Recent content by davegrande

Out of the million posts here, I'm sure there's something on this, so forgive me for not being able to find it (I'm just anxious to get started). Anyway, I've been using 12" or so false bottom in a Sanke keg for my mash tun with an electric HERMS. My batch size has been 10 gallons. I've had...

I'm in the planning phase of building a simple (but getting more complex day by day) recirculation system (for 10 gallon batches). I'm going to use a hot plate with a gas burner combination to keep temps up and a march pump to recirculate wort. Using a CPVC manifold above (for fly sparging) and...

Thanks!!! If I use a bazooka tube on the valve and nylon mesh bags for the hops, will that be enough to stop crud from gunking up the cold plate? Cheers, Davegrande

Okay, BYO defines "cold break" as: "Wort cooling causes solids, called the cold break, to form and fall out of solution. When wort is transferred from the kettle to the fermenter, this break material is left behind. " I get this and when I use my immersion chiller I see some gunk (trub?) left...

FWIW...I'm okay with the fact that this thread wandered a bit. I learned a lot more than I ever expected..... thanks so much! Cheers Davegrande

I'm doing a recipe that calls for a "second primary" where the instructions are to transfer to secondary (once fermentation slows) but move 1/2 the yeast cake and add candi sugar. It's my understanding that fermentation is an aerobic activity. And, that's why we aerate the wort when we...

The kit comes with a 1/2 pound bag of maltdextrin. Doing another batch tomorrow but will substitute 1/2 pound more lactose for the maltodextrin (the guy at the homebrew place suggested this). I eat lots of cheese so I don't think it's the lactose. Guess I'll find out in 2 weeks! Cheers, Dave

Thanks for such quick replies! I'm looking at the extract fact sheets and see that they do contain maltose & maltotriose. Interesting. From what little I know, I understand that those sugars are fermentable whereas maltodextrin is not. I'm guessing that no matter what you do, you end up...

The blond was made with 6lbs 6 oz LME + 2lbs Golden Light Dried Malt Extract. W/steeped grains and hops. Don't know if all that "becomes" a maltodextrin, but no maltodextrin was added in (the stout has 1/2 pound added in). Cheers, Dave

Newbee here but "all in."--6 corny kegs, kegerator, etc.... I brewed a stout from a kit and it came out most excellent. I got a mild case of gas the first time I drank it but just thought that was one of the features of home brew. A few days later, I drank even more but this time I got...