Recent content by katy_bug

Ha, to be honest ... I got swamped and haven't started yet.

Well . . . I pitched at that temp because I was following the directions on my kit, which said to pitch at any point below 90F. I used 3942 because it came in the kit. This is my 3rd brew and I am still learning. I didn't think 68 is extremely low because the yeast profile says fermentation...

I brewed my first saison on Sunday using the Lawnmower de Saison recipe from Midwest. I made a 1L starter with Wyeast 3942 for 24 hours and pitched at 78F and then brought it down to 68F in the fermenter where it has been holiding steady for the past 4 days. It was bubbling hard for several...

I ended up making a collar and let me tell you, it was so much easier than attempting to cut away the hump. Here are some pics: The collar: Installed on the door: Finished product with a saison bubbling away:

Well, I cooled it to 40 degrees Thursday and then tapped on Friday evening after work. Perfect! My first homebrewing success!

and I have some pretty basic questions. We primed and naturally carbonated the keg. Should I cool the keg and then tap OR should I hook up the tap and put the keg under pressure before I cool? Right now the keg is at 65F.

I was gifted this wine refrigerator: Good news is that there is no freezer to deal with so internal height is ideal. Bad news is that I can almost get the door closed around my 5g carboy. I know most people end up making a collar but since I don't need much clearance in the back, I was...

and I made such a mess but I got it in the keg and hopefully stayed clean. I kegged a double IPA that ended up with a FG of 1.015. It tasted good. I don't have enough CO2 to force carb it so I primed it with have the priming sugar from the kit and put it back in the fermenter at 65F. The kit...

Our temp regulator has a 2 degree threshold on the switch so I just bumped it to 66. That way it will stay between 66-68. I actually like an apricot flavor in an IPA. We shall see . . .

The beer as at 70. Our carboy has a thermowell that holds the temperature probe in the middle of the beer. I just bumped it down to 64.

1st real batch of homebrew brewed Saturday. We started with Midwest Hop Head Double IPA. It came with dried yeast - Safale US-05. The fermentation range is 58-75 degrees. I also have a keezer with a temp regulator and probe that goes down inside the carboy. It is set on 70 degrees but...

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am really liking this recipe after looking around at ales instead of lagers: ZZ Hop Light Honey Beer 4.0lb Light Dry Extract (60 min.) 0.4lb Light Dry Extract (10 min.) 2.0lb Clear Honey (10 min.) 0.5lb Crushed Amber Malt (Steep, 60 min.) 0.50oz...

6 weeks. I am not set on a lager if that is cutting it too close . . . . What I like about this recipe is the lightness and simplicity and the fact that I have a local source of AMAZING honey. What other recipes would you suggest.

Setting up a HB for a party next month. Interested in making something sessionable that has enough flavor for the beer snobs but not so heavy or complex that an everyday drinker couldn't enjoy. I am still a newbie so I like simple until I totally get the hang of everything. This Honey Lagar...

I also have access to autoclaves, shakers, stirplates and -80 and -20 freezers so I would love to evaluate some of these parameters and I can do it in a controlled setting and then try to mimic a homebrew setting. Since I am still a newbie to homebrewing, help me understand exactly what you...