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Thanks again, everyone. I guess I will just register and see what happens. I like the idea of entering the competition, but I also like that I'm getting a bucket to use when it's over. Would the bucket be ruined for future batches if the wort sours a bit before I can get it out? Sadly, I may...

Thanks for the reponses. I will do my best to have it refrigerated. It may have to be kept outside over night, as it is being provided in a bucket (with a lid). If nothing else, I get a 6.5 gallon bucket with a lid for $10. The website says it will be 6+ gallons of wort in a 6.5 gallon...

I'm hoping to take part in an upcoming competition where a local brewery provides the wort, and I have to do the rest (boil, hops, yeast, etc.). My issue, however, is that I will be out of town when the wort is supposed to be picked up. I'm hoping to have a friend pick it up on a Saturday, with...

Thanks. I'll try the original recipe this time (minus the caramel) and see what happens. It may not be the best beer I've made, but I'm pretty certain it won't be the worst. I can always try some experiment after I have a bit more experience. One last question: Would you recommend using a...

Thanks for the help, everyone. I will definitely plan for a lower mash temperature when the time comes. And I will probably go for the longer mash time, as I do prefer a dryer tripel. I will revisit the recipe and make these changes. The only reason I added that is because I saw it on what...

I have finally decided to switch from extract brewing to all-grain (BIAB), and I have been working on my first recipe. I've been reading various recipes (here and other places) and tried to create my own, but I would love to have some input from people who know much more than I do. What I...

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I really appreciate the input. I will probably go ahead and use the 1.25qts/lb ratio, but I know it's all about experimentation. Either way, I can at least figure what my equipment can handle. I will plan on a 90-minute boil for the pilsner. I read...

This is what I get when I check the requirements in Brewer's Friend. Total mash water needed 8.96 Grain absorption losses -2 Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) 0.15 Starting boil volume 7.11 Boil off losses -1.5 Hops absorption losses -0.11 Amount...

I entered my fermentables (with a 5.5 gallon batch size and a 7 gallon boil size) into Brewer's Friend and checked the Quick Water Requirements. It gave me a mash water need of 8.96 gallons (previously 8.21). Also, I did go back and edit post right after I submitted it; sorry about that. The...

So, I am hoping to attempt my first BIAB in the near future. I've decided I want my first all-grain beer to be a tripel, and I've been messing around with various recipes. Below is what I have at this time: 5.5 gallons Fermentables 11# Belgian pilsner 4# Belgian pale ale 1# American...

I would like to thank everyone for the responses. I'm actually quite surprised I got as many as I did. I do wish I could get the 10 gallon kettle, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost at this time; the burner/kettle combo is only $119. However, after reading the responses in this thread, I am...

This is great news. I was afraid the kettle was going to be too small for what I was hoping to do. I've done a little bit of reading, but I figured I would ask this anyway. What should I shoot for as a starting volume for a 5 gallon batch?

With any luck, I will be receiving the Dark Star burner/8 gallon Tall Boy combo for Christmas. I want to keep doing 5 gallon batches, but I also want to make the move towards all-grain brewing. Given my current living arrangement, BIAB seems to be the easiest way for me to do this. Using the...

Thanks again for all the information. I think I'll just put it in the refrigerator today and let it sit until brew day. It might not be ready by tomorrow, but I can probably push it off until Monday.

That was my way of thinking. The package was warm to the touch when I got it and I just wanted to be sure I ended up with enough for a proper fermentation. I used Mr. Malty and YeastCalc do determine the number of cells needed and both said I needed around 284 billion cells. I also plugged...

Thanks for all the comments, I definitely feel better about it now. I'll probably let it the foam recede before placing it into the refrigerator. I realize now that I should have mentioned this in the first post. I am brewing a 5.5 gallon batch of a Belgian Blonde Ale with an OG of 1.075...

This is my first multi-step starter, and only my second starter ever. On Wednesday I boiled my wort, added my yeast (Wyeast 3787), and set my flask on the stir plate. I checked it last night and there was still a bit of foam on top. I decided I let it go one more night before putting it in the...

I started using a swamp cooler with my last batch and didn't use a fan at all. I simply filled the tub with water and switched out frozen water bottles as necessary. I usually ended up with two or three bottles in there at a time, which seemed to work very well. The water in the tub stayed...

Thanks for the info, everyone. I may go ahead with the Blonde for now and try to save more Belgian-style bottles before I brew the Golden Strong. If nothing else, it gives me an excuse to purchase more beer for tasting purposes.

I just finished bottling my second batch and I'm ready to get started on my next one. I have recipes created for both a Golden Strong and a Belgian Blond Ale, but I would prefer brewing the Golden Strong first. The issue I have is with the bottles. I want to say I read somewhere that normal...