Search results

We had a heck of a wet year so far here in Oklahoma. From March to May we had a little over 40" of rain. I though for sure the four rhizomes I planted would die. Sure enough one did. Two others floated up out of the ground. And the lack of sunshine really stunted their growth. But these...

The house I recently moved into has some grape vines in the back yard. Not sure what variety they are, but they're beginning to grow. I guess in several months I'll know if they'll be worth turning into wine, or stocking the fruit bowl with. Just judging from how many their are on the vines...

I always seem to grab the wrong fittings when I go to the hardware store. And to make it worse, it closes at 5pm when I get off work. This typically means I have to wait until Saturday when it stays open until noon. But waiting all week for the right part is a pain. So I figured I'd share a...

Ok, so here is the dilemma I'm currently in... I recently made a move away from my LHBS, about two hours south. Because of this, I had to begin to simplify my recipes. I wanted to order in bulk, or use things that would be easier for me to source at my current location. Now this has been...

Well, I pulled the trigger last week on some Cascade rhizomes from Austin Homebrew, I saw the add while schilling the forums. Bought four of them for about $6-7 a piece plus shipping. Well, they came in today. So I went down and bought a bunch of planting soil, some top soil, and some gigantic...

Not sure if I have purchased the right equipment after having examined it a bit further last night. I recently purchased a couple of PT100 RTDs and some Thermowells from fleebay. Links are provided below. The RTDs have come in, but not the Thermowells. But after having looked at them I...

Well, in anticipation for the pear tree in the back yard that rains pears from the sky like a monsoon, I decided to build a press. It's going to be about a 3gal capacity, and will be hydraulic (I already have a 20-ton harbor freight shop press). I started building the basket yesterday. And...

I'm an occasional wine maker. Nothing high end, and it gets consumed almost as fast as I make it. Generally speaking, I typically make 1-3 gallons at a time. I buy corks by the 100pc, and don't go through them very fast. Now having said that, I have always bought synthetic corks, these to be...

Well, I'm a little stumped on this one. I started a cider the other day. I used 1.5gal of blackberry juice (pasteurized store bought - can't remember the brand), and the rest with Walmart cheapo apple juice. I did not use campden tablets. But immediately pitched a packet of Red Star Montrachet...

So, the Homebrew Store that I use carries cans of Vintner's Harvest in a variety of flavors. I've been looking at branching out from apple as a base, and don't really have any access to fruit crops during the season. So these cans are looking more and more attractive. From what I can tell on...

Well, the first brew day of the season kicked off on Sunday. I had stopped into High Gravity in Tulsa to grab ingredients, but had forgotten my recipe sheet. Ended up grabbing 7lb of Golden LME, .5 of 6-Row, .5 Carared, and .5 of Caramel 120. I didn't grab any yeast, as I usually have plenty...

Bought one of these last night, since it was cheaper than buying the parts to build one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/400775988169 Who has used these triac or phase angle controllers? Did you find them to be adequate for controlling the boil? I've used a router speed controller in the past, which...

I've been looking at upgrading my system for a while now, and moving from the kitchen stove to a electric system. So I have been comparing components and the advantages/disadvantages to them. Upon a quick google search for PID I ran across this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/331324039787 Now I...

So, in the fall of 2012 twelve, I decided to do my first batch of Welches Wine. On this particular batch, I decided to do a Cranberry since thanks giving was in the near future, and I wanted to have it available for that time. And since this is drinkable within a month or two, I figured "why...

So, last week I started a batch. Had several problems, so I decided to toss it and start fresh. The main problems were: 1) the curd didn't really form a clean break, 2) I heated too fast causing the curds to stay too moist(my fault because I used the stove, not the sink), and 3) while...

Ok, so I brewed this morning. And while brewing I popped the cap off a 22oz bottle of my "go-to brew" recipe, that had been modified from using Light LME to using a darker amber LME. And this is were I'm stuck. I know there is an off flavor there. It taste similar to fermentation at a little...

M having a little problem with my mash tun loosing heat, or at least I'm thinking that is the source of the problem. And hope you guys can give me some insight as to what I can do to remedy the problem. I'm getting lower than expected pre-boil and post boil gravities. Beens that should be...