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I haven't considered the alcohol factor, how does that affect the reading? I usually use a hydrometer but I broke it recently and dug out the refrac that was gifted to me a few years ago. I've only used it on a couple of brews so I'm definitely not an expert with it.

Yes, I'm using a brix scale one. I've used it before with accurate results as well. I guess I'll give a while longer and check again.

It was all grain. 6 lbs pilsner 3 lbs munich I Added at vorlouf 10 oz blackprinz 8 oz crystal 40 I wouldn't mind a low abv beer either but from past experience when I have bottled beers with a high FG it seems as if they always turn into bombs.

The other day I brewed a pseudo Schwarzbier and am fermenting with Kolsch yeast since I don't have a capacity to lager. OG was 1.045 and I was hoping to finish around 1.01. However, 5 days after pitching (with a 1 liter starter made a day and half prior) It's stuck at 1.021. I fermented at the...

I recently bought an Edgestar KC 1000 model kegerator. The first keg I drank worked fine, and I'm on my second now. However, after only a few pints, the tap handle is stuck and will hardly move, and won't dispense any beer at all! I've checked and rechecked all the connections and for the life...

Grain Bill 6 lbs German Bohemian Pilsner 3 lbs Munich Light 8 oz CaraMunich III 60L 4 oz Acidulated Malt 2 oz Blackprinz 500L Mash Single infusion mash at 150 degrees for 1 hour. Batch sparge with 170 degree water for 15 minutes. Collect approximately 6.5 gallons. Boil & Hops 1 oz...

This is my first brew using my own hops that I grew, It's my first year growing so I had enough to one batch. I wanted to post this earlier and get some feedback but my wife's due date just got bumped up a week so I had to do it yesterday. Any feedback would be appreciated. Recipe Type: All...

This is my first year growing hops, (cascade & chinook) so I didn't get a huge yield, but enough to do at least one 5 gallon batch. Since I didn't have very much I decided to dry them using the microwave method I saw on the Mad Fermentationist blog. So my question is should the hops still...

Just bottled this yesterday, came out very smooth with a mild chocolate flavor. Will post a pic and more info after they are carbed in a couple of weeks.

Thanks, that's great to know. I've got some Chinook too. I'm not going to get many but the ones growing look great though. I can't wait until they mature and I get a freezer full of hops each year.

I recently harvested and dried some Cascade and now I've got them stored in the freezer, this is my first year growing my own. Usually when I do a new recipe I use brewers friend and, under the hop section I choose pellets, since that is what I typically use. So my questions is how can I get an...

The main reason I used the powder versus nibs was that from what I have read about the subject, you get a deeper chocolate flavor with the powder in the mash versus nibs in the secondary. I read an article on BYO that said to use 2 to 3 ounces of powder in the mash and work up from there...

This is an oatmeal stout I've made a couple of times, this time I decided to make it into a chocolate stout instead. Batch Size: 5.5 gallons OG: 10.055 FG:10.015 Boil Time: 70 minutes IBU's: 29 Grain Bill 9lb Crisp Best Ale 2 row 1.5lb Flaked Oats 1lb CaraBohemian 80L 4oz Roasted Barley 375L...

I live in North Carolina, where pokeberries are native to the area. I know that the berries are somewhat toxic to humans if consumed raw, but is there a way to incorporate them into beer safely? I have had Elderberry flavored beer and know that they are pretty similar in size to pokeberries so I...

So I went back and looked at the dates on my packs, They were both Wyeast 1028 and they were both made in December 2012. I'll be more careful next time to make sure I'm getting fresh packs. Good news though, fermentation has finally started.

I did take a gravity reading, it was 1.070 both times I measured it. I did not make a starter though.

About a week ago I brewed the bourbon barrel kit from Midwest, which came with the Wyeast london ale yeast. I popped it before brewing and pitched after the wort came down to 73F. Three days later, there was zero fermentation. So I went out and bought another pack, pitched again, and now it's...

Thanks for all the tips. I ended up adding an extra 8 ounces of oats with the rest of the grains and put in 1 ounce of woodruff at the end of the boil, just put it in the fermenter a couple hours ago. Next time I make a stout I'll try adding raspberry or chocolate as those sound quite delicious.

So I just received my Oatmeal Stout kit from Midwest and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on ways to enhance it a little bit. I have some dried woodruff on hand and I've read that it complements a stout recipe pretty well. Anyone know of something else that would make a good addition? Chewy

Hey Folks, Just started brewing about a month ago after a good friends of mine introduced me to it. I'm really into experimenting and adding different flavors to produce a unique beer experience. So far I've made an Irish Ale and currently have a Fat Tire clone fermenting with some fresh figs...