All-Grain Homebrewing with John Palmer (author of "How to Brew")

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  • Опубликовано: 23 авг 2012
  • "How to Brew" author John Palmer stops by Northern Brewer to brew an all-grain batch of a very special recipe. In our video, Palmer discusses his techniques for adding salts to brew water, mashing, batch sparging (versus fly sparging), chilling and fermentation. It's a full-blown brew day with one of homebrewing's most influential people. Grab a pint and enjoy the show.
    www.northernbrewer.com/pages/...

Комментарии • 265

  • @benbinks2012
    @benbinks2012 Год назад +3

    2023 and this is still one of the best tutorials on RUclips👍

  • @davidharman4078
    @davidharman4078 10 лет назад +13

    John Palmer not only understands brewing well, he is very good at imparting his knowledge. Nice video.

  • @johndunlop8081
    @johndunlop8081 7 лет назад +33

    Also be patient and never panic during the process. In my very first batch ever (in my kitchen in Kuwait), I am a mechanical engineer and thought I had everything organized and calculated perfectly, including heat transfer calcs. But imagine my surprise when I started my cooling phase and found that my "cold" tap water was 108F, and not the 85F that I had assumed (I knew it was warm from my showers, but not THAT warm!). My final temp was 95F at midnight (after using all the ice that I had prepared and even frozen peas bags and everything else in my freezer!), and I figured all my hard work was in vain, as I would never be able to get it cool enough in time to pitch yeast. Then I had a flash, I put an old tee shirt over my carboy, soaked it and put a room fan in front of it. I went to bed, got up 4 hours later, and had 68F! And this ended up being the best batch I have ever made! (Of course this judgment may have been a little influenced by being my first batch and being in a totally dry country! But, trust me, it was gooood!).

    • @MrJshsedgwick
      @MrJshsedgwick 3 года назад

      That's a fun story, I have my first batch going right now, 5 days old. 5 gallons of a kit called st paul porter. Very dark and smelled amazing on brew day. 5 more weeks though before I can open a bottle of it, can't wait to see how my first comes out.

    • @ExpiredFreedom
      @ExpiredFreedom 2 года назад

      awesome story man, brewing adventures are always full of surprises. I also had a very interesting apartment home brew experience where my buddies immersion chiller leaked all over and it was my buddies apartment,and we were a lil drunk lmao. I kept warning him saying it's too much water leaking but he didn't listen, next thing ya know I hear his girlfriend yellin his name soo mad 😂 (they're engaged now lmao) but yeah we had to soak up the water with towels, wring it into their bathtub and repeat, this was also at like 11 pm and we were still cooling down our boil 😂😂😂

  • @BreweryShow
    @BreweryShow 9 лет назад +11

    The legend himself. It's always fun to read the comments here.
    This is one of the first AG videos I watched when learning, and still find myself re-watching -- or reading "the" book, and still continue to learn something new. Cheers! -Ian

    • @joshjones1793
      @joshjones1793 9 лет назад +2

      Brewery Show Yeah I watch this video a lot for little subtle details in technique. And also to see the awesome wall of grains that he's just chewing on nonchalantly.

  • @MrTedwilson
    @MrTedwilson 11 лет назад +1

    Nice to see John Palmer hasn't forgotten about us home brewers with this video. Cheers

  • @murphydogprod
    @murphydogprod 6 лет назад +1

    Great video. I have been brewing for years and still love videos like this. Some is validating my process and some is learning. Thanks for the time to create these vids. Keep them coming.

  • @amatomation
    @amatomation 9 лет назад +10

    Excellent instructional video. Palmer is as articulate here as he is in his book. Best overview of mashing and batch sparging I've seen.

  • @michaelsheaffer
    @michaelsheaffer 9 лет назад

    This was very helpful information for someone who is preparing for a first time all grain brewing. Thanks for taking the time to film this.

  • @eyechubcunt3322
    @eyechubcunt3322 8 лет назад +17

    Having seen the disappearance of mild from the pubs in and around Nottingham. It hearten me to see Americans brewing this style.

    • @TheMentalblockrock
      @TheMentalblockrock 8 лет назад

      +eyechubcunt You can get mild in micropubs in the UK. AND, try the geordie mild kit. It's done in only three weeks.

