Recent content by sweetcell

The reports of Mecca's death had been greatly exaggerated... but now they aren't?? mecca did not close down at the end of the 2023 season. i ordered from them in 2024, and it was stamped 2024, so clearly some operations continued. but now they're saying that they really are closing shop...

made my annual pilsner/blond a few weeks ago: a SMaSH with Mecca Peleton & some old Mandarina Bavaria. got lower OG than expected, i believe in part because my grains are over 2 years old. had to use 34/70 as it was a last-minute opportunity to brew and couldn't get any Diamond in time, which...

Boy Hits Car Concert Canceled After Truck Hits Venue

in case anyone is tallying: 34/70 is my go-to, although this spring i might branch out and try something new - possibly Diamond or NovaLager, tbd. a few years ago, as part of a split-batch experiment i tried S-23 and it was way too ester-y for me. if i brewed lagers more often i'd consider...

i've just joined the i-lost-my-puppy club. zero stars out of five, do not recommend. from FB: It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Cirka's passing today. She came into our lives almost 13 years ago and was a scoundrel from day one. Far, far too smart for her own good, she used...

i brew 15 gallon batches - how convenient! Thank you Corny Keg!

i had to look at this pupster, and now you do too.

i visited a museum in my hometown last week, and they had a big exhibit on wolves which included the following meme... lol:

embrace the waste. it's a normal part of brewing. you don't want that last 3/4 of a gallon dragging down the rest of the batch.

update on this year's lagers: - pilsner/blond thing was brewed in late april. Pelton & saphir SMaSH. thank to a cool woodshop, primary was done at 54*F - not really WF :p unfortunately, for the first time, 34/70 kinda let me down: it took 1.058 down to 1.016, only. i pitched 5 relatively fresh...

what is the hopping & dry-hopping schedule of this kit?

not so much "best" as "WTF"... Animal groups are urging tourists not to visit Wyoming after a man hit a wolf then took it to a bar

my goal for warm fermenting - just me, personally - is to make a lager without having to invest in a fermentation fridge (read: SWMBO will murderlize me if i add yet another appliance to the basement). so: how to make the best lager at ambient temps? i'm certainly not warm-fermenting for any...

regarding my process: for a 5.5 gallons of 1.050-1.055 blond lager, i typically pitch two sachets of 34/70 (2 x 11g). is anyone pitching just one pack? i wonder if warm-fermented lagers can get by with a lower pitch rate, given the higher temps?

i've had great success repitching 34/70. for the past 3 years i've followed the same spring brew process: warm-ferment 3 x 5gal batches of pilsner/light blond lager using 34/70, then use the cakes for 2 x 5gal of doppelbock. time to start planning my annual lager brews, come to think of it...