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The differences in SG probably have to do with discrepancies in your volumes. You say you hit your volumes perfectly, but volumes are hard to judge. I mean, if my volume is at the 5 gallon mark on my bucket, I say its five gallons. But I have never calibrated it, and even if it was 100%...

If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a dodgeball! Just sprung to mind when I saw what you said. Definitely try a swamp cooler. Your fermentation temps will be 8-10 degrees above room temp without it, which at my apartment means 75-80 degrees. At those temps you will get some funky...

I'm not just an apartment brewer, I'm a New York City apartment brewer! And you haven't seen small until you have seen my brewing space. The only bright spot is that I'm on the top floor so I can store pots and coolers and stuff like that on the landing when I'm not actively brewing. Even...

I have a batch of this fermenting right now, well, as close as I could get given the restrictions on malt at the local homebrew shop. It looked, tasted and smelled awsome going into the fermenter and I can't wait to taste it. Any thoughts on bottling? This is my first wheat beer. I am...

I'm brewing an AG Dunkelweizen myself at the moment. 50 degrees is probably a little low, but I doubt your wort is actually 50. The yeast give off quite a bit of heat when they ferment and usually drive the temp of the wort up about 8-10 degrees. My guess is that if the ambient temperature of...

One thing I noticed is that I lose a lot more heat with beers with relatively small grain bills then those with large grain bills. My first batch was a simple ESB. I overshot my target temp by about 4 degrees on mash in, but ended up considerably below. The next batch I brewed was an...

Yeah, my local homebrew shop only had the one type of chocolate malt. It seemed to span the appropriate range though, so I just decided to make do. They say why use one grain when two will do, as that adds complexity and depth to a beer, so I guess mine could be lacking in depth, but there are...

I brewed a porter based on this recipe this weekend. ran with the following recipe (5 gallon): 10 lbs Pale Malt (2 row) US (2.0 SRM) 1 lb 6 oz Wheat Malt, US (2.0 SRM) 11 oz Caramel/Crystal malt - 80L (80 SRM) 6 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 12 oz Chocolate Malt (328-432 SRM) HOP...

Well, they have some great recipes and I'm positive that you can make good beer with their kit given enough experience and practice and the proper tools. I think it would be easier to do BIAB with their kit than attempt the sieve etc. Lots of people on this board brew with systems I'm wholly...

You have to understand that, up until about 9 months ago, NYC proper was the only major US city WITHOUT a homebrew shop! Yes, there is a homebrew shop or two out on Long Island, but nothing easily accessible to your typical NYC resident. I have met the couple selling these 1 gallon kits. They...

Yeah, I think I'd go a little higher since they add it for their signature flavor rather than just head retention. I'll see what Beersmith says when I get home.

I don't really know. I am just starting to formulate my own recipes using Beersmith as my crutch, but I happened to remember that wheat trivia from back in the day. I have been trying to clone a Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter, and most of the recipes I've seen (based on Jamil's recipe I...

I'm sorry I didn't see this thread earlier! Man I miss Jolly Roger, I haven't had any in like 6 years (since I moved to NYC). George is a great guy and crafts some awsome beers. When I lived in Seattle I spent many a saturday eating sliders and deep fried pickles in his tap room, all accompanied...

The occasional little particle is fine. These are going to occasionally work through or lose. I think of it as a big natural filter. The vorlaufing works to compact the grain bed and I sort of picture the first few cloudy pitchers as the grain bed attaining equilibrium, moving the loose grains...

I just keep vorlaufing until the wort is clear. And by clear, I mean that there are no more grain husks coming out, no more little bits of grain and it isn't cloudy. You should (for most styles at least) be able to look through the wort as it is draining and be able to see things on the other...