Recent content by BeanPot Brewery

A tomato cage will not be enough if the vines are in partial to full sun. Mine grew at least 12 feet the first year.

You may as well get used to it. I've broken more hydos than I can count - well into double digits at this point, whcih is both a testament to my own stupidity and the fact that hydrometers aren't exactly built tough

I'm about an hour or so south of you in central Mass, and I've never had a problem with critters and hops. Critters and veggie garden is a different story entirely and annually gets me pissed off we have a five-day waiting period to buy a gun. Anyway, what I do have trouble with is downey...

I suspect you got a kit from Northern Brewer, which is now using the Target in this recipe - I assume it relates to the hops shortage. But if I recall correctly, the recipe called for 1/2 oz for 60 mins and 1/2 oz at 30 min, so adding the full 1 oz for the whole 60 shouldn't be that big a deal...

Happens to me all the time. No worries. The Co2 is likely seeping out under the lid or something. As long as you have Krausen, you're fine.

I did a mango last year - although I hedged my bets and did a split 5-gal batch. I added about three ripe fresh mangos, mashed up, into the 3-gal secondary and let sit for about a month. I'd have to check my notes, but I think I used a basic, Wyeast, american style yeast, which was good because...

Another trick is have the syhoning hose filled with water with it pinched at the end. Release the hose and the water will flow out, sucking the beer behind it. Only downside here is you have to have a seperate cup or pail to pour the water into and then stick the hose in the bottling bucket or...

I did a Nortehrn Brewer bouron barrel porter kit a while back and it called for chips and 16 -oz of bourbon to the secondary for about three weeks. I was a little scared of having porter-flavored bourbon, so I only added 2-oz of bourbon and that was enough for me, especially with the infused...

You might be able to Web search and get more info, but I have hops that, stupidly, I put in partial sun because I planted them in the spring before the big a$$ maple tree in my backyard bloomed and blocked out some of the sun. My results have been mixed. In the sunniest spot, my Cascades are...

I agree with all the above, if you want to take a chance on A: Wasting your time and money, or, B: Redecorating whereever you lpan on storing these bottle bombs, feel free. But if you're at all serious about brewing, I would scan through these forums and even go get yourself some real equipment...

Not sure what the best has been - lots of secondary fermentors, probably. But by far the worst was the mini keg, as has been mentioned already. Worked once, then somehow wasn't holdnig pressure, then rusted around the top lip. Utterly useless. Serves me right for not going corny from the start.

Looks great. Decent price, too. You'll probably end up getting anotehr glass carboy at some point so you can have more than one batch going at the same time. Have fun.

Never done a Mexican style myself, but I found a few on the Web. Of course, you can always brew a pale ale and stick a lime in it, if all else fails. Good luck. http://www.homebrewheaven.com/muntons-mexican-cerveza-style.htm http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/p/1697 1697 Mexican Cerveza -...

I actually planted some a few years back and go a fairly good yield in years one with Cascade, but virtually nothing with Northern and Fuggles until year two. Not sure if it's hop specific or whetehr the Cascades were in a prime spot, but it is possible to get a good yield in year one.

I always throw em right in the wort. They settle out inthe prmiary and secondary. You can filter if you want, but I am too lazy.