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Anyone have any comments on the difference in pressure ratings between the two? I noticed Spike has a max pressure rating of 15 psi, while the Unitank has a recommended operating pressure of 15 psi, a max pressure rating of 30 psi, and it's pressure tested to 60 psi. I've heard that the Spike...

A scary feeling indeed. Reminds me of a time I was out on a day business trip in the summer a few years back. I had an empty 5 lb Co2 tank and a hombrew store was in the area I was traveling to. I figured why not just trade it out while I'm running about. Left the full tank in my car, didn't...

I've moved Spike's 15 gallon Kettle+ with about 9 gallons of water before. The handles held up fine. The weight, however, did not make it an enjoyable move. I have no idea if would hold up to repeated, constant stress like that though.

I didn't even realize there was a market for that kinda thing. I can't throw a rock without hitting a brewery, and half of them are financially struggling (even before COVID) to keep the doors open. Craft bottle shops are a dime a dozen. With that much competition, it never would have crossed my...

Welcome! Carolina Brewmasters is the place to go in your area.

Replace the yeast and the hops. Open the grains and taste a few. If they taste alright, use them (but it isn't very expensive to replace anyway).

I'm no chemist, but I can share my own personal story. I bought a Spike custom kettle about 18 months ago. After every brew I'd wash the kettle out (and all accessories) with a soft sponge and dish soap. Every other brew I'd soak everything in PBW. I never applied an acid or repassified...

+1 for Atlantic Brew. Amazing people, you can buy as little as 1 oz, and have it packaged anyway you want (milled, unmilled, with other grains for a recipe, separate). Plus the prices are very competitive. Been buying from them for years.

What's your preference?

It depends on the water you use. I have tap water with ~150 ppm of tds. I went through about a half a dozen spray bottles filled with star san. Each would last a month to three months before the spray part wouldn't work anymore. I even ordered industrial grade, chemical resistant spray bottles...

FWIW, I have a 5500W electric heating element. In about 6.5 gallons of wort (pre-boil volume) I keep my element at ~32% power. At that level, I get a very nice and vigorous boil. At ~45% the boil is going crazy, almost over the sides of my 15 gal kettle. I would never keep it at 100% power.

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Hahahaha. Yes. Obviously. The point is you have to make significantly larger adjustments due to the volume, which has a significantly larger impact on the end result. You can easily add water to cut down an OG that's too high. You can easily add DME to bring up a low OG. But both would produce...

I'd generally agree. There are quite a few reasons why someone would want to do 1 gallon batches over 2.5 gallon batches (space involved, available equipment, or desire to only have a hand full of bottles) but I'm not sure "filling some time" is a good one. 1 gallon batches come with some...

Works now. Weird. But thanks.

For base malts, I usually buy full bags of a local 2row and Pilsner malts. I usually keep a 5 gallon bucket full of Munich, Vienna, and Maris Otter. Beyond that, I usually just buy based on the next 3-5 recipes I plan on brewing. I usually get 5 lbs at a time of most specialty grains, even if...

No, that's exactly what's happening. Half of the first dozen posts in this thread suggested fermenting under pressure. You felt no need to address any safety concerns involved. No less than 2 people on the first page mentioned not brewing while drunk (obviously way more dangerous than anything...

Most stories of breaking, if not one of the above reasons (of which people are usually not willing to admit), and like the one linked to by LittleRiver, almost always involve a story something like this: It usually involves a "gentle bump" followed by a catastrophic shattering. I don't know...

I don't understand why so many are so quick to point out the dangers of glass carboys alone. No doubt I could drop a glass carboy and become injured. But I could also: 1. Be burned (or have a loved one burned) by steam from brewing. 2. Be cut on any number of pieces of equipment, some self...

Going electric certainly increased my enjoyment of brewing, but I can't say it increased the quality of my beer. At least, not from what I can tell. Personally, I know this would do wonders for my development as a brewer, but I'm just not interested in it. There are literally hundreds of...