  • @don8498
    @don8498 8 месяцев назад +1

    The best run through possible

  • @SashHughes
    @SashHughes 9 лет назад +1

    Thanks for the brilliant website and videos! Great for us first-time brewers. Just bought your book on Amazon and am looking forward to going through it in detail...

  • @surestebrewing3301
    @surestebrewing3301 10 лет назад

    Great video, I have learnt a lot with John's book and videos.

  • @gordonmedley
    @gordonmedley 12 лет назад

    That was the best video I've seen in explaining sparging and how it's done.

  • @patrickalarcon2196
    @patrickalarcon2196 5 лет назад

    This is a seriously helpful video. Clearly presented various steps I needed to understand. Thank you.

  • @omarsdroog
    @omarsdroog 12 лет назад +1

    Thanks for this. There are many other "how to" videos on all-grain brewing but this is by far the best. Great info from someone that knows how to teach it, nicely shot, good sound and well edited. The others have some of these, but rarely all of these.

  • @davidt8546
    @davidt8546 2 года назад +1

    What a great video for a newbie like me to see. Learned so much thanks guys

  • @thehyperactivesloth
    @thehyperactivesloth 11 лет назад

    great video! thanks for taking the time to put this up.

  • @froththegrothy
    @froththegrothy 10 лет назад +29

    John Palmer is a legend - check out his book "how to brew"

    • @p3brews736
      @p3brews736 3 года назад +1

      that's the 1st book i read. thank you JP

  • @isaaclawson3126
    @isaaclawson3126 9 лет назад +5

    Thanks for the video. I used to brew back in the 90's from extract and it was pretty good New Castle clone but life happened and stopped doing it. I recently brewed a 5 gallon all grain batch for the first time, and I wasn't ready. (I didn't have spigot buckets or a false bottom) so everything was by hand. The beer was very forgiving so I got lucky. I learned alot here. I need some more equipment lol.

  • @GuydeLombard
    @GuydeLombard 11 лет назад

    Drooling at the choices of grains at Northern Brewer! How cool it'd be to work there AND to be able to brew with John Palmer!

  • @p3brews736
    @p3brews736 3 года назад +1

    got your book and learned to brew 5 gal on stove nov '18. learning curve turned up tons as i grow to 30 gal HERMS elect system from Blichmann. thank you for sharing your knowledge sir.

  • @EvertyBrewing
    @EvertyBrewing 12 лет назад

    Thanks for the great batch sparging video, JP should do more of these videos lots of good info for learning homebrewers cheers!

  • @djmarcc89
    @djmarcc89 11 лет назад +1

    Just looking into starting all grain and this video has explained so much compared to other videos I've seen cheers lads keep them coming

  • @Epiphalactic
    @Epiphalactic 5 лет назад

    This was very helpful. New grain Brewer doing 1 gal biab but soon to be purchasing some equipment for 5-6 gallon batches of all grain.
    Thank you.

  • @StratBeer
    @StratBeer 9 лет назад +1

    Great job John
    Cheers

  • @n2n8sda
    @n2n8sda 2 года назад +2

    After having first read "how to brew" maybe 25 years or more ago it's nice to discover a video and put a face to the name! That looks like a great mild!
    Nice to see John appreciates the style too.
    I regularly brew two types of mild ales quite but more in the Victorian style.. 0.60 and 072 OG, or a summer beer and a winter jet fuel! boiled in copper, open fermented and without wort chillers or any fining additions, usually maris otter and a combination of black / crystal malts.
    The Kent Goldings are a must of course but I usually go with fuggles, might give it a go substituting the fuggles with progress but was told many years ago by an old timer that progress were a poor mans fuggles! :)

    • @NorthernBrewerTV
      @NorthernBrewerTV  2 года назад

      You had us at open-fermented mild. I bet it's a thing of beauty.

  • @dabeanman808
    @dabeanman808 11 лет назад

    I appreciate you knowledge John. I must read how to brew once a week (bits and pieces). Getting into partial mashes and someday when I get out of my small apartment I can go full mash. You've really made it easier to understand. Thank you!

  • @thomasfrank1227
    @thomasfrank1227 4 года назад

    Great learning experience. Thank you!

