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I have a massive fig tree that is about to have thousands of ripe figs. I can only eat so many, I will probably freeze some for smoothies, make some preserves for gifts, bit for all the rest I was wondering if I could make a cider. I have made apple cider each fall for the last 5 years but...

If you use a three piece air lock with the little bell inside you can tell that there is still fermentation going on as long as the bell is cocked to the side and the gravity will continue to fall. That said, if you had a vigorous fermentation to start and you don't see any bubbles I would go...

Back at the end of October I was ordering some recipe kits from Northern Brewer and realized I was close to price limit that made me eligible to get a free refractometer. Since I have been wanting one anyway I added a batch of Dead Ringer IPA and since I don't have a grain mill I ordered it...

I just got my whole set up from Keg Connection a few months ago. I payed a few extra dollars for the taprite regulator and have been pleased with it for the two batches I have on tap. I don't know what else you have gotten for your set up yet but I priced out all the individual components of...

I have been asked by my sister to supply home brew for her upcoming wedding. I'm sure that there are other people out there who have been asked to do the same thing so I'm looking for a little advice. A few questions I have so far How much should I make? The expected guest list is...

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I haven't yet built my keezer but I now have all of my kegs and gas setup ready to go. I did some looking around and found that the kits at Keg Connection are a very economical way to go. You can make some changes and up grades and there are several options on the number of taps etc. Might...

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I'm not sure why you are losing so much at any stage. I usually only do an hour boil but that goes from 6.5 gallons to 5.5. If you start at 9 gal you should be around 7.5 after an hour and a half. Perhaps you have your burner turned up to high. I like to crank it all the way up to get up to...

I know this was an old post but I was reading through and thought I would update. hops direct sells for example 1 lb US Goldings for 13.25. Northern Brewer is 14.99 for a half pound.

This is basically what I do. The difference is that every recipe I have used calls for a mash out at 170 after the hour of say 152 (depending). Then I need to add 2 gallons or so of boiling to get to 170 for the mash out. If I start with 4.5 gal then 2 for mash out and lose 1 to absorption...

I had considered getting in touch with him but he wasn't a brewer and didn't seem to know much about the kegs. I asked where he got them and he had apparently just picked up about 100 of them from and old soft drink distributor and figured he could re sell. By the time I got to them they were...

Thanks but that isn't it, you can tell the lids I got don't match. I got all new gaskets and lube for the 3 that I got with the kegs and that fixed one but the other 2 plastic ones were a lost cause. Really cracked up on the inside. When you rub your finger across the inside they come back...

I recently found some kegs on Craigslist for $25 so I thought this would be a good opportunity to get into kegging. I went to the guys place and he had about 30 kegs in various conditions. As I am just getting started I did not have CO2 to pressure test them and was just going on appearance...

Usually I don't have extra and if I do it isn't much. I just don't have a very accurate way to measure the volume in my boil kettle. I just use an old racking cane that I have marked out so I sometimes think I need say 3 gal and end up at my target preboil volume with .25-.5 gal left in the...

I hate it when I find out information just a little to late. I just ordered a 1000ml flask the other day and I was going to do my first starter Wednesday. Oh well, live and learn.

I would recommend the factory refurbished mixer. I have had mine for 7 years and no problems. Looked like new when I got it. I also recommend the larger mixer. Not sure on the actual size but the one where the bowl lifts to the mixer rather than the head tilt.

I usually start with 1.25 qts per Lb of grain. This is a little lower than people seem to recommend but it allows for more adjustment if you don't hit your correct temperatures the first time around. For a 10 lb grain bill that comes to about 3 gal to start. I usually mash out to 170 with...

I would say take a CO detector and keep it close by and see what happens. Those are set to go off far below any harmful levels so as long as they are quiet you are fine. IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) is 1200 ppm for CO. An alarm will sound within a few minutes at levels of...

One possible cause for the low gravity I didn't see mentioned was hydrometer calibration. If you take your reading at a temp other than what the hydrometer is designed for than the reading will be off. You need to take a temp reading on your sample then use the instructions to calculate the...