Recent content by dharmabuhm

I've seen some posts about using returnable screw top bottles for bottling - as long as you have a good capper. I want to use the 11 oz. bottles that come with Full Sail's Session Lager - has any tried these yet? If so any problems with a bad seal?

So does this mean I don't have to soak my bottles in sanitizer every time? They'll be clean enough coming out of the washer on the Hot water/Hot Dry cycle?

Allright - I'll be waiting to see how she pours out before I start freaking. For the mash scheduled I followed the step infusion mash schedule in "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" - I botched it by not letting the sparge water sit long enough. Doh!

So I got an off flavor in my first AG batch - kind of medicinally and flat tasting. Brewed 2 weeks ago and racked to the secondary yesterday. Sanitized with iodine and rinsed everything off well with hot water. Did have a little krausen come through the airlock at the beginning as well. I...

I think I'll give it a shot with the dried cherries. They should not be sulfured or have any preservatives since they'll be coming from a natural grocer - but I'll double check. I was planning on pasteuizing/steaming them to sanitize. I might switch it up and rehydrate in a kirschwasser. Any...

Does anyone have advice about substituting dehydrated for frozen cherries? I'm planning on trying a chocolate cherry stout for the winter and saw dried tart cherries in the bulk food isle at the store. I was wondering about exchange weight between fresh and dried fruit and difference between...

I agree about Mountain Sun. Incredible brews as well as the "Junk Burger". Too bad you're not going to be here for Mountain Suns Stout Month in Feb.

Instead of taking I-70 to Steamboat. Take I-25 North to Hwy 14 and take that through Walden to Steamboat. May take a little longer but It's an awesome ride. Plus - you can stop off in Longmont, CO and hit Oskar Blues and Left Hand Breweries, cruise on up to Fort Collins and knock back a few...

New guy brewer, just started 2 months ago. Livin' in Loveland, CO. A big "What Up!" to everyone who has been volunteering advice on this site. It's made starting to brew MUCH easier. Thanks!

Thanks for all the info, especially the "sugar and acid" chart. No, it doesn't really matter to me what the ABV is - but I've got a girlfriend who counts calories so it helps keep me in good standing with her. :)

Is there a guideline for how much the addition of fruit will increase the amount of alcohol in a batch of homebrew?

Thanks for putting my mind at ease! We'll see how it tastes after a few weeks in a bottle.

I brewed up a batch of Weizenbock 18 days ago. Bottled it last night and it tasted slightly sour. Could this be a sign of contamination or is it just "green" beer? I'm at work and don't have the recipe with me to give specifics, sorry. Oh, I also managed to shatter my hydrometer that night...