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Weissbier going into fermenter.

Update: Although the efficiency was way off, the beer came out great! It's so tasty, and going so fast, I went down and got ingredients for the same recipe. I talked to the guy at my LHBS and he set his mill for a fine crush, also had the grains milled separately. He also brews BIAB, so I know...

Yes, I think I've seen all of the sacred brewing tenets I was indoctrinated with as a new brewer, skewered on HBT and in the local brewer community at one time or another. And they're making great beer! My take-away is that wort, yeast, and beer are a lot more forgiving than we presume them to be.

You'll get all sorts of opinions on this one. There are people that just chill the new wort right on top of a recently finished yeast cake, there are people that will only use fresh, packaged yeast, and there are a lot of methods in between. I think there is a sticky here on HBT on washing...

I think I ruptured something laughing..........

I also stir every 15. The grain was only 12 pounds in 22 qt of water. It didn't occur to me, but I suspect it may be crush, as others are suggesting. I'll make another batch in a month or so with a finer crush on the wheat and see how it goes. Thanks all for the input. BTW, Wyeast 3068 is a...

That would make sense. I have my LHBS crush a little more on the coarse side.

Brewed a BIAB hef on Monday, about 65% wheat to 35% pils. Single infusion, 151 F ,60 minutes, then boiled 90 minutes for a final volume of around 6.5 gallons. Added a clover honey at flameout. Beer Smith calculated 1071 OG, I got 1048. Normally, my numbers don't match Beer Smith, but I don't...

Could be hop material. Too hard to tell from the photo.

That's the beauty of it, so many different ways to go about it. I BIAB mash in approximately 80% of my total pre-boil water volume and then rinse the grain bag with the last 20% room temp water to top up before the boil. I usually get around 70-75% efficiency, but I've never focused too narrowly...

+1 for Kirkwooder's comments. Depends on what kind of beer you are brewing, fermentation temperatures, pitch rate/amount, yeast strain, to name a few. I turn higher gravity IPAs from brew to serving 15-20 days. A saison or porter would go 3-4 weeks at least, a Tripel or stout all the way out to...

Water chemistry can give you that "hop bite". My muni water is really hard and I used to get a flavor similar to what you are describing, a funky bitter bite with a hint of soapy. After much trail and error, I focused on using more neutral water and adding some gypsum (a very small amount), and...

I use a refractometer most of the time; as long as I'm close, I don't sweat it being off 3-5 points and I don't cross reference with another instrument. When I have to get an accurate reading, I fall back to the glass hydrometer.

I've used 05 in my IPAs for years; usually pitch 2 packs dry on IPAs north of 1070 and always ferment clean and attenuate well.

Porter, stout, brown ale, bock, Belgian dark strong; I've tasted "thin" and "thick" bodied brews in all of these styles. You can use a combination of adjuncts and mash temperature to fine tune the body of your brew. Maybe find a "tried and true" recipe in the recipe database with characteristics...

Welcome to the hobby. I would suggest checking out your local homebrew store (LHBS) if you have one within a reasonable distance to your location. They are a great place to bounce ideas and questions off other homebrewers, and you can get plugged into any local clubs and/or events you have in...

I've been eyeing that, 240v. I hear they're going to offer something with a lot more bells and whistles later this year.

I agree, regardless of method, brewing outside is just more fun. I usually brew in the garage, but sometimes join a group brew on a friend's deck. It's a little more distracting, but a lot more fun. BIAB lends itself to portability.

BIAB is just easier. Less equipment, less time, smaller footprint. I brewed for years on a traditional set-up, but life changed and I needed to simplify my brewday in time and space. BIAB was the answer. Also, much easier to throw in the truck and transport for the occasional group brew.

As wepeeler says, you fold the bag inside out; eliminate the fold. Also, after the mash, I rinse the bag out, but I don't sweat every spec of grain because once the bag dries out, you can give it a few good snaps to shake it out. Any residual grain material just floats away in the breeze. Leave...