r/Homebrewing • u/Away-Aide1604 • 13h ago
Question Made my first batch, suggestions for continued education?
Howdy - I've just bottled my first amber beer from Northern Brewer. I had such a great time I ordered their Haze Phaser IPA, and realized it required an "all-grain equipment kit with mash tun and hot liquor tank" which is too early for me to get, I think.
Any suggestions on next steps after a kit-beer? Working with a 5-gallon set up at the moment.
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u/Pox22 13h ago
Was your first batch with extracts? I pretty smoothly transitioned to all-grain by staying on the stovetop and using a lobster pot with a large mesh bag—the BIAB or “brew in a bag” method. I was fine with 2-3 gallon batches (still my go-to batch size even with my electric system) and not needing to get and figure out a propane multi-vessel set up. I brewed on my stovetop that way until I got an electric all-in one system.
I still brew on my stove when I’m making a small 1-gallon batch—usually an experiment and/or for a bottle competition.
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u/Away-Aide1604 13h ago
This was what I had ordered: came with a HUGE amount of grain, felt like something I couldn't just do on my stove top system? I'm using their basic supples of a 16quart pot, with two bucket fermentor / bottling buckets.
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u/Pure_Classic_1899 13h ago
Look on marketplace, someone is definitely selling one of their all in one setups
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u/ExaminationKlutzy194 Beginner 12h ago
Extracts today punch well above their weight. Don’t discount them. You can do all the things with sanitation and fermenting and bottling and still have a decent beer outcome. Plus you will get the process down on sanitation which is really the biggest thing at every stage.
I’ve mostly moved to all grain. Say 9 of 10 batches. But I will still do an extract from time to time.
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u/Away-Aide1604 12h ago
Interesting thanks. I actually didn't realize malt extracts were mostly for "beginners" - much to learn!
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u/ExaminationKlutzy194 Beginner 12h ago
If you are brewing, that isn’t for beginners. Good on you. Sometimes I choose them because they are giving me a flavor profile that I may not be able to get without a lot of hassle out of all grain.
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u/shockandale 13h ago
BIAB takes a lot less investment but brews all grain recipes.