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I also have a slight update to a post I made above. I mentioned that I used S-04 to make a pseudo-pilsner (pilsner wort, ale yeast) that turned out good. Down the line (the keg kicked a few weeks ago only), I was able to more and more reliably tell that it was made with an ale yeast, the...

I drink it, if it's drinkable. If not, I distill it, if it's got enough alcohol and a lower amount of hops. If not, I dump it. I actually dumped a batch this past weekend. Brewed up a batch with some milled malt I got from a guy, he couldn't tell me how old it was. I didn't do a starch test...

OK so I'm going to ask the question, because it's being done left-right-and-centre over here in South Africa where I stay anyway - what's stopping you from just doing it? Who's going to come inspect your property to see if you're up to code (unless obviously you sell the place or something like...

That looks like an art piece, very very nice! Looks like a professional lineup of beer tastings at a brewpub or something. Jealous.

Have you thought about buying a used shipping container and burying it below your shed? Use the downstairs "cellar" then for brewing and fermentation and stuff. Naturally cool, and out of light, and if not in use you just shut the door and serve upstairs.

I discovered this site a while back when designing out garden flat for rental. It's free and works REALLY well: Home inspirations trends and decorating ideas | HomeByMe

After the boil I tapped directly into the fermenter, and put the fermenter under airlock with pure ethanol (hand sanitizer). The air being sucked in then is at least passed through the alcohol, IMO. I pitched yeast the next morning, and the fermentation went perfectly. I'm pretty glad the...

I'm throwing a spanner in the works here, because I want to do something similar someday. Same idea as yours, but a different shape, with an outdoor seating area and the bathroom in a corner. I love this shape (although I'd build is a tad larger than this), with the bar in one corner and with...

My pseudo pilsner, unfined. Made with extra pale malt, some melanoidin for colour (admittedly a bit too much) and some dextrin for head retention. SAB T90 hops at 60 minutes for 23 IBUs, and some Perle and Saaz at flameout. No-chill, poured into fermenter and fermented with S-04. This beer...

My opinion - unless you are brewing to numbers, or BJCP styles, or for judging at competitions, or trying to replicate a precise recipe, you don't need a scale. I started off with a small scale that gave issues, so one day I simply took a bucket, measured out specific weights of malt, added...

How did you make the must? Raw raspberries, or store bought? Juice? Pulped fruit? Any additives like Campden tablets or k-meta powder? Also, if you add sugar, the SG will always change. You should dissolve the sugar properly and measure again. Finally, 1.075 OG isn't a very low SG. If it...

I have to admit, I use potassium metabisulfite. It's super cheap, a little goes a long way and it works. I've been bottling from the clearing bucket for years and even years later the meads are all still fine. PS: Use an online calculator to calculate the doses to use, as you want a certain...

You're not supposed to make cuts based on temperature anyway, you're supposed to do it by taste and smell. ABV is only applicable to determining how long you should run it for into the tails. I'm a cheapskate, I run DEEP. EDIT: The biggest downside of those Airstills is the volume you can...

I have to admit I have no experience with them either. I guess I was wrong that they're working (not that I use caps anymore anyway). To prevent oxidisation you can always add a dose of potassium or sodium metabisulfite. It's a very, very strong antioxidant. Even some citric or ascorbic acid...

You can also buy "oxygen thief" crown caps. Once they get wet they start absorbing oxygen in the headspace of the bottle.

Buy cheap vodka. It's not cheap or easy to make a good whisky. It takes a long time and it works out to pretty damn expensive.

Looks it's not nice to dump beer. It sucks. It's time and effort dumped. At least it's not very expensive, and each is a learning experience. To make you feel even more better - I've also dumped a few beers. I've also distilled beers into whiskies, and they've always turned out mediocre, so...

Metallic can be a sensation as well, purely because you might expect it from a keg. Solvent (hot, burning, jet fuel) is typical of a sad yeast, so the warm pitch might have caused it. Warmer pitch is typically OK if you oxygenate the wort, because the yeast will consume the oxygen in the wort...

Honestly, when it comes to safety, your beer should be last on your mind. I would simply take the keg outside, pull on the PRV and let it run until all pressure is out. Next time, try again. I wouldn't risk a keg bomb. I've had a bottle pop in my face and it left a pretty wicked scar, and I...

Exactly my story. I got to a point where I used almost 60% of the original recipe's base malts, because my brewhouse efficiency (into fermenter) worked out to 93%. I squeezed and sparged till I was blue in the face to reach those numbers, and it worked. You HAVE to work out and work on your...