Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[douglasbarbin]

Ok thanks.

I normally did 2 weeks in fermenter then 3 in the bottle. I'll switch those around with this recent batch. Also I'll pick up some of that yeast you recommended from my LHBS.

Would it be ok to put the LBK in a swamp cooler? Right now it's in a cooler that stays at 70 f.

Swamp cooler is fine as long as water from the swamp cooler can't enter the LBK.

 

[ericbw]

Everything I have said is consistent.

1) There is no scientific reason that the size of the carbonation bubble would be any different based on carbonation method.

2) The very slight differences that do occur as a result of carbonation methods are imperceptible to the masters as evidenced by;

3) the fact that their written resources state as much. You can look these up yourself.

4) It is therefore common sense to understand that if the masters cannot discern a difference, then neither can someone positing on a website in the Mr. Beer forum.

5) However, I stated a willingness to allow demonstrable proof that I'm wrong...that somehow, there is a sensory savant who can tell the difference between types of gasoline by smell alone.

I am not the person who is claiming something that flies in the face of the knowledge available, and even when I've offered to allow him to prove me wrong, he simply says he's done his own tests and can tell the difference. I'm saying that the Pygmalion Effect is in play which, given all of the evidence available, makes the most sense.

I know that some people really WANT to believe that using different carbonation methods make a noticeable difference. I did at one time, too. I finally started looking into it, which is what everyone who has a question should be doing, and I found it pretty overwhelming that it really just doesn't matter.

If there is a "scientific" explanation for why the bubbles are the same size, that would be helpful. But saying there is no reason why they are not the same size is not really something that can be backed up, unless you know all scientific reasons for everything. If we did, there would be no research.

Saying to look it up for yourself, when you already have access to it, since you looked it up, is not helpful to the community. It's not laziness, since you're willing to send three beers, wait for results, send another three, and potentially send a brew kettle as well. So point us in the direction of the masters' work.

Instead of feeling attacked, wouldn't it be easier to simply answer the question about what resource you have used to come to the conclusion you have? I don't know (or care) if there is a difference. But I'm always curious how people arrive at their conclusions.

 

[ericbw]

Ok thanks.

I normally did 2 weeks in fermenter then 3 in the bottle. I'll switch those around with this recent batch. Also I'll pick up some of that yeast you recommended from my LHBS.

Would it be ok to put the LBK in a swamp cooler? Right now it's in a cooler that stays at 70 f.

That should be fine to do. I also think you get better results with temperatures in the 60s. Now that I have control, I aim for 64, but in the past, keeping it under 68 seemed good. (Except for saisons, where you want to get it hot.)

 

[banks741938]

Sorry if this was posted before didn't read all the posts... Is the saintizer that comes with the mr beer kits any good. How much for a gallon? 1 tbs??? Thanks!

 

[uatuba]

If there is a "scientific" explanation for why the bubbles are the same size, that would be helpful. But saying there is no reason why they are not the same size is not really something that can be backed up, unless you know all scientific reasons for everything. If we did, there would be no research.



Saying to look it up for yourself, when you already have access to it, since you looked it up, is not helpful to the community. It's not laziness, since you're willing to send three beers, wait for results, send another three, and potentially send a brew kettle as well. So point us in the direction of the masters' work.



Instead of feeling attacked, wouldn't it be easier to simply answer the question about what resource you have used to come to the conclusion you have? I don't know (or care) if there is a difference. But I'm always curious how people arrive at their conclusions.

Fine. Click here: http://bit.ly/1IQemuN

 

[uatuba]

Sorry if this was posted before didn't read all the posts... Is the saintizer that comes with the mr beer kits any good. How much for a gallon? 1 tbs??? Thanks!

It is good. Many will tell you that it is a "cleanser" and not a sanitizer, and they are right in the sense that it has not been FDA approved as a sanitizer. But if it is sodium percarbonate, and I think it is, it forms hydrogen peroxide which definitely kills bacteria. It's a PITA to use properly because it doesn't instantly dissolve, but I've used it (OxiClean Free) several times in a pinch. Iodophor or StarSan is probably easier, but not necessarily better.

