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Why do you advise not to use table sugar? Surely, the idea is to build up the yeast population. What's the difference with using malt or a sugar solution as a "food" for the yeasties? Mike

Is it Ok to use table sugar in solution as "food" for a yeast starter? My Wyeast smack pack is arriving this week...I plan to smack it, leave it a couple of days then start it off in a jam jar half-full of sugary water. Then after a few days, divide some off into a 2nd Jam jar so hopefully i...

Yes, Muntons DME is widely available. But it works out more expensive than LME. Typically, I will use only 1 or 2 lbs of DME in my recipes. The only specific LME I have seen is online from a UK web site: Morgans Master Blend Malt Extract. I think they are from Australia...they sell a 2-row...

I'm thinking of brewing a pilsner. Mini-mash: grains + LME. Question: The range of LMEs available in the UK are usually limited to light, amber and dark color. Will light LME be too dark for a pilsner? Another option is to look for a pilsner brew-kit and use the LME included with that... Mike

I've successfully brewed 4 batches so far without a hydrometer...but I suspected my latest batch using liquid yeast had stuck . So Ineeded to check the specific gravity... I bought a cheapo hydrometer from my home brew store. Took a sample from the bin. Reading was 1050. Took a sample of...

What length of time do you have to give a brew such as this in primary/secondary/bottle? I am looking for a "quick turnaround" brew, such as a 4% ABV bitter. Thanks Mike

OP here: 3 days in and there is no krausen or bubbling activity. The brew smell strongly of malt, but no alcohol smell! I shook the brew last night. However, there is a *very deep* trub with this brew -- 4 to 6 inches! Ok, I used 2 oz of hop plugs in the boil and dumped this in the...

>what was the temp of the wort when you pitched the yeast< I didn't take the temp. I did what I normally do: cooled the wort boil in the sink and dumped it in a couple of gallons of cool water in the primary. > and what is the temp now?< I assume it is at or near room temp. Mike

>Was the smack pack bulging when you pitched the contents? < Yes >Do you have krausen yet? < No. > What type of fermenter are you using?< Plastic 5 gallon bin. Mike

Newbie on brew #6. I want to experiment with reusing yeast by the simple method of dumping the wort onto the existing "cake" in the primary. Best advice seems to transition to darker, higher OG beers using this technique. Given that my initial beer is a Munich helles/light lager, what would...

Does dumping all the loose hops from the boil pot into the primary help with sanitation. I understand that hops are antiseptic -- does this help fight off nasty bacteria? Mike

My first attempt with liquid yeast (Wyeast 2206 bavarian lager). I smacked the pack, left it to rise for 2 days. Then pitched into a 3 gallon wort. No activity after after 48 hrs...should I be worrying yet? Are smack packs without a starter usually slow to take off? Mike

Thanks hb99. By "vanilla" I meant "standard" or "basic" pale malt which can be used as the basis for lots of recipes. Looks like I can substitute with no problems. Another option is a dark lager. But I am dying to brew my first attempt at stout. Mike

I have several pounds of left over lager malt (the English equivalent of pilsener malt). Could I use this in a stout recipe, as a substitute for "vanilla" pale malt? What effect on taste/fermentation would this have? Mike

Newbie on batch #3. Batch #1 and #2 after 2 or 3 weeks in bottles were pretty uninspiring -- flat, watery, tasteless. I was going to ditch them. But I just stuck 'em in a corner and went away on holiday for a week. Guess what? 10 days later they are *much* improved -- decent head, more...

Thanks. They have some "torrified wheat" at my local home brew shop. I'll try a little in my next batch. Mike

Newbie batch #3. I added some steeped grains and plenty of hops to a basic LME recipe. The difference between my previous LME-only batches is startling. Lots more flavour, smells better, more body. Recipe is shown below. One problem, though. The brew has carbonated well and when I pour a...

Is it bad practice to "lift the lid" during primary fermentation? I tend to have a quick look every day or so, but some people advise against it...can this lead to a "vinegar" tasting brew? Mike

Thanks, Orfy. Its a little off-putting as I can't see the krausen/foam like I do normally. Its hard to tell how healthy the fermentation is... Mike

My first attempt at mini-mash has been in primary fermentation for 48 hrs. Its not doing much. And if it was, I couldn't tell because there is a solid layer of hops on top of the brew ( I just poured all the contents of the boil pot into the bin). Peeking at the top of the brew, or looking...