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Last year I made a killer batch of sparkling apfelwein (modified edworts recipe). It went over so well, I am planning on doing 2 batches for winter. I plan to replicate the recipe from last year, and I want to try a new recipe as well. I was thinking for the new recipe: 5 gal...

I have a batch of Brown ale that seems to be gushing when I open up bottles. It doesn't paint the ceiling or anything, but more than half of the bottle of beer pours itself out, and ends up down the drain. Bottles were refrigerated for between 6 and 48 hours before opening. No hydro...

So I am making a batch of hard rootbeer. The base has been prepared (fermented honey and light malt up to ~ 5% ABV), so now it is time to sweeten and flavor it. Up to now, I figured I would throw some campden tablets in to kill the yeast, add rootbeer flavoring, sweeten to taste and keg...

I am planning to make a hard root-beer for SWMBO. My original plan was to ferment sugar, honey, and light malt. Then back sweeten with splenda, add rootbeer flavor, and keg or prime and bottle. A buddy of mine said "yuck- splenda!" and told me to back sweeten with sugar, and keg it. He told...

I will likely be moving this summer, and it is likely I will have some carboys and buckets full of fermenting deliciousness when I have to move. Are there any precautions to take? Is it a big issue if things get warm? Obviously things in primary probably wouldn't like it, but how about secondary...

So, I pulled my wort off of the stove, hooked my siphon up to a counterflow chiller (on ice) I pieced together with about 15 feet of copper tubing, dropped the siphon in and started the flow. about 10 minutes into siphoning (the chiller has a really small diameter to keep the flow slow to get...

I take my hydrometer readings in my wine thief, but I have noticed that anything besides cooled wort leaves foam at surface of the liquid. This foam makes it rather (or extremely) difficult to read the hydrometer. Saturday I rolled up and inserted a paper towl to wick up the foam, and that...

Just took the gravity on a brew i made a week ago: Russian Imperial Stout recipe (modified slightly) 5 Gallon batch 5# Amber LME 3# Dark DME 2.5# Honey 1# roasted barley 1/4# Chocolate malt 1/2# Black malt 4 Oz Chinook whole hops (90 min Bittering) 2 Oz Goldings whole hops (10min) 2...

Why do we boil our extracts (and finished sparge water)? I know that we need nice high temperature to steep our hops, but is there anything beyond that? Does it help break down complex sugars into more easily fermentable ones? Will yeast be able to consume these complex sugars at any (if not...

On the package of Safale US-05 it says to pitch the yeast straight into the warm wort. No starter, no nothing... just pitch it in, and stir it in a few minutes later. Is this a good idea, or should I pitch the yeast into a starter, and then stir it into the wort? If I am going to pitch it...

So, from what I have gathered you want to use the smallest possible carboy that will contain your batch when you rack to secondary for settling/secondary fermentation/bulk conditioning. You use the smallest carboy that will fit the batch because you don't want the oxygen in the headspace to...

So I have come to understand that fermentation temp can have quite the effect on your final brew, and I have seen some ideas for raising fermentation temp (aquarium heaters, heat pads, etc), but how about lowering it? my household temp is between 60 and 70, but can get higher (which is my...

I was wondering if anyone knew how long sanitized bottles stay sanitary. I plan on bottling my first batch of brew tomorrow night with a friend, but I was wondering if I could get the somewhat tedious bottle sanitizing process done ahead of time (tonight), so I don't have to use too much of my...