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I picked up some Nectaron from YVH last week. I grabbed it without any recipe planned because I figured it would sell out soon, which it did. So now I'm trying to design something to showcase Nectaron, but I've never brewed with it, so I am hoping that you all could help me narrow things down...

I'm planning my spring brews, and I have a Baltic porter and an Italian pilsner on the list. I'd like to get just one yeast that I can use for both. I was thinking 34/70. Anyone have any thoughts on whether that would work for both? Or is there a better option out there? In terms of mechanics...

I do think cold crashing in the fermenter is valuable (if you can do it without oxygen ingress), not just because you get less sediment in the keg but also because you generally get a higher yield. When I cold crash, the yeast and trub and hips form a much more tight & compact layer than when I...

It sounds like a very successful brew day, for jumping in to all grain on your first try! Hitting the gravity mark pretty much on the money is great. As you keep going, it may be helpful to separate gravity and volume in your mind. Gravity is basically the amount of sugar you are able to pull...

Are you keeping the beer at 90 even after fermentation is done? The only reason I can think to do that is if you don't have a way to avoid suck back and keep your beer from oxygenating. Barring suck back concerns, I personally wouldn't dry hop in temps that high. As long as you have some way to...

I'm running a bit behind schedule, but everything is purchased! Just need to box it up and ship it out. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow, but if not then definitely on Friday.

For the last few years, I've brewed about every two weeks or so. I brew 2.5 gallon batches, mostly so that I can have cheaper/smaller gear and use my stovetop, but it also means I get to brew more frequently. I really like the variety! I usually have two things on tap at a time, one batch just...

That looks normal to me. I would bet the kveik just took off quick and ate through the sugar like a beast. I think you're just fine to wait the full two weeks and then check gravity. You can bottle once you have two stable gravity readings over three days. Just be careful not to check gravity...

I don't see a picture, but that's not terribly out of character for kveik. It usually finishes a lot faster than other yeast, especially if you pitch a healthy amount. 24 hours is a tad fast even for kveik, but the only way to really know if fermentation is finished is to test the gravity. I...

Do you usually ferment at ambient room temperature? No cooling during fermentation? If so, I'd go with the lutra. I have used it in quite a few beers, and I've tried heating it, letting it go at room temp, and cooling it to the standard 68 I use for most beers. I've been happy with it in all...

In my opinion, the number one best thing you can do to improve your beer (beyond sanitation, of course) is controlling fermentation temperature. A mini fridge or freezer and an ink bird temp controller will give you big and immediate upgrades in flavor. A very close second is getting the...

When to remove it from the stir plate and when to refrigerate it are two different questions. You can take it off the stir plate once active fermentation starts, if you want. Finishing out fermentation sitting on your counter won't hurt it. I sometimes take it off the stir plate after a day or...

I pour pretty much the whole kettle into my fermenter, trub and all. I don't notice any I'll effects, in taste or clarity, and some people think there are actually benefits to it (though I just do it because I'm lazy and don't want to lose any wort). I think trub vs. no trub is more about...

Brewers friend has a mash efficiency calculator that's very useful. You put in your grain bill, the amount of mash water, and your measured gravity. It will tell you the potential gravity and your efficiency. 71% isn't terrible. I have my own mill and grind the grain quite fine, and I often...

Yep, that's the one! I don't weigh it down at all.

I leave my floating dip tube in every time. When I first started using it, I had clogging issues, whether from krausen or hops. I then got a plastic filter attachment for the end of it, and I haven't had any clogs since. I've been kind of amazed by it. It can be sitting in the yeast cake almost...

I've been using my modified Fermonster for about two years now. I've never had a single issue with the lid. I bought an extra one thinking I'd eventually need it, but not yet! Still holds pressure just fine, no cracks. I wouldn't worry about purging the dip tube. I leave mine in during...

Like @KeizerBrewr, I use whirlfloc in the boil and clarity ferm at pitch (I use it to reduce gluten, but it was designed to get rid of chill haze). I haven't noticed any negative flavor impacts. Forgetting the whirlfloc can be noticeable in the sense that I don't get as good of a cold break, but...

In my opinion, the best way to do a closed transfer with lots of loose hops is to use a pressure-capable fermenter that you can hook up to CO2 and that you can outfit with a floating dip tube with a screen attachment. This lets you do a couple important things: (1) cool crash to drop yeast out...

For fermentation, I don't see a need to get the freezer/fridge combo. I use a dorm fridge with an ink bird controller, and it can get my wort down to 42ish for a cold crash. That's all I need for fermentation! You might look at the dimensions of a Fermonster. I like them better than buckets, and...