Fixing a stuck fermentation 101:

Ground rules:
- Don't rely on your airlock alone as an indicator for fermentation progress, especially if you use a bucket. Your hydrometer is your most reliable tool for this purpose.

- Are you sure the fermentation is stuck? Take hydrometer samples every two-three days for a week and correct for temperature. It's only stuck if your readings don't change for several days and are at least 5 points above your targeted final gravity....

ArcaneXor

Many new brewers perceive off-flavors in their beer that are simply due to their brews being "green", i.e. not aged for a sufficiently long period of time for the yeast to process fermentation by-products and ultimately flocculate. While some beers, particularly light wheat beers like Belgian Witbier, should be drank quite young, even these styles are usually kept in the primary for about two weeks and another two weeks or more in the bottle before reaching their peak. Most beer styles...

ArcaneXor

For my first blog entry, and to commemorate my 1000th post on Homebrewtalk.com, I'm posting these easy instructions on thermometer calibration and correction.

Background:

I am using two thermometers at this point: A floating glass thermometer and a cheap digital probe thermometer from IKEA. I noticed that they read identical temperatures at room temperature, but showed a differential of no less than 14 degrees F at boiling! Needless to say, I was immediately worried...

ArcaneXor