Homebrew diary: Irish red ale

Yeah, so this kit has been sitting a while, I originally wanted it for early spring but now it's looking like a Memorial Day brew. So be it. This was a Midwest extract kit that I supplemented with 2.5 lbs of 2-row in a mini-mash.

I'm really getting in a roll on these. I was at just over 4 hours from lighting the stove for the mash to carrying the full carboy to the basement, and that included giving explanations to a pal who was hanging out to watch the process. I had a couple issues with temp control on the mini-mash, but I think I kept the pot in a good temperature range; time will tell, as I completely forgot to pull a sample to taste (Hydrometer is broken so I'm flying by the seat of my pants right now).

Aside from that boner, I was fully prepared -- no rushing to mix extra sanitizer or forgetting any tools this time -- and barely had to consult my notes along the way. Post-boil, I only had to add about a half-gallon of water to the carboy to get to the 5gal line. Cooling over 4.5 gallons in the sink is getting more challenging, especially with no snow on the ground to pile into the sink. I still came in at about a half-hour, but that required a ton of ice and more stirring than I was comfy with.

So now that I feel like I have this all under control, it's time to finish constructing my MLT, and go all-grain. Why make it easy?

I'm mostly kidding. Even once I experiment with all-grain, I still see myself making some extract batches, for example when I want to make a couple cases of beer for a party or just for pounding back on the porch. I see myself dividing the hobby into "experimental/challenging" brews, which I'll make all-grain, and "beer I make so I don't have to buy it from the packy," which will probably be extract.

On the other hand, one of my brew-fathers told me that he doesn't find all-grain to be any more of a PITA than extract and he's more or less stopped with extract entirely. So maybe I'll do the same...

Anyway, it looks like an expensive month, as I need to buy the hardware to finish my MLT, a refractometer (screw the hydrometer, paper-thin glass tubes and my clumsy ass don't get along), and probably a wort chiller. I also have a few small items I've been meaning to pick up , like a wallpaper tray for sanitizing siphons and some extra plastic tubing so I don't have to keep removing and reattaching the same plastic tube to other pieces of gear for racking, bottling, etc. Right now, unless I buy the tubing, it's just a matter of time until I crack the siphon or the bottling wand and put it through my hand. There's your happy thought for the day.

Plus Ruth's birthday is in 2 weeks along with tax day. Yikes...