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You use a new bag for each hop addition. Get cheapo hops socks for .39 each and throw them away when you are done.

Not sure I understand this statement at all. You have got to have some sort of filter for lautering. Screens are notorious for collapsing or clogging and false bottoms stick a lot easier. Not to mention that you cannot put a false bottom in a rectanglar cooler. A manifold is one of the best...

I saw and posted to a thread about whether or not Stella artois was any good, and I was the only one who said I liked it. It never ceases to amaze me how mid grade beers will get relentlessly trashed, and PBR, Coors, Miller, and now even OE 800 have a following of people who will rush to their...

The faster your fermentation begins, the less time there is for any type of infection to take hold of your beer. Many beers begin with bacteria or other nasties in them, but a good healthy fermentation stops them from being able to spread. Also, it is a sign of good healthy yeast that will fully...

Use slits not holes and 1/8 is too big. If you know anyone with a bandsaw, That is what I used and it is great. You can really control your depth of cut.

I have been using Thompson cigar auctions - the auction site, not the regular site. If you know what brand and style you like you can get full boxes of quality cigars for $60.

I agree here. I was doing the exact same thing you are and having the exact same problem. I have gone to batch sparging and have been pretty happy. It's easier, faster, and you don't need as much equipment.

You will find that gravity readings mean very little to you when you are new to brewing, but the more you learn and get into it, the more important they become. Take them, and record them, every time and little by little you will begin to understand their usefulness.

How long did it take you to sparge? It should be between 30 and 60 minutes to fly sparge, probably more like 60. If you sparged to quickly, you did not give it enough time for all the sugars to dissolve. I used to do this and it killed my efficiency.

Usually when adding these kind of ingredients, I will take a pint from my secondary and add the ingredients a little at a time in measured amounts until I get the taste I want. Then you can do some math and figure out how much to add to a whole batch. With peppers or spices it is always better...

I would have looked him dead in the eye and said "I feel a hate crime coming on". After that, nothing but a blur of karate chops and flying death kicks to the throat.

Definitely boil it in some water first, then cool it and add it to the fermenter. If you are just shooting for 8% or 9%, it would be better in the future to start with the appropriate SG and just make sure you pitch a nice healthy yeast starter.

It's a combination of a good yeast starter and the higher gravity.

Well, you are starting off right. If you thought you were addicted before, you are about to hit a whole new level.

If you have never used a mash tun with a manifold, be prepared to pee yourself with happiness.

I would go more on the $50 to $60 range. Those copper manifolds are not cheap to make.

Skip the filtering in that step and you will most likely solve your problem. If you have a lot of hops in your wort, use hop socks.

For the most part, when you add honey to the boil it will ferment completely away and leave almost no taste at all. One way to get the honey taste in is to add it a couple days after primary fermentation starts. Honey is easier to "digest", so the yeast will generally eat through the honey...

Hop socks man, hop socks. Most of your trub in the kettle is going to be hops, so use the socks and make your life easier. Then just tip the pot when you are draining and you will leave most of the hot break behind.

+1 here