Search results

If you want to add a little kick, add a few pounds of honey. It will ferment to a drier finish, and add 1% per pound. No need to boil, just dissolve in hot water

Bob, Im southwest of Springfield. Im going to move my patch this year to a spot that has a bit more shade, but will still get plenty of sun. Hopefully it will retain more moisture, and I am starting my plants in pots this year to maybe get a better start

I got my rhizomes last week. They are in pots right now, and a couple have already sprouted. Im in southwest MO, and planted in the wrong place last time. Too much sun and not enough water. Got a new spot picked out, hope for better results this time. Good luck!

Shoot the squirrels. Use a small caliber rifle or pistol, such as a .22, and try for a head shot so as not to destroy the meat. After cleaning the squirrels, freeze them. Then this winter after youve made several batches of beer using your homegrown hops, thaw the frozen squirrel meat out and...

Chill haze is mostly caused by proteins. Im not sure if the added extract will be the cause, but you might look into clarifying agents-maybe polyclar?

I use honey in several beers as well as cider. It will add 1% abv per pound. Takes a little longer to ferment and condition, but well worth the wait

Blue Ribbon is now Premier Malt Extract. You can get it from E C Kraus in Missouri. www.eckraus.com Comes in a 2.2 lb can. I plan on getting some in about a week to use as part of my great grandads Prohibition recipe

Ive made several honey ales, using from 1-3 lbs honey. Honey ferments completely, which will add a drier finish to beer. It will add 1 percent alcohol per pound. Some say boil, some say dont boil. I have never boiled the honey, just added to 1 gallon warm water in the fermenter before adding...

Thanks. I plan on building my own crusher and press, then buying the grapes and fruit until those I plant start to produce

When making wine from grapes, does one need to remove the seeds, or just run fruit thru crusher seeds and all? I know stems need to be removed

If youve already pitched then dont top off. Less volume usually means a bit fuller, maybe a little more abv. Aeration shouldnt be a problem, sometimes I have a slow ferment and will give fermenter a good shake or two to get things going again. Shouldnt be a problem with yeast just a bit over...

You should be ready to rack anytime. As for oak, Ive never used it in cider, but if its like mead, probably just leave it in secondary for a week, maybe two

Thanks. Looks like Ill have to find a place to buy some grapes 50 lbs at a time for now

I have been brewing for several years now, and have also been making cider and mead. Lately, Ive gotten interested in growing my own grapes to make wine. I have some books on the way, but have a couple questions. When is the best time to plant? Also, how many years does it take to get a harvest...

Instead of taxpayer subsidised rebuilding for Katrina victims ( this seems to be the overriding theme to this topic), I would be in favor of a relocation program. Move them to California and other states that rely heavily on an illegal immigrant population to work in the agriculture industry...

I made this one for my uncle, and he seems to like it: 6 lb wheat DME, 1/4 lb flaked oats, 1/4 lb flaked wheat, 1/2 oz Tettnager (boil), 1/2 oz Hallertau (boil), Irish moss at 15 minutes, and Wyeast 3638. O.G. 1.052 F.G. 1.012. I used oats for this recipe just to be a little different. As for...

By "stinks", I take it theres sulphur smell? Thats normal. Hefeweizen is supposed to be cloudy, but instead of just letting it sit in secondary for 3 days, take gravity readings each day. If the gravity does not change, the beer should be done, as long as its at or very close to your est. F.G.

Ive always used Red Star Cote des Blancs for my still cider, adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, no measurements, just sprinkle some into secondary. Potassium sorbate to inhibit yeast activity, then sweeten to taste with table sugar.

Keep checking gravity till right before you bottle. Lager yeast works best at colder temps, but it will also ferment a bit slower.

Go for it. "Juice" and "cider" are actually the same thing here in the US, "Hard cider" is made from apple juice (cider) with yeast. In England, "juice" is unfermented while "cider" is the fermented version