Recent content by Focal

As someone who just got into brewing, and is getting ready to bottle my first beer tonight, I would tell you to get one of the kits from someone like Midwest Supplies. Their basic kit will get you most of the tools and things you'll need (and would likely be least familiar with). You can get...

The water was at *room* temp, which felt about the same as my fermentation tank, which is 69, and it is calibrated at 68, so I figured that was close enough. It says it only changes .001 when going down to 59 degrees.

Thanks for the advice guys. Since I just got the hydrometer with my kit right before I brewed, should I call Midwest to see about sending it back, or am I just out of luck and need to order a new one? Also, no homebrews to enjoy, but I did pick up some Anchor Steam, Bell's Oberon, and a Sam...

So my first brew, a Midwest Sierra Pale Ale, has been in primary for just over a week, and since I forgot to check the gravity when I put it in the fermenter, I thought I'd check it now, since bubbling has more or less stopped in the airlock. Gravity reading was 0.006, which I thought seems...

Only sediment buildup I suspect, but I do remember reading on one online tutorial about making a chiller that the writer mentioned it as a potential draw-back. Maybe he was talking about a counter-flow. Either way, I know I was pretty satisfied with mine, though I could have saved some money...

I've heard a few people say that the narrower 1/4" tubing is more likely to clog, but if you are only running pressurized water through it and blow it out after each use, is that really much of a concern?

Firstly, let me say that I am a brand new brewer and brand new to the forum, so let me know if this is the wrong place for this thread. I brewed my first batch last weekend, and since my sink is not big enough to fit my brew pot (just over 5 gallons), I had to go to Lowe's to get a...

It's a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, and what's coming out of the airlock smells good so far! I, as any other first-time brewer have my worries about what might have gone wrong, but I am optimistic, so we'll see in a few weeks.

Hey everyone, my name is Joe. I am a student at Penn State, and I am in the process of brewing my first beer right now. A couple of friends up here do it and go me hooked, so hopefully lots more to come!