Recent content by Zordok

When you add the priming sugar, you're dissolving it in a cup or two of boiling water then cooling it, right? You're not just adding the dry sugar to the bottling bucket? I only ask because you detailed your procedure fairly well in your initial post, but didn't mention this.

I have one of these: The Original Push-N-Pop Bottle Openers. I love the confused look on people's faces that transitions to amazement.

You can download the instructions from the Midwest website: Irish Red Ale w/ Munton's 6 gm dry yeast :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies Click on "PDF Product Sheet"

How much is a "HUGE buildup" of yeast? 1 inch in a 12oz bottle? 1/4 inch?

My worst so far is adding too much top-off water to a cherry stout - ended up with about a 6.5 gal batch instead of 5.5 gal. Watery OG combined with the 1.020 curse and I ended up with a "stout" about 3% abv. The hydro sample from bottling day tasted like crap - too sweet, and very chemically...

I use one of these when I am racking into the carboy: Siphon Sprayer :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies Seems to work OK, but then again I have never measured the oxygen content.

Ah, I can see how pouring 2 tablespoons from a full carboy into an airlock could be annoying.

Save a spray bottle full every time you are making a batch. Makes it easy to sanitize things (hydrometers, etc) between brew days, and you can top off airlocks too. Otherwise you are just dumping the star san down the drain after sanitizing your carboy/whatever, right?

Plus, you already have some star san made up (you've gotta sanitize the carboy/funnel/etc), so you can just reuse a couple ounces of it for the airlock.

What did the recipe estimate for the OG (my math says something like 1.059-1.069)? So yeah, at 1.055 you're a little low, but that's still plenty of fermentables. Many recipes only call for a OG in the 40's. 3.5 lbs of specialty grains, even if you didn't get them drained all the way, should...

Go for it. You'll experience how the flavor changes as the beer conditions, and it will encourage you to let the amber ale sit a little longer. Plus your impatience will be tempered by having a fridge full of the first batch. I mean, you've gotta do what makes you happy, right? That's what...

1. Yes. If you want, you can water it down to make 5 gal, just add the water to your bottling bucket. Most people would probably recommend boiling/cooling the water to sanitize it. 2. You can look at your attenuation as another estimate of when the yeast is done. (OG-FG)/OG * 100%. What was...

It's because Vodka is sanitary. You want this in case it gets sucked into your beer by negative pressure, and to keep stuff from growing in the airlock. You can also use star-san.

I feel your pain; I'm in the same situation right now. Except half my problem will be fixed in a couple of hours. :D

It's probably going to be OK. I have a ceramic-top stove that struggles to boil anything over 3 gallons, and I seem to do OK. You might try putting a lid on the pot during the initial warm-up, then leaving the lid "cocked" during the boil, that will help prevent some of the heat from leaving...