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Thanks, Zachattack. I'll give them a try.

Is there a shelf life for oak chips? I have a bag I bought 5-6 years ago - can I still use them?

If using yeast nutrients, should I use them each time I boil up a new wort batch to add to the starter?

<<Are there other grains involved or JUST 2-row?>> 1 lb 2-row, 1 lb crystal, then 5.8 lbs extract. It is their sierra nevada pale clone. They say to steep at 150 for 45 minutes. Also, their fuller's esb clone calls for 1 lb of english pale ale malt also to steep for 45 minutes. I'm guessing...

I've noticed BYO magazine recipes often call for 2-row in extract recipes - usually a pound or so. I thought 2 row was only for mashing and not a good steeping grain. They do specify to steep for 45 minutes. Is this more like a partial mash?

Thanks for the answers.

Are there any advantages to it? Do higher gravity extract beers benefit from longer boils? When doing a 90 minute boil, do you add bittering hops for the entire 90 or for 60? Just curious.

I was always under the impression that any beer could be made via extract. Are there any styles that only come out well as all grains?

Hi mattattack - you don't have to do a secondary. I don't always use on - some people never do some people always do. Be patient. You can keep it in the primary for two to three weeks and I have gotten in the habit of dong that to make sure fermentation is complete. I'd say wait two weeks...

Hi droopy - they did move. They are off Dimond just East of the new seward hwy. Store is bigger - more staff also. I've never had the honor of any free samples from Pete. Maybe I need to start loitering more.

Not really a homebrew topic, but does anybody watch the show Weeds? I just finished the 5th season on DVD and noticed Andy Botwin wearing a Stone Brewing t-shirt a couple times and drinking Ruination. Wonder if they paid for that?

This is one of those things I wish I had learned earlier in my brewing "career." I seem to remember the Papazian book even saying more than two weeks in the primary is bad. One of the best things this site has taught me is to be patient. And always do a hydrometer reading and all beers/yeasts...

What is the ratio of DME to water in a 1 liter starter?

Thanks mmb.

Does anybody carbonate and then age a beer like barley wine? Or do you always secondary it for a year or so and then carbonate when ready to keg?

Thanks for all the info. I generally just rely on the splashing and agitation from transferring kettle to carboy. My last couple of brews (ales) got stuck fermenting and I'm trying to cover all the bases for my next batch.

I've seen several different methods for aerating wort but have not heard of anyone using a hand mixer - the type you'd use to bake cupcakes. Any reason for this? I'm considering trying it since my last couple brews have stalled during fermentation.

I haven't done another reading since re pichting - I thought I'd give it a few more days. Maybe I will tonight. I keep forgetting that I probably won't get a full-on krausen explosion. Thanks for the help. Biobeing.

Thanks for the responses: I did an extract scottish smoked ale, 8 lbs of extract, steeping grains and white Labs Edinburgh yeast and nutrients - no starter. Yes, I use a hydrometer. OG was 1.050. It had lots of visible activity for about 4 days - after three weeks at about 66 degrees, it was...

I had a stalled fermentation so I boiled up some DME with yeast energizer, yeast nutrients, added it to my fermentor, and pitched some re-hydrated dried yeast. This was Friday evening. I'm not seeing any foaming and the air lock is not very active, but there is a layer of sludge at the bottom...