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Lessoned learned, I have a stirplate mixing my starter as I type this. :)

I am a newbie to All-grain brewing. I did my 4th batch the other day. I do not have an immersion chiller yet and I am still relying on the ice water in our laundry room sink for cooling the wort. I also just began learning the importance of using a yeast starter. Long story short, I made a...

I made my first big beer about 2 months ago. I did not use a starter, instead only used one packet of wyeast. Big mistake, one I won't repeat. The recipe was a northern brewer all-grain one. I let it age quite a while, but the solvent / alcohol notes are too overpowering. I might have to...

How long is a good standard to wait? I typically wait 10 days in my primary, but I used a yeast starter for the first time this batch and activity was unreal at first and seemed done by day 4 or 5, so I got the batch off of the yeast / trub bake.

I kept the pumpkin in a mesh bag because I didn't have rice hulls on brew day, so that had me less concerns. I think I will try the more liquid suggestion. Maybe that will work?

So I tried my first yeast washing yesterday, and I am not doing something right. The beer was a pumpkin ale I made 6 days ago. It was an AG brew. I do not have an immersion cooler yet (I hope this changes by next week!) so when I am done with my boil, I am still cooling via water and ice in...

I know this topic might seem simple. For instance if my OG is projected to be 1.052, and I hit 1.048, I would note that. Other items though, such as the time it took to cool the wort, description of the wort boil, etc. Are these things people usually note? Maybe even a description of what you...

I always hear the statement "take good notes" about brewing. My question is would anyone be willing to share notes they take? I write down the notes I think I should take, but seeing other examples would be really helpful. Thanks in advance for any input.

Was at my LHBS the other day to buy some grains for my next batch. I don't have a grain mill so I crush at the store. The tell everyone that the mill is set to a gap of 0.43. I have only done 3 all grain brews so far, so I have little feedback if this will crush enough. My question is...

So I recently took the step and have a keezer. I absolutely love it and would highly recommend it to anyone. I currently have one 6.5 gallon plastic bucket for my primary fermenter and a 6 gallon glass carboy for my secondary fermenter. I also have two kegs that I use for my beer on tap. My...

To keep things more simple for your first all-grain brew, you can use brewheads.com to calculate strike temps. Another change is you need to know your volumes of water. If you collect 3 gallons of wort the first time you drain the grains, and you want 6.5 gallons of wort to start you boil, you...

Intended :)

Thanks for the help. It clears things up. Kevin

This makes sense, but, it begs the question why have a second batch if all the sugars are in concentration within 10 minutes. My thought is that there are sugars that are "hidden" in the hulls and other parts of the grain that need a double washing to get them fully dissolved into the liquid...

This topic is one I have read opposite opinions on. How fast should I let my wort run out of my mash tun? I have read some say, as long as you use the correct amount of water, it shouldn't matter and that faster is almost better, baring getting a stuck sparge. I have also been told in person...

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated!!!!

So I have decided to try washing my yeast and take this next step in my brewing. I usually put my beer in a primary fermenter for 7-10 days and then I transfer to my secondary. My primary is a plastic bucket and it usually has a thick layer of hops/grains/yeast at the bottom. My secondary is...

Thanks for the help!

I am still a newbie but two batches ago I was right where you are. One thing that helped me a bit is to measure the total volume of wort you get when you drain the mashtun the first time. I got a tip to have a stick for your brew pot with marks on it so you know exactly how much wort you get...

Umm, I don't think that works. I get 1.2331 for a SG 1.074 *(6.2/5.4) = 1.2331 If that was the case, I would be high on life and beer :) Any other ideas, or just don't forget next time.....