Recent content by IslandLizard

I think it would be much, much safer if you started moving away from glass carboys completely, and use plastic alternatives instead. For example, use plastic buckets (HDPE) or choose from a variety of modern plastic (PET, #1 plastic) fermenters that have started to show up the past 10-15 years...

That would be my preference. Mylar, if possible (helium party balloons).

Those could be hairline fractures, caused by thermal stress. I doubt fractures like those could harbor microorganisms, but any stress induced in or around that area could cause it to crack or shatter. Simply picking it up when it's full could be disastrous. That's true for glass carboys in...

A small batch fermented in a large fermenter is not good either, too much headspace for things to go wrong in. Brewers need to be able to trust their equipment and proper sanitation regimen... Yeah, heating that carboy in the oven is likely the best strategy. 250°F is probably hot enough, but...

I was thinking neutral spirits, "unflavored" Jenever, such as Bokma or Lechner. Yup, Gin (juniper berries) would be the wrong flavor.

With "alcohol" I meant some simple booze. Jenever or Brandewijn @35% alcohol, would be fine to use. Heating it up a little may speed up the dissolving process, but don't get anywhere near to boiling it, as that would drive off essential aromas, which is counterproductive. Brewers often steep...

1/4 Campden tablet will treat 5 gallons of water. Crush up that 1/4 Campden tablet very finely before adding it to your water. It's otherwise very slow to dissolve and react. Or instead, get yourself some Potassium Metabisulfite (powder)* aka "Meta" (powder) and there's no crushing involved...

I toasted 5.5 pounds of flaked wheat, under the coil broiler in the oven. Surprisingly they didn't toast all that quickly, but I kept them at a safe distance from the broiler elements (4" perhaps?). It took a good hour in total, using 2 "half-pans" above one another, switching them out with...

Ah, good! Yeah, that's the idea when using (non-diastatic, starchy) adjuncts in a (diastatic) grist mix. The ability of malt to convert starches into sugars is called diastatic power (DP). The higher the DP the more adjuncts can be added for full conversion. DP is measured in °Lintner. You...

Sounds like a plan! ^

That certainly seems to point to that one carboy, yes. And I find it hard to accept that its glass can't be cleaned sufficiently...

Looks like an update on the construction. The black spout has more thread turns compared to the original yellow one. That may make a more positive/straight connection and thus a better surface-to-surface seal with the body, rendering the o-ring obsolete. I gather these are cutting edge...

Are you brewing with (malt) extracts? Have you steeped grain/malts before? If so, and you want to use flaked/rolled oats, toasted or not, you need to do a (mini) mash with them and some barley malt to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. Mashing is like steeping, just a bit more...

Welcome to our forums! Have you brewed all-grain before? If not, you'd want to study up on that.

Any possible description of foul aroma/flavor? Baby's diapers, rotted broccoli, rotted cheese, spoiled eggs, puke...? Remember, your wort will be as pasteurized as the dirtiest element that has touched it. ;) Have you thoroughly cleaned and sanitized everything used in the transfer of the...