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In a fit of deranged inspiration I recently brewed a pretty standard rye stout, OG 1.062 and pitched it onto a cake of Whitelabs 0565 Saison 1, from which I had just racked a rye saison. Primary is done and it tastes pretty good at SG 1.006, the roasted malt fairly dominates the yeast at this...

Yes and no, It was a redundant statement on my part, I wasn't having a very bright day yesterday. Efficiency can be based on either pre or post boil gravity readings, the extracted sugars are the same in both, the concentration is different due to the reduced post boil volume. Regardless of...

I originally got 1.053 too but that gives me 88% efficiency, which seems high, so I changed my methodology a bit and got 1.051 which sounds more realistic. I guess math is math though, 1.053 it is. Thanks, Rich.

I couldn't take a post boil gravity reading today. I took a pre boil reading, 1.042 for 7 gallons of wort. Post boil volume was 5.5 gallons. Using pretty straightforward arithmetic, I figure that my post boil gravity should be 1.051. Does this compute with anyone else? Thanks, Rich.

I'm in a similar situation with a WLP 004 stout OG 1.056, after 26 days in primary solidly stuck at 1.022. There may be a mashing issue here, the mash was at 158* for 45 minutes, showed full starch conversion at that point but no doubt the high temp reduced fermentability somewhat. I am...

During the summer, because of our high groundwater temps, I have a hard time chilling my wort below 80*F using my immersion chiller. I want to rig a recirculating ice water system using a pump to recirculate ice water from a reservoir through the immersion chiller and back to the reservoir. My...

I don't usually rack my session strength ales to a secondary fermenter but, due to a lack of primary space, today I racked an Irish Red to a corny for secondary. My intent is to leave it there at 66*ish for about 3 weeks before chilling and carbing. Can I just carb it directly in the...

Not entirely sure what this is, but I couldn't help thinking of carboy sanitzation when I saw it. http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/funny-gifs-the-whole-jar-burn.gif

I am working on a recipe for a light dry golden summer ale, I am not brewing to any particular style guidelines. I have come up with the following grain bill and hop additions but, I am undecided as to what yeast to use. The way I see it I could probably achieve the right dryness with a Saison...

Can I put a polysulfone QD on the ball valve on my boil kettle (Blichmann Boilermaker) and leave it there through the boil without it melting? The flame from my burner is concentrated under the kettle and my thermometer, which sits directly above the ball valve, doesn't get too hot to touch...

Does anyone have any input on whether oxygenation of pre-boil wort, due to a splashy transfer from MLT to kettle, is good, bad or indifferent? As always I appreciate your insight and knowledge. Rich.

I am in the process of converting an upright freezer into a fermentation/lagering chamber, using a temp controller etc. Does the freezer need to be vented to let the CO2 from the fermenter escape? Does the fermentation process not risk building up too much pressure and blowing the freezer door...

Last weekend I brewed up a 5 gal batch of extract Hefe Weizen. 6lb Muntons Wheat DME 12oz Muntons Extra Light DME 3AAU Hallertau hops @60 min 1L starter Wyeast 3068 O.G. 1.058 Boil 60 min. It has been in the 6.5 gal primary merrily fermenting away for the last week at 62*F. The...

I just brewed up a 5 gal batch of extract Hefe Weizen yesterday. I was expecting an OG of about 1.045 but I actually got 1.056. My recipe is as follows. 6lb Muntons Wheat DME 12oz Muntons Extra Light DME 3AAU Hallertau hops @60 min 1L starter Wyeast 3068 Boil 60 min. The recipe is...

It was the 24v fan powered by the 12v 1000mA power supply that was the problem, it spun the fan way too fast. The square section stir bar was too unstable at speed in the liquid and it just vibrated off into a corner and sulked. The potentiometer couldn't reduce the speed enough for the bar to...

Being an inveterate tinkerer I decided to build my own magnetic stir plate using a 3" fan and a rare earth magnet. The fan used is a 24v motor, the power supply is 12v 1000mA. The magnet is a 1 x 1/8 x 1/8 rectangular magnet which sticks, by it's own power, to the fans' hub. The speed is...

Wow, you guys are fast. Bensiff, I like the idea of not racking to a secondary but will a month on the yeast and trub not risk imparting off flavors to the beer? Some of the break material and hops made it into the fermenter. What would be the consequences of racking to a secondary and...

Only my second ever homebrew project, I have many questions but this one first. First attempt to make a strong Belgian ale. Boiled and cooled 5.25 Gallons wort @ OG 1.089, (all extract with some steeped specialty grains). Pitched one smack pack of activated Wyeast 1388 into wort at about...