Recent content by Mermaid

Just pitched the yeast on my first batch in about a year and a half (last year was spent working on my house). Belgian Specialty Ale 7.5 lbs. Belgian Pils 1 lb. Wyermann Abbey Malt .25 lb. Light Crystal 1 lb. local honey (Forgot to put my honey in at flameout so I pitched it in when I...

So just as a followup to this thread... The Brew and Grow in Roselle is close to where I live, but I was totally spoiled by my previous HBS where you could measure out only the grains you needed, run them through the mill, and be on your way. The Brew & Grow only sells grains by the 1 lb. and...

I've decided to brew smaller AG batches indoors for the time being as I really don't have a way to avoid hot sun + patio burner and I know that it would take forever to cool the thing down. It's just a combination of where I live and my brewing area that make it so much more a pain in the butt...

Hmmmm.... I suppose I could let the mash sit overnight (I've done that before) and sparge in the morning so I could start my boil early enough in the day. Still, it's been stupid hot here (I'm in Schaumburg now - for some reason my profile still shows me being in MA) and my patio faces south -...

Okay... I'm gonna sound like a whiney little brat but do you guys actually boil wort outdoors when it's over 90 degrees outside? I've been trying to schedule a brew day for the past month and every single weekend it's been in the 90s or higher here, and my patio / driveway (where I can set up...

I'm finally going to get around to brewing this as soon as it friggin cools OFF here in the midwest (the thought of standing over an open kettle in 91 degree heat sorta freaks me out). Anyone try this with the Wyeast 1388 (Duvel) strain? I'm diggin the Maredsous blond and.. yes I know it...

^^bump^^ I have city water, suburban Cook County (Schaumburg). Am going to start brewing again soon (as soon as it cools down a bit !) and was wondering if I need to treat for chloramines (my water report doesn't say there's chloramines.. but with city water.. one never knows). Had to use...

I'm going to try to make it out to the meet-up tonight. Sounds like fun.

Thanks for the sugestions guys! Can't wait for my life to get back to it's semi-normal state. I've been dying to start a sour .. and I'll actually have a garage in this new place so I'll have a place to tuck it away.

I'm moving to Schaumburg in about a month, and hope to get right back into brewing. I tell ya, moving halfway across the country really puts a damper on what you can brew (not wanting to schlep full carboys 1000 miles in a big metal box). So.. I've already viewed the thread that someone is...

Subscribing to thread.. I'm moving to Schaumburg in about a month!

Thanks, folks. I think I'll seek out some smaller bottles and corks. Can't afford a floor corker yet, but as long as I can get the bottles to sit still on a flat surface I should be able to manage with a hand corker. (I'll also look into the "zork" stoppers) I was planning on handing out a...

I'm going to be getting a Droid Maxx very soon. Spent a few days doing research on them and being a loyal Android fangirl the decision was pretty easy. The battery life is amazing. They are pretty sturdy, seem to be able to survive being dropped and/or knocked around a bit. The display is...

I have 3 gallons of cyser that I will be bottling at the end of the month (It was started in November, but I need to bottle it prior to my move back to IL). It's beautifully clear, and I already have a plan for putting the yeast to rest, adding a small amount of sweetening (probably honey...

I think this also might depend on what type of account this is. Business accounts (or as we call in the industry "Corporate" accounts) might have higher fees associated with them. I would absolutely second the recommendation to take your business to a credit union, or find a community bank...