Recent content by bergy

I live in Tucson. The one piece of advice I can give you is to build a fermentation chamber. It's simple but it works far better than a swamp cooler setup. Google for "Son of fermentation chiller" or "Mother of fermentation chiller". These'll keep your fermenter down in the 60's fairly...

Bottles. Don't forget at least 48 (probably 60) bottles if you're doing 5 gallon batches.

That's funny. I know Dick; he's a Scot!

From Bettendorf, then Iowa State, now in Tucson. Good to hear there's still some life in the QC!

I found Pub Cakes on my last visit to Cost Plus. Think cake mix that uses beer and butter instead of oil and water. I haven't made a batch yet because I'm still a week out from bottle-conditioning a porter.

I live in Tucson and I built a fermentation chamber (do a search for Mother of Fermentation Chamber) that works quite well. It's not going to get you to lagering temperatures and changing out the ice during the summer can get to be annoying but it gives you the satisfaction of building...

If anything you'll have something available when the Fraggles and Gorgs come to visit.

Was going to brew a porter so I went to the LHBS, measured the base malt, dumped it into the hopper. Then I measured out the specialty grains. I milled the malt, picked up the yeast and hops and went home. I was halfway through the boil when I wondered why the wort was pale and it hit me: I...

I'm from the Quad Cities but I live in Tucson, AZ now so I don't think that helps you! :)

After long thought I think the best way to respond to this type of response is to turn it back on them. If they like to bake things, "Why would you want to bake your own bread?" If they like to make furniture, "Why would you want to build your own cabinets?" If they like to... If they have...

Go Cyclones!!!!! Okay, now that I have that out of my system, if you want to just kind of ease into the all-grain world, look into doing a few partial mash BIAB batches. The only special equipment needed (in addition to what you probably already have right now) is a 5 gallon paint strainer...

There is the assumption that the kit in question is some well-known kit. Your suggestion, while helpful, is like providing someone with a contour map -- if you know how to read one, great! Otherwise you're still confused. I suggest providing the map but marking the hiking trails on it. For...

The can of worms only opens up with a new brewer that has absolutely no idea what a "good idea" is (eg. the infamous 'bratwurst beer' from that one commercial). Some of the instructions that have been tossed around on boards I've seen are like telling a newbie, "Here's some copper, zinc...

You know, this was one of the things that encouraged me to go to kitless brewing after my second kit. When I buy a box of cake mix it has instructions for making it, but it also includes options for spicing things up, like adding chocolate chips to the chocolate cake mix or swirling rasberry...

There is also the fact that phsyics with water is extremely odd (for example water is the only known substance where its solid form floats on its liquid form). In regards to the case, only 2-3 degrees separates "annoyingly hot" and "will cause disfiguring burns" because the energy content of...