  • @chrisnewton9788
    @chrisnewton9788 3 года назад +1

    Great videos. Learning so much from John Palmer after reading 'Water a comprehensive guide for brewer's'. O started off using DME and the boil but in the last 6 months started all grain brewing which didn't seem quite right. Now I know why thanks to John, great stuff, more of your knowledge please 😃

    • @NorthernBrewerTV
      @NorthernBrewerTV  3 года назад

      Great to hear! Thanks for checking it out and letting us know.

  • @brianjester123
    @brianjester123 Год назад

    Great walkthrough, thank you!

  • @snksnk68
    @snksnk68 9 лет назад

    Great video! Helped a lot! Cheers!

  • @RyanGribble
    @RyanGribble 11 лет назад +1

    What a great ad for northern brewer

  • @ewetoob22
    @ewetoob22 11 лет назад

    Thanks for the video and the book. Your book is great.

  • @bbc3836
    @bbc3836 4 года назад

    Thanks for passing on your knowledge. Happy 2020.

  • @ianlaker9161
    @ianlaker9161 8 лет назад +5

    Hi, I'm watching this from Canterbury, Kent in the UK. Our lovely local hops, the East Kent Goldings you refer to at the start of the boil are what characterizes our local beers in Kent as being distinctly hoppy. Shepherd Neame in nearby Faversham typify this style. I used to brew all grain at home many years ago and I'm looking to take it up again. Great video and you guys have some lovely equipment that I'm jealous of! Well done over there for championing our style of beer and thanks for posting. It's inspiring me already.

    • @Food_D
      @Food_D 7 лет назад +1

      Was chatting online to a friend from Texas and he mentioned those hops too. They seem like a good place to start for serious efforts - I'm just obtaining the equipment together now. Videos like this help, but also show what a mountain there is to climb to do it properly!

    • @MrTroydawn
      @MrTroydawn 6 лет назад

      Ian....
      My Family roots are in Timsbury , Romsey Shire, and We have a pub there....The Malthouse Inn....Been in the Family for generations. I remember Uncle Pip telling me stories of walking to Kent, Which was a long journey just to get some of those East Kent Goldings for the brew....... Thank you for recalling those stories...!!

  • @juanmartinez1046
    @juanmartinez1046 10 лет назад +14

    This guy is a brewmaster, speaks English properly and is really polite ¡great!

  • @poisonpotato1
    @poisonpotato1 5 лет назад +6

    The man the myth the legend

  • @joshuataft9400
    @joshuataft9400 11 лет назад

    Love your book!

  • @optimusprime1139
    @optimusprime1139 11 лет назад

    Been a follower for years. I was surprised he did a youtube video.. thats awesome!
    great book, great video! thanks JP.

  • @griffweb
    @griffweb 10 лет назад

    Great Video! Thanks so much!

  • @calebmacgray4588
    @calebmacgray4588 16 дней назад

    What a great video, thanks guys

  • @docrw
    @docrw 10 лет назад

    What a great video!

  • @mickez3993
    @mickez3993 2 года назад

    Good stuff. That looked like a great batch.

  • @martinparmer
    @martinparmer 12 лет назад

    Great Vid. John's a great teacher. His book "How to Brew" is IMHO the best out there. I used it when I first starting brewing and haven't looked back since.

  • @mattbarden8330
    @mattbarden8330 10 лет назад +1

    It's great to see Oz from American Pie is keeping busy. ;) great video!

  • @Wayner665
    @Wayner665 12 лет назад

    Great vid. thanks for putting it up.

  • @uqox
    @uqox 11 лет назад +1

    This was a great demo. I'm doing all grain, but actually have never done a batch sparge. Looking at this demo, I'm willing to give it a try and it looks as if I'm just going to have to bit the bullet and upgrade my kettles. Thanks! Very helpful.

  • @tazsnuts99
    @tazsnuts99 3 года назад +2

    Best place to buy high quality home brew equipment and kits

  • @manharts
    @manharts 11 лет назад

    If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video must equal a million. Then when J.P. is on it, it goes TeraExponental. That man is awesome for Homebrewing. Being an extract guy, I never realized you stir & reset the grainbed with each sparge (I had this image in my head, I guess from fly-sparge pics, of carefully trying to preserve the original grainbed. And the calcium and pH discussions were very useful. Thanks gents!

