Search results

I expected something like this. The only wine I've ever tried to make has been bottled for something like 6 years. Every once in a while I grab a bottle and try it. Still terrible and probably won't get better but I made 5 gallons. At least this time I only made 1 and if it is drinkable after a...

The honey was super cheap. "All Natural Pure Honey USDA Grade A gently strained to preserve the natural pollen" for what that is worth at $6.50 per 3lbs. Raisins are for nutrient. Regular Sun Maid so preservatives? Probably. I did not boil. Read that you could but decided to go no heat to...

I recently decided to give mead another try. I had drank some a few years back and thought the stuff was wretched. Turns out, I rather like it now as my tastes have changed so I decided to try out making some of my own. I know I'm doing things wrong and it may turn out horribly but it is an...

Well after spending hours on it I caved in and called some professionals. 2 guys from Stanley Steamers came over and saved the carpet and couch. Most of the beer poured off of the couch so that foam wasn't very wet or stained at all. The stuff they put down and the steam cleaner made the carpet...

Nah, not over-carbed. I reused the wrong batch of bottles. You could see the gunk floating in the beer once the caps started bulging. Very few of them made it out and it was actually a really good beer but 98% of them were gunked. I believe I used 4.5 oz of sugar on those but I'm not sure of...

As long as somebody (besides me) learns from this I'm fine with people pointing and laughing. I shouldn't have put it off or at least put them outside on my deck or something, not in the living room. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement as well. Cleanup is still ongoing and I'm sure I'll be...

Well here is an update from the disaster area. #1- Microfiber cleans really easily. I'm shocked how quick I was able to get everything out of the couch so it might not be toast after all. All I really need to do is figure some way to get the beer out of the one really soaked cushion. I'll be...

The sheer volume of beer in the couch makes it pretty unsalvageable. There is also a large amount of powdered glass in the microfiber as well. And lucky me my insurance will only cover the carpet which will probably be less than my deductible. Still, I didn't get hurt so that is a huge win...

Luckily there are no children or pets to be harmed. Really lucky that I wasn't sitting on the other end of the couch as there was obviously a lot of force behind the glass flying through the air. I'm going to see if I can get my insurance involved. Been at it all day and glass is still coming up...

I had my first infected batch. Didn't find out until after they were bottled and I started to see the bulged caps. 3 cases of bottles sat in my basement for about 6 months. One by one I brought them upstairs to get rid of them. The last one I brought up on Thursday but got distracted several...

Well they can't be too badly infected. I only had one bottle who's cap is bowed out and it hasn't blown. This is 3 weeks later so I'm fairly sure that the mass of carbonation is done on a 5% holiday brown ale. Been sitting between 67F and 70F that entire time. I haven't opened the bowed one...

So I find that when my friends give their empty bottles to me they tend to have moldy beer left in the bottom or just mold kind of slimed from the sides. Recently I had to dip into this stash of moldy bottles to try and bottle a beer and I think I have a few not-so-good ones in there. So I'm...

I was thinking the same thing. Also are you using the Oxyclean without scent? I've heard that it makes a difference. I've only ever used the unscented version and had no problems using that as a brewery cleaner and Star San for sanitation.

I just finished my 3rd AG and I have to say I will never return to straight extract. Doing AG and handeling all of the grain just feels more like brewing to me then stirring in some syrup. That said I wouldn't turn down an extract or partial mash kit were it handed to me but for cost and...

Exactly. I made the move to All Grain quickly because there wasn't enough going on in Extract brewing for me. That said I have yet to have a flawless brew day. Something always goes wrong. This last time I forgot to add the bittering hops until 50 minutes into the boil. Even with all of my...

I went to AG on my last batch with a 6 gallon and a 4 gallon pot doing Brew In A Bag. Making 5 gallon batches I got 78% efficiancy. It was a total mess because the 4 gallon pot was not large enough. I suggest getting a 6 gallon or larger pot for your mash then use the 5 gallon to sparge. If I...

I'll take the science and the tests over the mouth piece every time. If the PH is <3 then it will santize no matter what color.

I don't agree with their decisions or their seeming lack of respect for tradition. That said I believe that free market is already changing this. A few years ago I could see 5 different brands of beer in an average grocery store. Just off of the top of my head I'm sure that there at least 20...

You are worrying too much. Stick a new airlock on it and let it go!

Magnum SMaSH