[beerocd]

2 a day, is more than a batch a month. Or you drink one, your wife, and a half pint for the kid. You should be brewing every 6-8 weeks at a minimum. You want to brew but it would ruin your image as resident chef here. 

[beerocd]

Ordered some vinegar mother too.

How's that different from the gunk at the bottom of that oh-so-famous apple cider vinegar?
Oh, and don't forget to get your sourdough starter going now too, since you're going overboard.

[capozzoli]

Im sorry, I did order the vinegar. It has the mother in it. Braggs is the brand. Threw it in with my order for the kifir grains. In Slovakian its called kefirova  only kidding Its kifir pronounced (Kay-fur slight roll on the r)

I started out brewing once or twice a month but it has slowed way down. I cant drink only two a day once I drink one I have to have two then three then four. I dont even get started but for maybe a Saturday night every now and again. The wife gets drunk on 4 oz of beer. I would venture to say that most guest dont drink much either.

I really need to set up a cooler and keg system. Bottles blow, give beers away and you never see the bottles again. 

One of the guys who's brew gear Im working on brews at least one batch a week. He bottles and also gives most of it away. He buys his bottles too. Must be nice.

Some of us here are brewing a LOT of beer. They are either drinking a lot more than 2 a day or they have a lot of happy friends.

[euge]

I drink 4 or 5 pints a night. Sometimes I have to drink the entire 12 gallons without sharing. Gets a little tedious sometimes. Thinking of going to much smaller batches. It's easier to drink a case of beer that is never going to be any better than "OK" and adjust the recipe with another batch.

Seems to me cap you could craft some awesome beer in small batches just like any other of these things. You just don't have to alk it out like me. 

[tschmidlin]

It's definitely a challenge to get through all of the beer I make, but I have friends who like it a lot so that helps.

In line with what euge was saying cap, you should think about doing some 1-gallon batches.  It's still a lot of fun, and everything boils and chills faster.  Plus there's less beer to drink.  The carboys are cheaper too   You can build yourself an entire all-grain 1 gallon setup for under $20, assuming you have a standard kitchen equipment.

[euge]

I agree. And it's what I'm considering. Brewing that way in that volume is as simple as anything else- a pot of soup really. Already have the patience for fermentation and conditioning.

For me it's gonna be a study. I've done a lot of bulk brewing but now I want to hone down some of these recipes and get into a rhythm.

[tschmidlin]

Yeah, the only problem is one gallon isn't that much reward for the work.  2.5 gallons is still a manageable amount of beer to brew and drink and it allows for experimentation, not to mention you can easily (but not cheaply) get kegs for that size batch.  The 10 gallons I often brew is really too much for most of the beers I do.  For some though, it's not enough

[beerocd]

So did everyone go big for economy of scale? Cost of yeast, time invested, etc...
And cap - you're gonna have to keep those grains going - how are you going to consume all that kefir? Same problem as your beer really. Supply will totally outweigh demand - that's why I quit making it.

[tschmidlin]

I picked up a used 3-tier converted keg system as my first all-grain setup.  It works well for 5 or 10 gallon batches, as long as the gravity isn't too low (for 5) and too high (for 10).  I normally do 10 because I don't get to brew as often as I'd like, it's hard to find 6 straight hours to myself on a regular basis.  But when my wife takes the kids out of town for the weekend I might brew 20-30 gallons, so that on top of what I can normally squeeze in means sometimes I'm overflowing with beer.

[bluesman]

How do some of you guys consume all of the beer you brew?

Well you need to come over and I'll show you. 

It's easy. 

[capozzoli]

I may have to take you up on that demonstration. Soon.

I thought I was reading in one of the articles posted about a way to store the grains if you are not using them to make kefir.

I think it is pretty easy to keep a vinegar mother around.

[beerocd]

I thought I was reading in one of the articles posted about a way to store the grains if you are not using them to make kefir.

Put em in the fridge. It's pretty complicated. 

[capozzoli]

I Cant wait for the grains. Its gonna be a few days.

So throw the first batch out? How big should that first batch be?

Once our radiators start getting warm Ill start making some yogurt too. 

[bluefoxicy]

I want to get some of this going this winter, I might as well ferment other stuff, maybe charcuterie too.

I dont get to brew enough cause truth is, I dont drink that much. How do some of you guys consume all of the beer you brew?

This.

I drank enough to puke once, last time I wanted to see what would happen if I drank a lot.  (Answer:  I puked.)

Normally I don't drink much at all.  I have Dow's Tawny Port here, 2/3 full that I opened SUNDAY.

Cap, move into an apartment.  Then you can bang on random neighbors' doors with 5 gallons of beer in tow.  "I heard there was a party here."  ".... uh.  There is now.  Who are you?"

When I got the "Organic" ones they wouldn't revive.  The other ones I got came from a Kefir enthusiast (he ships a bunch of literature with the amazon order) and worked out.  I let them sit too long in the last batch of milk and just had to wash a bunch of cottage cheese off the grains ~_~  But holy crap I have like a tablespoon of grains in there.

[capozzoli]

Hmm, I thought I got the same ones you did from the Real man Genius. Oh well. Ill try these first.

I only puked a few times from drinking.

Years ago I was a professional drinker. That is to say I was a bartender at a jazz club. Drank all night at the bar till closing (barely catching a buz) then cllosed up at two AM only to go out to after hours places and drink for another few hours.
It was hard not to drink at that bar cause the owner would come in and say "Hey Bill, lets get F--ked up!" No portion control at that place I can tell ya.