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You want to look at Saniclean (low foaming, similar to Star San). I use this in my keg washer to sanitize kegs and use Star San for everything else. It still foams a bit but is manageable.

Interesting discussion. I have a refractometer and like the idea of it, but I've gone back to using a hydrometer. Why? While my spot checking was close enough, I found that the longer I let it sit at the temperature I calibrated at, the more the reading changed. I'm not sure if that's due to the...

I have a check valve at the regulator and at each outlet of my co2 distributor. I experimented with two different kinds of check valves for use at the disconnect and no longer use them. I found that at best, the co2 trickled into the keg. At worst, I had a few that wouldn't even let any co2...

I have a very small bubble in my liquid lines. No leaks and they haven't been any kind of problem. I'd agree that you likely have some sort of dip tube obstruction if you're getting slow pours. You might want to hook co2 up to a liquid disconnect, vent the keg, and attach the co2 to the dip...

Check Beer Meister out as well. Mine has been awesome. beermeisters.com

There are a lot of factors that go into determining beer line length. Google something like kegerator balancing to learn more. My lines are 5' and are fine, probably due to the vertical run to the tower, which adds resistance. Also, you can just keep the kegerator colder, which helps since...

I have a three tap Beer Meister. It's fantastic. I get no foam on my pours @ 10 psi. I also like that a human being answers the phone when you call.

You'll likely get a nice crush with the factory gap (.045"). Fred at Monster recommended .040" to me when I got mine, which I set mine to and I consistently get 78% efficiency with a double batch sparge. Your mileage may vary...you won't know on your setup until you brew a batch. I'm not sure...

White Labs says that you should expect a 10% drop in viability if a vial is frozen. I'd imagine a frozen starter would be similar.

I'd agree. I like WLP565 but have avoided it due to it's reputation for being fussy. I was happier with the results from Wyeast 3711 over WLP566 in my rye saison. Since my friends keep asking for it, 3711 must compliment the rye characteristic well.

Mine had a lot of yeast on top of the finished beer as well. Not sure why, but the beer was good. Also, I've found that some yeasts smell a bit sour out of the vial and in a starter. If I remember correctly, 566 was one of them.

That's almost certainly your problem. I'm not sure if you can clean a regulator out or not. Regardless, whether you clean it, or replace it, make sure there's a check valve so it doesn't happen again. Not sure if it would've made it in the co2 tank or not. Make sure to clean or replace the gas...

Maybe try replacing the gas lines. I've heard of situations where beer has backed up into the gas lines which will eventually cause problems. Also, maybe soak your faucets if you've never removed them, though that's not a likely cause. Also, do you have a check valve before your regulator? If...

I have a fermwrap. I've only used it with a temperature controller, though. It works really well. I used to use it while taped to the fermenter, but these days it sits in my fermentation chamber and heats it up well too.

I think the main advantage to spending more is that they're easier to read. It can be hard to determine the exact reading when looking through the cheaper ones, but this is a hobby, not rocket science, so close enough.

http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Hop-Spider-with-seam-welds_p_158.html I don't use a CFC but I was looking for a way to keep hop material out of my beer so I got one of these. It works great and you can just hose it off after brewing. The only complaint I have is that it retains wort, so I hold...

While I can't imagine it would be a problem, provided you clean it well, I'd never allow it. My brewing equipment is for brewing, nothing else.

I don't have any practical experience with SS Brewtech's pots, but I do really like my Blichmann. Mine is a G1, but I don't really see what all the fuss is about with the G2 pots. They brought production to the US for pots under 30 gallons, changed the appearance a bit, and developed a new...

Can you use the 1 liter flask? Absolutely, but you'll likely need to prepare steps for many batches. I have a 2 liter that's great for most standard gravity ales. I eventually got a 5 liter for lagers and high gravity ales to eliminate the need to do multiple steps. Even with the 5 liter, I...

I spoke with one of Five Star's chemists about this since I hear differing explanations online. He said that the solution turns cloudy as Star San reacts with minerals in the water. He said that this does have an impact on the effectiveness of the Star San solution. There is more to it than just...