Recent content by MasterWan

Great advice everyone! Im going try the swamp cooler next time to regulate temperature rather than hoping its at the right temp. Cheers and happy TG! Wan

So I guess this post was more about my results than about the show. That just what got me thinking about my issues. So the American cream ale was a kit, however I used wyeast for American ale, and I ferment right at 68 to 70 degrees or room temp in my house. After reading some more on the...

So I was watching the new Brew Masters show on TV and they were talking about how long it takes to make a beer from start to finish. For regular strength beers, it takes them around 2 to 3 weeks. Higher gravity beers 4 to 5 weeks. Why does it take me so much longer? For instance, I made an...

Go the full two weeks. The yeast will clean up after itself and you may get a better beer as a result. Also, as many have said on here, if you smelling something weird, that means the smell or compound in question is being pushed out of the beer by the co2. its a good thing. Correct me if...

i think its location sensitive. his link is for StPaul

nice! It is truely amazing how the beer changes with time. In even as little as a week the beer can take on big changes! Waiting is so hard, but so worth it! I wait a minimum of 8 weeks for my beers now.

It hasn't even been 3 weeks since your brew day. In my experience (less than 1 year of brewing so far, but about 10 or 12 batches so far) beer is very 'green' for the first 6 weeks. Meaning, alcohol notes, fruity aromas and flavors, and unbalanced flavors. I don't bother drinking it for...

You may not need to cold crash that style of beer. In my opinion, I like unfiltered wheat beer cloudy. Also like the previous poster said, just bottle and condition around 68-70 degrees or so for a couple weeks, and then stick them in the fridge for 48 hours and you will be set!

looks like your all set. Just be sure to sanitize sanitize sanitize! Get that liquid starsan stuff. go ahead and get a big bottle, cause when you start brewing you will probably be doing it a lot! Good luck!

I got talked into using irish moss or Whirlfloc by the folks at my brew store, and wow what a difference. If you haven't used any clarity aids like these before, you should give them a try. My last two batches have turned out amazing! I used to just cold crash in my secondary before...

good info peeps. I learned my floating thermometer lesson yesterday cooling the wort. I guess I bumped it with the stiring spoon. I really thought it was plastic I guess. I talked to the manufacturer about it, except for the glass which he said will quickly settle out along with the bb's...

wow awesome. Answers a lot of questions for me. Thanks

yeah, I did the same thing the first time I used a slap pack. Gotta really nail it. I actually didnt realize that the nutrients didn't break until I poured the contence of the pak in the wort. I had to fish out the nutrients and then just squeezed them into the wort. Activity still started...

hey, a great way to airate is to just pour your wort from the pot to the fermentation bucket and then pour it back into the pot. Do this a few times. Also helps cool it. Just be sure to have good aim and really get it churning when you pour it in. Also, I wouldn't put change in your beer...

Hi alcohol active yeasts (like champaign yeast) are only really needed if you want to acheive ABVs higher than 9% or so. Am I correct vet's?