Recent content by mxyzptlk

Is it necessary to boil ginger before using in a brew? I am asking from the standpoint of extracting flavor, not from a sanitation standpoint. If it is not necessary to boil for flavor, what other options are available for sanitation, if I was going to do a no boil brew using ginger? (I've...

I am getting ready to pitch a higher-alcohol yeast to the secondary for my barleywine. Should I use a 6-1/2 gallon carboy for a 5 gallon batch? I know when I used a champagne yeast in the secondary on another batch it foamed up quite a bit and I was concerned with an overflow. I am thinking...

Just wanted to thanks everyone - last night I enjoyed a carbonated hard ginger ale., and it was good!

i like the hanging from a string idea, but I had another question. When using a smaller dial thermometer, you are only reading the temperature of the top of the wort. When doing a full boil 5 gallons and using a wort chiller, I've noticed that the bottom cools much quicker than the top of the...

I am an extract brewer with thoughts of soon going to mini-mash or all grain. I am currently using a small dial thermometer which I am cocerned of losing it in my wort (especially when I am sanitizing during the last 20 of the boil) I am thinking of upgrading but don't want to spend a fortune...

OK so I am thinking of using the DRY english ale yeast after the regular one fizzles out. Should I just plan on adding it when I rack to a secondary? and how should I go about adding- I assume I still want significant quantities (not just a pitchable tube) - should I make a starter or go ahead...

I find the stones break right off... the last one broke off before I even got a chance to use it. One of these times they're going to break off right in my beer.......

After losing another (cheap) air stone to sanitation fluid, I've decided to boil my air stones for sanitation. I am hoping they last longer this way.

For my latest batch I am using this yeast. It seems to be bubbling sporadically... that is it will bubble for extended periods and then just plain stop for extended periods. Is this normal for this yeast? I am used to batches starting out good and then slowing over a period of a week or so. This...

I used 5 oz corn sugar

just an update: after a week upstairs - very slightly carbonated. Took a hydrometer reading pretty darn close to 1.00 so is it just taking it's time or what? decided to leave the bottles in the closet another week see what happens.

I am planning on using a 6.5 gallon bucket with blowoff tube. the recipe I am using is adapted from John Palmer's how to brew: here is the link: http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter19-3.html it's towards the bottom of the page.

I am planning my next batch- my first barleywine/ I am hoping to reuse the yeast from my porter (Currently in the primary) which is an English Ale yeast. I've never done this before, so I wanted to get some suggestions. My thoughts were the easiest thing to do would be to bottle the porter and...

I was planning on using a partial mash setup as described in "morebeer" catalog (morebeer.com I believe) whereas using 24 x 24 bags with my bottling bucket for mashing. (I have a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket with built-in spigot) If I was going to use this setup for an all-grain batch, what would...

Most books I've read suggest starting with a mini-mash on a 5 gallon batch, but the thought occured to me, would it be possible to do an all-grain 1 gallon batch using mini-mash procedures?/