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I actually mash in a Bayou Classic 30qt aluminum turkey fry pot. I heat the water to my strike temp then take the pot off the burner and place it in on a towel placed in a tub (actually the tub I use as a swamp cooler) then I pack towels and blankets around the pot and over the lid. I have used...

At least I am confident in my mash set up being able to maintain consistent temps! :D

I calculated my strike temp then added a couple degrees because of the nature of my set up and the fact that I am mashing in the garage. Long story short, The 1st 20 mins of my mash was spent falling from 160 to my desired 155. Other than a little more unfermentable sugars, should I expect...

Tried it again after it bottle conditioned/carbed. I don't like it at all. I posted in my "2nd batch thread" https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/2nd-batch-under-belt-356396/ about it. Not sure if I should give it more time or if I should just accept that it isn't very good. I made sure to RDWHAHB...

So I meant to update this a while back but I got a little busy. In case you missed it, this brew was based off of DeathBrewer's recipe and process for a banana bread ale. Unfortunately I did not get any banana notes at all. I made sure to RDWHAHB and let it clear for a while and then bottled...

UPDATE So I bought a kegging system (5gal ball lock with 10lb CO2 tank and picnic tap) and kegged the Christmas Ale (which I have named "Sayers' Bah Humbug Brew"). Of course I sampled a bit and the ginger has significantly subsided and the beer has a wonderful balance of cinnamon and ginger...

It really isn't a matter of sanitation. Wooden cutting boards will absorb some of the juice you are trying to extract. Even plastic boards, unless they are brand new, will trap the juice. I know my plastic cutting board has many grooves in it from a couple years of use. You are just best...

Just as a general cooking tip that also applies to brewing, don't chop too long or too fine with any spice/herb. Most of the time the compound that carries the flavor or aroma of the spice/herb is an oil that you extract for them plant. If you chop too long or fine, you will just end up with all...

I did not shred it. I tossed it in chopped up in small chunks. JB

That's really weird. I used 2 ounces for a 5 gallon batch and I can taste nothing else. JB

I always use the freshest ingredients I can get. Never use powders. As for boiling time, there is a sweet spot. Too long and you can boil away flavors, not long enough and you don't extract any. See below for the answer to the rest of your question. I used 1 ounce at 10 minutes left in the boil...

I just transferred a Christmas Ale over to secondary and gave it a sample. Holy ginger! I don't even taste the cinnamon, lol. I know I used too much but I didn't think it was that much. Can I expect the ginger taste to fade over some time as it ages? Is there a possibility I just taste the...

Weird. Haven't seen the larger ones at HD. I'll look around. JB

So last night while lying in bed I hear very loud hissing and gurgling noises. At first I thought a cat fight made the dog vomit or something. Nope. Just some very violent fermentation, lol. I def need to stop at the LHBS this morning and get some supplies for a blow-off tube. I looked around...

Nice! Thanks! JB

I'll do that. I am just starting out so I am trying everything so I can get to know characteristics of the different grains and hops. Thanks for the suggestion. JB

I wish the propane tank had a fuel guage. I have a spare tank so all won't be lost when one runs out but it would be nice to know in advance. Like I said, I have done 3 brews so far on the standard size they sell at Home Depot. I was hoping to get at least three per tank. We'll see if it dies...

Here is the recipe. I got it from a thread on the forums here and it is pretty much unaltered from the way it appeared on that thread. I took some liberties with the cinnamon and ginger and I used clove honey. I also used White Labs London Ale yeast instead of Wyeast. I also filtered out the...

No apologies necessary. Actually it's SWMBO's garage. I am renovating every inch of my house so I am staying with her. Her garage is pretty nice other than the floor being marginally bad. Mine doesn't even have a garage door. JB

That's exactly what I use. 5 gal paint strainer bags from Home Depot. I just keep reusing the same one. I use them in my funnel as a filter when transferring to the fermenter as well. That's actually just the way the garage floor looks, lol. The piddle from the leaking pot was actually...