Recent content by Gerry_P

if you have a thermometer, you don't need iodine. Feel free to quote me on that. :)

I have pin lock kegs and the posts come off easily with the open end of a combo wrench, but they never had gorilla glue on them...just dried up beer. I think you'll have a much easier time with new ones of either variety.

Here's the link to Calgary's water data from 2015, which looks like the most recent one. Sending in your own water is better, but I think this should be in the ballpark. Also, chlorine/chloromine in your water can make off flavors, but you can easily fix that with a pinch of crushed Campden...

I always put mine on the counter and smash it with the heel of my hand, like I'm trying to kill a gigantic bug. It's much more rewarding that way. No yeast pack explosions...yet...

Back in high school I became a beer snob because of Guinness, Bass, and McEwans, so I know where you're coming from. (I was grandfathered in DC, so when I turned 18 I could buy beer there legally. Not that I had a problem buying it in Maryland in 1986, but I digress.) My...

I won't hold it against anyone if they have enough disposable income to spend hundreds of dollars on a stainless fermenter. This poor man, however, has switched back to plastic buckets from glass carboys. Cheap, easy to clean, and easy to move. Extended aging can take place in a corny keg, from...

#4: I'll second that! #7: That's what I said too...until I started kegging. Bottling certainly has its place but it's awesome to pour your very own draft beer from a keg. :mug:

First off, kudos to you for brewing this style. It seems like most people want to be bashed over the head with a hop hammer these days, so delicious malt-forward beers are often ignored. Scotch ales are my favorite to both drink and brew, so I'll throw in my $.02. Caramelization of extract wort...

I've found that WLP028 is sluggish in the low 60s, but it has always finished for me. Keep it around 68-70 for a while and give it at least 3 weeks total, it should be in the ballpark. I prefer Wyeast 1728, which my LHBS tends to run out of more often than 028. It seems to like cooler...

Sign me up please!

The mini-mart down the street sells those scales. They're in the glass case by these pretty glass pipes with the sign that says "tobacco use only". They're cheaper on Amazon though. ;)

Au contraire, mon frère. If you want a quick turnaround beer, one well-known trick is to brew something with a s***-ton of hops to mask the off-flavors that are a sign of inadequate conditioning or other issues. When I say "quick turnaround" I mean a couple weeks or less, however long it takes...

Yep, I think we've solved the mystery. In the past, I've gotten different numbers with the Brewer's Friend Android app than I got with the web-based calculator. I only use the web-based one now, it's always spot-on for me.

The differences aren't a big deal, the recipe looks good. Then again, I thought your original version was fine the way it was too! Note that Timothy Taylor Landlord's malt bill is 100% Golden Promise. I made a SMASH version with that, 100% Styrian Goldings, and Wyeast 1469, and I was very...

You should check out "Brewing Classic Styles" by Zainasheff/Palmer. It's a comprehensive guide to brewing beers of just about every style. It's fun to read too. I'm curious, are you using a brewing calculator and if so, which one? I'm asking because I'm getting slightly different numbers than...