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For the 50 bucks my refractometer cost me, I love the convenience over the hydrometer it provides. Samples are easy to get and all you need is a few drops vs. filling an entire test vessel with beer that you'll have to drink or throw out. Most refractometers automatically temperature correct...

I think you might end up surprised, after a 2 week bottle conditioning, the brown I used Burton in cleaned up really nice, the ester notes that were there were fairly subtle, and it's only gotten better as it has aged a bit. (Natch of course.) But if you drink your brew green, you will notice...

Burton Ale lets off a lot of unique smells when fermenting,; similar to a guy who posted on White's FAQ/Review page for the strain, I notice a lot of sulfer/sour smells when I use it. (Though it really is becoming my favorite yeast by far.) It cleans up fine though, and none of those sour tastes...

WLP002 is hard to wash, the past few times I've did it I ended up just getting annoyed and dumping the slurry into mason jars after I couldn't get it to separate out. Never had a problem pitching into new starters though, even if trub is sticking around. Though the one's I've left to sit in the...

Yeah, I just recently noticed this happen with the 002 strain I've been using. I think my saved strain is on its 4th generation now, and the last brew I used it on had a completely different fermentation profile than previous uses. I usually get a good bit of "boiling" going on when I use WLP's...

I brewed my same Brown Ale recipe with White Labs' English, British, and Burton Ale yeast strains earlier this year. For something like a Moose Drool clone, I'd probably stick with English Ale, as it's the most neutral of the 3 I tried, leaving plenty of room for the malt to come through. (It's...

I wouldn't feel too bad. I made the same mistake when I bought my refractometer a few weeks ago. I had two different beers fermenting and was scouring through my entire brewing process trying to figure out why my FG's were so high. Then I found out the alcohol throws off the brix reading and you...

As someone else pointed out, it's a little pricey for what you actually get. But the bigger issue is that you get so few bottles out of a batch, that it can get a bit frustrating after awhile. I'm still doing the small batches because space is so tight in my studio, but I end up buying store...

My first AG attempt was Brooklyn Beer Shop's Everday IPA. I suspect my big issue was leaving leftover spent grains in my boil kettle from my earlier use of the pot for the mash. I also turbo sparged by just pouring the full pot of sparge water out on the grains. The final beer had little...

I do 1 gallon batches because I live in a studio, and my kitchen space is rather tight. I try to take a gravity reading when I put the wort into the fermenter, and another when I bottle. I think it's important to keep track of data like that because you can hopefully use it to troubleshoot...

Lurker here. I got back into the hobby after 10 years out because of the Brooklyn kits. If space is tight, it's a perfect set up. My IPA didn't turn out too great, but I chalk that up to first time mistakes, dry yeast, and my unwillingness to let the bottles age properly before drinking them. I...