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I'm planning on getting an SS Brewtech Chronical (probably 7 gallons) Brewmaster edition, and using a non-FTSS temp controller to control temps. For anyone who's done this, how did you install the temp probe in the fermenter? Using their thermowell and dumping the digital thermometer...

Newbie kegging question: I know you are supposed to carbonate at serving temperature. My plan is to use a jockey box at a hot outdoor event. So the kegs will be warm and the beer will be cooled by the jockey box. What temperature should I carbonate at? 32F? Something else?

I'm considering switching from bottling to kegging, and have one pressing concern. One of the main places I bring homebrew is a two week long camping event each summer, where electricity is not available (ice is). With bottles it's easy - just keep them in a cooler on ice. But what about...

Just what the subject says. Anyone using it? Reviews? How does it compare to the original Brewtroller? Also, anyone using as a fermentation controller? How does that work out for you?

As I understand it, the whole idea with tri-clover is sanitation, not having nooks and crannies where gunk can build up. Which is why folks here say that using NPT to Tri-Clover adapters defeats the point - the threads are not sanitary. What about hoses? If you use a tri-clover to hose barb...

I am planning on switching to kegging soon, so doing some planning. One of my primary goals in homebrewing is bringing beer to camping events, where there is no electricity. A jockey box is the obvious solution for making sure the beer is cold. My concern is with keeping it clean. It gets...

I tend to use liquid yeast (White Labs and/or Wyeast), and am looking to get into some beers (lagers, high OG, etc.) that need more than one packet's worth. Is a starter really necessary? Can I just pitch 2, 3, 4 packets of store-bought yeast? Other than cost, is there a downside to doing that?

I'm trying to learn about water chemistry for when I start doing AG, and so playing around with the Bru'n water calculator. I want to brew a beer that is under 6 SRM, so using his "Yellow Balanced" desired profile. My water, while generally quite soft, has a sodium of 27ppm. The profile...

I've not really brewed mead before (there was one spectacular failure 20 years ago in college, but I don't talk about it), and really want to make a small, 1 gallon batch to try. Doing a full-up 5 gallon batch isn't practical right now for other reasons. I have a 1 gallon glass jug that'll...

I came into possession of several pin-lock kegs, and as I've not kegged before have some questions. Is there any way to install a pressure release valve like on the ball-lock kegs? That seems much more convenient for purging/reducing pressure. I'm assuming there's no way to convert...

I'm a fairly new brewer, and so far have only done extract brews. I'm looking to try all-grain and am trying to figure out the tap water I have. Here's the report from the local company: http://www.amwater.com/ccr/merrick.pdf The first thing confusing me is alkalinity. This just...

I'm quite new, though I've made several batches from a kit that came out really well (3 batches of the AHS Blue Moon clone kit). I'd like to try a SMASH recipient, and am looking for advice. I want something I can make from extract, and something that I'll like - I prefer lighter, low-hops...

Band new brewer here - one successful beer brewed earlier this year (a AHS Blue Moon clone), want to try a pumpkin ale next, and looking for recipe or kit recommendation. Here's the criteria: 1) Extract or extract+steeping grains. 2) Canned pumpkin preferred 3) Low IBU - 20 and under. I...

I got some 1/2L Grolsch-style bottles, and I'm wondering about the best way to sanitize them. For cleaning, I have a Fermtech bottle washer (http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_56_151&products_id=906) which is probably adequate for bottles that are fairly clean to begin...

Since this came up on the spigot thread, I figure I'll start a separate one on this topic. I am brewing my first kit, a Blue Moon clone from Austin Home Brew. Extract with specialty grains. The instructions state to ferment for 5-7 days, until activity in the airlock slows down...

So here's my dilemma. The kit I'm brewing (AHS Blue Moon clone) calls for two stage fermentation (whether that's a good idea or not isn't the question - its my first brew attempt, I plan on following the recipie). It's currently in the primary, a 6.5 gal bucket, primary fermentation has...

Can a refractometer (with the appropriate conversion tables) completely replace the hydrometer for determining SG? Or is there something a hydrometer can do that a refractometer can't? I talked to a winemaker at one point who said that it can only be used before fermentation to measure the SG...

So my one and only brew attempt was an extract it with specialty grains, and the recipie called for a partial boil, which is what I did. I have a stainless 5 gal stockpot that I used, which boiled ree gallons of water + fermentables quite nicely, and then I added two gallons or so of top off in...

So I just finished brewing my first batch (an AHS Blue Moon clone, extract with specialty grain), and thinking towards the next one. My wife really likes the Weihenstephaner Korbinian, a doppelbock. I'd like to try making something similair, but I'm concerned that a heavy lager like this seems...

This would probably have been better asked before brewing than after, but it's been bugging me ever since. Does one really dilute Star San as much as I think? The instructions say 1 oz per 5 gallon. I am using it in a squirt bottle that holds 32 oz. By my math, that means I need 1/20 oz of...