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I've heard about the laws against rain barrels in states out west. Seems asinine. Am I correct in my understanding that the water companies have successfully managed to convince lawmakers that they essentially own the rain?

You'll read some different opinions on how to make the best hefeweizen. I had similar difficulty, but found that pitching the proper amount of yeast and fermenting cool was the ticket. I used WLP380 at 64 degrees on my last hefe and had a great combination of clove and banana. Your mileage may...

If you don't care about the dump valve for yeast harvesting, the SS Brewtech Brew Bucket is a pretty solid choice: http://www.morebeer.com/products/brew-bucket-stainless-steel-fermenter.html

While I've never found any, I just kind of assume that with four cats, there's going to be some cat hair in my beer no matter what steps I take to prevent it.

I assume that you mean 1.069? You got conversion. It'll be interesting to see what you get as an end result. Regardless, you'll have beer.

Did you take a gravity reading? If you were at 180 for the mash, you denatured the enzymes that work to convert the starch in the grain to sugar.

I found it at Walmart. It looks like this might be the same one (hard to see if there are markings on the side): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BYBYM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have a gallon pitcher that actually has accurate markings to measure strike and sparge water. Once in the kettle I use the sight glass on my Boilermaker.

Exactly. I have my MM2 set at .040", don't condition my malt, use rye and wheat fairly often, and get 78% efficiency with a double batch sparge.

Glad you took the plunge. The first attempt always raises a lot of questions. I always urge anyone wanting to make the move to help someone with an all grain batch. While the variables from system to system still leave a good bit of variability, I feel like it gives a bit more confidence...

When I bottle, I put my bottling bucket above the dishwasher and attach the bottling wand with a short piece of tubing so that it's at a reasonable height with no excess tubing to deal with. I sit on a small collapsible step ladder and fill six or so, then cap and repeat until done. I've found...

Saniclean, the low foaming version of Star San, is advertised as a good odor remover. It could be worth a try. I always leave some in my lines for about a half hour or so before tapping a new keg following a cleaning with LLC.

Glad it worked out! Kegging is spectacular. If not for the time savings, certainly for the ability to say that your beer is on tap at your home!

I'm a fan of White Labs WLP833. I brewed a doppelbock with it about 2.5 months ago. It tasted nice at kegging and I can't wait to try it out in a couple of weeks after two months of lagering. WLP833 is a solid choice when you want the malt profile to shine while muting the hops a bit. Make an...

I just sanitize a stainless 1/8 teaspoon, then stick it under the flow of wort from my kettle to the fermenter. This rinses any excess Star San off.

I can't explain in great detail, but I spoke with a Five Star chemist at the NHC a couple of years ago. He confirmed that pH is only one part of determining Star San's effectiveness. The cloudiness is a reaction with the minerals in the water. They recommend only using cloudy Star San for the...

I'd be disappointed as well. I don't think it's possible to buy a metal product that isn't scratched up in some way, shape, or form these days. Given the cost of Blichmann, I'd expect better from them, though. I went through something similar with my Boilermaker. There was a large, long...

Yeast is much tougher than it is made out to be. Would it have been better to not leave it out? Yes, but I'd imagine that you'll be just fine. If you want to be sure that you're good to go each time, take a look at making starters. They're worth the relatively minor effort. Not only can you...

1) Use the heat shield. It helps keep the sight glass from boiling, protects the seal on the Brewmometer (apparently they will fog if the seal fails), etc. I've never found it to be inconvenient in any way, shape, or form and have always been confused why many won't use it. 2) I have a G1 and...

If you want to know with more certainty, contact Five Star directly. They're really helpful and can get you an answer from a chemist. I know that it would be heavily diluted, but drinking PBW solution would concern me personally.