 

[banks741938]

It is good. Many will tell you that it is a "cleanser" and not a sanitizer, and they are right in the sense that it has not been FDA approved as a sanitizer. But if it is sodium percarbonate, and I think it is, it forms hydrogen peroxide which definitely kills bacteria. It's a PITA to use properly because it doesn't instantly dissolve, but I've used it (OxiClean Free) several times in a pinch. Iodophor or StarSan is probably easier, but not necessarily better.

Thanks. So how much per gallon. I use 1 tbsp per gallon with one step.. I would guess it's about the same... Thanks!

 

[uatuba]

Whatever the instructions are on the packet should be good.

 

[slym2none]

Yeah, if I were being 100% honest with my input I'd say ferment for 2, carb/condition for room temp for 4 total and then sit in fridge for a week before tasting but we all know that nobody has that patience for their first outing so I was trying to be realistic

1) the above quote is 3 years old; this I know
2) I'm gonna beat that by 2 weeks. I'm going a 3-5-1 route, 3 weeks to ferment, 3 weeks to carb with an additional 2 on top of that for a total of 5 weeks carb/conditioning, 1 week in the fridge.

I swear, I'm gonna make it! Tomorrow is the end of week 2 in the fermenter. I actually saw a few small patches of bubbles on the surface looking through my LBK with a powerful flashlight tonight, so I am guessing it is still fermenting ever so slightly. One more week to make sure (no hydrometer yet) and to let it "clean up" before a quick cold-crash & bottling!

 

[ericbw]

1) the above quote is 3 years old; this I know

2) I'm gonna beat that by 2 weeks. I'm going a 3-5-1 route, 3 weeks to ferment, 3 weeks to carb with an additional 2 on top of that for a total of 5 weeks carb/conditioning, 1 week in the fridge.



I swear, I'm gonna make it! Tomorrow is the end of week 2 in the fermenter. I actually saw a few small patches of bubbles on the surface looking through my LBK with a powerful flashlight tonight, so I am guessing it is still fermenting ever so slightly. One more week to make sure (no hydrometer yet) and to let it "clean up" before a quick cold-crash & bottling!

To be honest, I ferment 4 weeks usually. It's just easier. I know some say that's not necessary, but it works for me.

 

[ericbw]

Fine. Click here: http://bit.ly/1IQemuN

I got a good laugh from this, so thank you. Did you read any of the articles the search turned up? The ones about different bubble sizes, how they're produced, and taste preferences for certain bubble sizes (soda, not beer). I didn't read all of it, but enough to know that it's not "carbonation is carbonation is carbonation."

And it's far from "effing common sense."

 

[uatuba]

I got a good laugh from this, so thank you. Did you read any of the articles the search turned up? The ones about different bubble sizes, how they're produced, and taste preferences for certain bubble sizes (soda, not beer). I didn't read all of it, but enough to know that it's not "carbonation is carbonation is carbonation."

And it's far from "effing common sense."

I absolutely did read the articles when I researched the issue the first time, and they absolutely do say exactly what you're claiming they do not say. The consensus is that the "finer bubble" is due to CO2 being more thoroughly dissolved in the solution and that it being dissolved in solution is a function of time. Nucleation sites also become less and less of an issue as time goes on because suspended particles drop out of solution.

To me, it's common sense if you think about the mechanics of how a liquid becomes carbonated to begin with.

 

[ericbw]

I absolutely did read the articles when I researched the issue the first time, and they absolutely do say exactly what you're claiming they do not say. The consensus is that the "finer bubble" is due to CO2 being more thoroughly dissolved in the solution and that it being dissolved in solution is a function of time. Nucleation sites also become less and less of an issue as time goes on because suspended particles drop out of solution.

To me, it's common sense if you think about the mechanics of how a liquid becomes carbonated to begin with.

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/06/19/8-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-seltzer

But what do you make of this: "A keg system, on the other hand, can reach a higher pressure and is much colder, so you have tiny bubbles."

 

[douglasbarbin]

To be honest, I ferment 4 weeks usually. It's just easier. I know some say that's not necessary, but it works for me.

Unless you are making some really high-gravity beers (which I kind of doubt if you're using Mr. Beer kits), you need to examine your process if it is taking you almost a month to ferment a 2-gallon batch. I do mostly 5 and 10 gallon batches now (typical OG is around 1.060), and they take 2 weeks at the absolute most (except for lagers). By the 3rd week, I am usually drinking it (although I keg).

