When you decide it's time to thin out your wardrobe because you're running out of room for cases of homebrew. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Goodwill.
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You can always drop a couple of (sanitized) marbles in your bag to take the the whole hops to the bottom. I've also tied a length of (sanitized) low test fishing line to the top of the bag, leaving the loose end outside the carboy and held in place by the stopper. Makes for easier removal when...
Exploding bottles may also be a symptom of under-filled bottles. If you're confident in the consistency of your fill levels, I would lean toward uneven priming. Running the bottles through a sanitize cycle shouldn't be an issue. Do you boil your caps? I boil mine at a low boil for 2-3 minutes...
I've only been brewing for a few months as well, and my first couple of batches did pretty much what you're describing. After some research, I thought my swing tops weren't sealing properly. I talked to my LHBS guy and he suggested that I might not be getting the priming sugar mixed well enough...
Just scaled this recipe down for a one gallon batch and brewed it up last night. It's fermenting away in the closet and I can't wait to crack the first one open about a month from now. Think I'm in more danger of becoming addicted to brewing beer than drinking it!
I've been doing the BIAB thing from Brooklyn Brew Shop until now. I just got the grains for my first "by recipe" brew which I'll cook up tomorrow. The point you just made about the expense of the yeast is one that hadn't hit me until now, so I suppose I'll have to learn to make a starter. I've...
+1
I agree. I've been doing one gallon batches for a few reasons. For one, my wimpy electric stove won't boil more than about 1.5 gal of water. And obviously space comes into play. I plan to move to a 3 gal fermenter soon, but until I can afford to build a mash tun and get a propane burner...