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Okay, I'll play devil's advocate here. I have three used ball-lock kegs, and I sincerely wish I'd bought new. I don't care that they look like they've been run over by a truck. I honestly don't care about aesthetics. My problem is that the price of used kegs (especially ball-lock kegs) is going...

Some will no doubt disagree with me, but I think oxidation is a hugely over-rated issue in home brewing. I stir every batch and stir it well when adding priming sugar. I also stir to rouse yeast, when necessary. I also open the fermenting bucket from time to time to check gravity, etc. (again...

I second brukaiser's website. I learned a lot there. I also recommend watching his video on Youtube. It's in several parts (sorry, but I don't have a link handy). It's helpful to actually watch someone doing it. It answers many of those nagging questions that inevitably begin with: "But, but...

I'm not going to try to guess what other people would say, but I would (and do) say that ordinary inexpensive water filters like Pur and Brita reduce both metals and pharmaceutical contaminants. That's because, according to the manufacturer, they do. They also remove certain pesticides...

I think the other concern to factor in is whether you'd really want to drink it. I used 1 lb. flaked oats and 1 lb. Golden Naked Oats in my last oatmeal stout, and I feel it's too much. I don't like the oily quality. But that's all personal preference. A previous poster used 25% and liked the beer.

I agree with the consensus, that 10 gallons is the minimum (I use my 8 gallon pot for sparge water now). But I'm moving to longer boils with some beers, and I'm finding I wish I'd gone with the 15 gallon kettle. For what that's worth.

You'll want to test your mash ph at room temp. Testing at mash temp will yield a different result, and it will potentially damage your meter (my understanding is that it will cause premature failure of the meter). So mash in, mix well, seal up the mash, wait ten minutes or so (but not too long...

Since it's basically metabasulfite, I'd expect that too much campden would make the beer taste/smell like metabasulfite solution (used to sanitize wine making equipment and to preserve the finished wine). Ever made wine? 'Not a smell you want in your beer. Strong sulfur odor, and it will feel...

Like Yooper says, depending on the filter, the charcoal filter is designed to remove stuff like feces, birth control pills, some metals, as well as chlorine. It won't remove chloramines, and it won't change your water chemistry. It makes my water taste better, so I use the charcoal filter first...

With ales, d-rest generally just means "let it sit a while before packaging." Bringing it up a few degrees can help, if you're fermenting in the middle 60s, as can rousing the yeast. The pros (and more experienced homebrewers) who work with Ringwood recommend rousing regularly, but I only roused...

Sorry, I just saw that you say you're taking gravity readings. What are you seeing?

I've only used it a few times, and I had mixed results with Ringwood, so I just use other strains.... As for the D-rest, you could raise it to room temp and give it some time. I just let the beer sit on the yeast cake at room temp for an extra week. I also roused the yeast (I fermented in a...

I tried it once in an APA that used Centennial (FWH), Citra, and Amarillo. The package was old, but not expired. The beer was horrible--it had a tart quality that rendered it PRACTICALLY undrinkable (in fact, it took me over two months to finish that 2 cases...). It may have been the combination...

Whenever I have doubts about a yeast cake, I just dump it and start over with a new smack pack. Some will probably call me an alarmist, but I figure it's cheap insurance.

Yeah, it can do this. The first time I used it, I didn't understand temp. control, and I let it get up into the low 70s. It was done in under 2 days. Having said that, I think you're doing the right thing by giving it some time on the yeast cake. If you have any doubts, just check the gravity. I...

You can add it after carbonating. I start carbing when I first put the keg into the fridge. After two days, I add gelatin. After three more, I dry hop. You might get some foaming if it's fully carbed, but just be ready to get the lid on quickly, and you'll be fine. I stir the gelatin in a bit...

I've used this yeast a few times, and I find that it tears through the fermentation (and attenuates a lot further than the manufacturer states, btw). You pitched a large starter at an optimal temp. I'd assume it's done. As a previous poster suggested, let it ride for a while, then take a...

I use a jar sealer because I don't want to have to keep spending money on bags. More 02 remains in the jars, of course, and they take up more room in the freezer than bags, but you can re-use them endlessly. I've been happy with the convenience of the jar sealer, and the hops have been preserved...

If it looks like pancake batter or pizza dough, it's normal. It's just the yeast rising to the surface as fermentation slows. I'm not sure whether US-05 is "officially" classed as a top-cropping strain, but that's how top-croppers generally behave. It'll drop out in a few days. What you're...