Recent content by jingleheimer76

I just dumped out the champagne yeast on a clean plate and picked up about 2 grains (maybe 3 or 4 for the bombers in the batch). At that much alcohol, I wasn't too worried about contamination. It wasn't y'know - scientific. I don't know if it needs to be champagne yeast, but that is probably...

OK, here's the situation: Last year, I brewed a barley wine. 1 week in primary; 5 weeks in secondary. Came in at ~9.5% ABV. Bottled with some corn sugar. 6 weeks later it had ZERO carbonation (but was delicious). I uncapped all the bottles and dropped in a couple grains of dry champagne...

Hey so I've never used Beersmith or anything like that but http://beercalculus.hopville.com/ seems pretty good. My question is: what am I missing by using the free online software?

Revvy, thanks for the explanation. You bring up some benefits I hadn't thought of. I'm still a little unclear on the reason why the yeast are stressed out though. Wouldn't they just reproduce until there were enough of them to get the job done? Why does it matter that they are reproducing in a...

Yeast gets into the wort. It each sugars and reproduces. When the yeast runs out of oxygen and sugar, then it flocculates and goes to sleep at the bottom of my carboy. When I make a starter, I begin a miniature version of the process. After the initial yeast have reproduced a couple times, I...

yup, added 3/4 cups of priming sugar to the 5 gallon batch . . . which usually means plenty of bubbly deliciousness . . .

So I brewed a barley wine which I bottled after 10 days in the primary and another 26 in the secondary. FG was 1.028 and ABV is 9.6%. I've waited 5 weeks (and agitated the bottles some) but just opened a bottle and no hiss . . . no bubbles. The beer is delicious otherwise. There is a bit...

I've poured wort onto the yeast cake left in my primary before, and it worked great. Now, I want to know if I can use the yeast left in the secondary fermenter for a second batch? I brewed, did 10 days in the primary, then racked to secondary for another 14 days. My primary carboy is clean...

I checked after 5 days when I transfered to secondary, then yesterday and today when thinking of bottling. I will need to check one more time for the 3rd day of consistent gravity. Are any of those readings not worth taking?

So I have a christmas ale that I brewed back a couple weeks ago. After a fast and furious initial fermentation I moved it to a secondary. I have not seen any bubbles in the airlock for a few days, and gravity yesterday (12/10) is the same as today . . but if I swirl the beer in the carboy, I do...

Great, I'll repost with results. One follow-up question: What is a SWMBO?

OK, so have looked at a few threads, but would still like some opinions on my plan. Setup: I have a 6.5 primary in which I have brewed a dark Christmas Ale. I rack to my secondary leaving the yeast cake on Thursday. Immediately after racking I sanitize my stopper and close off the primary with...