Recent content by Dr. Fedwell

Going to make a wit soon and wanted to use the peel from the orange in my yard. Should I just use the zest, or more of the peel too? Not sure what type they are, but def untreated and taste pretty good.

Back to the original question. I think your skin is a wild yeast. Get it once in a while in the tropics here. If you can rack the beer off and get it kegged and chilled with out getting much of that crap in it, it will be fine. If it stays with that stuff too long, the beer will be sour.

Lost the third 20 # tank of CO2 in the last three months today from crappy air manifolds. They are from morebeer, the type that add on one more line at a time. The brass itself is prone to cracking right at the threads for the valve. One I probably overtightened the valve when changing a line...

Aloha, I am building a big keezer to replace my old commercial Beverage Air two tower, two door energy hog. It was free and served well, but time to move on. I have to keep it outside, and it is the best spot for drinking beer. I need to keep the sun off of it, but this type of chest freezer...

Aloha, Recently scored a huge chest freezer (24 cf) on CL. Want to replace my inefficient OLD Beverage Air two tower (6 taps). The wires going to the top seem to be for the light and control panel. Are there coils in the lid? I want to just use the towers, as there is plenty of space in there...

How much do temperatures change the nature of yeast washed to be reused? I have had batches where the temps got too high, and the beers were all a little too fruity and a bit sour(not desirable). Will the washed yeast be mutated from its original profile? Basically asking if the yeast can...

Aloha Pompeii. For what it's worth, I thought I would report further. There is still a lot of yeast coming through. I won't keg this style beer again, and if I do, it will be force carbed. Today tapped a bit and the first few ounces came out golden, then an onslaught of sludge, followed by the...

Just tapping a very similar beer. Brewed in April. Had one bottle as a sample in September. Good, but still a little hot. Now December, and very smooth. As folks say here in Hawaii, Try wait? Also, what kind of liquor would you "Imagine" from hopped beer? Just curious.

Thanks for the reassurance Pompeii. I will just make it my New Years special instead of my Christmas.

I use one with a herms set up and it works well. It maintains temp more evenly for 10 gal batches. Lots of room in there on most five gal batches.

First poured a glass, and then poured a pitcher. Both were cloudy. Both were much darker than the beer originally was and darker than the one bottle I sampled. I did move it to the chill only two days before. But I also have my dip tubes cut on my kegs an inch or so. I will wait a few days...

Aloha, Brewed a Belgian Strong Golden ale in April. I used 100 % pils malt and clear candi syrup. I ramped up a long mash and got great attenuation. About two months ago, I tried the one bottle I had filled. It was great. Nice golden color, and very similar to the Duvel clone I had envisioned...

Just ordered one. Any reason you couldn't put the whole set up in icy water, instead of pumping or feeding cold water too it. I can run my CFC for 45 min. at full blast to get to 68^. Would like to get it below that for the lagers.

Aloha all, I live in Maui Hawaii, a state which prohibits raw milk sales. I live in an area with cows everywhere. I'm sure if I put it out there, I could find raw cow or goat milk. I only intend on consuming the cheese, and do not intend to sell it. How can I get around this law. I do own a...

I make quite good cheese from Costco milk. On this island, milk is $7 a gal at a regular supermarket. Costco, $4.25. I do add CaCl and it turns out fine. The curd sets up well for most hard cheeses and soft cheese is no problem. I am not sure if the milk is local to Hawaii, or is from...