Recent content by PerryS

Can't prevent chill haze. Chill haze is soluble protein that precipitates when the beer is chilled to serving temperature. I have a Tripel in the keg right now that pours hazy, then clears as it warms up. +1 on gelatin recommendation. I use a half-packet of Knox when I feel the need. Use...

Just looked at the OP, and it's a 1-gallon batch. Try a 4 oz. test. The concept is the same - experiment with a sample of the batch, then up-scale to the entire batch.

Most of brewing is knowing what you like, and bending the ingredients toward that. ABV 13.3 is a bit hot for my taste. If you're good at math, try back-sweetening one small glassful (8 oz) out of the batch. I suggest aiming for enough honey/water for 12% and 1.024. Your mouth will tell...

The steps are in the correct order. Need a little more info - what is the current gravity/ABV, and what do you want to do with it? Mead is infinitely bendable. I stabilize, back-sweeten, then clarify with bentonite followed by sparkolloid. Mead has both plus and minus ions. Honey is such a...

My first batch of mead took nearly a year. At that rate, I was not going to become a Mead Master by the age of 80. Yeast really don't like honey, which is mostly glucose and anti-fungal bee spit. Bees and yeast have been fighting each other for a very long time. One solution is to 'buff'...

I'm using 1.3 oz EKG 60 minutes, .7 oz 30 minutes. I'm limited to a 6# stovetop mash, so I do a partial mash at 149F for 60 minutes. (Decoction is right out for me.) Just looked through the brew log, and I have made this recipe seven times. For awhile, I was substituting Maris Otter (and...

You are close to success - your project works, sort-of. As you've discovered, the problem isn't the magnet. I suggest there is still too much air/glass gap between the magnet and the stir bar. One-over-r-squared is one of those fundamental laws of physics that we are not allowed to break...

After using my keezer for a few years, I can't recommend foam insulation on the inside. As the keg goes in (40+ pounds), it may scrape the sides. I dunno - maybe y'all are stronger than I am. Wood can take a lot more abuse. The thermal loss of 2x wood versus another inch of styrofoam isn't...

I used 2x6 construction-grade redwood. It may seem counter-intuitive, but finished construction-grade redwood has all sorts of interesting artifacts around the knots and voids. Fill, sand, repeat. Seal, sand, repeat. I used water-based Varathane, about four coats.

SG=1.042 - 3 points in 5 days. I'm calling it a bust. Sodium Benzoate is a really good preservative. After their devastating loss, Team Notty is considering filing formal doping charges.

Nice Pictures! I have attached a picture of my keg. I am FOR anything that works. You appear to have something that works. Declare victory and don't mess with it. No issues with foam with the short-short hose. Currently, permo's Scotch Ale is on tap, which doesn't require a lot of CO2...

Yes, that's the objective. That, and add a bit of ethanol. :tank: SG=1.044. Not looking good for Team Notty. Team Dad's Benzoate Defense appears to be holding. However, all is not lost. Several fermentation sites have popped up, indicating possible holes that could be exploited by Team...

+2hrs. Lag done. Game on. Advantage: Nottingham.

Oh frack. The ingredients include sodium benzoate, as well as "pure cane sugar"' (sucrose). My faith in yeast stands firm, especially the 100ml+ blorp of Nottingham added to this heinous brew.

Try using a shorter (2") hose and less pressure. The tap can be above the lid, next to the edge. I use this all the time in the fridge/kegerator.