Recent content by Kahuna

I'd go at least four weeks with these beers in primary only, then start testing them over a few days with a hydrometer to see if they have stopped fermenting. As for the one that you've dry hopped already, 7-10 days is the common recommended length of time to dry hop. If its not done...

I'd guess some variation in the cleanliness of the bottles. I see you ran these through the dishwasher, but did you really clean the bottles? ie. Soak in a cleanser and scrub the insides with a bottle brush. Using a dishwasher is no guarantee that the bottles will be clean, prior to sanitation.

Check out this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/grain-volume-calculator-30498/ And this link: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml You should be ok with a 10 pound grain bill, using 1.25 quarts per pound. You would hit the limit of the cooler at that ratio with 13 pounds of grain. So...

I make stouts all the time (in fact, I made 5 this past fall) and my advice would be: "Don't be afraid of the dark! Roasted Barley is what makes a stout a stout. I typically have it as 8% of my malt bill in a stout. So around a pound in a 1.050 OG beer. In my experience, it is Black Malt...

In general, people add things to the secondary, instead of the primary. The first three days have pretty aggressive fermentation that tend to blow off the aromatics of anything you add. If you are going to secondary anyway, I'd just add whatever you are going to put in there. If you are...

Looking good. Now get brewing!

You almost have to try it at every stage of the process. You learn a lot that way!

+1 on batch sparging. You mash with roughly 1.25 quarts of water for each pound of grain. If you have 12 pounds of grain, you would need (12 x 1.25) = 15 quarts or 3.75 gallons of mash water. Stir it in well, so you have an even temperature across the cooler (150-152 works for a lot of...

I think Brewer's Best messed up here. The Irish (Dry) Stout style is supposed to have between 30-45 IBUs. They should have given you an ounce of hops with a higher alpha acid for your first (60 minute) addition. Something like Nugget would work. Also, I question why they would give you...

Evaporation rate will definitely vary with the shape of the pot, the intensity of the boil, the airflow around pot, and the relative humidity that day. The only way to know what to expect is to try it out on your system a few times. So pick a volume between 6.5 and 7 and take notes. You'll...

The other thing to be concerned about here is that you've just created a big circular line around the inside of your carboy that will be impossible to get totally clean. It would be a prime spot for bacteria to move into. I'd ditch this one and chalk it up to experience.

Well, I wouldn't put Brown, Amber or Pale Chocolate Malt in a DFH 90 minute clone. I think the original recipe is steering you wrong. Nothing wrong with putting Pilsner Malt in, though. You could throw in a pound of Victory, Munich, or Vienna, if you wanted some bready or bisquitty notes...

Great, now I'll seriously NEVER get anything done... ;-)

Ditto. So much easier to clean, too.

I'm thinking a Winter Warmer would do the trick. A nice spiced old ale for the holidays.