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Hi all, moved to a new system and Brewer’s on it for the first time inside. When I went to boil I had boil overs that made a huge mess. Two of them, one shortly after the other. I haven’t had one in 10 years. I only boiled the wort for 5-7 minutes but I placed the wort in a covered bucket and...

Hi All, Setting up my new ebrewing system in the basement and doing water runs to make sure I hav everything down. switching from an immersion chiller to a counter flow chiller. I have searched the web for how to sanitize the chiller and found several ways. but nothing specific to the spike...

I have 75 - 150 brand new bomber bottles. $20 for all. I no longer need them as I keg. You will need to bring containers to carry them in. Back story: my wife had a customer that had a pallet of bomber bottles for testing a machine they were building. They gave her some. So many I couldn’t use...

Brewing my first lager this weekend after 12 years of brewing I am unsure of the fermentation process. It seems like most of what I have read is a diacetyl rest in which the temperature should be raised to 70ish degrees. Unsure of exact temp, if it is needed, when it should be done, for how...

Hi All, Picked up a Glycol chiller ~1.5 months used from another home brewer. He only used it twice but it is now about a year old. I feel it is time to change out the gylcol. I search this forum a bit for purchasing glycol but haven't found a "recent" thread. Just wondering where...

I am purging a bunch of bottles and instead of recycling, willing to give away to a fellow local home brewer. I have ~10 cases of 12oz and ~6 cases of 22oz. Located in Oswego, IL. Cheers, Scot

Hi All, I typically purchase hops a pound at a time and usually a year old to get a bargain. Therefore the bulk of my hops are from 2017 and even a few from 2016. When I open the hops I break them down in 1 ounce bags that are vacuumed sealed. Needless to say I like making NIEPAs with the...

After 10 years of home brewing I am taking the plunge into kegging. I was watching a video on keg connection (https://www.kegconnection.com/beer-line-cleaning-kit/), I thought their process was quite easy (open to other suggestions). On their site they sell the entire cleaning kit. I have all...

I use Safale US-05 because it is easy to use and allows me to brew easier within my busy schedule. I typically ferment in the 68*F, give or take 2*F, range for this yeast. In a beer I brewed in early May (and long gone), I used this yeast but fermented at 62*F-63*F for the beer. Much lower...

Hi All, A friend of mine gave me two five-gallon Better Bottles. They are a mess. But anytime I can get more carboys for funky experiments, I am all for it. Problem is: I have never used anything but glass. How do I clean these things without causing issues since they are plastic (or...

My home grown hops are probably a week past their prime already. Partially lazy and the Bears are on, thinking of leaving them another week. What changes in the hops as they get "old"? Are they useless? Should I use them today or throw them out? Etc? I have been growing hops for four...

Hi All, Based on the dates on the mason jars, I have some 4 month old "starters" of the above two yeasts. I have kept them at 68 degrees (my understanding that Brett doesn't like it cold). I was thinking of using one or the other for bottling of a sour saison I made a bit over a year ago...

Hi All, I picked up a freezer, super cheap. Couldn't resist. I will be using the freezer for fermentation at this time (no collar planned). Reading the forums, trying to determine if I should use Ranco or Johnson Controls. I haven't seen a thread that mentions the product numbers (sorry...

Hi All, Just about ready to start my Sunday brew day. The recipe I am brewing as some star anise in it; first time user. I am wondering if I need to crack the anise (similar to coriander or pepper) before adding or place in whole? If I have to crack it, how so? Cheers, Scot

Hi All, Below I have a list of hops I have, including what I have found on the internet for profiles of each. Looking for input for combinations, usage, etc. I like hoppy beers if that helps to focus input. Cheers, Scot Super Pride 15.8% - fresh grassiness - possibly pine and/or...

Hey All, Never brewed one before but I am curious if I should leave the beer on the yeast cake the entire time I have it in a carboy or do I rack to secondary? If so, how long do you usually wait to rack (2 weeks, 4 weeks, etc)? Cheers, Scot

Hey All, My wife was cruising through Michigan yesterday and I asked her to see if sour cherries were ready. She was told the crop is going to be a disaster at best this year and good luck finding any. Wondering if anyone near Chicagoland knows a place to get some fresh cherries for using...

Hey All, I brewed a Belgian Pale Ale on February 19th, 2012. I only pitched Brett in the beer (no Belgian profile I guess, lol). The OG was 1.051 and I just did a gravity reading and it is at 1.007. Wondering if that is low enough to bottle or should I let it go a bit more? Cheers, Scot

Hey All, I have a barley wine that spent 4 weeks in primary and the last four months in secondary/brite. I am planning on bottling this coming weekend as the taste of this weekend has it in my zone. I am curious if the yeast will be in good enough condition to just add priming sugar and go...

Hey All, A new home brew shop has opened up locally and he has aspirations to be known as the best store for malts in the area: win for me!!! Looking through the malts he has on the shelves, I noticed a load of different kilned wheat. 1. Red Wheat...