  • @320jetstream
    @320jetstream 5 месяцев назад

    Excellent video…..very informative

  • @kenfitz3
    @kenfitz3 11 лет назад

    I am glad you mentioned extract kits. I just did a Brewers Best Double IPA. Holy crap! It was awesome. I am new at this, but some of the veterans in our club were blown away at how good it was. I added time to the boil for the hop additions for more hop flavor. It had some amazing body. The only suggestion given to me was to dry hop it for added aroma. Some of the veterans look down on extract kits. I was glad I was able to make them rethink their views. Thanks for the video.

  • @ifthebeltiscrackedor
    @ifthebeltiscrackedor 3 года назад

    Wow what a great calmness and what a thoroughly explained lesson. Thank you so much. I´m soon in for my THIRD batch ever :D (Actually I did a batch of extract beer in the nineties and I guess it scared me off and recently a friend got me to begin and I wonder "Why did´nt I do this earlier"? I recently did my first with some second hand gear and man it was pure chaos! But It´s "beer" in the fermenter!! The nice thing today is there is so much nice gear. Second thing I bought now was a 9 liter keg and a carbonation kit. Any day now I will buy another keg and some complementary things.
    Merry Christmas!!

  • @user-kz6pu1vx5f
    @user-kz6pu1vx5f 11 месяцев назад

    The best brewer especially batch sparging. Brilliantly done 11:59

  • @stevehurst8187
    @stevehurst8187 5 лет назад

    Great video john

  • @L0ts0fPiggies
    @L0ts0fPiggies 10 лет назад

    Thanks man, I brewed an amber ale with extract and grain, carbonated in the bottle with priming sugar, it was okay. All grain is going to suit my taste much better, thanks.

  • @laurentaylor4489
    @laurentaylor4489 8 лет назад +1

    Thanks Neo

  • @BasilWallace
    @BasilWallace 12 лет назад

    I plan on buying the book as soon as it's released.

  • @thebrewbrotha8401
    @thebrewbrotha8401 8 лет назад

    Very new to homebrewing myself and thinking of going all grain as I am doing partial mash/BIAB brews now after staring off with extracts. My first question is that after watching this and many other vids it seems with AG its very easy to convert to by just excluding extract from the ingredients? I do partial/BIAB but still add about 3-6lbs depending on recipe to my boil after mashing/steeping. Also, he mentioned the bad water here in TX, i've noticed a pH powder being used in some AG vids and was curious if a tablespoon per 5 gal as instructed will be enough or should I focus on salts, acids, etc or add in campden? Thanks

  • @jamesritter
    @jamesritter 5 лет назад +1

    Man, awesome, so informative. Im going to watch this 10 times and take notes!

  • @murphydogprod
    @murphydogprod 11 лет назад

    I never paid much attention to the water I used in terms of ph and alkalinity, etc. But I will now. Thanks for posting your brew. Very helpful. -cheers

  • @Rtollinchi
    @Rtollinchi 5 лет назад

    What temp do you heat your sparge water to to get the second runnings around 168-170?

  • @FabianSerlik
    @FabianSerlik 10 лет назад +2

    Great video! John explains everything so calm and clear!
    I've a question though, when you are sending the bolied wort from the pot to the fermentor, there's a kind of temperature controller (a thermometer, in daily language). Can you give me the details of this instrument? can I buy one in metric units?
    Thanks!

    • @dornkrull22
      @dornkrull22 9 лет назад

      to you mean thermometer on the fermentor,or do u mean a temp controller for your fermentation temperture control?

  • @h22lude31
    @h22lude31 11 лет назад +2

    When batch sparging you don't need to mash out. Mash out is to raise the temp to stop conversion. With batch sparging you can start heating the first running as you drain and draining only takes a few minutes.

  • @wallytornquist4092
    @wallytornquist4092 3 года назад

    How high a temperature will those plastic coolers withstand? I've heard at high temps they tend to expand and buckle and stay that way, not that it matters. What do you think of the stainless steel jobs with injected foam insulation in them?

  • @austinmelbourne5085
    @austinmelbourne5085 5 лет назад

    I am going to be jumping to all grain. Built my own cooler mashtun from videos on here. Buying a 10 gallon kettle from Amazon. This video helped with my anxiety a little. I have Florida well water. It has a ph of 8.6. Could I use acid malt instead of mash stabilizer and using powdered chemicals?

