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We have super soft water (a bit of magnesium, a bit of calcium), as we're on a well. I've done the water calculation, and now add gypsum, espom salts, a very small amount of table salt, and citric acid, to improve my water. I'd read that some of the additions will make the hops stand out more....

I've had that as well - tastes great in the bottling bucket, like crap out of the bottle/keg. Maybe it's the racking cane.... I just got a Catalyst fermenter that allows me to pull trub and yeast off the bottom without opening it, and it bottles off the bottom as well. I have an IPA that will...

I've made this a few times, and really liked it, but I want to increase the mouthfeel. I just emptied my keg of the last of it, and I'm about to brew again. Anyone have any thoughts on making it a bit thicker? I was thinking of either increasing the mash temp to 158-162 to get more...

After brewing it 6 weeks ago. I brewed 3 gallons, not six, and found the cinnamon a bit overpowering, and the ginger not very noticeable. It's not bad, but it definitely needs adjustment. I am going to brew a couple of gallons of a pale-and-caramel malt beer, with just ginger, and use a...

Used 1028 as my yeast, as I had a yeast cake from an IPA that I moved into the secondary a few days back. I tasted the mash, before adding the sparge, and it was amazing - chocolate, caramel. Has anyone tried an imperial version of this? I'd love to try a 3-gallon version with a higher...

Thanks for the tutorial - brewing my first batch (2.5 gallons of Denny's Rye IPA). I figure my efficiency was around 75%, so I'm pretty happy. My AG efficiencies doing a full mash and batch sparge were not as good -this is a nice way to perfect the technique.

I made this, and opened a bottle a few nights ago, and found the flavours overly bitter, and had a strange after-taste. I used 1 oz of bitter orange peel, and 1-oz of fresh peel, and 1 oz of coriander. Maybe more time in the bottle.

I have some friends (don't we all, tho?) who wanted to get into brewing, so I went over to their house and we made this beer. Popped one on Saturday night - it was really nice, but I'd like to tweak it as well. I like the idea of coriander and orange peel - anyone have other suggestions? I...

I don't think so - a yeast nutrient isn't mandatory. I've never used one.

Awesome - thanks for letting me know!

What do you think of Wyeast 1056 for this? I have an IPA in the primary, and I'd like to re-use the yeast cake.

I made this today - the all grain version, and my second all-grain batch, with 1056 (all my home-brew shop had). Went pretty smooth. My OG was 1.064, which is a bit high, and I got just over 5 gallons of wort in the fermenter. I wasn't expecting my efficiency to be that good. I wish I had...

And how did it come out? I made this a few weeks back - there were some hiccups, but nothing serious. I stuck with extract. My dad drank about 4 and said he wanted to start making beer, and my wife really liked it too. I would like to make another batch, and I am interested in more grains...

Awesome - thanks. Should do the trick. Sounds like a slow yeast - not quite as robust as the 3711.

ChshreCat, Haven't transferred it to a secondary - was a question. What do you mean by getting down? The gravity? I am going to take a hydrometer reading, see where it sits, and maybe move it to a warmer spot.

I am sort of in the same boat. My LHBS had a Saison yeast, but not 3711. I believe it was the 3724 (Belgian Saison). WyYeast says, "This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 sg. Fermentation will eventually finish, given time and warm...

Thanks for the reply. Good to know. If we end up in the hospital, it won't be my brother-in-law's fault.

My brother-in-law (BIL for short) was all gung-ho to brew beer (I've made 5 or 6 batches). Anyway, he also wanted to make a wort chiller. He made it from copper, but there was a solder point low on the wort chiller that would actually sit in the beer. He put an "electrical contact...

I could see that a newborn would hindering your beer-making, and you probably won't get any sympathy from your wife. Good luck!

Yes - that's the one. Everything interesting seems to happen on a Wed night - my wife works, so I am looking after the kids. Not sure how encouraging she would be of me bringing a 5 and 7 year old to a meeting about beer. And neither could drive me home if I had more than a couple.