Recent content by johnbrain

I've been using a water bucket and ice bottles to keep the temp cooler. We're in a heat wave but I think it's hovering around 68. How long/quick should a 4.0% ABV ferment out? I know I could take multiple readings but I don't have a wine thief and I'm doing 2.5 gallons in a 5 gal carboy. My...

Thanks for the tip. I'm new to this and was going by the label on the vial. I did that for my Tripel but thought that was style dependent

Best brew day to date. Hit my mash temp adding two cups boiling water. Only lost 1-2 degree over 60 minutes. Slightly exceeded my estimated pre-boil gravity and volume, but really hit my recipes estimated Post-boil gravity and only slightly greater volume. Not sure my actual extraction...

Well. Took a month in the bottle but I finally like it. Really hoppy. Why do home brews take so long sometimes to clean up ? I can't imagine commercial brewers wait for their beers to 'clean up' unless it's to style.

In my case, it's based on research and reading since I'm new to this and can't draw upon experience. And throughout my reading so much attention is paid to extraction efficiency. I do know the last time I followed Denny's advice I hit 84%, so thanks.

Thanks on the tip. I emailed White Labs about small batches and that was their recommendation as well. I'll still have about 1.7 oz of EKG hops left. Maybe I'll tweak my stout or do something else.

Denny, I read your thread on another site which said you mash just as you said, then sparge off what you need to get your boil volume, getting about 84% efficiency. I am doing a Southern Brown Ale with a very small grain bill. It seems like the sparge volume is huge unless I went all the way up...

How's this look? Removed brown sugar and went with a single 60 minute hop schedule. BTW it's such a small grain bill I'm not sure how to mash this for equal runnings. Newb. Should I divide it into 3 parts instead of two? Infuse, sparge anothe 1/3, sparge another 1/3? Or just mash at an...

Find any? I have a natural gas stub out back.

Thanks. I'm thinking this might be a better option for me. It's never very cold here so probably powerful enough even when I go up to 7.5 gallon full boils, right? Currently I'm boiling around 4 gallons in a 12" 20 qt pot. My stove has a turbo boiler but I still waste a lot of time waiting to...

Considering this over the bayou country because I don't need 300I btu. In say 4 gallon can you bring the boil down gentle from violent?

What do you think of 10 grams (.353 oz) for 60 minutes. IBU=16. My scale only measured oz in 1/4 increments so I got wise and entered it in grams as that's in 1/5 increments. That way I can weigh "in between." I think Brown Sugar is true to SEB's as well.

I have 2 oz. of Kent Goldings so I thought how about an English Brown? Never done one. It's a 2.5 gallon batch (3.25 gal. boil) and the hops amount just seems so low but I guess it works out in Brewtarget. Can someone take a look? I have two hops additions. Would a single 60 or 45 minute...

Thanks for the great advice. I bagged my cases just in case of bottle bombs. i must say, even the sample tastes FANTASTIC. it tastes like true Tripel with the fruit aromas still developing. It didn't have hot alcohol to it. my wife chose the style and helped brew and bottle and she thinks it...

I read that high gravity beers that have sat racked to secondary can have most of the yeast drop out. I'm bottling thus weekend. I've never used bottling yeast. Is it necessary? There's a decent but probably tired yeast cake in the carboy. Should i just suck up a little when i rack to bottling...