Search results

You add the campden tablets 24 hours before pitching the yeast. If you add concentrate after this, it's just extra fermentables. If you want it to stay sweet, you would add the campden tablets, wait for them to kill the yeast, and then add the concentrate. Of course, I'm not sure how you...

/threadjack If I carbonate my cider in bottles, will I still be able to mull it? Or will the carbonation mess it up...? /threadjack

You know, I already knew this was the answer, I just needed to hear it from someone else. Four months is a long time to wait to find out without some reassurance! Thanks! :mug:

Probably your bucket. My bucket never bubbles much but always ferments.

Well, it had been in the primary for eight days. Racked it, *strong* sulfur smell. I think this was probably from the campden tablets - I used five of them. It's now in the secondary, how long do you think it will take to go away? Also, it's a lot drier than I expected (or have had...it...

Do you use a secondary? I never have any sediment, just a fine layer of yeast on the bottom of the bottle that seems to stick there unless I intentionally disturb it.

Does your friend grow and harvest his own grains? Roast or malt them himself? Does he grow his own hops? Does he harvest his own yeasts? No? Then tell him he's not a real homebrewer!

What's wrong with a mouth siphon? I do it sometimes when my water tube fails, and I've never had a problem. Maybe my mouth just doesn't harbor bacteria...or the shot of vodka I take before it each time.

Neck and cap would be nice, but not on the same sheets as the regular labels, please! I don't think I would use them as often. I can't see myself ever using the cap labels, but I would probably use neck labels for special batches. Easy removal with no residue to clean off is huge thing...

I would spend the extra ten bucks and get a bench capper. I've never used better bottles, but the glass is actually cheaper! Hm...

I use bagged ice from walmart all the time. It's never given me a problem and it's not like they can sell you bad water -- I'm pretty sure they sterilize it before they freeze it, then it's put in a sealed bag. I use 10 lbs of ice every time, with a 2.5 gallon boil. My yeast usually gets...

I use the ice method. 2.5 gallons of hot wort into 16 lbs of ice will usually cool the wort down to 75 degrees nearly instantly. If it doesn't, you still have 1/2 gallon to play around with for more ice or cool water. I don't worry about getting an infection from the ice. It comes in a...

Hmm...but the water *tastes* good, so it should make good beer? Man I hope so. Otherwise the batch I have in the primary is screwed.

Nope, no washer. I held it upside down and scooped them out with my fingers a few at a time. Combined with all the settled crap from the bottom of the fermenter, it was a messy and disgusting job.

It's not necessary, but it will contribute to the aroma of your beer From Lee Janson's "Brew Chem": "Dry hopping actually extracts less oxygenated products than flavoring or aromatic boils, leading to increased intensity and stability of the humulene aromatics. Therefore, the flavors and...

Yep, you could use a lager yeast and ferment at ale temps creating Ancor Steam style beer or Califorina Common style (same thing). This style is also defined by the use of norther brewer hops. I actually have one in the primary right now, although I'm using WLP008 which is a very neutral ale...

Low temps will just make the yeast go dormant. Once temperature returns they'll wake back up. You didn't hurt anything, although you might have delayed things a little bit.

No, don't do that. You do what's called dry hopping, where you put hops into the secondary fermenter. You can use pellets or whole hops leaves. Pellets were actually invented for the purpose of dry hopping, but the crushing they undergo may reduce the amount of aroma you will get out of them...

Well, wouldn't you want to attach the peltier plate to the exterior of a metal bucket or something that your fermentation vessel sits in? Put a water pump near the area where the peltier pad connects for water circulation, and you should be fine, eh?

Alright, well guys, here's my deal. A friend has a keg, he's had it for a long time. He doesn't plan on returning it...in fact, I don't think he even remembers where he got it. He said I could have it. I was wondering, for a guy who owns absolutely no tools, is there any decent way I...