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Wow, thanks a lot guys, I wasn't expecting to get much feedback, the DIY section is not as widely browsed as some of the other sections. I definitely like the lectricair solution, I'll probably put an order in for one of those when I get home from work.

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Okay, so I'm looking for a maintained action for switch for my pump. Since, for some reason or another the brewing space always tends to end up wet, I need something waterproof. What I've been searching for is basically a switch in a nema 4 enclosure, but I can't find anything less than $150...

This would be a petty amazing addition to my new house

Who's going? Who brewed for the competition? What'd you brew? I entered a saison, kinda rushed out though, so I'm not sure how well it'll score

Okay, so I have 5 gallons of RIS OG= 1.095, current SG=1.030. Fermentation has stalled and I haven't been able to get it going again. My solution, which I'd like opinions on, is this: Dissolve 3lbs of DME into a gallon of water and steep some chocolate malt, aerate that with oxygen and add...

Not to mention that it's adding way more salts to the mash than necessar to create that buffer, which will affect taste. Basically it's like a one size fits all suit, compared to a tailored suit.

Start out with the IBU to OG ratio of the original, then figure out what OG you want to shoot for on the first batch of the partigyle, something like 1.080 or 1.090 for a nice American barley wine that won't be too difficult. Remember that your efficiency won't be nearly as good, assume 10...

Depending on your city's water source, it can be pretty consistent, or wildly variable. Typically the bigger the city the more consistent. I work for an engineering consultant firm, and we do quite a bit of work for water companies. Some use huge RO plants, then add everything back in (those...

Irish red's typically get most of their color from small amounts of roasted barley. In my opinion it's the hardest color to really nail, a hair too much color and it looks like a stout in a pint glass, a hair too little and you've got a pale or an Amber ale. So I wouldn't necessarily blame it...

Off the top of my head, I think the most people try to keep their sulfate level well below 300ppm, unless the beer is crazy hoppy. At 350ppm most people can pick up sulfur taste/aroma. I'd say 150ppm sulfate at most, bru 'n water recommends around 75 for a balanced yellow. Too much calcium...

Good to know bknife. I won't try to fix anything just yet then

To get away from the shipping side of things (shipping isn't very difficult, there's even companies that make boxes/packing material specifically for shipping beer if you feel like you need some help). My suggestion for entering a competition is make choosing which competition you enter the...

A lot of what I've read about making a Berliner Weiss with a sour mash calls for a short boil to kill the lacto (and anything else) before pitching. My concern is that because 50% of the grain bill is pilsen, a 15 minute boil will leave me with a lot of DMS. Does anyone have any experience...

You can check it in ice water and boiling water, since both will be pretty close to 0 and 100 respectively. A lot of us on here swear by the thermapen, they're pricey, but they come in handy a lot more often than just brewing. Thermoworks makes other really nice digital thermometers for...

Toss the stick on thermometers... They don't even get close to accurate for the center of the brew. I guess they might be nice to keep you consistent, but if you really want to track temps, buy (or make) a thermowell that goes to the middle of the carboy then stick a probe in it...

That sounds like a good point to try first. I'll lower the pH of the mash down to 4.5 and the temp down to 120 while I let the lacto work for 2 days before the boil. Any idea how that lacto will affect the pH over those two days? Since beer normally finished around 4, or possibly 3.5, I'm...

Temp is not a problem, that's easily regulated and everything I've read had consistently said between 100 and 126 for lacto in a sour mash. I also plan on purging most of the oxygen out of my water by boiling first since lacto is anaerobic, but most other bacteria need O2. For the style, I'm...