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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...

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...

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...

So I bought my first stir plate: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OSX2Q0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 The thing is loud. Even without the bar on it it is just really loud. Checked feet/level surface and the noise is coming from inside of it. It also isn't pulling any kind of vortex, even...

So I plan to brew 4 days from today but I won't be home inbetween to do anything so I was considering making a starter tonight, leave on stir plate over night, take off stir plate and leave at room temp for the next three days, decant and pitch. I'm using a beaker with a foam "stopper" in the...

I'm stepping my way up to bigger and better brewing and I have the ingredients for my first two all grain beers on the way to my house. I'm going to do them as BIAB but I'd like to step up to a 3 vessel setup sometime in the future. I was specifically looking at Midwest's 5 gallon Kewler Kit...

So I just realized that I haven't been taking hydrometer readings before bottling to confirm fermentation completion. I've been fermenting my beers for 30 days in primary then bottling at my next convenient day. They have all been small beers, 5% or lower and fermented at the correct temperature...

So I just finished bottling my first beer. It was an extract Belgian Dubbel. Sat in primary for 60 days. Went to test it and it tasted like butter and alcohol. I had just bottled my first wine a week before and got the same taste in the wine. Anyone have any idea what this is? The equipment...

So my first kit is a Vintner's Reserve Riesling. I am starting to bottle it so this is my first taste test. It smells really wonderfull, lots of sweet fruit notes. The taste however leaves something lacking. It takes like butter mixed with vodka. I did add an additional tablespoon of...

So I'm going to be brewing a Schwarzbier this weekend and I recently bought a yeast starter kit to improve my beer. Acording to Mr. Malty I need to make a 4.34 Liter starter. Is that 4.34 liter of wort for the starter or 4.34 liter of yeast slurry that I need to grow and pitch? Either way it...

I started a new blog with my first brew and I don't see the "Post to Blog" link to post my update. Am I blind or not allowed to post more than 1 in a certain ammount of time? (been 2 days since first post)

My gas stove can bring 3 gallons to a boil but only just so I want to use the pot lid to get it to boil quicker and maybe to keep the boil at a higher level but I know that some things have to boil out. I'm extract brewing and was wondering if anyone knew offhand when a lid is okay. I didn't use...

So I have my first batch of homebrew sitting in a glass 6.5 gallon carboy. Wake up this morning and notice that there is almost no vodka left so I top it back up. 15 minutes later, same thing. Is there anything I can do to get the airlock to stop sucking the vodka into the carboy? At this rate...

So I have a wine kit (Vintner's Reserve ) , a 6.5 gallon carboy, a 5 gallon carboy, and a 6 gallon bottling bucket without a lid. I plan on using the bucket for the primary, then move to the 6.5 carboy for the secondary and then the 5 gallon carboy for the last phase before bottling. My...

So I have a few questions before I dive head-long into my Vintner's Reserve Reisling kit. 1.Primary Fermentation: I've read some posts on here that say to folow the directions.The kit instructions say 10 days. That sounds really short. I'm looking for the optimal first experience. Should I...

So my equipment has arrived. I spent a few hours unpacking and organizing it all. While looking through my siphon equipment I realized that I have a bottle filler that attaches to my auto siphon and my bottling bucket has a spigot on it. Is there any reason to use the spigot or should I just add...

I'm a pretty patient guy. Especially when it comes to something that tastes good. Doubly when that taste is beer. I've got my first brewing equipment kit on the way and I've been lurking the forums and doing my research which led me to this question. Has anyone ever had a problem leaving their...

Hello all. I've just bought my first brewing equipment setup and am ready to get going but from all I've read temperature control seems to be a major point in making a good beer great. I've been looking at the Ranco two stage temperature control setups but can't bring myself to drop the $200 it...

Hi all. My brother wanted a Mr. Beer for Christmas (which he recieved) and after I bought it for him I figured out how awesome it would be to brew my own beer. So here I am, full of questions (been reading How to Brew). Once I figure out the best kit to start with I will be on my way.