Recent content by hatterdude

I've switched through a few different water supplies throughout the years and have always calibrated "0" to tap water instead of distilled water. I figured it was more valuable to reference the actual water I was using as opposed to distilled water. Of course it means I have to read my FG...

If you ever try it again, Kombat, try it with a really low gravity. 1.020 or even 1.010 then build it up. I've had similar experiences to you (wouldn't get started at 1.040) and that did the trick for me. Unfortunately what I discovered is that quite a few breweries use one proprietary yeast...

From cost savings and quality together I would invest in a good yeast starter kit (or build your own) then you could look at harvesting yeast and saving $3+ per brew (more $$ when you move to liquid yeast). It also would let you have a nice strong start for your yeast which would improve...

If you grab the sediment from a few bottles and keep your starter gravity nice and low (1.020 or so I've heard as opposed to your usual 1.040) this can be done for sure. I personally wouldn't worry about washing (unless you have a ton of trub at the bottom). Just my $.02 :)

Thanks Bill. Interesting point about not aiming for 1.008. Leaves me wondering if I'm gathering information from too many sources and confusing myself. I'll have some DME on hand for the next round. Thanks again for your two cents! Cheers, Jay

Thanks very much for your response! Sounds like I have to start taking better notes of my process to get a better idea of things like evaporation times, etc. I also purchased a new mill (was using the corona style one) which I think will help me have more consistent/measurable results. I...

Hi All! I've been extract brewing for quite a while (10+ years), but took the leap to all-grain about a month ago. Been absolutely loving it, but have been having some issues with efficiency. I have found tons of advice on the topic of efficiency and I'm on my way to improving through...