Recent content by MattTheBlack

Oh and what about aeration do you want to know? I normally rack at about a week from primary to carboy, so it might get jostled a bit when moving around.. Otherwise I aerate the wort when it's cool and I'm transferring from kettle to primary.

I don't know the mineral content. I do know that it's very soft water-like Pilzn soft, I'm told by those who know more about it. Generally my pitch rates are what's recommended on the wyeast site. I use activator packs and sometimes repitch yeast.

Cool, usually. Between 15 in winter and maybe as high as 22 in winter. I try to pick liquid yeast that suits the season.

Okay, more info. I'm not using chlorinated tap water. I am very fortunate to have untreated aquifer water; very soft and rated among the 'best' in the world. I do all grain and either do 6 or 11 gallon batches. I have a sanke keg mash tun and brew on an outdoor burner, but this contamination...

I've been having this contamination issue on and off for several years. Essentially, I get this awful, medicinal scent/aftertaste to the beer. At least that's how I think to describe it, and the guy at my local homebrew store described it that way. I have found it more and less pronounced in...

Definitely in.

@gwadem--I though about buckwheat and definitely want to give it a try, but thought I'd try millet first to emulate the west African beer. I do have some buckwheat that my wife grew in the garden, though, so that's for the next batch. Thanks for the malting instructions! @foltster--My local...

Hey, I know this thread is way dead, but thought I'd post my recipe. I used: 8lbs sorghum malt extract 1.5oz goldings (bitter) 1 oz goldings (finish) Windsor Ale yeast Nothing fancy, but a first shot at homebrew for a number of friends who are celiac. My hope was to malt some millet to add...

I always think a 1 gallon jug is perfect for experiments like this. Small batches, low cost, and if you don't like it . . . well, you feel way less guilty about tossing it out. Matrix, depending on where you are, can you get something like a Santa Cruz apple cider jug? That's what I use when...

Thanks for the clarification on the bulk aging. Bubbachunk and Kauai: I still bottle condition my beer, rather than kegging, so I'm pretty used to putting it in a pitcher to avoid the sediment. Jezter: As for the hot, that makes sense. I have tasted that in friends' mead. What yeast do...

True, but I have yet to hear a convincing argument for bulk aging mead (but I'm willing to be convinced). I tend to approach my mead a lot more like beer than like wine (though I actually see it falling somewhere between). After 8 weeks and a bottle-conditioning of (minimum) 6 weeks I find it...

Wow, you got 1.000 in primary, that's awesome. Just a note: I find that when I do a 2-week primary and then 6 weeks in the secondary (whether or not I re-rack in the middle), most of the clarification of the drink actually happens with the bottle conditioning. I'm not sure if that will be the...

I find the fermentation slows considerably after a week or two, and usually have my meads in the primary 1 week, then in their secondary for 6 weeks (re-racking at 3 weeks). Then a minimum of 4-6 weeks in the bottle before being ready. The bottle conditioning does make a big difference, I've...