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I had planned on brewing a few days back and purchased my RO water for the brew. Unfortunately things did not go as planned, and I will be brewing this weekend instead. I assume there's no ill effects to letting the water sit in covered 5-gallon plastic buckets given that it's only been a few...

I purchased a smack pack of Wyeast Czech Pils 2278 and made my 3L starter per usual. I noticed that the pack did not fully expand like it usually does, but my LHBS said it was a slow starter and would eventually come around. After 24 hours there was no activity. After 36 hours there was some...

I was wondering if anybody can offer suggestions as to why some of my kegs turn out really foamy and others do not. I have a Czech Pilsner on right now that started out foamy, and the tap continues to deposit 1/3-1/2 a pint full of head into the glass. My method of carbonation is the slow...

My brother and I are starting up a Kansas City nanobrewery specializing in German beers. We have developed a logo and some recipes but were in the planning stages of designing the physical brewery itself. We have looked at several turnkey systems online and have decided to save money by...

I rinsed some yeast that had fermented a munich helles and repitched it into a new batch of dunkel. The yeast had been in the helles carboy for three weeks when I crash cooled the batch to 40 F from 50 F. I rinsed the yeast and put immediately into the refrigerator and pitched the next day. I...

Since 3 lbs. of DME costs $17 at my LHBS, I've been looking for a cheaper way to do my yeast starters. Last weekend I did a second sparge after I had gathered all my helles wort in the brew kettle to get a low gravity "small beer" wort at 1.020 gravity in order to use it for this week's starter...

I was going to brew Jamil's Munich Dunkel recipe, which calls for 99% Munich Dark and 1% Carafa II Special, which has been dehusked and does not impart much roasted flavors, mostly color, to the wort. The problem is that my LHBS does not carry Carafa II, just Carafa I. My question is that if I...

I've been using Kaiser's Water Calculator spreadsheet as well as Martin Brungard's Bru'n Water in preparation for brewing an alt beer. These spreadsheets are great applications and have simplified the water treatment process for me. My tap water averages from the water company's website are as...

I am currently undertaking a keezer build and deciding what system to install on my kegerator to fit my needs. I want to have three kegs on tap (12 psi) but I also want to have the option to pressurize a plastic bottle with a carbonator cap & also shoot CO2 into a plastic bottle to dissolve...

I measured my mash pH last night in anticipation of an upcoming brewday of a German pilsner. I tested the mash pH of Weyermann pilsner malt in a solution of 50% filtered tap water and 50% RO water. My tap water averages from the yearly water report are as follows: Alkalinity: 60ppm Calcium...

I'm brewing a Munich Helles and will probably need an addition of an acid to bring the pH down to the acceptable range for mashing. My question is which acid to use. I have some phosphoric acid that I picked up from my HBS, but the worry with its use is that it will reduce calcium. I have heard...

I just checked the water profile report of my city (Roeland Park, KS) in anticipation of brewing a Munich Helles. Here are the specifics: • Alkalinity: 60 ppm • Calcium: 73 ppm • Magnesium: 60 ppm • Sodium: 52 ppm • Chloride: 55 ppm • Sulfate: 124ppm • BiCarbonate (HCO3): ?????? • pH...

I am a few days away from bottling my kolsch, which has been lagering in the secondary for nearly 5 weeks. I want a really clear beer that is characteristic of the style, but I want a crisp, carbonated beer as well. 1.Should I strain the beer when I transfer it to the bottling bucket to...