Search results

You can always bag the beans in a hop or muslin bag. If you're really paranoid about bits of beans in your bottles, move it to the secondary for a few days to move the particles out of suspension.

First of all, I've gone from grain to glass in 2 weeks before with pales so don't worry about that. Your gravity measurements show that you clearly achieved adequate attenuation. Though I wouldn't suggest moving it to the secondary so quickly. You really don't even have to use a secondary, but...

Don't worry too much about dry-hopping your beer for extended periods. Unless you let your beer dry hop for months, then there will be no off-flavors. I've put hops in a metal herb ball in my keg for over a month and I never tasted any off flavors. I'd say let it sit another week in the...

Just hook up a blow off tube to the fermenter. A really active fermentation like that happens occasionally. Nothing to be worried about. Most of the fermentation is probably over by now but just use a blow off tube anyway. Some people like putting the other end of the tube in a bowl of...

For me, the whole point of trying to make a pale stout is to simply see if it's possible. It's something new and exciting that I don't think anyone has done before. This is pioneering work, to boldly go where no one has gone before!

You're in the produce section of the grocery store and wonder which kinds of fruits and veggies would be a good ingredient.

Having done a few brews with ginger, I highly suggest going easy with it. Are you using freshly ground ginger? Or just the dried ginger powder? Don't ever use more than 1 tsp of ginger powder for 5 gal batch unless you're going for a purely ginger beer. I believe fresh ginger imparts a stronger...

I'm of the opinion that you won't be getting any roasty flavors without the color tagging along as well. My understanding is that the color and roasty flavor comes from the slight caramelization of the sugars. Extracting any flavor from the grain will also result with extracting that color as...

If you're using a liquid yeast packet to pitch then I would imagine it's very fast fermentation since it's less sugars for the yeast to work through than a traditional 5 gal batch. It may still take a day or two for fermentation to begin though. The 48-72 hour delay in fermentation for a 5 gal...

When I was 20, I went to visit my aunt and uncle who lived in Portland Oregon at the time. They introduced me to so many good beers. I hardly remember the whole weekend. Though I specifically remember Delirium Tremens and Tripel Karmeliet. Those crazy Belgians sure know what they're doing.

I've only managed to break 2 before realizing my error and switching to a refractometer. Now I just need to make sure not to break that too.

I agree. It's gotten me a free meal more than once. Plus other beer trades, free rides, and even a free corny keg. I try to bottle at least a few beers before I keg the rest so that I have a few lying around to hand out.

As mentioned above, a turkey baster is best. In lieu of a turkey baster or wine thief though, you can always go to Dairy Queen or some other place that provides really long straws. Use those to reach into the carboy and place your finger over the top hole to grab a sample. Make sure to...

Congrats on your first brew. Now you'll be constantly thinking about new recipes and when you can brew next. Don't worry about trying any crazy recipes, stick to the basics for a while. Use this site as a resource and build your knowledge base. Before too long, you'll switch to all-grain...

It really doesn't matter, both have their positives and negatives. A dial thermometer is more reliable, it will usually last longer depending on the manufacturer. And it's fairly water proof, so if you drop it in your boil or spill liquid all over it then it should be fine. However they are...

Congrats. Now you just need to make sure to have time to brew. As a general rule, don't go to birthday parties, funerals, weddings, baptisms, etc... they take away too much time from brewing.

Brewmasters Warehouse is my favorite resource. Really great guys that work there and they are some good prices. Best of all, they are right here in the Atlanta area too. http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/equipment/fermenters/buckets

Personally I like to add some oats to my wheat beers. You don't have to worry about protein haze since it's already going to be cloudy as hell. Adds a little more body/mouthfeel and chewiness to the beer. Usually 5% of my grain bill for wheats is flaked oats. Give it a try next time.

Ya know, I like my job; it's not stressful, decent pay, good coworkers, and I sit on my ass reading HBT and other silly websites in my downtime. However it's not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. My income is about what I expect brewers to make so it's not like I'd be taking a...

Mashed at 158F for 60 minutes, vorlauf and fly sparge with 185F water for 60 min. Had a 1.086 OG after a 90% mash efficiency. But will be just as delicious at a lower ABV. Grain: 8 lbs US 2 row 2 lbs Biscuit malt 2 lbs Munich malt 1 lb Crystal 60L 1 lb Wheat, flaked Hops: 1 oz Chinook 10%AA...