Recent content by spriolo

The yeast worked out really well. I used it to brew and was able to pull samples out of the batch to use in the next batch. I brewed 4 or 5 batches (5 gal) with this yeast and was very happy with it. From what I remember it did very well in the summer months when my fermentation temps were...

This guy has a billion dollars. Cost is a factor, tweaking a recipe to be exactly the way you'd like it is important too. if your efficiencey swings from 80% to 45% and back... you'll ruin your beer (or your beer volumes because you have to boil down your wort to get the correct OG). I...

maybe the mash half then heat up and mash the other half is a form of Decoction? http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter16-4.html Not sure I like it though. I've gotten the best efficiencies with fly sparge (or I even tried a modified fly sparge with spooning in a 1/2 cup at a time with...

shroomzofdoom, Randar? What do you mean by conditioned?

Since we now have a good feel for how MO compares to Pale Ale... How about Marris Otter vs. Munich?

From what I understand (limited) it's not good to boil more than 2 pounds of extract per gallon of water. That may lead to what you are hearing about hop utilization. For extract it's o.k. to boil 3 pounds of extract in 1.5 gallons of water... then after flame out add the rest of your extract...

The barley crusher at my LHBS has two adjustment dials (front and back). The front one is jammed in one position, and the back adjustment flops around like wet fish. It's an awesome LHBS but that crusher has left me with 45% efficiencies too. I've had to run it though twice and jack with the...

I've got my Two Hearted Ale slurry volume ready for pitching. I'm going to run over to the LHBS and buys some grain. It's brew time!

I think I'll wait to step up my volumes. This has been a healthy exercise of self evaluation and discovery of what I want out of all this delicious beer! In the end, I think the cost to increase volume is too exponential and secondly I haven't found a group of recipe's that I'd like to have...

I see your point. I guess it starts out with "I wish I could boil 10 gallons"... +1 Randar, I need to evaluate my goals before I go down the rabbit hole. Walker, why do you stop at 5 Gal when you can go more (maybe I can look at the inverse while I contemplate the how deep the hole goes)?

My MLT is an old Coleman camp cooler (square). It probably could hold 10 gallons (if poured to the very tippy top edge). I have an aluminum turkey fryer pot that can probably hold 7 gallons... any more than that and I think there would be safety issues during the boil.

I've brewed 10 batches or so and most of them are all grain. My cooler, kettle, and fermentation buckets / carboys have proved to me that about 5.5 gallons is about what I can produce in a single brew day (5 or 6 hours of work). How do you step up your volume without breaking the bank? I...

What do you mean by tart? Green Apple? What was your starter temp? High 70's?

yep, you've got one in your kitchen. I think you are talking about a refrigerator. No?

Two temp. zones in a single cooler? Is that what you are asking? I guess if you had two cooling units and the fermentation chamber was divided... OR if you had a lager that fermented at the same temp as your ale you could do both. Not sure what you are asking.