You may want to look at things like:

• oxygenating your wort before pitching yeast
• pitching enough yeast
• temperature control during fermentation

 

[ericbw]

Unless you are making some really high-gravity beers (which I kind of doubt if you're using Mr. Beer kits), you need to examine your process if it is taking you almost a month to ferment a 2-gallon batch. I do mostly 5 and 10 gallon batches now (typical OG is around 1.060), and they take 2 weeks at the absolute most (except for lagers). By the 3rd week, I am usually drinking it (although I keg).



You may want to look at things like:

• oxygenating your wort before pitching yeast
  
• pitching enough yeast
  
• temperature control during fermentation
  

This is why I said some will disagree. I pitch enough yeast and control temp. It's probably done fermenting sooner and could be kegged. However, I usually just let it run 4 weeks.

 

[slym2none]

*edit*

 

[slym2none]

Are these plans ok to make use of the keg I have sitting around:
*Brown Porter (hoping for slight chocolate flavor from malt - also good for color)
1lb Light DME
1lb Amber DME
.25lb Chocolate Malt (US) *about 350SRM
.25oz Chinook (60min)
.25oz Kent Golding (30min)
------
Boil a little over 1 gallon of water. Add in DME, 60min Chinook, and chocolate malt. Remove chocolate malt at 30min and add other hops. After boil/cool, add to keg and top up with clean/boiled water to 2 gallons.

I ran the numbers through a BrewR android app with a 2 gallon batch size and 1 gallon boil and everything looks ok.

If you're only going to use 1 gallon for the boil, I'd use 1/2 the DME for the boil and add the other half at flameout (or you can add near the end of the boil if you want to boil it, but boiling isn't really necessary). If you want to keep the light DME light, I'd use that for the late extract addition.

2-year-old posts, but this recipe looks pretty easy & I have a question - you wouldn't want to boil the chocolate malt itself, correct? Only after taking the actual grains out...

 

[Oginme]

2-year-old posts, but this recipe looks pretty easy & I have a question - you wouldn't want to boil the chocolate malt itself, correct? Only after taking the actual grains out...

That's correct. You steep the chocolate malt (crushed) in your water (heated to 150F to 160F) for about 20 minutes. Use a small steeping bag to hold the grains. Then remove the grains and stir in your extract as it is heating up to a boil.

 

[douglasbarbin]

This is why I said some will disagree. I pitch enough yeast and control temp. It's probably done fermenting sooner and could be kegged. However, I usually just let it run 4 weeks.

Definitely won't hurt anything to keep it in there for 4 weeks, even if it may be done sooner. So if you're happy with it and you are hitting your numbers, carry on!

 

[slym2none]

That's correct. You steep the chocolate malt (crushed) in your water (heated to 150F to 160F) for about 20 minutes. Use a small steeping bag to hold the grains. Then remove the grains and stir in your extract as it is heating up to a boil.

Thanks, that's what I thought. The move from Mr. Beer extracts to malt extracts w/hop boil really doesn't seem hard. I am a cook/chef and I understand these things, so will probably have my first AG batch before year's end, but no promises.

 

[Oginme]

Thanks, that's what I thought. The move from Mr. Beer extracts to malt extracts w/hop boil really doesn't seem hard. I am a cook/chef and I understand these things, so will probably have my first AG batch before year's end, but no promises.

Look into BIAB for doing all-grain. It took me six batches to move: 3 Mr. Beer kits, 1 extract with steeping grains, 2 partial mash. Once you've done a partial mash it's a real easy jump to all-grain.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Look into BIAB for doing all-grain. It took me six batches to move: 3 Mr. Beer kits, 1 extract with steeping grains, 2 partial mash. Once you've done a partial mash it's a real easy jump to all-grain.

I've always thought that partial mash is really kind of pointless. If you're going to be mashing anyways, why not just mash for all of your fermentables instead of mashing some grain and still adding extract? If you do a partial mash, you aren't saving any time because the mash takes the same amount of time, and you aren't saving any money because extract is more expensive than grain. It's kind of the worst of both worlds, IMO.

I guess the point I was trying to make is, you might as well skip partial mash and go straight to all grain after you get comfortable with extract.

