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OK, so first brew session in a while. I have little kids so I don't get the chance to do it as often. Today I did a simple pale ale 5gal batch. My copper immersion chiller sprung several leaks but I didn't realize this until I was cooling. I'm guessing 1/2 to 1 gal got in there. My chiller...

Hi All, My yeast was very flocculant(sounds funny)! Anyway, my newly kegged beer is very slow to poor and kind of chugs along in spurts. I believe I have a yeast or protein blob stuck in the plumbing. Does anyone have a quick tip on how to backflush and possible get the goobers out of...

Hi All, I'm making a variation of Ed Worts Apfelwein. 2.5 gal apple juice 1 15oz can of Oregon blackberries Montrachet yeast I have never used fruit in the fermenter and I'm not sure what the best practices are. I'm about 2 weeks in, fermentation is slowing down. I'm not sure if I...

Hi All, I have an issue that I'm hoping someone is familiar with. I have a dual regulator setup that simply outputs to the typical picnic taps. It has been working fine for years. All of a sudden, one regulator(the one closest to the tank), is always over pressure. So, if I back the...

Posting this in an effort to help others avoid the problem. I dumped a 10 Gal batch a couple of months ago because it had a medicine, plastic taste to it. I then brewed a 20 gal batch, guess what, same funky taste. I have since ruled out the following: Fermentation temp Poor yeast...

I was smellng my APA last week while kegging and it reminded me of fruit loops, so I started thinking... What about adding in some crushed up fruit loops in my next batch of American Pal Ale? I guess it would partially ferment, maybe add some mouthfeel with any unfermentables? Has...

Well, have you ever had one of those moments where you weren't really paying attention and you did something stupid? When I finish cleaning out my kegs, I pour in around 32oz of starsan, shake it up and let it sit until I have something to keg. So the other day I forgot to dump out that...

Hi All, My local shop is putting together a bulk grain buy. My question is how long can I expect to keep my uncrushed grains. Do base grains lose their freshness quicker or slower than specialty grains? What about wheat? I have 5# of white wheat that has been in my basement for about...

Hi All, I just received my first mill and I am making a Rye PA. Any consideration in milling the rye? Should I adjust the mill for the rye or just run it through with the barley? Thanks for your help.

Hi All, So, I have learned the hard way about warm fermentation in July. Now I am in the dead of winter in OH and my basement stays at a constant 59 degrees. The rest of the house fluctuates too much in temperature. I have 3 fermenters going at the moment. Two of them are Wyeast 1056 -...

Hi All, I haven't done an extract batch in a long time and I am a bit rusty with my recipe formulation. I am going to do a quick partial mash in my kitchen tonight and I will be mashing 4.5# of grains. I am plugging my ingredients into beersmith and I am not sure what I should enter for...

Hi All, I am concerned about the fermentation temperature of my latest batch of pale ale. I pitched the yeast in the mid seventies, and it took off quickly. It took around 24 hours to settle down to 69 degrees. I'd say that for around 24 hours, it was in the mid seventies. Currently it...

I just wanted to get some feedback on my first Dubbel. When I put this into BeerSmith, my SRM goes haywire at 27.8! I think this is because my dark belgian sugar is rated at a lovibond of 275. When I back it out, the SRM calculates at 10.3. I think this is a calculation error and I think...

Just curious what you guys think about Amarillo hops. I was originally going to do a Two-Hearted clone with Centennial, but my local shop was out of them. I did however score a lot of Amarillo. I have used them with Cascade and Simcoe in the past for pale ales and IPA's, but I have never used...

Hi All, I am planning on making a steam style ale with honey. I have put together the recipe below and would love some input. The more I think about it, the more I am worried that I will have too much specialty grains. Beersmith has this coming in at 1.051 / 10.5 lovibond / 39 IBU 65%...

Hi Folks, Loved the Yeast Washing Illustrated Sticky. I stuck to it pretty much word for word, but I have a few questions: After I put the yeast/trub from my primary into a 64oz jar, I waited about 30mins. It settled a little bit, but it was still really cloudy. I then filled up a...

Hi All, I have made my second All-Grain and all seems well. 11 lb Pilsen Malt 1oz traditional german hops (60min) 1oz hallertauer hops (15min) Wyeast Belgian Saison 1052 og 10 days in the primary at this point(1012) and it is really good except it lacks body or maybe some sweetness...

Hi All, I have made my first lager and I have questions about timing and temperature. Unfortunately I don't have a refrigerator to lager beer in, so I have used my basement floor in Ohio. Here are the details: Wyeast 2278 Czech Pilsner 1/24/08 - Brew Day (partial mash) OG-1050 2/14/08 -...

Hi All, I have been fermenting a Czech style Pilsner and I am thinking it may be time to rack to my secondary, but since this is my first lager, I need some advice... It has been in my basement since 1/24/08 (17days) and has been at a pretty consistent temperature of 50-52 degrees. It...

Hi All, I am using Star San for the first time today. I have a couple of quick questions. Is the general rule to use 1oz per 5gal? If I make a spray bottle, is the concentration the same, or do you go with a more concentrated solution? I am going to jet wash the bottles with hot...