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I'm brewing a Belgian Tripel, which came out very heavy and I ended up with a higher volume. I pitched probably about 300 billion yeast cells, into well aerated wort and it started rolling within 8 hours! The 7 gallon carboy is filled almost up to where it tapers and the Krausen started...

Hello. I have a really nice 15 gallon kettle I got from Homebrewstuff that came with a thermometer pre-drilled and in a 7/8" hole. The hole is a little bit high for smaller batches. They have a 1/2" kettle plug for sale on their website (which obviously isn't big enough), but not a 7/8" one...

Today I need to put cacao nibs into my secondary. I got to wondering, should I sanitize them? That question gave me an excuse to go buy a 5th of Jack. So, my nibs have been soaking in about 3 or 4 ounces of Gentlemans Jack for a few hours. I'm wondering, what will pouring the liquor...

:rockin: Hops utilization is one of the things I've been focused on improving in my brew process. I used to use those little "hops balls", that said they could hold an ounce of hops. Yeah, they can hold an ounce of hops, but barely any wort gets into the wad of hops to utilize the...

Hello, I'm brewing this crazy brew from MWS called "Chocolate Covered Beavr Nutz". It sounds really awesome and I'm very excited about it. I discovered the hard way that I need to do something about the way I regulate the temperature of my mash. The stout needs to be a little bit on the...

I've got an ipa sitting on its dry hops in a plastic bucket with one of those 3-piece airlocks. I just noticed tonight that the airlock was so low on water that pressing down on the lid caused a whistle to come through the holes in the airlock's cap. It was clear that the water got so low...

First, I apologize if this question has been covered, as I have seen that it seems to be a repeated topic. However, I could not find the answer I'm looking for. The big question is, WHEN do I do a diacetyl rest? The general consensus seems to be when fermentation is at 75%. But how do I...

I was making a document for myself outlining the steps required for brewing, just to serve as a minder for reference. When I got to the part regarding lager fermentation, I hit a few bumps of uncertainty. Please correct me when I'm wrong. I'll just paste my ramblings: "For lagers Take gravity...

I'm planning a lager this weekend that will use Wyeast 2042. I'll probably ferment it at a target of 50 degrees. I'm planning to use a starter and I have a few questions about that. I've done starters before, but I usually winged it. 1: Should the starter be fermented at the same temp as...

My Rye PA brew started out quite nicely. The brew went well and fermentation was off to a fast start. I pitched Sunday night, woke up Wednesday morning and saw the temp was a little low from the cold night, so I plugged in my FermWrap. I then took off for work and completely forgot about it...

I've been working to make the lager process right so I can enjoy some good homebrewed lager. I have 3 lagers almost done, a Sam Adams Noble Pils clone, a Bud Like, and a Fosters clone. I racked the Bud Like into the secondary tonight and was disappointed to smell diacetyl. I also noticed...

I'm working on mastering the art of lagering. I have a Sam Adams Noble Pils clone, a Bud Like clone, and a Fosters clone in progress now. The Sam Adams reached a point where the fermentation slowed enough that the krausen fell in, so I decided to do a diacetyl rest. I did a lot of research...

I've got about 8.5 lb of a variety of pale and pilsner, some Maris Otter, and a few others. I have plenty of extra specialty grain, and enough extra misc hops. I'm thinking about getting an ale yeast and mixing it all up. I was just curious if this is a bad idea for any reason I can't see and...

I have a recipe that calls for pure cane sugar. Is this some special kind of sugar, or is it the same stuff my wife puts in the cookies that comes in a standard white bag like the flour does? If it's special, any clues as to how to find it? Thanks in advance.

I've got a Lager that has been in the fermenter for a LONG time. I made the mistake of transferring it into the secondary (glass) before it was finished fermenting. We all have to learn somehow. Unfortunately, the most effective way of learning is by screwing up. I figured there was...

I had an idea on a way to efficiently aerate my wort before pitching and I can't see a thing wrong with it, but I wanted to mention it to you all to see what you think of this idea. I bought one of those high volume air pumps with a dual-action pump (blows air on the up stroke and the down...

I just finished a Celebrator Doppelbock clone and checked the gravity. After very carefully reading the hydrometer, I get 1.063 @ 75°. The target OG is 1.080 - 1.085. How the heck can I be 20 points below target? :(

I got overly ambitious and bored the day I decided to do my starter for the brew I'm about to finish. I actually took all the ingredients for the brew (except the hops) and made about 3/4 gal of mash to feed my yeast. The timing was just about perfect. The yeast cake in the bottom of my...

I'm brewing a Grolsch clone right now. It's my first lager, so of course I made mistakes. I don't want to get into the debate over whether or not to use a secondary, but I did choose to use a secondary for this brew. My mistake was, I didn't wait for the krausen to fall. It was only about...

Less than a year ago, I stored some leftover grain into tupperware containers/storage bags and put them in the freezer. How long should these grains last without any unwanted side-effects? Freezing the grain shouldn't hurt it right? The grains are crushed. Thanks again!