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I'm going to be dry hopping for the first time on a batch I brewed on Tuesday. Is it okay to throw the hops into the primary (a bucket) or should I rack the beer onto the hops in a carboy after it's done in the primary? If I can put them in the primary, is there any technique to it, or a...

I've been checking local restaurant auctions and I see one coming up has this pot available: It claims to be 16.5" across and 10" deep. That sounds like a really round and fairly short pot. Does this make a difference if it had a smaller diameter and was taller?

I suppose this could apply to both primary buckets and better bottles. What is the best methods for cleaning these guys? Should you use soap or should you use some other chemical? Bleach maybe? I've been using very light soap and just giving the inside a nice scrub with a washcloth. I...

Does it matter whether or not a freezer is a frost free when converting it to a fridge? I was looking at an "external" thermostat and it mentioned that the freezer should be frost free to use it. Just wanted to get the board's opinion. While we're at it, any advice on choosing between an...

So I've done 4 batches so far. My first two batches I cooked on the stove and they both came great. However, I don't really remember tasting them when I racked them to the secondary or during bottling. My last two batches I cooked on a higher output outdoor stove and both these batches...

I misspoke. The airlock mistake happened on the primary fermenter, not the yeast starter.

So I went through the "trouble" of making a yeast starter for my latest batch (brewed on Saturday night). I pitched it at the proper temp and all that. Well when I got home tonight there was still no activity in the airlock besides some bubbles. Then I realize I forgot to put the middle...

So should I let it sit in the primary some more or is it safe to move it to the secondary?

I don't remember seeing this white stuff before. Not sure if it's an unwanted growth or if I just cracked the bucket open too soon. What do you guys think: http://i32.tinypic.com/2mecnjq.jpg

Ok, I went shopping yesterday. I already had the spices but also picked up some "Pumpkin Pie Spice" which seems to be just a combination of the spices. However, I didn't see any canned pumpkin. The only canned pumpkin was pumpkin pie filling which is already processed and spiced. What do you...

Do you put the pumpkin in for the full boil? I'm going to do an extract based on an amber recipe and am curious when the best times to add the extra ingredients are. I'm planning on using pumpkins as well as spices, so knowing the best times for each would be really helpful.

How should you go about adding extract? Do you just dump it in? Does it need stirred? I've never really touched a beer during it's most active fermentation, so I'm not sure what to do here. I'll probably just let it be but I'd like to know for future reference.

So for whatever reason, I tried to go by "memory" of how much water I needed to make up for what I couldn't boil (I only have a small brew pot). For some reason, I decided that number was 3 gallons and stupidly added that to my primary BEFORE I poured my wort in. Well, I ended up with at least...

After doing my first batch on my electric stove I noticed 2 things: 1) The electric stove took a long time to bring 20 quarters to a boil 2) My wife would be happier if I wasn't in the kitchen making beer :) I know some people get outdoor stoves and cook on those but I'd prefer...

I racked on top of blueberries for this beer, so would the introduction of new sugars cause this to happen as well? I'm trying to keep an eye on the color but its tough since the blueberries made it much darker than the color I saw in the siphoning hose.

I racked my beer on Saturday after it had been sitting in the primary for a week. The airlock in the primary had slowed significantly. This is my first time using a secondary and have noticed a decent amount of activity in the airlock. Is this normal? It's in a Better Bottle, so I can see...

Also, I'll probably use Coopers drops for carbonating and mixing in priming sugar to the bottling bucket, should I stir it up before bottling to move the blueberry flavor at all?

I just want to dump my blueberries into the carboy before racking, right? So they on the bottom, not the top or mixed in or anything, right?

I have a base #9 clone sitting in a primary right now. I'll be racking this on Friday or Saturday and want to do try to use blueberrys instead of apricots. I've never done a fruit beer before, so I need some help. 1) How much fruit do I use? 2) What type of fruit do I use (fresh...