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I'm two days into fermentation, and my LHBS doesn't have any calcium carbonate. Is there anything else I can use to keep the pH from dropping too low?

I've got 5 gallons of apple wine in a 6 gallon carboy. I would like to oak it before I bottle, but would opening it up before bottling time be too risky? It's full of CO2 now (I haven't touched it since I first pitched the yeast, except to degas during the first week), but that is a lot of...

So, I've got five gallons of apfelwein that I was thinking about oaking- how do I go about this? Adjunct sugars are mix of caramelized and un-caramelized honey, and I don't want to overpower the flavors from those... I've got a 3oz bag of medium toast American. How would I prepare the cubes, and...

Does the speed of primary fermentation when making apfelwein (ie one week with EC-1118 as opposed to three or four with D-47) result in any differences in the aging process? Would the faster ferment produce off-flavors that would take more time to mellow out, or would the aging process simply be...

Don't like the sounds of this too much- http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/honey-laundering/ At least now I can justify expensive local honey to SWMBO...

Hi all- I just tried my latest batch of cider, and it is wayyy too much like white wine, albeit carbonated. Will using an ale yeast change this? In this last batch I used Lalvin D-47, which (surprise surprise) is recommended as a white wine yeast. My recipe was as follows- 4/5 Mott's...

Hey all, I just bottled some cider about a week ago, when the house was about 70 degrees. But, we've just gotten some bad heat towards the second half of the week, and it's been around 80 in the house (it's actually up to 87 today). Should I be worried about the yeasties?

I've heard of nettle beer, but thought I would try my hand at some nettle mead... I'm thinking boil nettles, add 1 lb honey, and balance water to one gallon. Any suggestions for recipe tweaks/a good yeast to use? I'm a bit of a mead noob.

I'm planning on making a few gallon batches of cider, and want to use black tea to add some tannins and body. Does anyone have any experience with tea? What is a good tea/juice ratio? Graham

Hi all- tried the results of my first gallon of cider tonight. Verdict: drinkable, but rather thin and watery. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, and just used a gallon of organic apple juice and a packet of Nottingham ale yeast. Fermented and let it sit for eight weeks. I don't have a...

What's up with this? This is my first gallon of mead. I racked to secondary about a month ago, stuck it in a closet, and checked on it a few days ago. It looked like fermentation had started up again- lots of bubbles coming up the sides of the carboy, and foam collecting at the surface, but...

Hey guys- new to the forums, and just started my first cider today. One gallon Nature Valley organic apple juice, and Nottingham yeast. One question though: if I let it ferment all the way out, will I lose the apple character? Thanks for reading! Graham

Hey everyone! I'm new here, and just starting out with all this home brewing business. I've got a bunch of equipment from my dad, who used to brew beer, and I've got a gallon of "mead" (only in the loosest sense of the word) in secondary at my parents' house. I'm currently in my last semester...