  • @zodiak3000
    @zodiak3000 10 лет назад

    is that high temp tubing attached to the mash tun? looks just like racking tuning

  • @Jose-hq5gv
    @Jose-hq5gv 3 года назад +2

    Did my first all grain brew yesterday, made a SMASH with Marris otter and cascade

    • @NorthernBrewerTV
      @NorthernBrewerTV  3 года назад +1

      Awesome! What kind of system or equipment did you use?

    • @Jose-hq5gv
      @Jose-hq5gv 3 года назад +1

      @@NorthernBrewerTV Pretty low tech equipment, just a big pot and brew in a bag set up. Seems to have got the job done though 🤞

  • @sportster16301
    @sportster16301 12 лет назад +1

    Great video from one of the masters. I wonder what yeast he used though.

  • @martkok8125
    @martkok8125 10 лет назад

    Great video! I didn't see you put in the yeast though, or did I miss that part?

  • @sareinhart
    @sareinhart 9 лет назад +1

    Great video. Thanks.

  • @tuckfrump7709
    @tuckfrump7709 7 лет назад

    Did the mash temp ever exceed 152F to cease conversion, prior to batch sparge, or during sparge? Perhaps when batch sparging you do not cease conversion?

  • @ZwienerZ
    @ZwienerZ 10 лет назад

    The most heat loss I've ever had was 2 degrees. When I started i always heard to heat 4-6 degrees above your strike temperature. I only lose 1-2 degrees. Not sure why.

  • @reeedfish
    @reeedfish 12 лет назад

    This man is my hero

  • @musicbymark
    @musicbymark 4 года назад +1

    John - do you ever do any demos / presentations etc. back in HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN? Come back to da U.P.!

  • @JoshOB21
    @JoshOB21 4 года назад

    Dang.. I've been having all sorts of efficiency issues usin my new brewzilla lately.. What you said about a slow sparge may be the key... I've been mashing out for 10mins which has been meaning the sparge drains so quick I can barely keep up getting water from my HLT into it! Light bulb moment.. thanks mate!

  • @mrnigeljohn
    @mrnigeljohn 11 лет назад

    I'm just getting ready for my first all grain. When you put your 2nd batch water in, and stir. Do you keep the tap flowing into the boiler, or turn it off for a while to let the grains circulate and then rest again upon the filter?

  • @TheTileguru
    @TheTileguru 10 лет назад +1

    Thanks John! I bought your book. You have answered a lot of my questions about home brewing, thank you for keeping everything simple

  • @DanKon75
    @DanKon75 11 лет назад

    Instead of heating the entire malt back up for insertion of hopps, can you take a small portion of the malt and boil this on the stove and add back to cooling batch to save power ? 5 Gal is a lot to heat back up.

  • @1supkillsbats1
    @1supkillsbats1 11 лет назад

    can anyone tell me what temp the brew pot is at when adding the hops?

  • @MurkyBottom
    @MurkyBottom 11 лет назад

    i noticed that you added the grain to the water but your book says to add the water to the grain. so does it really matter which way it is done?

  • @spiff2268
    @spiff2268 11 лет назад

    I'm new to homebrewing so bare with me. How many pounds of grain are typically used in a 5 gallon batch?

  • @rcannin
    @rcannin 11 лет назад

    I've got to ask about the mashout and the profile of the beer based on your conversion temperature. If you didn't mash out, there was no denature. If the boil kettle wasn't fired up, the liquid was allowed to cool below your target mash temperature. This essentially kept the conversions going down in the ranges that make a beer highly fermentable, as you had mentioned early in the video, right? I've wondered if this was true, considering I brew in the same style.

  • @runnerprairie
    @runnerprairie 10 лет назад

    Can someone explain why he adds the grain to the water and the reverse like he tells you to do in his book "How to brew"? From what I remember I thought he specifically said not to add the grain to water.

  • @scrambi
    @scrambi 8 лет назад

    So, I'm trying to dip my toes in here at All Grain, the Mashing/Sparging stage is, in laymen's terms, sort of like doing a pour over or drip coffee, correct? I get the grains and what not in a consistent, warm bath and then filter and pour it back to let the grains settle and maintain flavor, and then empty it after a bit?

