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As everyone has recommended, a fermentation chamber is a good way to improve your brews, but can be challenging to build. I tried to build a Son of Fermentation Chiller and failed miserably (my insulation was warped and I didn't have the proper tools to measure or cut the insulation very well)...

Black lager. Corn.

I'd be interested to know more about what makes the beer dehydrating. Is it that the electrolytes in the body have higher solubility in the ethanol than the water and so move out of the cells? Or is it that the osmotic pressure of the ethanol is higher than the electrolytes in the cells and so...

I like this idea when I've seen it in the past, but as I noted in my last post, I am not sure I'd be up to the task from a DIY standpoint and I rent an apartment so I'm leery of making modifications to the plumbing.

I don't think I have a bad relationship there at least. The shop keepers are super friendly and seem to have a good relationship with everyone. I've actually been pretty blown away by how friendly their staff is. I also don't really see any reason they would have to not want to sell it to me...

Just went to my LHBS and they said that this strain isn't currently available from White Labs. How can I get some? I'm a little leery of ordering some from an online shop if it's true that White Labs isn't making it available and it might just be old stock.

Lactobacillus, the genus I think is likely to have infected your wort, does not produce methanol. In fact, some species/strains of lactobacillus are homofermentive and only produce lactic acid, and even in heterofermentive strains my understanding is that lactic acid is the dominant metabolic...

It is sort of a shame to dump it, but I understand if you've only got one fermenter. While some sours are an acquired taste, they also come very naturally to some people. I know several people who do not typically enjoy most beers who really get into the more vinous or acidic sours.

Campden doesn't kill lacto? I've never heard one way or the other, so I just assumed it does since it kills many other spoiling bacteria. Do you have a source?

I agree with this. It looks like a lactobacillus pellicle to me, meaning that there is a bacteria in your beer producing lactic acid, making the beer sour. If you're feeling brave then you can wait it out and see if the beer turns out good anyway (it might -- I really like sour beers). You could...

I've seem some cool taps under the sink for chillers, but since I have limited tools and DIY skill, and more importantly since I rent an apartment, I don't have the guts to do it myself. I wish I'd been here for the installation so I could have just chosen a different faucet. That wrench is...

I don't know what's the downside to having trub in your pitch, as you're going to have trub in there anyway. I am a supporter of foregoing any washing and just repitching slurry.

Even if the gravity is all from the extract, the beer should not be deficient if you use good brewing practices. Extract is typically not as fermentable as mashed grains, meaning you shouldn't have any deficiencies in mouthfeel anyway. People make award winning beer using only extract. There is...

Ideally I'd like to run my tap through my immersion chiller, but I'm not sure this will be possible. As you can see from my attached images, it seems like I cannot attached a threaded adaptor to the faucet. I see no clear way to remove the aerator, but I'm not familiar with this sort of thing...

I've haven't gone to the bar yet, though I've been meaning too. I've walked past it plenty enough.

Dave, have you had their black lager, and if so, what did you think? I also basically found their pale ale serviceable, but though the black lager was quite a bit better (not that they're exactly comparable). I had no idea it was brewed by Pabst.

I'm not 100% certain that's the problem, but it does seem like a likely possibility. By firing the kettle while doughing in, you're going to have temperature gradients and possibly grain that's get caught near the bottom of the vessel. Some of your grain may be getting exposed to high heat that...

It's a homebrew, so I take that as a high compliment. :) I must admit though that the head would entirely dissipate in about 30 seconds. I don't know if that's typical of sours. I've never encountered a commercial Berliner myself, although I haven't gone looking too hard. As for the new beer...

Indeed!

Since GuldTuborg seems to have forgone posting a new brew, I'm gonna swipe his spot for now.