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I tape the Inkbird temperature probe to the side of my fermenter and then my keg inside my refrigerator. I then tape some insulation (like packing material) over the probe so it reads the temperature of the fermenter / keg.

The questions are a little confusing so I will just summarize my basic steps. I have my temperature controlled refrigerator plugged into the cooling plug on my Inkbird controller. On brew day I place my fermenter into the refrigerator and set the Inkbird to my desired fermentation temperature...

This is like bragging about cutting every corner on your job and doing the least possible work but the boss is still satisfied. I would be embarrassed to even admit this to anyone much less on a public forum. A job or hobby worth doing is worth doing well and diligently. I am glad the OP...

Imagine how good your beer might be if you optimized your processes based on good scientific knowledge like optimal fermentation temperatures, minimizing oxygenation, etc..

That is an interesting idea to get dry hops in the beer with no exposure to O2 using a second purged All Rounder but it seems like kind of a hassle and a little overkill. I have been using the magnet trick in muslin mesh bags suspended on the top/side of the AllRounder and then simply sliding...

I sealed my magnets in vacuum bag material that is just slightly bigger than the magnets themselves. I sealed the vacuum bags with my wife's clothes iron. I place these inside a disposable muslin mesh bag (80 cents each) that hold the hops and just use new mesh bags each time. There is...

That is probably your first mistake. If a company developed and is marketing a kit recipe, they have at least tried it and thought it turned out good. If it has many good reviews (I wouldn't buy one that didn't), I would follow the directions at least the first time I brewed it. I could then...

The PRV’s are a way to save a little money but it is really nice to have a good spunding valve long term. Not only can you much more accurately dial in the fermentation and carbonation pressures but you can use the output to purge kegs with fermentation CO2. I also use them when I do pressure...

Vacuum bag material works well to seal the edges around the magnets. They can be easily sealed with a household iron without buying an expensive vacuum sealer. I tried the fish line trick with my Fermzilla All Rounder. I used a very small diameter fishing line but even that broke the seal of...

or to go one step further, the recipe writer doesn't have a clue about how he should be advising the management of brewing water.

That is what liquor stores are for for me - buying new beers to try first.

The only time I have used my iodine test was when I was in a big hurry and wanted to mash for significantly less less than 60 min. If I am going to mash for 60 min anyway, I don't even bother.

Been there done that. The question is - do you really want to drink 2-3 cups of Star San sanitizer. If so, go for it. When that happened to me, I decided no. To each his own.

If I was going to keg I would spend the money on a CO2 tank and a good regulator instead of a spunding valve. Then next I would save up for a keg that will hold the full batch and save the hassle of bottling all together. I look at my spunding valve as a tool that allows me to do pressure...

I recirculate ice water in my simple cooler / pond pump / immersion chiller set up. The week before brew day I start making ice in my small chest freezer. I make 2 batches of ice cubes and 2-3 milk jug ice blocks. On brew day at the start of the 60 min boil I fill my cooler with 3-4 gallons...

That doesn't make sense to me. You need to occasionally check your RO water to make sure that the TDS meter reads low which tells you that your RO system is working. It isn't designed to specifically diagnose a RO problem (time to replace filters, etc.), it is designed to confirm that the RO...

Of course, the obvious first suggestion is to get a TDS meter so at least you know that you are starting with a blank slate. There is no reason to spend money on a RO system and not have a TDS meter. They are cheap and they can help tell you when you need to change filters. Maybe your...

I have no idea if that is a good kegerator but I found that I get better beer pours with my cheaper mini refrigerator (no freezer) and this pluto beer gun than I was getting with my kegerator. It was also cheaper and it holds my fermenter for temperature control. I just have to open the door...

Agree with the above. It is worthwhile to read and study books like John Palmer's How to Brew book to learn the basic general concepts of brewing including the different ways to use hops. For example, hops for bitterness are added during the boil and hops for primarily aroma are added after...

I have toyed with entering a competition before but decided against it because it seems so subjective that it is almost pointless. I could make a beer that 10 people would love and 1 person (the judge) would dislike. My wife and I can't even agree on a good or bad beer or food. I would rather...