Recent content by dansmith13

Thanks guys. This site has been so helpful. The responses are quick and to the point. I can't wait to start enjoying some brews.:mug:

Thanks to all who helped get my confidence back on my Cream Ale that I had thought was stalled during fermentation. A few people told me to chill and thank you for that because I left it for the entire week then opened it up, took a gravity reading (definitely fermented) and tasted it. It was...

I've got my confidence back now. Thank you to everyone who posted!!! :mug:

Thank you all. I read your posts and that link posted by rivernin. I was equating the airlock with fermentation and now I realize that was wrong. I am going to wait and check the hydrometer reading in a few days as directed and go from there. Thanks!

Thanks unionrdr! I haven't popped the lid off to check, didn't want to if I didn't have to. I may if I still see no signs after a while. I forgot to mention that I used distilled water which I later read that a lot of people say is a bad idea. It was too late when I read that so I guess we'll...

Liberty Cream Ale from Midwest went into fermenter on 2/26 and was bubbling within 12 hours. It was going at a pretty good rate for another day and a half and when I checked it today it seems to be at a dead stop. Has my fermentation stalled? Is this normal? I've only made a few batches...

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=4721 Is this what you mean?

Extract kit ingredients:: 6 lbs dark malt extract liquid 6 lbs amber malt extract liquid Roasted barley malt, Crystal malt, and Chocolate malt mix 3 oz Galena bittering hops Willamette aroma hops ale yeast champagne yeast priming sugar

Thanks for the reassurance. I appreciate it. Any thoughts on how long secondary fermentation should be? I'm in no rush but I'm just wondering because I've heard as long as a year in the secondary.

Anyone ever make this extract kit? It comes with a packet of dry ale yeast and a packet of dry champagne yeast. The directions don't specify to pitch both together or one in primary and one in secondary, etc. So I emailed them and they responded that I should pitch the ale yeast in the primary...

For the primary fermentation, extra airspace would be ideal as yeast need oxygen at first to get off to a good start. Some people even shake the carboy periodically for the first 3 days to get air incorporated into the must. For the secondary fermentation you would not want to expose your...

My wife (not a SWMBO) actually gets more bubbles (airlock activity) than I do and loves it. She got into making mead and stole half of my equipment. Now she has the good equipment that seals and she gets bubbles and I don't. My fermenting bucket doesn't get a good enough seal to...

Thanks to all for the reassurance. My wife's been telling me to relax all along. I guess you can read "Relax, have a home brew" 16 times on each page but it's difficult to practice that method.

Should I skim off the top? I checked the lid and airlock again and they seem to be seated properly. But when I press down on the closed lid the airlock does bubble. Could that layer be inhibiting my fermentation? Thanks.

Thank you and good night. Now I can go to bed..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz