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Wanted to get the more seasoned winemakers opinions: I just racked my chardonnay off of the fine lees. 0.098 gravity reading -- so fermentation is not quite done and more CO2 will be produced. I imagine the wine will continue to degas itself as a result of racking -- providing a CO2...

"A compound found [only] in hops is capable of improving memory and thought patterns in mice..." says the new study out of Oregon State. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/30/beer-flavonoid-may-boost-brain-power/?intcmp=latestnews Nice to have affirmation of what we already suspected...

I have the good fortune to access a friend's vinyard and glean grapes after the contracted mechanical pickers roll through his estate. Over the course of 3.5 hours, my wife, a friend and I gathered 400 lbs. of chardonnay at their peak. We chilled the grapes overnight before crushing in...

A friend of mine has a vinyard estate and is kind enough to let me harvest whatever I want after the contracted mechanical harvest is done. SWMBO, the dog, and I spent a beautiful late summer evening in the vinyard: We harvested about 160 lbs. in about 2 hours. Crushed and pressed...

My last 3 batches have turned out very poorly -- and I think I've discovered why. A while back I found that my floating thermometer had broken, so I had to use a digital thermometer instead. Even though I had checked the digital against boiling water and in the freezer, I still didn't trust...

I might run back into my burning house to rescue my fermenters and kegs, but, BMC? I don't think so! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/26/georgia-man-runs-into-burning-home-to-get-beer/?intcmp=latestnews

So I apparently missed the best window -- right after vigorous fermentation -- for adding malo-lactic culture to my Chardonnay wine. I began fermentation on 9-14-13. Should I add the culture now, or just rack to secondary and keep going without?

Thought I would share. It's nice to see some discussion in the general public about beer -- even if it is pretty basic. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/09/20/beer-101-which-beer-goes-in-which-glass/ Might provide an opportunity for HBT members to open a beer-related discussion with...

A friend of mine owns a vineyard estate and gave me a crack at the leftovers after the mechanical pickers when through yesterday. :D SWMBO & I landed 150+ lbs. in about 2 hours time. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the grapes were right at peak. Even the dog got in on the act. Having...

On Tuesday, SWMBO and I visited Stone Brewery, and today we dropped by the White Labs Tasting room for a "tour" and some samples. The building is nondescript, and we were not quite sure whether we were in the right place or not. Everything looks industrial and uninviting until you see...

SWMBO and I are visiting our oldest daughter and her husband here in San Diego, and toured Stone Brewery this afternoon. The facility is quite impressive from the bistro and the gardens to the brewery itself. Good fun, and good beer. I've toured BMC breweries a couple of times in my younger...

I made what I think is a relatively minor mistake this afternoon brewing a Rauchbier; instead of heating my water to strike temp, I doughed in while the water was cold as though I was steeping my grains for an extract brew. :drunk: (It's been a long week, and I certainly was a bit off my game...

Found this video this morning and thought I would share. Hadn't seen it yet on HBT.

SWMBO and I were in Costco tonight and ran across Rogue's Daddy's Little Helper in the craft brew section: Found this on the label: What the heck is "free range coastal water???!!!!!!"

My various Craigslist adventures led me to a purchase that included three old extract kits, including this Home Brewery Honey Cream Ale kit. Note the production date :pipe:: Originally, I had no desire to brew these; however, I had two infected batches in a row, so my daughter and...

I planned and cleared (with SWMBO) a brew day with a couple of buddies for last Saturday afternoon. I spent a good part of Saturday morning cleaning and organizing the kitchen, setting out the brewing equipment, and generally tidying the house after a busy work week. I could tell something...

Just wanted to brag a little and pass on a funny anecdote. My son and his roommates wanted to get into brewing, so I sent down a bunch of my duplicate gear to get them started. They chose a Hefeweizen kit and brewed it 2 weeks ago. Their brew day was hilarious -- involving at least 8 phone...

So I kept the spent grains from my last batch Sunday (an English Ordinary Bitter) and put some in my waffle batter yesterday and made a loaf of barley bread today. Man-o-man did it turn out great. [/IMG] It was a really simple recipe I picked up online: 3 cups spent grain (wet) 1...

Been looking for a couple of carboys for lagering and fumbled across quite the deal. The list includes: 3 Brewing kits (not much of a draw there, but what the heck). If anyone knows anything about these kits and whether they are worth brewing or tweaking with steeping grains or changes to...

A friend and I bottled Kilkenny Irish Ale on Sunday, and the alcohol production was at 4.8% when the expected should be ~7%. The Recipe: 9 lbs. Pale LME 1 lb. 10-13° L. Crystal Malt –crushed Perle, Northern Brewer, Fuggle, & East Ken Golding in a multi-pak (weight varies depending on...