Recent content by bierandbikes

Even if it costs me a little more, or I have to adjust my ingredients slightly, I feel good about supporting my LHBS and will continue to do so. I would encourage anyone who can to support the local businesses. It is a conscious decision and requires discipline, but that is the best way to...

I didn't think about that. I was very careful to fill the secondary all the way up so there is virtually no headspace/surface exposure. So it sounds like some sort of test would tell me for sure if the yeast are still in solution, but doing so could create problems. I also gather that...

So after a little more reading on the site, it seems that my yeast should be fine. I guess the better question then is should I stir up any of the yeast or just rack to the bottling bucket and add my sugar? It's nice and clear so I prefer not to stir up anything from the bottom. Been...

I racked my cider over to a secondary after about a month, and it has been in the secondary (with virtually no headspace) for the past 5 months. I plan to bottle condition/carbonate. Question: is there likely enough yeast still in suspension or should I add some yeast before bottling? If I...

I am about to purchase a refrigerator or freezer for a fermentation chamber. There are obviously pros and cons to each. The freezer is an easy plug into an external controller like the STC or Inkbird, but requires finding one without an automatic defrost (I want an upright). A...

I am about to pull my Willamette as well. 3 years and still not producing like the others. I may just divide the Centennial.

.22LR and a good dog and cat team. Never had an issue with mine.

I am trying cider for the first time. Used D-47 yeast (rehydrated). Been in the primary for two weeks and still bubbling about 1 bubble every 4 seconds. Fermentation started within 4 hours. OG was 1.060. I have not taken a gravity reading since still actively fermenting. Is this normal...

Colliberici, for winemaking there is a great place down in Barbarano near the old RR tracks (now a bike/walking path). I can't remember the name but it is basically a farm /vineyard supply with all of the wine making supplies. There is a winery across the road that makes pretty good stuff and...

Help! I have two hogs that I need to butcher. One of them needs to go immediately. My dilemma. I had planned to do it myself about 3 months ago but I got deployed. Now it is 95 degrees so I need to find a reliable butcher. Ideally, I would like to find a good butcher near Fredericksburg...

Generally a backhoe will take care of the problem but no guarantee. I think the trick is to get the entire rhizome (which will have multiplied considerably over the 15 years) so lots of digging. You don't want to contaminate the soil since you are planting new rhizomes in its place so stay...

I was thinking this might work. How did you pasteurize the glass bottled soda? Low temp more time or high temp short time? I am not a fan of plastic and like pulling a cold bottle out of the fridge.

Your infrared thermometer only reads surface temp and the others will read the temp at the location of the probe. Infrared if probably not a great choice for a BK full of wort. The others should be closer if you stir the wort and mix evenly.

I am headed to Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio so I am looking for good breweries to visit (preferably ones serving food for dinner) and hotel recommendations within walking distance of those breweries (I don't mind a 20-30 minute walk for good beer). Also, if there are any outstanding beers that...

I brewed an IIPA that finished at 9.5% using 2 packets of US-05. No issues with the ferment or carbonation. Only thing I noticed was that it took a bit longer to achieve the proper balance in the bottle. At 3 weeks it was still sort of sticky sweet but after another couple of weeks the...