Recent content by sdbrew1024

Sorry, should have mentioned that. I built a keezer conversion and have 6 taps, so yes, I have corny kegs!

All, the in-laws want to get me something homebrew related for about $200 or so and I need some advice! I was originally thinking of getting a counterflow or plate chiller to replace my immersion chiller, but maybe it's a good idea to consider other items as well. As for my current setup, I...

So the overall consensus seems to be that I would be at least a bit better off with a 20-plate chiller. That would indicate that I should stay away from "traditional" counterflow chillers, right? As for the 20-plate chillers, any preference for brand and/or good location to buy?

I currently have an immersion chiller that is not performing well enough for my tastes. I brew 11 gallon batches and living in so cal my tap water can be on the warm side so it can take an hour or more to get to pitching temps. Right now i use hose water to get down to 85-90 then use a (too...

Coming from beer brewing where a few degrees change in fermentation temp can have an impact on the final product I can't believe that there isn't an optimal temperature for wine fermentation, anything more specific?

I'm about to make my second winexpert kit and have 2 questions. First, would there be any benefit to me buying a liquid yeast strain from White Labs or is the included dry packet sufficient for a wine kit? Second, how important is fermentation temperature control when making wine, and if...

Well, the title says it all. I just opened a bottle of Merlot (my first wine!) that I made from a kit about 9 months ago and there is definitely some residual carbonation left in the wine. Is there anything I can do to save this batch? If not what is the recommended method for degassing kit...

Yeah, I crush the grain a few feet from where I eventually boil, cool, and rack the wort, I'll have to change that! What about equipment sanitation, would this potentially indicate that my sanitation practices are ok, or are there certain steps I should take to ensure this, IE somehow deep...

In the past 6 months or so I have had 4-5 beers taste very off, but could never identify what was wrong. Last night I finally got 2 of these "off" beers in front of a few senior judges, and I the beers were infected with lactobacillus. How do I get rid of this, are there any guidelines, ie...

Yeah, I currently have an analog one too, something like this: http://morebeer.com/view_product/16663//Analog_Temperature_Controller I'm trying to get a more integrated, better looking setup, something like this...

I'm doing a keezer conversion and would like any advice anyone has on which love (or other panel-mount) temperature controller to buy. What are the benefits and drawbacks to each TS, TS2, TS3, etc. http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/Temperature/TemperatureSwitches/DigitalPanelMount

I've read quite a bit about beer line lengths and diameters needing to be certain values, that's why I'm so curious about the shank bore diameter. I'll have a 5" shank, so I have to imagine that the bore size will have some effect on the pour. I'll probably get 3/16 shanks to match my beer line.

I'm doing a keezer build and can't find much info on whether to get shanks with a 1/4" or 3/16" bore size. Any opinions? What would be the difference between the two, more foaming from one vs. the other? Also, any opinion on whether to spend the extra $ on stainless?

Thanks for the info! So just to be 100% clear, I should cool my samples to room temp, then take the pH reading, and that reading is what I want to be between 5.4-5.5?

So I want a pH of 5.2-5.5 after temp correction, IE at room temp? Just double checking, I thought I had read somewhere that the pH difference of the same sample at room temp and at mash temps is about 0.3, so if I understood that correctly then my reading of 5.54 at room temp would mean that...