Recent content by PaulVikingAles

I think your good. I currently have four 1 gallon jugs of APA going in my basement. Ambient temp is 64-65 and the temp strip on my jug reads 66-67. I don't expect a 1 gallon jug to raise the temp like a 6.5 gallon carboy would. I would say that you are around 70-71. A little higher temp...

I would get a lab grade spirit filled thermometer (not mercury). They are accurate and super cheap, like $5. You should calibrate any other thermometer you buy to this one. They are basically the ones you used in chemistry class in high school. You can find one here at Morebeer - Glass...

Your assumptions are correct and don't rack to secondary until primary has finished. You will know when primary is complete by taking gravity readings over a few days with no change. Like Helibrewer said, ferment both yeasts in the 66-68 degree range and wait!!! good luck with your beer and...

I'm not sure what yeast strain you are using but listen to the previous posts. Your ambient temp should be in the low to mid 60's as the temperature in the carboy can be anywhere from 5 to 7 degrees warmer then ambient temp. If your house is in the 62 range then I wouldn't worry about it and...

Good luck on your first brew day. There is a lot to learn so keep reading on this site as well as other sites. If I can give you any advice for your first brew day, without overwhelming you, do what you can to keep your wort on the cooler side when you pitch your yeast. If the temperature is...

Good find!! Tough to beat Pliny the Elder

We don't brew commercially. That is the plan, someday, although it is probably the hopes of many home brewers. We just really enjoy brewing and love talking about beer and brewing. We are learning like most of the people on this board and although we think we are pretty good, there is always...

Agree with Caldor. If you washed enough then pitch it. 1 mason jar didn't seem like enough but 2 of that size should do it.

I might not made myself clear on my post. The amount of food is important for yeast growth but there are other factors that are just as important. If a 1.5L starter is required then pitching into a 1.25L starter wort will never give you enough yeast unless the 1.5L starter was calculated with...

That is a good amount of yeast but I would be concerned with viability and stress levels. A half gallon is almost 2L so I would probably use 2 mason jars with the thought that your viability is lower. You could grow more yeast by pitch half of that slurry into your half gallon filled 3/4 with...

That works. Just make sure you pitch only the slurry into the 2L. Are you using a stir plate or shaking? oxygen is the key to growing the yeast instead of fermenting your wort. Do your best to keep it aerated. I think you will be fine in the end but keep in mind that a 2L starter on a stir...

If you like you beer than that I what is important. We never end up with gravity's that match beersmith and we don't even think about it. We allow the yeast to do there thing and it ends up where it ends up. We only worry if we are high. You can always trying raising you mash temp by a...

You can only grow a fixed amount of yeast in a fixed size starter. You will not grow enough yeast in a 1.25L starter if it required a 1.5L. If you are not using a stir plate then you will grow less and the only way to make up some of that is I use a larger starter and good aeration. Are you...

Are you making 5 gallons? If you decanted and pitched the slurry in a 2L starter and put it on a stir plate for 24 hours you should be all set. The viability of the yeast is important and they are probably beat up a bit if you washed them from a prior batch. So far so good. Just grow some...

I would decant the .5L for the starter and pitch that into 2L of 1.040 DME. This will give you a true 2L starter and enough yeast if you are using a stir plate. You are only growing yeast in a 1.5L starter the other way because the .5L has already begun to ferment. If I didn't have a stir...