Recent content by EBloom97

My first attempt at a Scottish ale I used 8 oz of peat smoked malt. Too much. Tasted like a campfire. I would go with 4 oz for something subtle.

I don't know what that stuff is exactly, but I would recommend you use pure lactose for the effect you're looking for. It's a complex non-fermentable sugar that adds creamy body to beer.

I just came here to look for how much ginger to use in a christmas beer, so I'm in the same boat as you there. I did a beer with vanilla extract added to the secondary a couple months ago. I added 1.5 tbsp and it was just what I wanted - subtle, not overwhelming. I had a 2-bean vanilla...

Well, I AM certainly in the same boat as you. I graduated college a few years ago, worked some jobs I have utterly hated, all the while homebrewing beer and loving every minute of it. Over the years I have been gradually accumulating brewing equipment to make the push into nanobrewing. I have a...

I would certainly recommend it. It definitely has practical applications, as well as being slightly less expensive. Plus it's a different toy to play with. Butterfly valves are fun too, but two is not incrementally more fun than one. ;)

I've never tried to take it all the way off. How i sanitize it is just to open and close it in the sanitizer, so it gets sanitized in both positions. I don't think the threads need to be sanitized because they never actually touch the beer. It's definitely not as simple and sanitary as a...

I use the sample valve on the racking port and I rack from it. It has a 1/2 inch barb on it. It's not a ball valve inside - it's kind of a stainless steel screw in plunger. Loosen it and beer flows, tighten and it stops.

If you're looking for the cheapest price, try straight from the source: http://www.etcsupply.com/index.php They come prewired or you can do the wiring yourself and save a few more bucks.

Yep, it works. The gauge only goes up to 15 PSI though. Took me a while to actually get around to testing it on the fermenter because I keep the brewhemoth at my friend's house with all my BIG equipment...

Yeah, it's hard to imagine there's a brewer out there who got over 70% efficiency on their very first all grain batch. You have to know what you're doing with your crush, your mash, and your sparge. It's hard to know what you're doing without first participating in this very conversation, and...

I looked into this recently and went with a dudadiesel. The problem with kegcowboy for me was that their water side attachments seem to be 1/2 inch, and I want to use mine with a garden hose, so 3/4 inch water side fittings is easier and better for flow.

Will this work? Adjustable Pressure Relief Valve with Gauge

I'm saying that I bought this product thinking that it would help me circumvent racking entirely, but still allow for secondary fermentation in the primary vessel after a yeast dump. The 45 degree cone makes that difficult, although maybe the 60 degree cone would have the same problem. Maybe it...

I guess I was just expecting it to get ALL the yeast out., i.e. I put the beer in the fermenter and after a couple weeks I open the bottom valve, drain the yeast, and then begin a secondary fermentation without having to rack. I was expecting to be able to do this, and I can, but it won't get...

The only thing I know about stout conicals is that when I was looking into this in August, they were backlogged until December. That was the main factor that made me go with the brewhemoth. As to the quality - I would say if it is stainless steel, and has triclamp fittings, it is of high...