Recent content by jjacobs

"Option 4" seems like this might impart too much oakiness... I'm just looking for a hint of oak character, that's why I was only thinking about a month with the oak. I've got some time to decide the best option since I'm just brewing this today. I'm leaning towards option 3 - with a few...

Anyone have any thoughts/opinions?

I'm brewing my first barley wine this weekend - I'll be dry hopping as well as adding some oak chips to the secondary. I plan on leaving it on the oak for around 4 weeks and the dry hop for the last two weeks of that time prior to bottling. I have a couple of options, I'm not sure what's best...

I'm brewing up an IPA in the next couple of days and I have a couple of questions. I've made a few small starters in the past just to get the yeast active and ready to ferment. Today I went onto the calc on Mr Malty (http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html) and it's saying for my OG of 1.061, I...

Anyone have an opinion between an IC and a CFC with recirculated ice water? Which would cool the wort more quickly? Seems like CFC would be the way to go...

Anyone have an opinion between an IC and a CFC with recirculated ice water? Which would cool the wort more quickly? Seems like CFC would be the way to go...

You're probably right - a cheap submersible pump is probably the way to go with a bucket of ice water. How fast can chill a 5 gallon batch with your method, Greg? How many gallons/minute do I want to shoot for when I'm looking for a pump?

So I'm headed out to the in-laws for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and my father-in-law and I are going to build a wort chiller. I've been weighing my options - and all seem to have their pros and cons. I thought I'd throw out my ideas and see what y'all thoguht. So....... without further...

Thanks for the help - I was thinking #1 looked best as well. How long would you recommend a "hop rest"? I'm not doing full boils - how will this affect things? Anyone else have an opinion?

Just opened my first IPA recipe and I'm really liking it. There are a couple of things I'd like to fine tune for my next crack at this recipe. I've been reading about FWH - the problem is, all the info I've seen on this so far is for AG brewers. I'm still doing extract brewing - but hope to...

I've literally been laughing for a solid 3 minutes after successive viewings!!! His face after he comes to is to die for.

...very helpful video... thanks.

I'm brewin' up a chrismas beer this weekend that calls for Safale S-04. This is the first time I've used dry yeast - I've always used a Wyeast smack pack to this point. Expected OG: 1.063 Expected FG: 1.016 I've got two questions: 1) do I need (or should I) prepare a starter? and 2) do I...

I like pickles and I like ice cream - I would not like pickle ice cream. Same goes here (I'm sad to say).

So I brewed this up on Sunday and everything went really well - hit my original gravity exactly. It's been fermenting nicely for the past 4 days. The color is a little lighter than I was shooting for - probably due to the late addition of half of the extract??? Any ideas there? If I end up...