Recent content by TinmanDan

So, I was looking around for a good AG stout recipe, and stumbled upon the following: - 15 lbs Maris Otter - 1 lb crystal malt - 1 lb chocolate malt - 1 lb roasted barley - 1 oz Chinook hops I cooked this up over the weekend, and ended up with a primary full of the darkest, blackest beer...

Just a couple thoughts from my own experience: First, I'd recommend getting a blowoff tube that's the same diameter as the opening of the carboy, so you don't have to mess with a stopper, and so the blowoff has more room. Your little blowoff tube could get clogged with foam as easily as an...

Great responses, everyone - thanks! I think I'll take a trip to Lowe's and buy some lumber. Appreciate your help!

Hey guys -- Does anyone have plans for a good wooden beer case? I recently attended a party where I supplied a generous amount of my own beer, but when I lifted up one of the cardboard cases, the bottom fell out of it, and I lost a few bottles of brew to the forces of gravity and the hard...

Welcome! Always good to have another member from the Windy City! Go Chicago!

Yeah, I yearn for the day when SWMBO decides she wants to redo the kitchen...then I might be able to convince her to let me move the old stove into the basement, direct vent it outside, and then the era of the basement brewpub shall begin. Then again, it might be more likely that I'll flap my...

I just sampled a scotch ale I brewed a while ago, which happened to be my first time using a secondary fermenter, and found it to significantly lacking in carbonation. It's not completely flat, but I basically need to pour the beer from about six inches about the glass in order to get a head...

I've done the Oktoberfest, Scotch Ale, and European Bock....all very good, but the Oktoberfest was the best, in my own opinion, and according to all those who have yet to taste it. BB kits are very easy, and generally result in good beer.

Welcome to the group! I'm in the Aurora area, so you're in good company out here in the burbs. Be sure to check out the LHBS in downtown Aurora, if you get a chance!

Welcome, fellow Chicagoan! If you're looking for a HBS, you've come to the right place...there's a lot of them around here. In fact, when I started up, I was surprised to find two shops within a short drive from my home. I live in the western surburbs, and one of the shops is in St. Charles...

I'm a fan of spring water. I know some people have good luck with tap water, but I'd rather not take the chance, given spring water only runs me an extra 3-4 dollars (our local stores sell it for 63 cents per gallon).

You're safe either way -- it's not like your wife's gonna find anything to buy at the brew shop. :)

Hey...nothing special here, but I thought I'd share a few photos of my recent brew day. I was cooking up a batch of European Bock. I haven't invested in the massive equipment that most of you have, but my wife has been good enough to give me a section of the basement for my brewing endeavors...

Hmmm...first of all, congratulations. Second, you suck. ;) Third, if I were you (and boy, do I ever wish I was), I'd buy a couple more carboys, a wort chiller, and more bottles (and I'd save some of the $$ for ingredients as needed). Basically, I'd be setting myself up to do more brews more...

I generally can do an extract kit in just under three hours, soup to nuts. The key, in my opinion is organization -- have your equipment ready to go and once the boil starts, multitask. For example, I don't have a wort chiller (I just put the kettle in an ice bath), so while the wort is...