    • @Nethageraba41
      @Nethageraba41 8 лет назад

      Sort of. Mashing in means you have water already in your mash tun, and you pour the grain in and mix it around (to prevent doughing up). After it has sit for an hour or so, you run some out and pour it back in, repeating until it's clear. When it's clear, you drain it completely into your kettle. After that, batch sparging is just dumping more hot water back into the tun, mix it around, and wait again (20 mins or so). Then do as you did with the mash: run some out, pour back in (until it's clear). When clear, drain entirely into your kettle.

  • @brettvanderbrook
    @brettvanderbrook 10 лет назад

    Ben Jerry: I can't seem to direct reply to you, but the reason Americans use pellet hops is simply that they are cheaper, and more readily available. When I go to a homebrew store, they may have a few varieties available in whole leaf or plugs, but the vast majority of their stock will be pellet. Even commercial brewers use pellets.

  • @biker944
    @biker944 11 лет назад

    cool I love chemestry

  • @dricedt
    @dricedt 4 года назад

    Is the Temp for the sparge water the same?

  • @mlm7298
    @mlm7298 11 лет назад

    what is the temp of the sparge water you put in?

  • @clagadin71
    @clagadin71 6 лет назад +1

    re-watching this vid again, and just noticed that in the how to brew book, that i have also been rereading, John says to add the water to the grains, not the other way around (exact quote from the book , page 201 under starting the mash, paragraph 3 - mash in) but in the vid, its adding grains to the water... Im still learning, but which is it? does it make a difference? or it is for certain beers?

    • @dylangaming537
      @dylangaming537 6 лет назад

      grains to the water, otherwise you could develop dough balls

    • @markarvieux2449
      @markarvieux2449 5 лет назад

      @@dylangaming537 stirring constantly of course. Either way if you don't have a person or system mixing for you, you run that risk.

  • @robertpaluska6354
    @robertpaluska6354 2 года назад

    What temperature is your second sparge?

  • @ElBosquee
    @ElBosquee 5 лет назад

    How can I replace that Special Roast malt he talks about in 5:45

  • @1supkillsbats1
    @1supkillsbats1 11 лет назад

    Hey thanks for the help. I've done 2 all grain brews now, trying to do lagers. they prob won't be drinkable!! But I guess i'll get better in the end!Hopefully :)

  • @dornkrull22
    @dornkrull22 9 лет назад +2

    Hey John,why run the chiller with no lid? I try and keep my kettle covered unless I have a heat source to make a up draft close to the kettle.. Great video,hope it inspires everyone to brew next day off work.

    • @Bryanicus
      @Bryanicus 9 лет назад +1

      greg grider Keeping the lid on can allow any remaining volatiles, i.e. DMS, to condense on the lid and drip back into the wort. Leaving the lid off allows these unwanted chemicals to escape, but also exposes the wort to air-borne contaminants. It's a trade-off, but I think a fast chilling process with an uncovered kettle is the best route.

    • @dpe74
      @dpe74 8 лет назад

      also will allow beer to cool faster I'm sure

  • @crabapple1776
    @crabapple1776 11 лет назад +1

    It absolutely depends on the gravity you are looking for and the mash efficiency of your system. Play around with some online calculators and DEFINITELY start with some established recipes if you are new.

  • @LeeBurns
    @LeeBurns 12 лет назад

    Great video, thanks!! Was that an extract packet in the background? Looked like 'Mangrove Jacks'?

  • @tazsnuts99
    @tazsnuts99 5 лет назад

    Where can you get a 3 tier brewing rack

  • @ahunt2117
    @ahunt2117 9 лет назад +40

    This guy is the Walter White of beer making!!

  • @13sublimerocks
    @13sublimerocks 9 лет назад +34

    Is this the guy from Clerks?

    • @joshjones1793
      @joshjones1793 9 лет назад +2

      Walter LaFleur I like to refer to him as the Kevin Smith of homebrewing.

    • @matts6419
      @matts6419 9 лет назад +8

      Lol a Mashup between Dante from clerks and Julien from trailer park boys!

    • @TheCompleteGuitarist
      @TheCompleteGuitarist 6 лет назад +3

      No . . . this is .... ''The Man''

  • @devlosirrus
    @devlosirrus 11 лет назад +1

    Man, he wasn't even supposed to be here today!

  • @pokerinvite
    @pokerinvite 12 лет назад

    great video from the man! would love to know the oak method