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I've made a whole lot of beer using this setup. Haven't had one person give me any feedback on the taste that leads me to believe I'm losing something from the hops. If the paint strainers are like the ones I use from HD, that mesh isn't tight enough to keep hop oils from coming through, and...

I'd go with the orange peel. It's probably about the same you'd get from the HBS. I don't have any experience w/ zest, but I know a lot of people use it. Maybe someone will chime in.

Right, the process from boiling on can be the same for extract and all-grain brewers. And yes, you just add the new hops in with the ones that are already in there. That's the beauty of the always open coupler at the top.

This one goes through some big changes as it ages. Definitely give it several weeks, but taste it along the way to see how your brew changes as it conditions. The oats don't need to be milled.

Wow! Go big or go home, right?

I agree. It would be tough to get that much faster.

It had just been sitting for a while before I took a pic.

duffman, you crack me up. The higher initial mash temp is the reason for the higher FG, but neither should cause a roasty/stout flavor. You weren't drunk when you were measuring out your ingredients, were you? Maybe you accidentally added an extra lb of roasted malt on accident... ;)...

Yeah, I can't imagine where the stout flavor is coming from. It's only got a little chocolate malt, and no roasted malt... At least you like it. Oh, and the new and improved name is awesome!

The therminator has mounting brackets, but as far as the chilling capacity, I don't think there's an argument to be made.

Yeah, a 50 plate chiller like that should have way more than enough chilling capacity. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Next time just rake it out into your yard...

Stir in all sparge volumes well, vorlauf until clear, drain, and repeat. You got it. No need to make sure a 21st time. ;)

It actually swirls around on top of the grain bed. The grain bed is so deep, esp w/ 10 gal batches, that there's no need to "sprinkle" the return.

I have a full, hinged FB that sits on the bottom weld. Sure, it's got some dead space underneath the grain bed, but I actually think that's ideal for direct-fired MLTs, since you'll just be heating the wort and not the grain. I used to have a smaller 10" FB that I kept tight against the bottom...

permo - I don't see where he's trying to clone a particular brewery's India Brown - just shooting for the style - and you didn't say exactly which one you were drinking. How much of that did you drink before your post? :drunk:

If you're using extract, you can add it at bottling. Start with 2 oz / 5 gal, mix it in well, try a taste and go from there. You're looking for a slight hint. You don't want it overpowering.

If you use extract, make sure it's 100% pure vanilla extract. It's usually not cheap.

I actually agree with masonsjax. Let the yeast finish doing everything they can, and you'll probably be happier with the end result. Once I quit being impatient with my beer, I found I wasn't as frustrated with the (early) results. Now, I usually leave the beer in primary for 2-3 wks. If...

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