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So a second week has passed since brewing and I finally cracked open the top of the fermenter. I was pleased to find the gravity had dropped to 1.016. The beer tasted good, too. The yeast did its thing after all. This proves once again the virtue of being patient when making beer. Thanks.

This probably isn't the problem since half your brews turn out okay, but what about your water? Are you using city tap water, softened well water or bottled spring water? If you're using tap water or well water you might want to have it analyzed by Ward Labs.

So I went to take a gravity reading per Yooper's suggestion, only to find that the airlock is miraculously bubbling away every 20 to 30 seconds now. Should i just leave the fermenter's lid on and let the yeast do its thing? Has anyone every heard of yeast taking six takes to get started?

I forgot to mention the original gravity reading was 1.059.

Six days ago, I brewed a Waldo Lake Amber from Northern Brewer. I properly aerated the wort and pitched Wyeast 1450 Denny’s Favorite with no starter. The fermenting bucket has been sitting in a swamp cooler maintaining a steady water temp of 65 to 67 degrees, the room’s temp is also fairly...

It's a good feeling hearing that hiss from the first one you open, isn't it? In fact, it never gets old. Santé!

I'd guess the beer hasn't aged enough, too. Hanks, does the brew still have this taste after 2 months in the bottle? My first few batches has a similar aftertaste, but with enough time they turned out great. Also, try a blind taste test with your water with and without the softener. Chances are...

Maybe try a Biere de Garde if you don't care so much of Saisons. Wyeast 3725 Biere de Garde is available on a seasonal basis and you should still be able to pick it up. Fermenting temperature range of 70-84°F. Or you could use Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II, which ferments in the 65-75°F range.

Thanks for the input. Is ester what gives a Saison its distinctive taste?

I brewed a clone of Jenlain’s Beire de Garde using Wyeat 3725 Biere de Garde. After two weeks in primary and a week in secondary the airlock is still bubbling away every 20 seconds or so. I’ve never used the yeast before but am surprised that it’s still so active. The carboy is sitting in my...

Natefrog, if you need empties in a hurry you could always go down to your local grocery store or where ever bottles are recycled on a Saturday morning and offer cash to people making returns. Let them know why you're asking for their bottles and I'd bet many would give them to you for free.

I’m sitting here on my deck, drinking a Sam Adams Boston Lager and enjoying what’s left of the weekend. The thing is, while I haven’t had a Sam Adams in a couple of months, this one tastes distinctly different from what I’ve had in the past. There’s nothing wrong with it per se, but it’s not...

The "Guinness is good for you" is, as the Irish would say, "brilliant" marketing. The whole light beer thing though is pretty laughable. The caloric savings from drinking a Sam Adams light over the original Boston Lager is roughly equivalent to just two potato chips.

I want to avoid having to dunk the bottles in Starsan to speed things up on bottling day. My dishwasher does have a anti-bacterial setting so I figure that will get the temp up high enough to kill any germs. But what about spaying the Starsan in the bottles afterwards, is that overkill?

I’m still fairly new at this. For my first three batches I’m convinced I went overboard in cleaning and sanitizing my bottles. Going forward here’s what I’m thinking of doing: After drinking a beer, I wash the bottle (without soap) and then turn it upside down to drain and dry. Early on...

I would second Brew-Boy's idea: go with a bitters. Never mind the unfortunate name. Refreshing, well-balanced beer with a relatively low ABV, good this time of year. Just be sure to avoid the word "bitter" until after your friends have had one or two.