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My lagers go straight to the keg after the diacetyl rest. The keg goes right in my kegerator and starts carbing while lagering. When I serve my lagers to friends/family/home brew club members, they disappear quickly, even by those who "aren't big fans of lagers", so that method must work well...

+1 for rinsing after use and boiling with the starter wort.

Styrian Goldings and Saaz go well in Belgian styles. I use Styrian Goldings as a bittering addition in my tripel and rye saison. Saaz goes in for flavor in my tripel and aroma in my rye saison.

It's possible that it's finished. One of the members of my home brew club does a three day hefe (from brew day to glass in three days). It's also possible that moving it to the cooler area made the yeast go dormant, though, it would take a while for a batch of beer to cool, particularly if...

It should be fine. If you go out and buy a lager, it doesn't need to be kept cold while it's on the shelf. In the future, consider planning it out so you can just keg after fermentation and lager right in the keg.

Missed the part about the yeast. Hefe yeast is an ale yeast, but be sure to use a traditional German hefe strain. White Labs 300 and Wyeast 3068 are the most common choices. White Labs 380 is really nice as well and gives a slightly different character.

Don't brew less just because of active fermentation. Brew 5 gallons and fit a blowoff tube. Just use the main body of a three piece airlock and use a 1/2" inner diameter section of tubing on the opening and run that to a container (I use a gallon jug) with enough Star San to cover the end of the...

The vinator is the way to go. The FastRack works super well for me when I bottle as well. I much prefer it to a tree, but different solutions work better in different situations.

I know of people who did have infection problems from doing this too far in advance. I can only speak to my experience, but I've had no problem bottling shortly after the dishwasher finishes.

Also, do not do this the day before. That gives time for bacteria to set in. You want it to finish as close to bottling time as possible, while the bottles are still hot. Do not use dishwasher detergent and/or rinse aid. Doing this to far in advance will up your chances of an infected batch.

It works fine, provided your dishwasher gets hot enough. I switched to just using a vinator and Star San, though. I had head retention problems, presumably because of years of residue buildup in the dishwasher. Your mileage may vary.

I'm in PA as well. You can have beer shipped to you. I actually got a beer club subscription as a gift and get a 12 pack delivered every month. It sure would be nice to see the LCB dismantled, though.

A sight glass isn't necessary, but they are really useful.

A PBW soak is the ticket. A half hour should do.

I bought a growler filler when I got my kegerator. Never used it once. I've had great luck with chilling a growler in the fridge for a couple of hours, then filling it. Your mileage may vary, but maybe try it first.

A PBW soak should clean it up.

Mine said soapy water, which worked great. Dish detergent is effective at stripping oils and grease. Just use free and clear detergent and some hot water. While I wouldn't use it as a matter of course, particularly for plastic, rinse it well and it shouldn't leave any residue on stainless...

I use Mark's Keg Washer with good results. I clean with PBW, running it through both dip tubes for a while, then on kegging day I repeat with Saniclean.

I wouldn't rule out that water chemistry comes into play as well. I generally use 0.5 oz per gallon for light cleaning, but use the suggested 0.75 oz per gallon for kegs, fermenters, my boil kettle, and other items coming in direct contact with my beer. It seems to work better for me. Oddly, on...

I think any answer any of us give is just speculation. If you want to know with more certainty, go straight to the source. Any time I've contacted Five Star, I've received quick, informative, and honest responses.