Recent content by Fantastical

Hmm no ball valve on any part of my system.

Thanks for the replies guys! No wood anywhere. Everything is plastic and soaked in starsan. 1. I use starsan on everything. I know it is no rinse sanitizer but is it safe to leave it on parts like rubber keg seals and such? Would the acidity wreck the rubber? 2. I took all the lines...

Hello fellow homebrewers! Due to a busy schedule... I took a year long break from brewing and just started back up again at the end of 2014. I had been brewing for many years and have 50+ batches under my belt. I always found it funny reading on here that people stopped brewing for whatever...

In the past year I have had two slow leaks on my co2 lines which completely drained my cylinder and left me quite thirsty. I currently use hoseclamps to secure the 1/4" beer tubing lines onto the fittings. However, after putting the lines in the bathtub, I have noticed that if pushed or...

Turned out great!!! :mug: I was just reading some tasting notes (I have never tried one) and I am very happy with it! It has many different complex flavors and a nice acidic finish with a slight spice to it. What a great style! I would recommend this style to all of my fellow brewers...

I've never seen that before but I can only imagine it is from the Co2 suspended in the beer. Ever shaken a beer before? Same thing! :)

The fastest brew day I had was just over 4 hours. It was a hefeweizen that turned out nasty! (go figure) I ended up dumping it... Most of my batches take 5-6 hours as well.

Agreed. This batch is done. The best thing to do is let it finish it's course, keg or bottle it, and then enjoy it for what it is. You now know how to improve the next batch! :)

Double check that it isn't the manufactured date that you are looking at. I've never used white labs yeast but I know that wyeast stamps the manufactured date on the packs.

It's hard to say at this point. It is quite possible that the cocoa has formed some sort of layer on top of the wort. However, I ave never brewed with cocoa so I wouldn't know. I would let it be for now. Who knows... Even if it is infected... A sour chocolate stout might be good!

Looking good! I bet there was a big change in the Homebrewing scene after being away for 20 years!

I think the chasing of efficiency is important to an extent in order to maximize your cost effectiveness. To an extent, high efficiency is a good thing. But it depends on what kind of beer you are brewing as well as your tastes and preferences.

Steamworks is a great brewpup! Their signature pale ale is simply amazing! If you can make it out to there it would be well worth it!

The best thing to do is keep up with it as you go. Makes it easier at the end. I've got a good system down so that after I stick the airlock on, I only have to clean my stock pots and the stove..... But those are pretty annoying as well!

The nice thing about seeing tragedy on the HB forums is that there were no lives (human) lost. Nonetheless, I am sorry for your loss.