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I've had up to four going at once, but usually only when I've got something that needs a lot of extra time aging in a secondary (like a Barleywine or a Wee Heavy).

Where in Europe are you going to be? There are different plugs for Northern vs Southern Europe and the UK has its own plug too. If I were you I would get one of the sets with multiple plugs so you'll definitely have the right one. Also, I learned this the hard way, but when you go to unplug...

I think we used to give my teachers gifts in elementary school, but once I got to middle school and had a different teacher for every class I think we stopped. Not really sure why people do this, I will say that my wife (works in retail) gives all of her staff gifts each year, typically...

Okay, so I definitely have something unwelcome living in my primary and ruining my beers :mad: That said, does anyone know the correct sterilization concentration of iodophor for 6.5 gallons? I want to soak the carboy and try to kill off whatever is in there. Thoughts?

Welcome from a fellow Rhody transplanted to Boston. Good luck with your brewing.

I used to do it for everything but now I base the decision on style. For a wheat I'd say you can skip it.

It sounds like some folks are confusing steeping specialty grains with partial mash. I would recommend adding steeping grains to your process, it only adds about 20 minutes to your brew day and is quite simple. Most online shops have ingredient kits that come with these grains. For partial...

I am a big fan of the equipment and ingredients from Austin Homebrew and Northern Brewer. Equipment is pretty generic anywhere you go so you are mainly looking at price and to make sure you get everything you need (check the wiki for info on the minimum equipment requirements). Ingredients...

If you still have krausen it is still fermenting so I'm not surprised by your high gravity. Give it time. I don't usually check the gravity until the krausen has actually fallen. As for the off flavors, it's difficult to say given that your beer is still actively fermenting. If I had to...

I had no problem bottle carbing a Wee Heavy that sat in secondary for 5 months, you should be fine.

I can't think of anything about it that would harm that yeast themselves. Really it's just not necessary as the packets have plenty of cells in them and really don't need a starter to get going.

Let it sit and don't worry. Remember that bubbling in the airlock is not an indication of fermentation, it is only an indication that CO2 is being forced out of the airlock. For a Wee Heavy I would leave it in primary for at least 3 weeks before even bothering to take a reading, but that's...

I would recommend Ray Daniels' Designing Great Beers if you are at all interested in creating your own recipes. It covers everything about how to develop a grain bill, how to adjust water, and then goes in depth on some of the more traditional beer styles. I never make a recipe without...

You've got to find out what she wants first and foremost; what kind of setting? what kind of size will be acceptable? ect... Then you gotta do some trading off. Personally I sacrificed sized for quality because that was what she wanted. It also helped that she wanted a setting that would...

I did an all Amarillo IPA that turned out great. It wasn't quite hoppy enough but a dry-hop would have taken care of that. I'd echo what others have said about using something with a higher AA for bittering and just using the Amarillo for flavor and aroma.

Welcome from the People's Republic. Good luck with your first brew and don't be afraid to ask questions.

You can get replacement lids, see if that helps. You could also try using some keg lube on the o-rings.

I typically replace all my tubing every 4-5 batches. The stuff is cheap and difficult to clean so I just toss it. I usually buy 24' at a time and just cut the length I want.

Sparging is about getting all the sugars out after mashing. Since you are not mashing and not extracting any sugars, there is no need to sparge your steeping grains. What I do is lift the bag of grains out of the kettle and let it as much of the water drain back into the kettle as possible...

I use White labs almost exclusively and I have found that without making a starter it typically takes at least 48 hours for fermentation to become visible. I would not worry about a slow start for several days.