 

[Oginme]

I've always thought that partial mash is really kind of pointless. If you're going to be mashing anyways, why not just mash for all of your fermentables instead of mashing some grain and still adding extract? If you do a partial mash, you aren't saving any time because the mash takes the same amount of time, and you aren't saving any money because extract is more expensive than grain. It's kind of the worst of both worlds, IMO.

I guess the point I was trying to make is, you might as well skip partial mash and go straight to all grain after you get comfortable with extract.

Fully agree with this. At the time, BIAB was just coming on the scene. What I outlined above was my route and not a recommendation.

 

[slym2none]

I have heard about the Mr. Beer "thin mouthfeel" and for my third batch, I plan on steeping some grains to go with their Diablo IPA, I think 4 oz. of Crystal 40L malt.

I don't think I will have far to go until I am into AG - esp. at a size I can work with right in my kitchen. Heck, I have two LBK fermenters, I just need another cooler before I can make 5-gallon batches & split them, cutting the water down to 2.4 G for each LBK. I do want to get a couple of extract & hop-boil batches under my belt first, though.

I need to start making a list of things I have learned in this thread alone... hmm...

 

[slym2none]

Double-post, sorry...

 

[slym2none]

OK, more of a small-batch question then just Mr. Beer, but since that is what I am using... I understand that you need malt in your boil to get the hops right, but how much? I am running a 2.15 gallon batch of beer tonight (Novacaine barleywine) and I am adding 1# of DME & some hops, and don't want to caramelize the DME too much, so for a 2-gallon boil size, how much DME do I need to put in there to get hops extraction?

TIA!

 

[slym2none]

(for your air-lock,) try using some boiled water instead of sanitizer, or even better yet is to put some vodka in it. Sanitizer foams, therefore will always decrease. Vodka does not foam, is sanitary, and cheep.

That's just alcohol abuse

85¢ for an airplane bottle at the liquor store, and it's keeping what, 5-6 gallons of your precious beer safe? I call that a worthwhile endeavour.

 

[Oginme]

OK, more of a small-batch question then just Mr. Beer, but since that is what I am using... I understand that you need malt in your boil to get the hops right, but how much? I am running a 2.15 gallon batch of beer tonight (Novacaine barleywine) and I am adding 1# of DME & some hops, and don't want to caramelize the DME too much, so for a 2-gallon boil size, how much DME do I need to put in there to get hops extraction?

TIA!

I would not worry about the DME carmelizing. It takes a much higher temperature than just boiling temps. You will get some additional melanoidin development (think toasty, malty flavors). The other impact will be the utilization of the alpha acids from the hops. As the gravity of the wort goes up, the rate at which the hop alpha acids goes down. So for the same hop addition, you will get more bitterness adding the DME the way you described above than if you were to add all the DME at the beginning of the boil.

 

[BigFloyd]

I've always thought that partial mash is really kind of pointless. If you're going to be mashing anyways, why not just mash for all of your fermentables instead of mashing some grain and still adding extract? If you do a partial mash, you aren't saving any time because the mash takes the same amount of time, and you aren't saving any money because extract is more expensive than grain. It's kind of the worst of both worlds, IMO.

I guess the point I was trying to make is, you might as well skip partial mash and go straight to all grain after you get comfortable with extract.

Not necessarily pointless. Many folks find partial (or mini) mash to be a convenient mid-step since it can more readily be done on a stovetop with a smaller pot if you don't have a big one. Sort of like doing extract plus.

You also don't have to be quite as concerned about having a variation in mash temp impact the character of the brew as much as it will in an AG batch.

I never did the partial-mash route, but have brewed with a friend who does. My journey was Mr. Beer ---> Extract ---> AG with a chest cooler mash tun ---> homebuilt PID-controlled 240V 5500W recirculating E-BIAB system in a 15g keggle.

 

[slym2none]

Well... got my Novacaine brewed up around midnight last night. This was 3 cans of the HME from Mr. Beer, a "Golden" (wheat) LME, and 1# of DME - A LOT of fermentables, plus I tossed in a packet of the MB yeast into the boil for "yeast nutrient"! I cooled the wort down to 80° F before putting it in the keg, topped off with room-temperature water (only about half a gallon) so I know I wasn't too hot this time. Then I pitched a packet of US-05 yeast and put it in my cooler with one frozen bottle, thinking the yeast might not take off like last time but if it did, I want it to be cool in there to avoid blowing the top off of the LBK.

