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I didn't notice any spider mites. I could try lady bugs but the ants could be a problem for them. I didn't notice any ants on the hops last year either funny enough. There's definitely a nest entrance below the hops as well

I had a lot of pests on my tettnang and centennial last year. First of all I had damson hop aphids, a spray of soapy water seemed to get rid of them. Then I had flowerbugs, I think they were praying on they remaining aphids. I ended up getting quite a few flowerbugs in the kegs from dry hopping...

I just put in the whole lot as a hop stand

I could probably find a vacuum bagger if I must but I was hoping to avoid that. Would my hops be unviable for dry hopping if I leave them dried in a ziplock back for a week? I could also possibly leave some on the bines

I have hops ready for harvest but no great way to store them. I'm thinking of picking them and using them as a flameout addition. I'd also like to dry hop. Should I leave some on the bines for another week and pick them when I'm ready to dry hop? I have a dehydrator so I could dry them but I...

Here's my water report. I don't see chlorine or chloramines

Thanks guys. I'd been using some very soft bottled water until now but the shop has stopped selling it unfortunately. I've got a few pale beers planned soon so I'll give the adjusted tap water a shot

I'm looking for a basic explaination of reducing alkalinity by adding an acid to the water, lactic acid for example. From what I remember from school chemistry, a salt will form in this process. Is there a precipitate that needs to be removed or does it stay dissolved? My water profile is the...

Those are fair points, i hadn't thought that headspace would come into it. I brewed and bottled a stout at the same side and didn't have the same reaction though. Same headspace and temperature. I primed with less dextrose but not much less. I'll do a larger batch if this one works out and see...

Just did a small batch pilsner smash and noticed it bubbling in the demijohns for a very long time. Did a gravity reading and it had definitely finished up but it was still bubbling like crazy, this is over a month in primary. I bottled and primed with dextrose today. I got a mentos and coke...

I've never had much luck with priming sugar calculators, this could be why. Ive always gone by the temperature at time of bottling

About to bottle a few demijohns. I've currently got them lagering at -1*C (30*F). Should I raise them to room temperature first or bottle them as they are? Does it matter?

...Also I might do an acid rest as I don't want hard water and I don't have any lactic acid. I calculate my mash ph to be 5.75 with gypsum and calcium chloride

Hold your horses everyone! I've just got word from the maltster, my lager malt is fully modified with an snr of 38-42 (maybe this isn't surprising). Is there any point doing a protein rest? From what I've read, a protein rest will actually hurt the head retention of a fully modified malt.

That was my first thought. I've read that a step mash is not important unless you've got under modified grains. But a decoction mash will make a noticeable difference to pale malts, regardless of them being modified or not. I can't confirm either for myself as I mainly just do single infusions.

I was going to keep it simple as it's a smash and just do a 66*c (150*f) single infusion. But thinking about it, your step mash would probably be better. Is the protein rest mainly for head retention? Also, am I right in saying that it's in the acid rest range and will lower my ph?

I've read about doing a partial decoction by taking half of the grain at near the end of a single infusion mash and boiling it for 15 mins before adding it back. I've never done a decoction mash so I might do something simple like that. I still don't really get how tannins aren't extracted though.

Single, double or triple decoction? Does it matter? I'd like a malt profile like a german pilsner. Not sure what their traditional decoction method would be.

I'm thinking of doing a quick and easy crowd pleaser beer, sort of pilsner inspired blonde ale. 23L batch 4Kg Lager malt 40g Tettnanger (1.9%) 60 mins 80g Tettnanger (1.9%) 20 mins 80g Tettnanger (1.9%) 6 mins Mangrove jacks M44 1.047 OG 1.011 FG 25 IBU 4.7% not sure if I'll...