Brewing 101

JimChochola's picture
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Want to learn how to brew beer, but aren't sure where to start?  CHAOS's Brewing 101 class is for you.  A CHAOS brewer will lead you through all of the steps necessary to brew your first beer using malt extract and steeping grains.*  This class will focus on the basics of brewing, including an introduction to grains, extract, hops, and yeast.  We will also introduce students to the required equipment and cover appropriate sanitation practices.  Our recipe will be decided very soon and listed below.

Once students have brewed their beer, they can ferment it in CHAOS's temperature-controlled fermentation room.  Future classes will provide instruction on bottling and carbonating the finished beer.  The recipe will result in approximately 5 gallons, or around 48 12oz bottles of beer. Students can expect drinkable beer in 4-6 weeks.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND THIS CLASS. Trial Member or above (click HERE for membership info). Web-only members may not attend.

Please RSVP using the "I will attend" link below.  Class size will be limited to 4 batches.  However, multiple students can work on a single batch of beer if they want.

Shopping list (all items available at Brew & Grow or Brew Camp):

  • Equipment:
    • Fermenter (bucket or carboy);
    • Lid/cap;
    • Airlock;
    • Muslin grain bag.
  • Ingredients
    • 6lbs of Light Dry Extract;
    • 1lb of Amber Dry Extract;
    • 1lb of Fawcett Crystal Malt I (this will be grain);
    • 1oz of Horizon Pellet Hops;
    • 1oz of Columbus Pellet Hops;
    • 1oz of Centennial Pellet Hops;
    • 1 Packages of Safale US-05.

PRO TIP: Hops are a commodity that are very hard to predict availability...if the hop that is listed above happens to be out of stock, don't fret...there are substitutes that can be found.  Ask an employee or click here.

* Although there is no charge for this class, students must provide their own ingredients and fermenter.  See the above shopping list for more information.

ktownsel
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Hey Jim,

Hey Jim,

With those ingredients what kind of beer will the class be brewing?

Thanks!

kengetty
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Ken,

Ken,

The recipe is a Pale Ale...we used the same recipe a couple months back and it turned out really nice.

Ken

JimChochola
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What Ken said.

What Ken said.

ktownsel
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Thanks Ken and Jim!

Thanks Ken and Jim!

JimChochola
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Glad to see you signed up,

Glad to see you signed up, Ken! This will be a fun class! 

ktownsel
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Jim,

Jim,

I travel for my job and at this time I have no travel plans for that week, if things change I will let you know. But I'm looking forward to brewing!

JimChochola
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Sounds good, Ken!

Sounds good, Ken!

ktownsel
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Jim,

Jim,

Should I have the grains crushed or bring it whole?

 

Thanks!

adman
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Ken,

Ken,

You can bring the grain whole or crushed. The grain needs to be crushed to be used, but we have a grain mill at the brewhouse and you can crush it there.

-Adam

ktownsel
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Thanks Adam!

Thanks Adam!

JimChochola
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Sorry for not seeing these.

Sorry for not seeing these. And thanks to ken and adam for stepping in.

 

As a side note, when you reply to a regular thread, it alerts you when there's a reply to that thread? Adam, Ken, you guys know how the event posts work? I posted in this event and yet I have to keep coming back to the site, apparently, to check to see if Ken or anyone else posted something...

ktownsel
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Jim,

Jim,

Picked up the ingredients today and they didn't have horizon hops so they sold me warrior instead, will those work? 

Thanks!

Jeff W
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Ken,

Ken,

Northern Brewer or Magnum are more common substitutes for Horizon.  Since you're substituting Horizon with Warrior just for bittering, you should be okay; there won't be a taste difference.  Though Warrior is a bit higher in alpha acid, so your ale may end up slightly more bitter than intended.  

ktownsel
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Thanks Jeff!

Thanks Jeff!

JimChochola
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Sorry again. WTF. Why doesn't

Sorry again. WTF. Why doesn't it alert me when people have replied to this like it does other threads?

Jeff W
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i don't get alerts either, I

i don't get alerts either, I just check when I see a new post on the website....