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Hi guys, I'll get right to the point, since I suspect this may be one of those paranoid-no-problem threads. I've got a weisbier on the go that I started using 60/40 wheat malt / marris otter. I malted the wheat myself. First time. Starting gravity was 1.040, and I went light on the...

Well, they're finally bottled! Two weeks to go and we'll see the results.

Wine and cider, eh? That should be interesting. I'm sure the flavour carried from the wine to the oak on its own would be sufficient to add character. Mine is ready to bottle. I'm just waiting for some more bottles to free up... I seem to have more beverages than space to put them at the moment.

Hahaha yeah, it certainly took some time... I would be willing to repeat the process, but only until I get enough gear to make it easier.

With -4.45 in my bank account, a bag of marris otter malt, one bag of wyeast British Ale yeast, and some cascade hops, I set about brewing my first batch of all-grain beer the day before yesterday. I had no brew kettle, no real mash-ton, and pretty limited everything. I aimed for a mash...

Thanks for all the advice. I'll also order in Magnum's book, in addition to Phil's. I don't mind rhetoric so much. I'm getting my bees in a 4-frame nuc, which means I have to make a conversion box (although there are other options) to get them into my Warré hive. While I'm not adverse to the...

Interesting idea. As they're medium toast, I assume there is some room there for further development. I bet soaking them in the bourbon or even a very peaty scotch would also impart some interesting flavours, reminiscent of using an old distillery barrel to age the cider.

I wish this was the case for me. That would pay for the bees, hive, and still give me a bit of cash left over to buy some celebratory malt.

To decide my oak I just added 50% more than the package recommended. I wanted a very oaky flavour. Seeing that yours (HappyCider) lost some of its flavour in a month, I hope that mine will retain it because of the increased amount. I'm interested in knowing how yours turns out as well...

Thanks! And I think that's a great idea. Growing my own food is one of my greatest pleasures. Merci :D I've secretly also got US Citizenship, but I don't spread it around too much... ;)

I'll be sure to post a review of my experiences! I'm not entirely sold on the rhetoric of the warré being the most sustainable hive, but I certainly agree with the abbé's argument that it's a low-maintenance and backyard-friendly approach to apiculture that is especially suited for beekeepers on...

Hahaha yeah we can have chickens without registering too ... actually, I think you can have most any sort of livestock except bees. There have been massive campaigns to prevent bees from entering the province in order to keep out various diseases, and they've been pretty effective. There's...

I look forward to hearing how it turns out :D

I'm in Nova Scotia, so I don't know much about aquiring bees in any other province or in the States. The startup cost for me will be the cost of bees, which is about 150 bucks. I'm building my own hive - a warré hive - which anyone who knows how to use a handsaw and swing a hammer should be able...

I just registered with the Department of Agriculture as a beekeeper. My bees come in May. I can't say how excited I am to eventually be able to make all my own mead from honey and berries produced on my own property.

I would personally refrain from backsweetening in this case. I've never made anything where I've added berries in the secondary stage, but I've made some very berried meads. I never expect the berry flavour to hit me like a ton of bricks, but it changes the flavours of the brew in more subtle...

You're correct. I'm going to keep the cider on its lees until it's time to bottle - when it's clear and maintains its gravity - at which point I'll rack it off, add some corn sugar, and bottle it up. What sort of yeast are you using for your cider? I've ordered some Nottingham Ale Yeast I'm...

HopHeaven, I considered doing the same thing, but in the end decided that I would keep the oak in the whole time. I'm vaguely attempting to simulate the process of brewing entirely in wooden vessels (as I would like to with cider, if I like the oaky result), so I'm only going to take the oak out...

One day later and I can see a definite darker colour in the oaked cider. I wasn't expecting that.

So, having made two successful batches of turbo cider and decided that it's worth some experimentation, I've laid down two one-gallon jugs with the same apple juice I've been using - and will continue to use - to determine whether oakiness is a desirable trait in my cider. These are my...