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So, after brewing beer and mead, and making apple wine, I was talking with a friend at work who doesn't drink much at all. He came up with the brilliant idea of making Kool Aid wine. Yes, I know, Kool Aid. Anyway, I am not trying to make hooch. I have been on these forums awhile looking for...

So, I tried an IPA from a local brewery, which was phenomenal, and I would like to try recreating it or something similar. I have been brewing mostly from kits, since I am still new to this, and I noticed that many of the kits I buy have Cascade as the hops, which I don't really care for. Hence...

So I am bottling my 5 gallons of Ed Wort's wonderful brew today, and I need to stabilize it so the bottles don't blow up on me. I bought some Campden tablets from the shop, as well as some stuff labeled "Stabilizer", which is white stuff that is not really a powder, but looks more like the...

I have become smitten with brewing, and wanted to start the long process of improving my setup. Here is what I am working with right now: 2x Buckets - Food grade plastic, drilled lid for airlock, both have spigots in the sides at the bottom for racking / bottling. 2x PET Carboys - Stoppers...

I recently used my fermenter to make a batch of Root Beer, which I bottled that day. My question is that I am now mid-brew for a Dead Guy Ale clone, and I washed my fermenting bucket, and it still smells like Root Beer. Is this going to make my beer come out weird?

So I recently bought some plain wine bottles (I guess they are standard bottles) and some #8 corks. I plan to bottle my apple wine for about 5-6 months, and wanted to know how well the #8 corks are going to work out. The guy at the LHBS said that #9 is the industry-standard cork, and it has...

I have been brewing beer for just over a month, and brewing wine as well, and thought I would try my hand at mead. I am looking for a recipe that is simple, fairly inexpensive, tastes good (read: not too much like wine), and can be scaled to a small 1-gallon batch. I want to make 1 gallon to...

So I have nearly finished (drinking) my first batch of Ed Worts Apfelwine, and I loved it. I was impatient, so I pulled it after about 3 weeks and started drinking it. Drank about 3/4 of a gallon the other night and MAN was my head pounding the next day. Some questions: 1. What can I do to...

I know I just posted the Apfelwine thread, but I had a semi-related but not entirely-related question. When I use my auto-siphon, I seem to have a LOT of aeration going on. If mine is like anyone elses, it is just a tube you stick in the wine/beer and pump to get the siphon action. Mine I have...

Well, I just opened my carboy to check on this Apfelwine (only been three weeks, but I can't wait!) and all I can say is WOW! I can't stand wine, normally, but this stuff is so amazingly tasty I am awestruck. I personally prefer it at room temperature (tastes more like apple and less like wine)...

I bought the following ingredients for a wheat beer I want to make. I got this recipe on a recommendation: 3.3 lbs Thomas Cooper's Malt Extract - Wheat 3.3 lbs Thomas Cooper's Malt Extract - Light Some amount of Saaz Some amount of Tettnanger Orange peel Coriander I can't remember...

So I am starting my second batch today, which ise going much better, as I have a good grasp on what I am doing. My last brew I started last week, on Wednesday. I checked the gravity yesterday, and it was about 1.020, and the directions say it should end around 1.014 to 1.018. I guess I should...

So I have my first batch of beer in the fermenter, anxiously awaiting the day I can drink it! In the meantime, I am trying some other beers to get a feel for what types of beer I really like. I have found that I really enjoy (so far): Sam Adam's Boston Lager Blue Moon Mirror Pond Pale...

So I was thinking... I don't predict an explosion with my beer, as I have fermentation but nothing crazy. However, just to be sure my pantry doesn't get destroyed, can I throw a garbage bag over my fermenter? That way, if by some freak accident it explodes, it will severly diminish the mess I...

So I just opened my brew I started about 48 hours ago to check with the hydrometer, and I sanitized everything and dipped the container for the hydrometer in to get a sample. I dropped the hydro in, and I think the gravity went up... There is a lot of nasty stuff floating on the top (I am...

Can I use plain ol sugar in the Apfelwine recipe, instead of corn sugar? Do I use the same amount? Thanks!

So, while I am worrying about my beer that I started yesterday, I thought I would start a batch of Apfelwine. I have a primary fermenter that I am using for my brew, a carboy for a secondary, and I thought I could grab another carboy just for wines/ciders, because as I understand it, the...

So I brewed my first batch today, and I pitched the yeast about 5-6 hours ago. I have not noticed any activity in the airlock at all (I know the airlock is just an airlock, but still). Should I be concerned? Does it usually take longer than this? Should I repitch yeast?

I just added bittering hops and I have some really gross-looking green foam... normal? Do I need to stir still while it boils?