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Here are some pics. Brew day seems to have gone really well...especially since it was my very first brew. The only big surprise was that I was expecting an OG of 1.055 but ended up with 1.065 (yes I corrected for temp). I even checked again just after transferring to the fermenter. Maybe I made...

So this might sound weird but there is no way I am the only one. I just decanted the "beer" off of my starter yeast. Out of curiosity, I tasted it. Now, it was just some light DME but I swear it tastes like a flat blue moon. SWMBO doesn't taste it, but I swear it tastes the same. I'm drinking...

Still going really well. Just started the boil. The wort smells so friggin' delicious! I was 2 degrees off on my target mash temp but I stirred vigourously for a couple mins and got it right where I wanted it. Didn't lose a single degree for the hour of mashing afterwards. The sparge water hit...

Picked up my grains from the LHBS about 2 hours ago and I am about 40 minutes into my first brew day. Yes my very first brew is all grain. I am jumping right in. Very excited! The dough-in went well and it smells delicious! My sparge water is heating up and my airlock, funnel and huge syringe...

Thanks all. Had to scrap brew day yesterday so we are doing it today! It feels like Christmas.

Thanks again, everybody!

The main reason I was thinking of saving some of the starter instead of harvesting after fermentation was because the yeast are earlier gen without having been through the stress of a full batch.

Hey gang, As some you may have read, I made my first starter Fri night. It occurs to me that I should be able to save some of my starter in the vial the yeast originally came in and use it to make another starter the next time I brew (given I want to use the same yeast). Any reason that isn't...

Sorry about your luck today. Just throwing this out there as food for thought but I found a Bayou Classic propane turkey fryer on Craig's List with a 30qt heavy duty pot for $50 and it brings 5gals to boil in a heartbeat. There are always great deals to be had like that. Might be something you...

I figure if ancient civilizations had the capability I should be able to manage it. Plus, I am a "get in there and do it" type of guy and I have been reading about brewing and taking in all the advice on the boards here for a few months now. I know it isn't "doing" but I feel like I have a very...

Here is the recipe. It is somebody else's with the replacement of American 2 Row with Maris Otter. Cheers, JB Type: All Grain Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Boil Size: 6.52 gal Boil Time: 60 min End of Boil Volume 5.98 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % Final Bottling Volume: 4.60...

Here is the WLP004 yeast starter after about 15 hours. Looks and smells great! JB

itzkramer, sent you a pm.

Thanks everybody! To address a couple questions/statements, I am brewing an oatmeal stout using Maris Otter and WLP004 for my very first brew. I'll post the recipe when I am at my computer (using the android app to post this.) It's ok to say I was in Kabul. That is not a violation of security...

Well I made it home from Afghanistan. :ban: Day one back at home included a trip to my LHBS to pick up the supplies that I ordered before I even left Kabul. Just finished my pitching my first starter about 5 hours ago and I already see activity. Can't wait until Sunday when I will brew my...

Great idea for a post. I am still new, too but I have offered this advice to at least 3 people in the last week already. Pics are great! This should be stickied!

What beer did you brew? How long has the brew been fermenting?

To piggy back off everybody else's suggestions, you can use a t shirt or polo shirt instead of a blanket as well. Fits around the fermenter really well and you can leave the bottom of the t shirt in the bucket of water to wick moisture into the shirt as it evaporates. JB

I'm with duboman on this one. Leave it in the primary so those yeasties can breakdown some of the fermentation by-products that may cause off flavors. If you move it to secondary, you are leaving all that yeast behind and won't get that benefit. Regardless, I don't think you really have much to...

What did you use to sanitize your fermenter and how much did you use?