Recent content by Thor

On February 16, I brewed a sunshine wheat recipe A week or so later, I put in in the secondary. Then I had a ton of travel and other things come up and did not have the opportunity to bottle it. Is it too late? I haven't smelled it, and I will, but if it smells OK, is it OK to bottle? It's in...

I think it's personal preference. I love my bottle tree, but prefer to soak my bottles in a laundry sink with an iodophor solution, then let them drain on the bottle rack. I like the idea of sanitizing both the inside and outside of bottles just prior to bottling, but that's just me.

Curious...what does steeping a non-crystal malt like 2-row add to the brew? Starch, thus mouthfeel? Something else?

Thank you for all yor input. I did go to McMenamins south of Portland, as I took a side trip to Oregon. Good food, interesting beers. I also stopped at Pyramid in downtown Seattle. It is no longer a brewery, as they are replacing the tanks with more dining space, but the beers were great. I...

I also had problems similar to this which I attributed to insufficient wort oxygenation. Since I started using oxygen (1-2 minutes through a .5 micron steel stone), this has not been an issue. Further, I understand that you used a starter in some cases, so you might balk at the need for...

Keep in mind that the temperature of the room, even near your fermenter, is likely to be 5-10 degrees cooler than the actual temperature inside the fermenter. So, a room at 75 degrees or more is likely to produce significant esters and other funny (but not deadly!) things in your brew. If you...

Also, using a fine mesh bag, like a large hops or grain bag, helps eliminate some (not all) of the solids from the fermentation bucket.

I am headed to Seattle next week for the first time since I was married. I wonder whether there are any outstanding brew pubs I should visit. If so, I appreciate the recommendations!

Why is this? I don't keg yet, I bottle. Most of what I've read says to bottle condition at about 70 degrees. Is there a reason that keg conditioning needs to be at a lower temperature than bottle conditioning? Thanks.

I brewed an American Ale and want to bottle it sooner than I normally would. It had 5 days in the primary, and is just about at target gravity. I have about two weeks between now and the date I want to have drinkable, carbonated beer. I bottle, as I don't have kegging equipment. So, my...

Some purchases with which I have been very happy include... - oxygenation system: basically, a regulator, some tubing and a .5 micron steel oxygen stone. Turns the chore of aeration into a 1-2 minute exercise that no level of shaking or churning can match, and because it is so quick, lowers...

You may need to find an alternative means of relieving stress if you give up the wooden club method. That said, if your coffee grinder has the settings I've seen on other industrial strength models, the more coarse settings might work. My suggestion is to do a test (grain is cheap, right?). Put...

My local brew club has monthly beer contests, with each month being a different BJCP style (style are at http://www.bjcp.org/2004_BJCP_Guidelines.pdf). I brewed an American Ale recipe which I changed a bit, including the addition of more DME to bump up the malt characteristics and ABV a bit...

I brewed an American Amber last night, and it sits happily bubbling away. The yeast used was Wyeast Ringwood Ale yeast #1187. The Wyeast website says that a "thorough diacetyl rest is recommended after fermentation is complete." I plan on fermenting in the primary for 5-9 days, or 2-3 days...

I teaspoon or a whirlfloc tablet work pretty well. I also sanitize a large (24 x 24) nylon grain bag, line my primary with it, and use it to filter out the gunk from the wort. It's easier than a strainer, gets more stuff out, and helps produce clearer beers IMHO. This is a timely thread, in...