Search results

I agree, rehydrating the yeast is a good idea, and it only takes about 15 minutes... according to the EC-1118 packet, you use 2 OZ of ~100°F water (previously boiled) per packet of yeast. Each packet is normally suitable for a 5 GAL batch, and since we're double pitching here you'd use 2. If...

1 ounce of honest to goodness OxiClean Free per 5 gallons of very hot water to soak off labels, and soak a carboy. Never had problems with labels basically falling off, or a krausen disintegrating on its own. I used the Sun brand knockoff, and it took 3 - 4 times as much to achieve a...

*whistles and cheers* Awesome! Another success story with a simpler yeast solution. Reliability and simplicity loom on the horizon. *grins* Keep us updated on the speed of fermentation -- hopefully this'll be a lot faster than 4 - 6 weeks.

Gah! Sorry I didn't give you props! It must've been your post that gathered the neurons together in my head to fire off when I was getting frustrated with starters.

Man, once my batches got going, they fermented out in less than 2 weeks. I used 2 packets of EC-1118 (rehydrated) and pitched directly into 5 GAL of lemonade with no starter... Oh yeah, as a postmortem on the yeast starter/no-starter adventures: The second batch never started from the...

Still no change on batch #2 with the starter made from White Labs yeast, but somehow I was expecting that. Batch #1 that got kicking with the EC-1118 is fermenting like gangbusters. Dropped to ~1.032 as of today (and the last 20 points were in the last 24 hours), 1-2 bubbles a second...

Time for a progress report, I s'pose. The EC-1118 starter, with 6 hour spin/additions failed spectacularly. Not a bubble or gravity shift 72 hours after pitching... just a nice, growing layer of yeast on the bottom of the carboy (and yes, I did give the whole thing a whirl once or twice...

Here's a very late response, but maybe worth it for future reference: North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery. Great food (a bit fancier than plain 'ol BBQ, but definitely worth it), and excellent beer brewed on the premises. The Duckabish Amber is my favorite regular on tap, and they...

Seems to me, the more people that buy commercial craft beer would increase the need for the brewer to produce more, resulting in a brewer with a more stable economic base, which increases the likelihood that the brewer will stay in business longer producing your favorite craft beer. Also, the...

Now THAT is funny.

I have to agree that the tip jar is a bit... unorthodox. I make homebrew to enjoy and share with my friends. There is an unspoken agreement in our tribe that if you're a beer drinker and you're coming over, and unless otherwise stated that beer will be provided for all, you bring a...

Good to see another Austinite! AHS in town will treat you right. Hope you're prepared to keep those fermenters cool during the blistering summer. *grins*

Ok, having determined that I successfully committed yeastocide on the first starter, I began another last night using a spare packet of EC-1118, and following the 6 hour spin between additions outlined above. We'll see what this accomplishes.

Hrm, I wonder if EC-1118 may be a better yeast choice. It's got a higher alcohol tolerance, performs well in less hospitable environments, has good flocculation, is tolerant to a wider temperature range, and has a reputation for fermenting at light speed (using it in a bochet mead right now...

Ok, so if my brain is assembling this correctly (on too little coffee this morning... working on remedying that as I type), the sum-up should be: Reserve 1½ QT of the starter must (or 1½ L -- basically 48 OZ vs 50.7 OZ). Add hydrated yeast (in this case, D-47) into 2 C of the reserved must...

LooyvilleLarry, I noticed way early on that you were using a stir plate to make the starter, but in your "expanded process" post (thanks for that, by the way... it's a great compliment to Yooper's original instructions), you just mentioned making the starter, waiting for a nice foamy layer...

Well, I'll give the EC-1118 a go then, with adequate nutrients and oxygen. It seems to have the greatest potential, and if it overshoots into the dry range I can always backsweeten to my tastes... although I'd rather hit the mark along the way. Not taking the "burnt" too much to heart, but I...

Going to be burning up a small experimental batch of this very soon (quite possibly this weekend), and was giving thought to the yeast involved. I've seen a number of folks use various ale yeasts which will leave the mead very sweet, and I've seen some use champagne (or similar) yeast which...

Just bottled after leaving the ale on gelatin for 2 weeks (racked onto it for good mixing), with no cold crash. Took about a week to mostly clear. Could read a newspaper through the full carboy after 2. Had been pouring the gelatin in after racking, and it worked well, but I feel this worked...

Home Depot has 18 gallon blue tubs just like that for ~$5.99. Super-duper cheap.