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I use 2 gallons of spring water to steep my grains then add 1.5 gallons heated distilled sparge water and 1/2 the extract for a 3.5 gallon boil. I boil for 60 minutes adding remainder of extract at flameout and follow given hop schedule and amounts. Yes, you'll get a little better utilization...

I struggled,and still do on occasion, with this same issue a few years ago. There was a couple threads on here I was following at the time on the issue and the general consensus over several months of discussion was infection/sanitation issue or yeast health/pitch rate issues I believe. I will...

Bingo on the bottling bucket spigot issue. Ruined a couple of batches that way. Now I disassemble EVERYTHING and clean well with PBW then put it away. Use your starsan as others have described. Since doing this and switching to glass fermenters I have been on a roll.

Grain crush plays a HUGE role in your efficiency also. Using a paint bag or some other fine mesh you can get away with a finer crush than with typical all grain systems. This can help your efficiency.

Go buy yourself a pkg of 5 gal paint strainer bags for your grain bag next time. It will hold enough grain to even do a low gravity 5 gallon batch. They are cheap and reuseable. You can get them at any hardware or home improvement store. Read up on BIAB and that will help you with your process.

The DMS comes from the grain not the hops. Extract has been boiled under a vacuum to help concentrate it. All chemical reactions necessary for good beer and healthy yeast have taken place already. The only reason to boil it is to sterilize it (technically it should be sterile already) and for...

What do you ferment in? I switched from buckets to glass carboys and started kegging about the same time. Almost every off flavor I've dealt with is now gone from my kegged beer. I still bottle some heavier or seasonal brews and I clean the bottles like a mad man. Still, I get the occasional...

I've had issues with the same off favors in the past but have managed to do away with it for awhile now. I now keg most batches and I have never had the plastic off flavor in my keg. I got rid of plastic fermenters, vinyl tubing, plastic racking canes, etc. I use stainless steel or glass where...

Buy and read "How to Brew" or "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing". Best analogy I can come up with is it's like baking a cake. Extract is like buying a box at the store and following the directions on back. You'll end up with a cake that will probably be pretty good and enjoyable but a lot of...

It's for pellet hops. Been a while since I've seen this thread. Lol. We have since moved on to all grain for most brews but from what I remember this was a pretty tasty beer. My friend brewed it a few times. Good luck!!

5lbs Amber LME 2lbs Amber malt 1lbs Medium Brit Crystal .5lbs Brown Malt 2ozs Chocolate Malt 1oz Challenger 60 minutes .5oz Fuggles 15 minutes .5oz Fuggles. 5 minutes Do this as a partial mash. I used WY1968 and fermented at 66F then let it sit in primary for two weeks. Racked to keg and let...

Go buy a rope handle tub at Wal Mart or Home Depot. They are less than $10. Put your fermenter in and fill it with enough water that your fermenter almost wants to float. I use the little blue ice things that keep your lunch cool in a lunch box. I put 2 in the morn then swap out with 2 frozen...

Get some PBW (powdered brewery wash) while your at the HBS. The stuff is awesome for cleaning kegs, carboys, beer lines, etc.

Goo

I recently asked the barely legal waitress at a local watering hole what wheat beers they had on tap. She said she didn't really know but would ask the bartender. She returned about 5 minutes later with the reply that "all beers are wheat beers because that's the main ingredient".

It seems to me that the area of greatest heat will be the bottom of the kettle. The metal surface is extremely hot at flameout so if you send the coldest water straight down to the bottom that'd be the area of greatest temp difference. This would allow the IC and water to absorb as much heat...

Just tried a small batch craft brew by Shiner called Ryes and Shine. It's delicious. The label says they used German Rye, Chocolate Rye, caramel and 3 different hop varieties. Dry crisp finish with a hint of sweetness and roastiness. I've attempted searching a recipe and shot off an email to...

I really like a heavily hopped version but I'm thinking for mass appeal I should go balanced or slightly malt forward. I've had moose drool and like it. It's a little sweet for me if I were brewing to my tastes solely but I know lots of folks like it. Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm looking to brew a good American Brown ale to serve at my wedding. Any suggestions? I own Brewing Classic Styles and have heard Janet's Brown is great. Just looking for some suggestions from those of you who have brewed this style a few times. I do all grain 5.5 gallon batches.

Check out Lehman's. They have all sorts of old school stuff like that. Unfortunately, you can get a badass Blichman with all the bells and whistles for what a fragile copper curved bottom kettle would cost. It'd be cool to have but not too practical I suppose.