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Thanks!

I pitched 2 packs of Safale 05 into a batch of 1.072 stout almost two weeks ago. Fermentation started in under 8 hours and was vigorous. After the krauzen had fallen, I ramped fermentation temps upward from 64-66 to 66-68, and airlock activity increased noticeably. At 12 days in, the airlock...

This is way out of my league. But seems like the best way to avoid malted syrup after freezing is to make the overall percentage of adjunct sugars high.

Not quite as dramatic. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is one of my favorites. It's consistently good in bottle from the local grocery. I recently had the rare chance to try a glass of the same brew on tap. It was a clear notch up in freshness, hop aroma and flavor from what I drink in bottle. The...

You occasionally catch blurbs about adding various antioxidants to the process--citric acid, ascorbic acid--Papa Charlie is supposedly an advocate of small amounts of cinnamon. It's all pretty vague, though.

I'm interested in trying my hand at "big beers", maybe in the .08 to .10 OG range. I've heard that aerating the wort a second time after pitching is advisable past a certain point. Two questions, please: -I don't want to mess with aeration stones and so forth. How far can I push the OG...

The working liquid is probably some kind of mostly harmless alcohol. But I would be sure it isn't something much worse.

-Cleaning up the kitchen so I can get down to the fun of brewing. -having to work around the standard too-small home sink and too-low faucet gooseneck.

I'll toss in my 2 coins worth: Go to a regulated fermentation chamber with the temp probe taped to the fermenter and covered with some insulation, such as thin foam. The next best arrangement would be a fermenter immersed in water. Your fermenter has a hard time dissipating enough heat in air...

I'm getting a little confused in sorting out your past problems of high FG vs the stuck fermentation you have now. Stuck ferments are a special animal. I think you may reach a point where further meddling with this batch could do more harm than good. If it tastes decent--especially after...

Make your life easier :D and buy a small bottle of StarSan concentrate. If mixed with distilled or RO water and if you test the solution periodically with ph strips--which are uber cheap--it can be reused practically forever. Off flavors are almost never an issue with StarSan.

It just so happens Brew Strong has done a recent podcast on getting the best out of kit beers. http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/698

+1 on adding most of the simple sugars near high krauzen during the ferment for better attenuation.

leechdemon, I've probably missed something. But are you pitching an 11 gram packet of Notty--that's a huge number of yeast for 1 gallon --into the 1 gal. mini-batch in order to re-start a stuck ferment, or to start a new ferment? Re-hydrating dried yeast and making a large liquid starter are...

leechdemon, Start by using a brand of yeast with a solid track record that comes in a packet dated for freshness. It's hard to go wrong with Fermentis S-05 or S-04. Follow the re-hydration instructions on the Fermentis website: http://www.fermentis.com/fo/60-Beer/60-11_product_rangeHB.asp...

Whatever floats your boat. But it sounds like a way overpriced ersatz eisbock. I would rather just buy some really good booze and mix to taste. :confused:

I don't know if 5 cups--about 2 pints?--of chlorinated water in 2 gallons could be enough to cause off flavors. I've had only one batch with this problem and never did pin-point the source. Some types of infection can supposedly cause chemical flavors as well as the usual culprits. My...

Very sorry to hear that! On the positive side: you are young, and your problem may turn out to be something that is curable. Some kinds of ulcers can be cured with antibiotics. Hang in, listen to your doctor, and concentrate of a speedy recovery.

The BetterBottle system is more than just another plastic jug. It's designed by professionals for the intended purpose. Glass is great, but not worth the risk for my purposes.

It's apparently a fantastic product with a history of intermittent quality control issues. When it's good, it's great.