Recent content by fnbrew

I really like 1084 in stouts and porters. I am carbing a keg of Irish Red right now that I used it at the higher temp. range and the sample was definitely fruitier than at lower temps, but it also has a nice "depth" of flavor.

Forgot to add that it is a 5.5 gal. batch. Thanx

I'm brewing an Old Ale with a 1.10 OG target. I have a big starter (3 qts) of Nottingham stepped up twice. How much should I pitch?

Mash really high, like 157-158 for 45 min. and follow with a mash out to lock it down. I did this as an experiment with a brown ale recipe. The result was a very sweet and full bodied brew with 4.8% ABV. It tasted like butterscotch and was obviously dextrinous. It was way too sweet for my...

I put my kettle in a tub sink of water and a 25' IC. Once temp gets to 90-100 F. I drain and refill the sink to finish it off. My well stays at 55 or lower so I can chill 5 gal in about 20 min. Guess I'm lucky to have a well.

I use Marris Otter the most. I really like MO smashes to keep the pipeline full.

Holy Crap! Yeah, that's too high. Rack/siphon that off till the wort is down to the shoulder of the carboy. Also if that tube is not "sealed" in the neck of the carboy you are gonna have a mess to clean up.

I just give the kettle a quick stir and grab a couple drops from the spoon straight to the refrac. and read it. If the reading is really off I find it is due to some hop debris in the sample. I trust mine enough that I now brew to a predetermined gravity( flame out is when the refrac. says it...

I agree with rinsing the yeast in this case because it's an IPA cake. I usually will only use half of a yeast cake to avoid getting a huge layer of trub that can be more difficult to rack off cleanly. Also a whole yeast cake is way over pitching for most bears and that can strip away some of...

I never do. I just throw in 2 big hand-fulls(or 3 for bigger beers). The hulls don't absorb enough water to worry about.

I just brewed that using the very same process you suggest and it is one damn fine wit beer. I used whole white wheat though, don't think you need the rest for flake wheat .

My gut feeling says to check your hydrometer and thermometer for accuracy. I've had both fail and it took me a while to figure out.

I had the same issue w/ my hard well water. I now use 1/2 RO water with 1/2 well water on lighter styles and it fixed the problem. It's easy and you don't need a chemistry set.

I store 100+lbs of grain in my garage all year long w/ no issues.

Just finished a keg my "Ryot" IPA. 80% Marris Otter,20% Rye, 4 oz Mozaic and 1056 yeast. Don't know what style it is but is very tasty and very simple.