Recent content by Charlie_in_TX

Best thing to do is use yeast meant for the temperature you are dealing with. You will have a tough time heating with a battery. It takes about 500 lbs of batteries, charged, to store the same energy as 1 gal of water. IMO, if you can't change yeast, you need a solar water heater. A black box...

I have used a banana nut granola cereal a few times. It always ends up beer then pee.

The FDA has a cleaning procedure. Do you think the tanker truck that is going from Washington to New York with your kids apple juice is returning with maple sirup? Do you think for a tanker to be 'food grade' it can only haul food? Your a homebrewer, you have a 10 gallon brewpot. I would poor...

I've gotten where I look at OG. I watch temperature far more closely than gravity.

How cool is the cool part of the house?

I have considered an occasional extract batch. January has been nice weather here in Houston. Highs in the low 70s, lows in the upper 40s. I have been in the garage making beer. My pipeline is still not over full. I have about 3 gallons in the keezer, 5 to go in this week, and 10 in a couple...

Looks like 6.5 amp at 120 vac.

I am converting to electric. I like it more than I thought I would. I am moving off the gas stove top. 5500 watts brings a faster boil than stove top. For steeping/mash water it is great. Set the controller to a temperature. Come back a few minutes later and your done. With gas you have to stay...

I like the 05 series that can be bought from AutomationDirect. They have been around sense Moses wore short pants. The Micro800 series are interesting. I bout some yesterday for a project I have. I don't think I would use them yet unless the 810 series will work for you. The 810 is $85 but does...

SSR size depends on load. For a 'normal' 4500-5500 watt heater, 30 amps is fine.

This from the state were pot is legal. Not comparing the people involved just the result. There is a brief story I have heard attributed to a citizen of Nazi Germany. It may be from some other place... When they came for the Jew down the street, I said nothing. When they came for the family...

IMO the LHBS is not trying to sell me anything. I will either buy 'secondaries' or 'primaries'. Either way, I will have to have many fermentation vessels. If I have a beer in my 'primary' for 3 months, I have had to brew 25 gallons of beer in that time period. That Means 5 more 'primaries'. That...

Froth in the secondary is normal. I am not an old timer but I have been doing this for a little while. I have racked at 3 days, when I needed the primary for the next batch. I have stayed in the primary for a month. And many between. I don't see a magic move by date. I do know the last glass of...

thats 3 minutes of my life I will never get back.

I can't recall one that got worse as the keg lightened. I have had some that were near undrinkable to start, bottled to free keg, store for many months, and finally turn into a fine beer.