewing when it's like that. Going inside and outside for the better part of four hours in the middle of winter is not my ideal way to spend a day. It can be fun but I often brew for the sheer practicality of it. It's not an "event" for me, I equate it to making bread: It's just something I do to get beer.

Peter Collins · Post by **Peter Collins** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:34 pm

icemachine wrote:probably not, but it gives you way more ability to experiment

How so?

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:54 pm

Peter Collins wrote:
icemachine wrote:probably not, but it gives you way more ability to experiment
How so?

I meant more as a switch from Extract to AG

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:41 pm

Peter Collins wrote:
JeffPorter wrote:so...should I get out of my kitchen and into the back yard to brew? Is that easier...
Not unless you have to.

Yeah, I sort of feel the same way.

Turkey fryers are often over 40,000 BTU though, which really speeds things up.

Stove-tops are generally only 12-18,000 BTU. Using two pots compensates a bit, and if you start heating one while you're still sparging the 2nd, you don't loose much time. The process is just a bit different (hop utilization and additions are a bit more involved).

Peter Collins · Post by **Peter Collins** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:58 am

icemachine wrote:
Peter Collins wrote:
icemachine wrote:probably not, but it gives you way more ability to experiment
How so?
I meant more as a switch from Extract to AG

Got it.

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:04 am

and none of your wifes complain about the smell when you brew inside?

Peter Collins · Post by **Peter Collins** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:09 am

Nope. If she wants to drink it (which she does) I have to brew it (which I do). I'm very lucky to have her as a fan! I also have full support for purchases of ingredients etc. when I do go shopping.

My oldest daughter complains about the smell and, apparently, she'll get to school and people will ask "What smells like beer?" LOL

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:38 am

so far, i keep things outside. no wort on my hardwood floors, no spillovers on my stove, no steam in the house, no stench in the house.

it got cold Tuesday night and i was cleaning my grains up in the house. nothing beats wet grain on your hardwood floor. fun!!!

outside brewing's the way to go. i just avoid days where the mercury drops too low. so i pretty much can brew 300 days a year, if not more.

inside brewing sucks during the summer. you're either running the AC (i.e pissing away money) as you boil things, or your AC isn't on and you're heating up your house. with malty steam. meh.

JeffPorter · Post by **JeffPorter** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:01 pm

You know - I was thinking - we just got a brand new Blue Star gas stove that's pretty powerful each burner is 20 000 BTUs and we got a pretty good new range hood too, that really sucks everything out...

I wonder if I should try indoors once or twice before investing in a outdoor setup - it may work for me - not in the summer, though...Although my basement might not be cool enough to ferment anyway in the summer.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:22 pm

You could always try working a 3 gallon batch on the stove top first to see how it goes, wouldn't mind doing that myself for more experimental brews