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IMHO, that violates a lot of what I know about single celled organisms and rehydrating things. I'll explain to why I think it's not accurate and let you guys pick it apart. I've been baking longer than I've been brewing and I have to tell you that in baking, you don't rehydrate yeast in...

I'd vote for 1) double checking your sanitation to make sure that its sufficient and that everything is getting really really really well rinsed and 2) filtering your water. Chlorine isn't just bad for your fish. Our municipal water supply here tends to err on the side of caution meaning...

We make a lot of Kolsch, Hellas, and Hefe's here so we order what we need for that. Most anything else we get at the local store or on line in small batches. M.

Instead of doing all that hand shredding, why not just use the frozen shreds for hash browns? Just asking... M.

There are some amazingly good articles that go into all of this in excruciating detail, even by my standards. http://homebrewandchemistry.blogspot.com/search/label/brewing%20serial http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/BOS_BRI/BREWING_CHEMISTRY.html And in case you've forgotten, maltose isn't...

If you're not on well water, your water supply (city, co-op, etc.) should be able to provide you with a full water analysis. Ours looks like this - http://www.ntmwd.com/WaterQuality.html and it's produced every month. An explanation of what the important numbers means is here -...

You run it off into a boil kettle anyway and then when you're done, you oxygenate it for the yeast. I really don't see a problem with this either. 2 cents, M.

If you're looking for a way to determine the IBU's of your home grown hops, you should read this - http://home.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm It explains in detail how to use a sugar water titration to determine it. HTH, M.

Global warming phooey! NASA just announced that global temps are DOWN!!! That's based on satellite data world wide. Don't see that being hyped by the media, do ya? 2 cents, M.

JBWeld will glue down almost anything. HTH, M.

If you didn't compost the cow manure first, it's probably much too rich in nitrogen and that's what's causing the leaf burn that you're seeing. All you can do now is wait for it to decompose on it's own and make sure you water thoroughly every time you water. That will help to dilute it and...

Curinrearview - If you're two feet off the water table, you might be seeing the results of root rot. I'd try very gradually building up a mound around them and seeing if that doesn't help your problem. No more than 1/2" a year of good compost would be my recommendation. I'd also make it a...

IMHO, I'd start dumping compost there as often as possible. I'm in N. Texas and I swear a potter could throw the soil in our yard. So I've got some experience in dealing with heavy clay. Sulphur may also help break up the clay but go gently with it as it can change soil pH. Coarse sand can...

If you guys will look at the Epicurious.com website, they rate food recipes with "forks". Something like that for beer recipes would be totally awesome. 2 cents, M.

Keep in mind that pyrex and kimax glassware come in "grades". There's a whole spectrum of quality. The most common is "student grade" which is ok but definitely easier to break than the better grades of glassware. HTH, M.

Get the thermostat. You should be able to get a fridge or freezer on the cheap from Freecycle or Craig's List. You might have to drive a bit to go pick it up or schoomze someone who owns a truck or van, but hey, you have beer. How hard can that be? 2 cents, M.

We always start with cold water. Hot water can pick up even more minerals and stuff from the hot water tank, which basically acts as a dirt catcher and contaminant concentrator for all the ick in your local water supply. Just my 2 cents, M.

OOO, How about this? No extract twang!!! And frankly, if you can make iced tea, you can do a decoction mash. It's exactly the same concept. I see so many people who are intimidated by brewing grain. Yet these are the same people who eat oat meal/malt-o-meal/grits for breakfast and drink...

I vote for the basement too. IMHO, you're better off a bit on the cool side than the warm side. You might have to let the fermentation run a bit longer but it will still work. If you really want to get a handle on it, I'd see if you can get a freezer or fridge off Freecycle or Craig's List and...

When we think we might have bottle bombs, we make sure that they're inside a cardboard box and that the box is inside a couple of thick heavy trash bags. That way if they go off, they're contained. It's much easier to clean up that way. HTH, M.