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I would recommend some mini mash beers before going all grain. If you still want to do all-grain, consider brew in bag. I think that is a great way to transition.

You should get a stick-on thermometer like this. Experiments show that they pretty accurately indicate the wort temp. You can then use a wet towel and a fan to drop the temp. Although with the low humidity in the winter you could probably just wrap it in a wet towel and the evaporation would...

I just switched to new mashtun yesterday and had the same experience. Every equipment and process change takes some adjustments no matter how experienced the brewer. Sent from my HTC One using Home Brew mobile app

I add water to the mash hotter than needed. I let it sit for 10-mins and add a bucket heater. It takes some practice a get the differential just right. Sent from my HTC One using Home Brew mobile app

This is a helpful video from Whitelabs on making a yeast starter.

While I am sure there is some oxygen uptake in a spiedel fermenter, I doubt that it is much. I would think it would be much lower than a wooden barrel. I fermented a barley wine in my Spiedel for an extended period (about 8-months). I had no issues with oxidation. I would think that as long...

I worked in restaurants for a long time. I don't think you can effectively run the brewing side and the restaurant at the same time. I would say hire someone who really knows restaurants to manage that side or at the very least hire a good consultant. Kitchens and bars are both tough to run...

I have never used them for a sour, but that is pretty much all I ferment in these days. I think they are one of the best options available.

I would recommend doing a sugar addition to easily up your gravity. It will thin the body a bit, but that is not necessarily bad with a BW. You can add your addition to the fermenter after the second or third day. It really gets the yeast moving again. I would also keep some LME on hand in...

Amazon is a good option. I have purchased both of my kettles there. I would also consider subscribing to Homebrewfinds.com. They send out daily deals. The new kettles from Northern Brewer look great. I was saving to buy a 20-gallon version when I found a cheaper Bayou Classic on Amazon...

Get the beer and bottles very cold before bottling. I put my sanitizer in the freezer or fridge with my bottles. It will cut down on the foaming. Another trick is to slightly over carbonate your beer before bottling. That way if you lose a little CO2 in transfer, it is not too big of a deal...

I thought I was moving away from the IPAs to more balanced beers, but I now realize there is whole level of balance beyond what I was thinking. I generally think of something like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as a balanced beer (which would be great on cask). Sierra would be a hop bomb in the UK...

I didn't keep close track of what I was drinking. The beer app on my phone was not working since I was in the UK. I did have a London Pride which is a pretty big commercial beer (but in the bottle, not on cask). I also had a Guinness. I mostly tried to go with whatever was local. I also...

I just got back from London. I tried tons of real ale on cask. I made it to 7 pubs over 4 days (from personal recommendation or CAMRA's website). While I enjoyed the beers I drank, I have to say that I prefer cask beers I have had in the US. The english beers were so subtle and mild that it...

I would also like to know the best way to estimate. Generally, I have read that it should be measured by weight, but there seem to be a lot a variables with that method. My guess is the that you have a metric crap load of yeast in both containers.

Add the sugar and let the temp free rise.

Above a certain efficiency and you start to extract tannins and other off flavors. The good stuff is extracted early. That is why using only first runnings makes really delicious beer.

I just drank the last pint of my first saison. I brewed it with Citra hops and it turned out great. I bittered with Northern brewer and did late hopping with the Citra. I would definitely recommend it. I am sad to drink the last of it. I think the randall with some whole cone Citra would be...

I rouse the yeast daily once my kruesen drops. I have noticed that my fermentation completes more quickly and that my final gravity is typically a few points lower. I would doubt it helps with a stuck fermentation. I have found that adding boiled sugar with some yeast nutrient about 3 days...

That seems pretty cool. I would like to see them in action for a while before I would buy one.