Recent content by schrutebucks

Read as much as you can on here, especially the stickies at the top. Also, go to www.howtobrew.com and read the extract brewing section, that's what I used for my first brew rather than the DVD from midwest. I used 3 gallons in the kettle and 2.5 gallons in the fermenting bucket. I read...

Living in TX this summer it'll be pretty hard to keep it below 70 without our electric bill doubling. :-\ Hope I don't have alot of funk in my beer.

I plan on going to my LHBS real soon to get a wine thief and a 12" thermometer to clip to my kettle for my next brew. That's one thing that would've made my first brew easier, having a constant temp reading.

Thanks for the advice everyone. My first batch is in the primary now and the airlock's bubbling away, so I'm assuming that's a good sign. Unfortunately I put the fermenter in a closet and the temp for the first 24 hrs was around 80 degrees. I've since moved it (keeping splashing to the absolute...

Star-San

Thanks! My temp is right at 155F, and I'm keeping the heat a little under medium. What should I use to wipe stuff down with the cleaning solution? Paper towels? Also, is the tube that the hydrometer came in what I should be drawing my sample into? I was told that was just packaging to make sure...

Bought the midwest groupon kit with the Irish Red Ale. Completely new at this and have a few questions. 1st - Proof the yeast or not? From reading how to brew, it says to proof the yeast to make sure it's still alive and ready to pitch. I just bought it from my LHBS yesterday, do I still need...