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Take a trip into your LHBS and examine the different types of hops in person. I can write a 5 page paper describing the taste and aroma of Cascade hops but unless you physically smell/taste it in person it wont really mean anything to you. (you can do the same thing with grains if/when you...

Basically you can mix/match extracts of the same grain however you want, because functionally there's no difference between Liquid malt extract and Dry malt extract except that DME is 20% more concentrated so .8kg DME gives you the same amount of sugars 1kg LME. When planning a beer, you need...

Well I know it has to be just the right cap for your growler or the seal isnt perfect and you lose carbonation, maybe that was the issue?

Just remember that anything you don't add in during your boil you will have to pasteurize separately before you can add it in. I don't know how many people post on this forum about how their fruit beer got infected during a fruit addition. My only thought on kiwis specifically is that they're...

I'm assuming 500 and 300 refer to grams, and that your doing a 5gal/20L batch? The kit looks a little on the low side for fermentables with 1.5kg of LME + .5kg of DME +.3kg Dextrose, but if your planning a light beer that's not necessarily a bad thing. Personally if I was doing that recipe and...

I wouldn't worry unless it turns bone white/forms a spiderweb patten on the top of your beer.

Did you mix your priming sugar into your beer well before you bottled? I've heard of cases where some of the bottles effectively didnt get any priming sugar while others got a lot. (like your perfectly carbonated bottle after only a week) This may not be the case (so don't panic) I'm just...

Yea I agree with Geordan, a gravity of .990 doesnt sound right... what was your OG? Regardless, your beer isn't "dirty" but it will be cloudy for now. What most people on this forum recommend is either an extended primary (3-4 weeks, preferably 4) or that you rack to a secondary fermenter for...

Yup, the heat causes conformation changes in the molecular structure of the plastic so instead of an ordered macro structure that would let light through, the molecules are all twisted and jumbled now making it opaque. Just in case anyone was wondering about the chemistry of it :3

Suzanneb I wouldnt worry too much, cooler temps just make fermentation go slower. It's odd that your wort temp was cooler than the outside temp, usually your beer is 2-3 degrees warmer because of the yeast metabolizing the sugars.(same process that keeps us warm. Either A, move your carboy to a...

Well, yeast like any organism don't appreciate being shaken like a rag doll for 2 hours. If your ride is fairly cozy and you can cushion the fermenter so that every bump doesn't bang it you might be okay. If your meticulous with your sanitation you can probably finish your boil, move the wort...

The yeast "like" warmer temperatures just fine, they "like" it in the high 90s as well. The issue is that if the temp is too warm you get weird odors/tastes like your banana smell as well as some Fusel Alcohols (propanol/Butanol) neither will kill you, but they can add a harsh alcoholic taste to...

Looks delicious. Let us know how it turns out!

The difference is probably based on the program and your LHBS's predicted conversion of the grain. The fermentables from 1Lb of grain can roughly be worth .6-.8lbs of extract depending on the skill of the brewer and the specific grain. Your yeast can ferment at 80 degrees and be healthy, they...

Test it again tomorrow and again the next day. If the gravity is still 1.025 for both readings your done and ready to bottle. If there's a change leave it for a bit longer. 3 days in a row = confirmed done.

What rjsnau said, for bucket fermenters 1.5 gallons is a must. A lot of people do a 5 gallon carboy like you did, and plan for a blowoff because it effectively removes most of the krausen as it forms. You can look into the pros/cons of doing a blowoff but as long as you get a tube on there...

You've gotta make sure you twist the cap on tight but yea, I haven't had one not pressurize yet.

The recipes in Complete Joy are great, but I'd probably just do a kit recipe for my first time, just because it takes away one more level of complexity. The Brewer's Best Weizenbeer kit seems to be a pretty good recipe, I made it last month and the beer is conditioning in bottles right now.

Color looks about right, but wait 3 more weeks before you bottle it. Even though your FG might be achieved, over the next three weeks your yeast will do all sorts of chemical changes to the beer, ending in what will be a much higher quality product. People on this forum will argue the pros/cons...

Not gonna lie, I started with the equivalent of Kit #1 and I've added equipment incrementally as I've done more adventurous brews and transitioned to partial mash recipes. IMO buy a basic kit, then after you have 2 or 3 successful beers under your bet buy your kegging kit. If you want to avoid...