Recent content by CraigCoBrewing

Wow! I bought an extra packet of SafeBrew T-58 just to have on hand in case I have to re-pitch at my LHBS for $2.50 in Roanoke, Va. It's not really that local, I have to drive about 45 minutes or so down out of the mountains, so I only visit when I HAVE to go to the city. I think I will try...

I have seen many recommendations to use dry yeast in the summer and wondered why. Thank you for clearing this up. So it seems that if I take a small cooler full of ice to my local HBS (1.5 hour round-trip), I can still use liquid in the summer as long as my ferm chamber is temp controlled.

Just the thread I was looking for! I have brewed one batch of Belgian Ale from a True Brew extract kit and it turned out good after I let it bottle condition for a full month, but it's only 6.5 ABV. I'm shooting for something closer to Victory Golden Monkey @ 9.5. I'm gradually building up an...

My first batch of home brew was from a True Brew Belgian Ale extract kit that included the T-58 yeast. Poured the wort back and forth between the fermentation bucket and the bottling bucket 4 or 5 times for aeration before I pitched it. I used a fermwrap set for 65F initially and had vigorous...

Outstanding! Exactly what I was looking for - the substitution chart and these alcohol tolerance charts are just what the doctor ordered. I'm fixin' to try brewing my first Belgian tripel, and I don't want my yeast to stall out, but I like the esters from yeasts I have used before for the...

That's 1 oz of star-san in 5 gallons of water hahaha. I have the ferm-wrap already - brewed my very first batch back in February - Belgian Ale extract kit. Despite a few minor mistakes, it turned out pretty good after it bottle conditioned for a month or so. It was 6.5 ABV. I'm going to do the...

Cheers. I finally got my used fridge cleaned and sanitized and hooked up to my Inkbird-based controller. Callibrating and testing with temp sensor in the middle of the fermentation bucket in a thermowell. Bucket contains 5 gal. of fresh Star-San sanitizer. It is in a trailer that doesn't have...

It's all about options. Using what you have to work with is the essence of adaptability. I strongly encourage folks to share how they use what they have available Bravo! We can all learn from rustic methods. It's nice to have ferm temp control, but it's also good to know how to "rough it".

Thank you for your service!

Thanks for the welcome Singletrack. unionrdr - yes sir - Jefferson National Forest, about 20 mi. from WV. 20grit - correct sir. Near New Castle. Hi back atcha! Haven't done anything on my profile yet - I'm a champion procrastinator hahahaha. Thanks for the welcome folks! This forum is a...

Hello brewers. What an outstanding resource, especially for a noob! I'm a veteran beer drinker, but have only one extract kit batch (Belgian Ale 6.5 ABV) under my belt. It turned out great after bottle conditioning for 4-5 weeks, and I was hooked. Since then, I have done a lot of reading and...

Thank you for your service!! As a fellow Virginian, I served by way of employment with a DOD contractor at NAS Oceana during the first Gulf war in 1989-1990. I'm up in the Jefferson National Forest now. It suits me better than flatland. Although I'm a "seasoned citizen", I have only one batch...