It's been sitting 12+ hours, and I have no signs of activity.



I assumed it was always the Mr. Beer yeast that didn't take off right away sometimes. Is this true of any of the yeasts? In other words, should I just RDWHAHB and wait for the yeast to come alive for a few? I took the ice-bottles out now, figuring to let it warm up a bit.

Oh, lawsy, here we go again...

 

[douglasbarbin]

Well... got my Novacaine brewed up around midnight last night. This was 3 cans of the HME from Mr. Beer, a "Golden" (wheat) LME, and 1# of DME - A LOT of fermentables, plus I tossed in a packet of the MB yeast into the boil for "yeast nutrient"! I cooled the wort down to 80° F before putting it in the keg, topped off with room-temperature water (only about half a gallon) so I know I wasn't too hot this time. Then I pitched a packet of US-05 yeast and put it in my cooler with one frozen bottle, thinking the yeast might not take off like last time but if it did, I want it to be cool in there to avoid blowing the top off of the LBK.

It's been sitting 12+ hours, and I have no signs of activity.



I assumed it was always the Mr. Beer yeast that didn't take off right away sometimes. Is this true of any of the yeasts? In other words, should I just RDWHAHB and wait for the yeast to come alive for a few? I took the ice-bottles out now, figuring to let it warm up a bit.

Oh, lawsy, here we go again...

It's not uncommon for yeast to have a lag time of 12 hours (or even much longer), especially if you are using dry yeast or liquid yeast without a starter. Also, oxygenating your wort helps to eliminate some of this lag time.

That being said, some yeast never make a krausen, and sometimes the airlock never bubbles. You can't use krausen or airlock activity as a sign of fermentation.

Bottom line, I definitely wouldn't worry about it.

 

[slym2none]

Thanks, that eases my mind a bit. I will keep checking on it to see if I can notice any activity, and as soon as I do, I will put the ice-bottles back in. Temps are below 70 in the house right now, so it will be slow to warm up, I imagine. FTR - I whisked up the wort like mad before pitching the yeast, made a good bit of foam just from the whisking action.

Next thing - I added the cooler water to the keg first, and I knew I had a good bit of wort to go in the LBK, so I only put about 2 quarts in there before topping off with the wort. Thing is, even with the 35-minute boil, once I added the three HMEs & the LME, I had too much for the LBK since it already had water in it. Of course, I didn't know this until I got near the end of pouring the wort in, so I am left with a solid quart of wort that didn't make it into the LBK, which is filled up to the bottom of the "Q" (almost exactly 2.4 gallons, I measured my LBK beforehand). I am planning on adding this wort, after boiling it again & cooling it off, after the high krausen is gone (if it shows up) or at least after primary fermentation, as I don't want to blow up my LBK. I imagine this will add some time to the fermentation, so I am planning on 4 weeks on the yeast.

Comments? Advice?

ipe:

 

[douglasbarbin]

FTR - I whisked up the wort like mad before pitching the yeast, made a good bit of foam just from the whisking action.

This isn't the same as oxygenating the wort, although it's definitely better than nothing.

Next thing - I added the cooler water to the keg first, and I knew I had a good bit of wort to go in the LBK, so I only put about 2 quarts in there before topping off with the wort. Thing is, even with the 35-minute boil, once I added the three HMEs & the LME, I had too much for the LBK since it already had water in it. Of course, I didn't know this until I got near the end of pouring the wort in, so I am left with a solid quart of wort that didn't make it into the LBK, which is filled up to the bottom of the "Q" (almost exactly 2.4 gallons, I measured my LBK beforehand). I am planning on adding this wort, after boiling it again & cooling it off, after the high krausen is gone (if it shows up) or at least after primary fermentation, as I don't want to blow up my LBK. I imagine this will add some time to the fermentation, so I am planning on 4 weeks on the yeast.

Comments? Advice?

ipe:

Adding that quart may kick off active fermentation again. At any rate, I don't see how it is going to help your volume issue, as the volume will be the same. If you are worried about krausen/blowoff, you could try adding some Fermcap-S. Personally, I would probably just use it as wort for a starter in the future.

 

[slym2none]

Adding that quart may kick off active fermentation again. At any rate, I don't see how it is going to help your volume issue, as the volume will be the same. If you are worried about krausen/blowoff, you could try adding some Fermcap-S. Personally, I would probably just use it as wort for a starter in the future.

