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Thanks for the reassuring responses, all. And Calder, that makes a lot of sense. I think my wife had a vinegar going in the kitchen when I brewed this, so the opportunity for cross-contamination was there.

I'm not entirely a beginner -- this was my 52nd beer -- but this problem is a first for me. I brewed a Cali Common, tested it prior to a dry hop around week 2, removed the hops at week 3, and then tested it again at week 5 when I went to keg. At week 2 it was a balanced beer with a slight...

Thanks... I'm fond of her. ;)

And then she wrote about it on her blog, DIY or BUY: http://diybuy.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/apfelwein-hard-cider/ I consider this awesome on many levels: She writes well, and thus it's generally entertaining to read. Many of our friends read her blog, and perhaps this will encourage...

Two tips that I've found here and elsewhere that I've started using with fantastic results: 1. More grain is better. The first time I tried to do a partial mash using this system, I only used maybe 3 pounds of grain in a 3-gallon pot. I had a terrible time maintaining a constant temperature...

A quick peek after two weeks runs a minimal risk of oxidation, as long as you're not stirring things around or anything. After two weeks, the oxygen at the top of the bucket will be replaced with CO2, which will give you a nice buffer from the air outside the bucket. Infection is still a risk...

It went together easier than I expected. I bet you'll do fine. I will admit that this wasn't my first-ever DIY project, but it was definitely the biggest and most complex. The woodworking took the longest and was the most difficult for me. I had to borrow a miter saw to cut my boards. That's...

Yup, that's the drip tray I'm using. Then I just picked up three 4-inch angle brackets, some 5-minute clear epoxy, and some velcro strips from a hardware store. Attached the brackets to the freezer with the epoxy, put velcro on the top bit, and attached the tray using the velcro. That way I can...

After much planning and three part-time weekends worth of work, my keezer/kegerator is complete! The base of the kegerator is a white 7.2 Cu. Ft. E-Wave chest freezer (an E-Wave is a rebranded Magic Chef, which can hold 6 corny kegs) that I got used off Craigslist for $100. I'd originally...

My kegerator. Four taps currently, with room to upgrade to six later.

Airlock activity is not a sign of fermentation, and lack of airlock activity does not predict a lack of fermentation. The only real, easy way to tell how your fermentation is progressing is to take a hydrometer reading. That having been said, I doubt you have anything to worry about. It could...

The Crystal Clear bottling company (Des Moines-based company) has started replacing their old #7 plastic water jugs with #1 plastic. Once we started getting them at my office, I was able to pick up an empty 5 gallon water jug for $7.50. A cheapo bung and airlock later, and I have a whole new...

Thanks for the detailed feedback, KellyK. That's what I was looking for -- an understanding as to whether the amylase would stop on its own after a certain point, or if the quantity I added would merely speed/slow the conversion process. And my hydrometer IS significantly off... but I knew that...

I brewed my second-ever partial mash a few weeks ago, which also happened to be my first-ever 5 gallon batch (I did a dozen or so 2-gallon batches first). It was a Northern English Brown Ale cobbled together from various recipes on HBT that finished at a respectable OG of 1.047. However, I...

As someone will mention sooner or later, bubbles in the airlock are not a good indicator of what's going on with your fermentation. A hydrometer reading is still the only good (simple) way to tell what's going on. Things that people will want before giving you any advice: * What was your OG? *...

Your number still aren't quite right, but you're getting closer. Most people around here use 5oz per 5 gallons of beer, not 5oz per gallon. Although that number really varies depending on what style of beer you're brewing and so forth. 5oz for 5 gallons would be a good upper limit. And then...

You'll be fine at 1.052. Your FG shouldn't change all that much... possibly a point higher than it would have been otherwise. But it's important to note that the instruction-given OG and FG are estimates, not hard-and-fast rules. That having been said, yes, adding a touch more water (if you...

That's a fairly standard setup around here, as far as I can tell. I've used it a couple of times myself without a clogging problem. But that isn't to say a problem isn't possible. When I'm using a blowoff tube, I tend to check on it once or twice a day. As long as the airways look clear, you're...

Sounds to me like it'd make a light, floral pale ale. Beersmith has this to say: Estimated OG: 1.045 SG Estimated FG: 1.012 Estimated Color: 10.0 SRM Estimated IBU: 37.7 IBU Estimated ABV: 4.30% FYI, If you tossed in the half pound of amber extract you have laying around, you'd up the OG to...