Recent content by HarrisonHomeBrew

I brewed my first lager 3 weeks ago. It had been in my lagerator for the last three weeks. All reading indicated it was ready to bottle. I brought up my carboy into our kitchen to bottle yesterday afternoon but something came up and I didn't get a chance to get to it. I went to bottle it...

How cold is too cold to lager? The warmest I can get my freezer that I was going to use as a lagerator is 34 F. Is that too cold? My other option is my basement which is 58 F right now.

I had one to many of my Kolsch last night when I posted my ingredients. The yeast I am going to use is German Ale (Wyeast #1007). I have tracked down a lagerator that I will be getting soon and am looking forward to all the new brews I can make.

Here is what I want to brew tomorrow. I don't have the capability to lager yet, so I talked with my LHB guy and he gave me this recipe for an Oktoberfest. Does this look ok, or should I tweak it? 1/2 # munich malt 1/2 # cara-munich malt 6# light syrup 1 1/2 # amber syrup 2 oz hallertau...

I only have one carboy, but would like to start using a secondary fermenter. Can I just pull the liquid off of my primary after 1 week and put it in my priming bucket, clean the carboy, and then siphon the liquid back into the originial, but cleaned carboy? Seems like it would work to me.

I had an excellent brew pub stout the other day that was "aged in whisky barrels". I obviously don't have any old whisky barrels laying around, but I would like to replicate that brew. Can you buy old chunks of whiskey barrel anywhere to add to carboy, or can you soak oak chips in bourbon...

I was considering placing an order today with AHB, but I was wondering how close their clone beers were to the real thing. Have you guys noticed them being a good decision? I was thinking about trying the Anchor Steam Beer.

Looks nice. Where did you get your hydrometer? I have one, but it is enormous, and this one looks much more practical.

Where in Iowa are you stuck? I'm originally from Muscatine. Thanks for the advice.

I checked to bottom of a "carboy" that my buddy was going to give to me and it has the number 7 inside the triangle. I was told if you used plastic, that it had to have a number 1 on it. Does anyone know what #7 means?

I'm on my 5th batch of beer and finally bought a hydrometer. At the risk of sounding like a dumb ass, I can't figure out how to use it. I'm assuming that it has to float to get a reading, but I don't have anything to put it in that is tall enough to get it to float. Do I need to find a...

I've been told by my LHBS guy to only use glass, and by reading here the general consensus is that glass is best. I have a glass carboy as my primary, and was thinking of buying a second one when this opportunity came up. I was just worried about a plastic after taste. I have seen several of...

I have a chance to pick up a plastic 5 gal carboy for free. I thought I could use it as a secondary. I know I should use glass, but I was wondering if plastic was really that bad. Would it leave any taste?

I just brewed a Weizenbock this weekend b/c I thought it sounded very tasty and a little different than what I have had in the past. Now that it is fermenting away nicely I am curious as to what it is going to taste like. Does anyone know of a commercial brewery that brews one? I have an...

I left a message at my LHBS and the guy called be back this AM. He was in for a few minutes so I was able to get the hops I needed. Another question though... What temp should I ferment this style of beer at? My basement is ~55 and extra closet is 68.