Well, since it is only a quart, I figured that fermentation wouldn't be as vigorous as the 'primary' fermentation is going to be, so the extra volume wouldn't be so severe.

As far as using for a starter-wort... it's a mix of the Cerveza, Pilsner, & Stout HMEs, so I don't really know where I could use such a thing at the moment. That's the only reason I want to go ahead and add it to the LBK in a week or so, I can't see it being a viable starter for any other beer style I am going to make soon.

I guess it would be OK in a porter or stout... how long do you think the wort will last in the fridge? It's sealed up in a restaurant-style plastic quart container.

*EDIT* For my current batch - hour 12, no activity; hour 13, some bubbles on the top ( ) ; hour 16, the entire surface is covered in a 1/4" layer of foam, so I'd say I am off & running! Time to put the ice-bottles back.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Another option might be to sanitize your empty LBK, then pour some of your existing wort (with yeast in suspension) into it and add the extra quart to that.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Comments? Advice?

ipe:

It sounds like it might be time for a 6 1/2 gallon fermentation bucket. They sell at most LHBS for around $20. Lots of room for more beer.

 

[slym2none]

Another option might be to sanitize your empty LBK, then pour some of your existing wort (with yeast in suspension) into it and add the extra quart to that.

If I had a 1-gallon carboy or something like that, and the room for extra stuff, I would totally do that... but I don't.

It sounds like it might be time for a 6 1/2 gallon fermentation bucket. They sell at most LHBS for around $20. Lots of room for more beer.

I don't have the room and the person I live with wouldn't appreciate it. It was a fight getting the floor space for the cooler big enough to hold the LBK as it was. A 5-gallon bucket sitting in a swamp cooler? No way. (BTW, I live in NC.) It's one reason one LBK stays empty for now, although my beer-bro is supposed to take over that one at some point. Now, if we can get his wife to let him have a 5-gallon set-up...

:rockin:

*ANOTHER EDIT* - hour 24, and my wort is covered in a good inch of krausen! The yeast is definitely taking off. I have the interior of the cooler at 60° F, so hopefully I won't get a blowout.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Brewing does tend to take over a space if you let it. I have a 6' x 12' closet off my dining room that used to hold all kinds of stuff, now all that is in there is my bottled beer, empty bottles, brew pots, and other paraphernalia used in the brewing process. SWMBO isn't happy!

 

[ericbw]

Thanks, that eases my mind a bit. I will keep checking on it to see if I can notice any activity, and as soon as I do, I will put the ice-bottles back in. Temps are below 70 in the house right now, so it will be slow to warm up, I imagine. FTR - I whisked up the wort like mad before pitching the yeast, made a good bit of foam just from the whisking action.

Next thing - I added the cooler water to the keg first, and I knew I had a good bit of wort to go in the LBK, so I only put about 2 quarts in there before topping off with the wort. Thing is, even with the 35-minute boil, once I added the three HMEs & the LME, I had too much for the LBK since it already had water in it. Of course, I didn't know this until I got near the end of pouring the wort in, so I am left with a solid quart of wort that didn't make it into the LBK, which is filled up to the bottom of the "Q" (almost exactly 2.4 gallons, I measured my LBK beforehand). I am planning on adding this wort, after boiling it again & cooling it off, after the high krausen is gone (if it shows up) or at least after primary fermentation, as I don't want to blow up my LBK. I imagine this will add some time to the fermentation, so I am planning on 4 weeks on the yeast.

Comments? Advice?

ipe:

I wouldn't bother with adding it. You hit your volume, and your gravity will be a tiny bit under. I think the risks are not worth it. Leave the fermenter closed (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

As for the extra wort, do you have room in the freezer? I made a gallon of wort fur starters, then froze it in quarts. You could use that for just about any style if you decant most of it.

 

[slym2none]

Hello, all. I just got a Mr. Beer kit from a friend and plan on using it soon. I do plan on reading through all 600 pages of this thread first, too. *gulp*

I'll reply again soon!

3 frickin' weeks later... and I am at my first post ever! First batch of beer is in the fridge cold-crashing, second batch is bubbling happily away in my cooler. Bottling the Klondike Gold tomorrow.

I have learned a lot reading through all these posts.