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Working on my first AG batch (BYO clone recipe - 3 gallons - Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale). Used full Wyeast Ringwood Ale smack pack (recipe was or White Labs British ale - LHBS didn't have it). Mashed, batch sparged, all went well, but OG 1.055 as opposed to 1.070. Ferment started overnight...

When you say FB sits on the bottom, I assume you don't mean literally ON the bottom, because if it did, there would be no purpose to have an FB at all. If the FB is above the spigot, you have wort that is separated from the grain that sits above and which will allow clear runnings to the BK...

I do - and in looking I see people using dip tubes and the like. I'm not the world's best DIY type - any suggestions as to how to this? I suppose I could just get something that screws into the inside of the spigot hole (female threads) and clamp some high temperature tubing onto it?

Just making transition to AG. Got an 8 gallon kettle, with spigot and thermometer already drilled. Ordered false bottom with necessary circumference (14'') that had the tallest legs (2''). My (obviously incorrect) measurement/assumption suggested that the bottom would sit just above the...

Going to use new 8 gallon brew pot for partial mash. It has thermometer built in, and ball valve with spigot. To use it as a mash tun, anyone think strong advantage to bazooka filter vs. false bottom?

My bad! Just looked at the box - my new brew pot is an 8 gallon, so I think I can put in enough (even if adding some water during the boil) for the full 5 gallons! Thanks for the suggestions - I will try whirlpooling, and I think I will probably drain through my strainer to catch any loose...

I've been doing 2 1/2 gallon boils for 5 gallon batches for two years - only had my 3 gallon pasta pot. I've never whirlpooled or siphoned the wort from pot to primary - after chilling, I just pour everything through a double mesh strainer and funnel into my carboy. I have never had any...

Okay, I got it - I won't worry that it's infected. I will RDW, and I will definitely have AHB. I appreciate your time and input!

Well, as Alice said, "curioser, and curioser". Went down to check on the stout to see if the new bubbling had stopped, and not only is it still bubbling, there is bubbly foam at the top which looks likes it is getting thicker. The batch did form krausen in the primary, which was absorbed...

Revvy - All good observations by you, as always. This was actually the first time I failed to take my readings, and it won't happen again. In fact, the temperature in my area (NYC) has gone up the last few days, I think the temp of the carboy has gone up a degree or two, and I really...

Checked gravity last night - 1.025. Terminal gravity should be about 1.017, so clearly it isn't done (and I'm not bottling for several more weeks). Does it seem odd that it's still fermenting after four weeks?

Brewed my second batch of chocolate stout last month. Starting gravity was 1.056. Left it in primary for about 17 days, krausen all re-absorbed, but couldn't check gravity (hydrometer broke, didn't replace it in time). Racked to secondary, where it has been for about 2 weeks (I am going to...

I am bottling, not kegging. I will try a taste at Christmas, but I realize this one might not be ready for months. Might actually be NEXT Christmas's beer!

Great ideas guys. I will wait til last week in secondary, toss the pellets in (I assume no need to sanitize them) and then at bottling time I will try the nylon bag filter. The other method sounds cool - but I fear I'd jiggle something and end up with hops in bottling bucket. This will be one...

Thanks for the quick replies! In looking back at my recipe, it does say 7 days for the dry hopping, so that leads to another (forgive me if this is a foolish one) question: If I intend to have the beer sit in secondary for 4 weeks or more, and want to only dry hop it for 1 week, do I put...

I am trying my first big beer, a Christmas Beer called "Sinking Feeling". OG is over 1.1, ends up at 1.028 or so, with 11.3% ABV. I am doing a 3 gallon batch, and using two packs of Wyeast American Ale Yeast. The recipe also calls for dry-hopping, which I have never done. My plan is to...

I think it was indeed the cocoa powder. I checked the gravity after about a week, and it was clearly coming down - so I knew it was fermenting. After about 2 weeks it was right about where the FG should be. I just racked it to a secondary to sit for a while. Took a sample - really yummy...

Revvy - Thanks for the reply! I thought cocoa powder (vs. bakers chocolate) would eliminate the oils, but I guess not. At to the other part of my question - is there such a thing as straining too much out of the wort when transferring to primary? I assume that anything that even a double...

Trying my first chocolate stout. Working off sweet stout recipe (though without lactose) and added 8 oz. pure cocoa powder at 15 minutes. My extract was a combination half liquid, half dry (3 lbs each). I use pellet hops, and previously would not strain the wort going into primary. I just...

Just had my own comparable experience. Pitched dried yeast a few days ago into batch of Baltic Porter. When I did, a small amount of the yeast stuck to the mouth and near the top of the carboy (which was still wet from vigorous aerating of the wort). I thought to rinse it down into the wort...