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An other alternative to make a yeast starter can be to save yeast. It’s not exactly the same as a fresh starter, but super easy to get a high cell count. I decided a long time ago to not make starters. Instead I save slurry when I need more yeast than one pack or if I need a ton, I pitch...

That looks sort like an infection, but you’d know better from a taste or smell. You say it’s been in the primary for a month because you haven’t hit final gravity, so I assume you’ve been opening the bucket and taking samples. That’s a lot of opportunity for oxidation and wild yeast to get in...

You know I stopped using carapils for a nice head. I do think a little weat helps and a protein rest. And I don’t know the science on this, but when I have really healthy yeast and maintain the ideal temps I also get a nicer head. When it has a beautiful, perfect white krausen the final beer...

Skip it. The risk of infection and oxidation is high. Especially for a NE IPA that you likely don’t want to be super clear and you definitely don’t want oxidation. It’s also one less thing to do and clean up after. Some people say they get a cleaner, more clear beer with a secondary, but...

I am using Voss for the first time right now, but I’ve been brewing with hornindal for a few years now. So, I’m hoping it similar. I ended up splitting one dry pack of Voss between 2 6 gallon carboys. I’ve found (at least with hornindal) that stressing the yeast by under pitching really does...

relax, wait another week and pop another. Most of my bottle conditioned beers take at least 3 weeks. I think Nottingham was the only yeast I used that turned around in 2 weeks consistently. Especially at lower temps or if the beer cleared very well before bottling it might take a bit longer.

I’ve used trub in a poolish and it turned out well. And I’ve used dregs from a bottle to kick start a sourdough starter. Now that I think about it that was a kveik beer just before I started kegging. I actually still have that sourdough and kveik still alive after two years. I’ve also used...

I can count on one hand the beers I’ve bottles that are actually bottle carbed after 2 weeks. At basement temps most yeasts have been more like 3 weeks for me. Just give it another week or two. Maybe put a couple beers in a warmer spot for a week.

No one mentioned this, but American beer is cold. I like it that way. While I can appreciate why a certain style is served warmer than others, I always prefer beer cold.

You should definitely do this. It sounds delicious. If you can control the temp for the first couple days of active fermentation that alone would make a big difference. Or just say screw it and do at what ever temp you can. I’ve used WLP 800,810, 830 and 850 just at my basement temps, around 65...

I’ve had ciders in my basement for going on 5 years now. I’m an absolute novice with cider, but I can tell you most of them taste better after a few years and some tastes the same. But none have gone bad. Most have more apple flavor after some time. I don’t know enough to say why.

Also, Dad’s birthday beer is coming along great. Super excited about that one, the mild, and just excited to be sharing some beers with family this holiday season.

Best trip to the home brew shop ever this week! I ran into town to get ingredients for a maibock to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday. I was going to use WLP833 when the owner said they have Munich helles 860. And right there sitting next to the 860 was a vile of wlp006! Bedford British! I...

Sour dough starter is chuck full of wild yeasts and bacteria. Those wild yeasts will likely strip all the residual sugars and probably the flavor out of your beer. It sounds like you’re looking to try a wild yeast, so go for it. You could get a really cool yeast flavor. Or if this dude’s yeast...

the stronger yeast flavor could be a handful of things. The most obvious is just like you said, too young in the bottle. Every yeast is a little different. I like to drink a couple “green” beers to figure out how long each yeast needs to bottle condition. It could also be a bit of an under...

Oh and I’m pretty sure mine came from a bubble in the racking cane. It wasn’t there long at all, but I’m convinced it’s the culprit.

Quick! Drink it all and make another batch! Looks like oxidation. I had a batch last year do exactly that. It didn’t taste bad, but the hops didn’t quite pop as much as they were supposed to and it degraded over time. I never got cardboard, it just got more and more bland

I feel like I see more people dry hopping at full krausen and I’m wondering why? Good, bad, or indifferent I’ve always dry hopped right before the beer drops bright. I remember reading an article that dry hopping during krausen runs the risk of losing all the delicious hopping oils along with...

I’ve used wild ginger in a blonde ale that turned out great. I’ve used in a braggot too, but nothing honey based I’ve made is worth bragging on. I use number 2 field corn from my in law’s farm in a saison that turns out great. That one’s fun to take back to family in IL. I tried rosemary in a...

Fonta Flora has been my fav WNC brewery for a while and this is one of the many reasons why. this is my new official beer of fall 2020.