Recent content by mklojay

Throw out those old lines and buy new ones, buy some kegs (ball lock preferably) and disconnects, clean the heck outta that tap (pbw), and start brewing.

Ok so the mash pH shouldn't have been that far off, on the assumption of the zero alkalinity of the distilled water? I always mash my ales a 1.25 qt/lb and get better effeciency. Are more sugars extracted with pilsner malt using a 1.75 qt/lb ration?

Brewed my first lager this past weekend with "pilsen" water build from distilled, my effeciency went from 75% to 60%. I used 9.75 lbs of moravian pilsner malt and .5 lb of carapils. The mash water was 3.20 gallons of distilled water treated with: .4 g of CaCl .4 g of MgSO4 .4 g NaHCO3...

yeah, WLP german lager...just a little slush on the surface.

Starter bounced back fine, plenty of activity, i increased volume by .25 quart just to be sure.

Made a 2.5 quart starter I was going to step up tonight, and crash cooled last night. I set the keezer temp @ 37 and forgot to check on it last night and this morning before leaving for work. I called my wife this morning to check on it (thank god she was home) she said it was a little slushy...

I remember about a year ago I brewed a German Hefe using a WLP platnium strain (can't remember the name or number) after I brewed the Hefe I pitched onto the cake (I know over pitching) for a dunkel. The hefe turned out great, but I did get the metallic taste from the dunkelm, I just attributed...

Sorry, to clairfy the "good until" date is may 11, 2012 (I subtracted the four months)-->1/11/12. I was thinking about a two staged starter and brew next weekend. my target SG is 1.056--->a 3L will be enough?

Was planning on doing a lager tomorrow night and making a starter for it tonight. I was expecting to make a 1 gallon starter tonight, cold crash before brewing and decant the water, then pitch on the cake. Got the yeast on my way home and according to mr malty the viability date (jan 11)...

I believe that my water has a high risidual alkalinity, I haven't gotten my water tested yet but I know there are a lot of minerals in the water you can taste. If this is the case would that be the reason why I can never seem to get my pale beers to have carbonation and hop "pop" type mouth...

I thought you were refererring to THIS used for detection of volatile organics in an atmposhpere. I guess the photoionization detector is the software inside the handheld device?

I do work in the environmental sector for a lot of oil/gas clients...if I can remember correctly a PID runs about $1,000?

What technique or practice has for you, resulted in the biggest taste difference (better or worse)? To me it was temperature control and yeast pitching rate.

I don't strain, I just let it sit in the primary for at least two weeks. By then everything has settled to the bottom (cold crashing - dropping the temperature quick, helps too) and with careful siphoning it should be very clear ( you can see it through the racking cane/tubing while you are...

Okay, I purchased the 1, 2 loading; 3, 4 power supply; 5, 6 function control; 7, 8 temp probe controller. After wiring up I plugged it in, the LCD lit up and I turned it off. I plugged it back in again and nothing. I checked all connections but still nothing. I have come to the conclusion...