Search results

I made a Belgian IPA with Wyeast 3944. OG was 1.060, I used both a hydrometer and refractometer and got nearly the same results. FG... I am cold crashing now but I took a sample and the refractometer said 6.4. When I plug this into various calculators that's an FG of 1.006. How could...

I am at my wits' end here. This is my second batch using batch sparge after about 20 BIABs. I was averaging 72% efficiency with BIAB. My first batch sparge mash did not go great. 62% efficiency. I'll live with since it was my first time. Today, I thought I had better results. My pre-boil...

This Beersmith blog entry today left me kind of frustrated. Brad writes about how adjusting for pH is different when using BIAB but never really explains why it is any different. I use Bru'n Water for my water adjustments. I ignore the Sparge Acidification tab and use the Water Adjustment and...

I was hoping I could get some feedback on how I take my volume readings. I have a 10Gal kettle with volume markings on the inside that I put on and are very accurate. I use a 0.08Gal water/lb grain absorption ratio and a 1.6Gal/Hr boil off rate (which fluctuates widely and is very annoying)...

I recently tried to clone a beer I really like that's seasonal. Today I compared the two. The flavor is similar but the biggest difference I notice is in the feel of the bubbles of carbonation. The commercial beer (New Belgium Accumulation)'s bubbles seem to be ... Sharper? I don't know how...

I just purchased one of those aquarium pump aeration kits and used it for the first time yesterday. I left it in the carboy for about 45 minutes (I read 30-60 minutes at least). I stepped away from a few minutes and when I returned the wort had foamed out of the carboy. It's a 6.5 gallon carboy...

I understand pH and it's importance in brewing, I am more referring to how pH is calculated and used in the Bru'n Water file. I had been using tap water and some RO and haven't been happy with results (and if Martin reads this he'll understand, I'm in Westfield, IN). So I've switched to all...

Today I made a half batch IPA. I am using a plastic carboy for the first time (doing buckets before). I attempted to whirlpool and rack to carboy for the first time. Previously I always just dumped the entire contents of the kettle into the bucket. I do BIAB so I have a lot of left over hot...

I am thinking about upgrading my kettle. I'd like to be able to make batches at a higher OG. Currently, with my 10 gallon kettle I can only achieve about 1.070 for a 5.5 gallon batch before I reach capacity. The difference between a 10 to 15 gallon kettle is $60-$70. At that price point...

This is puzzling me. Clearly I am doing something wrong that I don't understand. I brew AG through BIAB. Before the boil, I always take a sample and a gravity reading before the boil. I have a refractometer and still let the sample cool. I will take my reading and put in the results to...

I've done a bunch of BIAB brews now. One thing I just started doing, however, is adding hops to a sack during the boil as opposed to just tossing them in the kettle. The brew I did this weekend ended up at just under 5 gallons, instead of the 5.5 I planned for in Beersmith. I am sure this is...

Since I switched to AG brewing about 10 batches ago (BIAB) I have had a hard time with cloudiness in my higher OG (1.050+) beers. I keg all my beers. The steps I take to minimize cloudiness are: Irish moss during the boil, cheese cloth filter when transferring to keg, and kegging itself...

As I understand it, you cold crash to help settle the yeast and clarify the beer. I have an IPA that's currently fermenting and have been thinking about cold crashing as all my IPAs always end up cloudy. My question is, if I keg aren't I essentially cold crashing? If I keg and let it sit and...

During the summer, my hose water temp cannot get the boiled wort to a temperature less than ~75F with a wort chiller. I have the Cool Brewing bag, but I find it takes 12 hours or so to get the beer down to desired temps. Am I better off pitching the yeast at the 75F temp and it taking the...

I'm on my 6th BIAB batch. So far every time I'm done with the boil (and cooling) rather than racking to primary I just pour the entire contents into the primary bucket. I read on here a lot about people racking to primary versus what I do. Is there any disadvantage to pouring all the contents...

Last night, I set a keg filled completely with water to 30 PSI, disconnected the gas line, and this morning there was very little pressure in the keg when I purged the air. Details... I just built my kegerator last weekend and I'm gearing up to transfer my first beer into a keg tonight...

Like the title. Those of you who brew in 10 gallon batches, what vessel do you use for primary fermentation? Do you use two 5-gallon buckets, or is there a standard that everyone uses?

I am planning my first ever BIAB - going from extract - this weekend. I plan on making this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f78/holly-christmas-ale-145580/ I am concerned about how much water I will need to brew. I have a 10 gallon kettle. My boil off rate is about 1.5gal/hour. So if...

A silly question, I know, but I know you are supposed to chill homebrew bottles at least 24-48 hours before serving. And I honestly notice a huge difference in flavor when I don't do this. I get an after taste that might be associated with the yeast or something. So my question is, if you...

I have made 6 5 gal batches so far. All of them have been pre-made extract kits, either from Brewers Best or my local homebrew shop. All but one of my batches have had a similar aftertaste. I don't think I'll be great at describing it. But its almost a creamy-ness that kinda sticks to the...