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Weirdly, the recipe I'm using recommends a way higher temp. than the yeast the recipe suggests.

So I just took my first FG sample and sip of a hefe I've had in primary for just shy of six days. First couple days of fermentation were ridiculously vigorous (looked like the wort was boiling below the surface -- I made the mistake of allowing too high a temperature early on) and it's been...

"cold crash"?

I got the Ranco off of craigslist (already wired, too!) and was able to haggle the seller down to $75. I'm using two 6.5-gallon carboys, which fit nicely into the freezer even with a bung/fermentation-airlock on top.

Got a 7 cubic ft. chest-freezer off craigslist for $50 and added a Ranco 2-stage temp controller (only using one) yesterday morning for $75. I set the freezer on the lowest setting (I found that the higher settings would cool down the freezer too much) and made a cardboard "seat" for my carboy...

How do you keep breaking them?

That northern brewer link is broken, got an updated link, or a recipe you can cut/paste in?

Olddog, is that your punishment batch? What does it taste like w/ no hops, bubble gum?

I think ChshreCat was referring to the beer itself. ;) But yes, let's have an update (and a confession!)

Yeah, I got myself a chest freezer (7cu ft., fits two carboys easily) and will be trying to acquire a temp. controller today. (I don't have much use for two-stages, either, though, I'm in San Diego)

I know, right??? But I did. :(

Yeast says it wants 70-75 -- Actually, I just checked online and it says 66-70 there... maybe 70-75 was pitching temp?

My batch was in the high-70s yesterday (oops!)... got it down to 68 today. Definitely bubbling a lot less vigorously at this temp., is that expected? Should I try to bring it down a few more degrees?

Okay, added the bitter-tea last night, I think all went well. Just watching and waiting now... the gas from my fermenter smells strongly of bananas.

Oh, I had forgotten that one of those stick-on thermometers came with my kit! Thanks for the reminder.

I have a good mug-sized tea-strainer (I can sterilize that with some iodine), I could use that for sifting out the hops on the way into my carboy. Would that work well? What temp. should I aim for on the bitter-tea? 75F? Tips on avoiding contamination while I do this?

Recipe says 1oz Hallertau hop pellets for bittering, and calls for them to be tossed into the pot after steeping but before the 1-hour boil. Doesn't mention straining the wort or anything before fermentation.

I don't really have any good way of monitoring the internal temperature.... is there a special thermometer for that sort of thing (something compatible with my fermentation-lock?)

The original recipe calls for 1oz. of hops. I have a nylon bag that I used for steeping my grains, is that good enough for the hops, too? I don't have a colander.

Oh, and what's a good straining tool?