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All, the in-laws want to get me something homebrew related for about $200 or so and I need some advice! I was originally thinking of getting a counterflow or plate chiller to replace my immersion chiller, but maybe it's a good idea to consider other items as well. As for my current setup, I...

I currently have an immersion chiller that is not performing well enough for my tastes. I brew 11 gallon batches and living in so cal my tap water can be on the warm side so it can take an hour or more to get to pitching temps. Right now i use hose water to get down to 85-90 then use a (too...

I'm about to make my second winexpert kit and have 2 questions. First, would there be any benefit to me buying a liquid yeast strain from White Labs or is the included dry packet sufficient for a wine kit? Second, how important is fermentation temperature control when making wine, and if...

Well, the title says it all. I just opened a bottle of Merlot (my first wine!) that I made from a kit about 9 months ago and there is definitely some residual carbonation left in the wine. Is there anything I can do to save this batch? If not what is the recommended method for degassing kit...

In the past 6 months or so I have had 4-5 beers taste very off, but could never identify what was wrong. Last night I finally got 2 of these "off" beers in front of a few senior judges, and I the beers were infected with lactobacillus. How do I get rid of this, are there any guidelines, ie...

I'm doing a keezer conversion and would like any advice anyone has on which love (or other panel-mount) temperature controller to buy. What are the benefits and drawbacks to each TS, TS2, TS3, etc. http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/Temperature/TemperatureSwitches/DigitalPanelMount

I'm doing a keezer build and can't find much info on whether to get shanks with a 1/4" or 3/16" bore size. Any opinions? What would be the difference between the two, more foaming from one vs. the other? Also, any opinion on whether to spend the extra $ on stainless?

I finally got a working pH meter and just took my first mash pH reading. However, I just realized that I completely forgot if I should care about the pH at mash temps or at room temp. My reading was a pH of 5.54 with a sample temperature of 115*, with the auto temp correction feature...

I recently got a Hanna 98128 pH meter. The first thing I did was try to calibrate the meter. Unfortunately the 7.01 buffer reads 8.5 and the auto-cal won't recognize it. the 4.01 buffer reads about 5.5. I tried several other liquids with known pH values and they all read ~1.5 higher than...

I have what appear to be small cracks around the top of 2 of my carboys. Anyone know what they are from and if they will pose any issue for me, IE be a danger or a source of contamination?

What sort of off flavors would a small amount of residual Oxyclean or PBW impart into a beer, any ideas? how much residual would need to be left in/on equipment for these flavors to show up, if something is rinsed 2-4 times is that sufficient to get rid of enough so that there would be no off...

It's finally time for me to get a pH meter. Any suggestions on a good unit that is easy to use and isn't too expensive? I have some general questions about using a pH meter: First, is it recommended to take the pH of the mash directly, or to draw a sample and cool it? Can you take the pH...

My last many brews have not turned out the way I want them. They have all shared the same off flavors regardless of beer type, IE a bock and an IPA and a stout all have the same weird, undesired flavor in it. Short of completely replacing my equipment altogether what is a 100% sure method of...

It has been quite some time since I have bottled a batch (I keg). I forgot how to calculate the amount of CO2 in still in the beer, is it based on the warmest temperature the beer has been, or the current beer temp? I have a Belgian that fermented in the 60's, but is currently at 40 or so...

I am planning a 10 gal batch of Maibock/helles bock around 1.075 or so. My problem is I have a 10gal cooler and i won't be able to fit all my grain and water in my mash tun. Would there be a problem if i split my mash 75% in the mash tun and 25% in a pot on the stove or is this a bad idea for...

I'm making my first batch of wine (from a kit) and had a question. The instructions that I have say to use potassium metabisulfite as a sanitizing solution. I have been brewing beer for a long time and have quite a bit of StarSan and Iodophor available, I'm wondering why I need to use the...

All, I have a standard kegerator with a dual faucet tower. I'm looking to replace my beer line, however there's not a lot of room in the tower to get tools or hands in there with the two faucets in there. I'm wondering what the easiest way to get the line replaced would be. Would it help to...

Today I acquired a converted keg with a ball valve for a boil kettle. The ball valve is simply screwed into a hole in the keg with a rubber o-ring on the inside and outside. Is the rubber anything I should worry about here? Any better alternatives?

I currently have a 25' immersion chiller that is not sufficient for my needs. The tap water where I'm at is about 85*+ this time of year, which makes cooling my wort very difficult, therefore am looking at any options for improving my chilling ability. Someone has suggested a second immersion...

All, I very carefully control my ale fermentation temperatures in a small cooler water bath for the first 10-14 days. After that time I need my cooler for my next batch. I'm wondering about the affect of very warm temperatures after the 10-14 day time period. This time of year my place gets...