Recent content by platypus

I usually drink about 3 a night, on average. Maybe a few more if I'm hanging with friends. College Football season is the exception. All bets are off on those Saturdays.

It was a Nottingham Ale yeast that the guy at the local shop recommended. I did aerate the wort, and the fermentation temp was 66-70 the entire time. I had a lot of activity in the airlock (I know that's not the best indicator) for about 3 days and then it just stopped. I'm gonna give it a few...

Groovy. Vanillafication starts tomorrow then!

I've tasted the samples that I've taken the readings from and it tastes pretty good, about like a stout should, but should be even better after some conditioning. I'd still like to let it sit a few days with some vanilla beans. Any harm in that, or should I go straight to the bottles now?

Ok, I've got a batch of stout sitting in the fermenter right now (my second batch that I've ever brewed), and it's been there for 10 days. I've taken one gravity reading each of the last 3 days, and it's been consistent at 1.020. The temp is 66, so it's probably a wee bit higher than that in...

I'm new to the hobby myself, so I can't answer all the questions, but just about every experienced homebrewer on the boards has told me to leave the beer in primary for almost 2 weeks rather than 1, regardless of what the kit says.

Which club do you belong to? Mine showed up with all poptops, but I also exclusively get international brews with mine.

beermonthclub.com. Got it for a Christmas gift from the former SWMBO

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, hands down.

This month's international selections are Brouwerij De Koninck (Belgium), and Grupo Cervezas Alhambra Negra (Spain). Just FYI in case anyone is a member and hasn't gotten theirs yet.

That's really cool. Hope you get certified!

By you taking the exam, does that mean you'll be judging some competitions?

Cool. Thanks for the info and quick response!

Thanks for all the info, guys. Henceforth, beer shall stay in the primary for a longer period of time.

So, I'm not ready for competitions, but may enter some in a few months anyway just for the learning experience. I've been playing with a couple of brewing softwares making recipes that I'd like to try brewing. My question is: If I'm brewing a stout that I want to enter in competition and the...