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Really? I've never struck out on this site before... did I say something stupid? or does no one know?

I am making an English Brown using Ringwood Ale yeast and have a couple questions. My first question is about the diacetyl rest it says this yeast needs. I know normally a diacetyl rest is used for lagers and is done at 65ish degrees. But what is the proper temp for a diacetyl rest in an ale...

Thanks for clearing that up! I didn't realize I should use 32 points per pound for steeping grains, I thought that was just if you were doing a mash with them. Between that, honey variability, temp error etc that sounds about right. I have not checked the calibration on my hydrometer but I...

Yesterday I made what I'm calling an English Brown for my brothers visit in April. I used 3.15 lbs of Golden extract, 3.15 lbs of Maris Otter extract, and 2 lbs of honey, all from Northernbrewer, Both extracts are 36 ppg and I figured on 35 for the honey. This should give me an OG of 1.059...

Depending on the temp and the amount of sugar you could end up getting crystals but reboiling it would put them back into solution

You could add another yeast to the mix. It will NOT ferment the lactose so you will still end up with a high F.G. but you might be able to squeeze a few more points out that way. Keep in mind I haven't tried this but in theory it should work as long as the alcohol tolerance is higher than your...

I've been oaking in a room that has had a fair bit of temperate fluctuation, though mostly in the 60's. I got a pretty good oak flavor in a bit over a month so I don't think it will matter too much if you have the time.

One thing I forgot to mention is to use yeast nutrient if you have it. Just a touch for your starter and then again in the wort. I know beer usually has all the nutrients that is needed but it never hurts to have extra especially in a big beer.

I find it better to build up to the 3 quart volume you are after. The problem is if you want to pitch it in 24 hours or less you probably don't have time to build it up. I normally do a pint or a quart and let it do 24 hours or so then add a quart or so and give it another 24 hours till I get up...

It should just be yeast in the airlock. I would pitch the stuff that didn't blow out.

I believe it should be fine.

Steeping is kind of an imprecise science. There are a lot of people that have a lot of beliefs about what works best but as long as you keep the temp between 150 and 170 for half an hour you are doing it right. In fact I've seen people simply steep till it gets to 170 however short that may be...

So was I the only one that thought this was a good idea?

As long as it fits with the style of beer you are trying for go for it. I would have suggested an Imperial Stout or Barleywine like ScottG58 but if you have a beer that will benefit from orange peel go for it. Not to stir the hornets nest but I have always been a fan of using a secondary, if...

I did and mine worked fine :D

If this year was a beer what beer would it be and why? Feel free to use what ever you have had access to including your own brew but keep in mind that more people will understand what you mean the more widely available what you use is. However don't let that stop you from picking meaningful...

Note: Temperatures listed above are degrees Fahrenheit, which is quite different than Celsius.

Hello. I am currently using the new Dark Star Burner that my Wife got me for Christmas, along with a 10 gal pot with thermometer, ball valve, and false bottom. I am currently using them for extract brewing but a some point want to make the jump to all grain. My wife bought the pot with that in...

Ok so it sounds like I'm going to the hardware store tomorrow. I was just trying to not have to make a shopping trip just for thread tape but it sounds like I need to. Won't be a waste of a trip, I can get the distilled water to check the calibration on my thermometer. Thanks!