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@Stargazer, the calibration of the temp sensor is not far off, it reads something like 214ºF when boiling. @micraftbeer, I have been recirculating, although I was not at the moment I took the pic. I did however stir like the dickens - enough to smooth out temp stratification (imo); and working...

There's a big difference between the temp readout on my Gen4 and the actual temp of the mash as measured with a handheld thermometer. This troubles me, and also if my strike temp is low, or I want to do a step mash, it takes forEVER to bump up the mash temp. I assume a lot of this is due to the...

Thanks everyone for the perspectives. If I had thought about it in time I suppose I should have split the batch for an exBeeriment in which one half would have been kräusened for secondary fermentation and the other half not. But here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna kräusen the secondary ferm and...

Anyone else frustrated with the huge difference in temperature between the bottom of the machine (underneath the false bottom) and the mash itself, particularly towards the top? In my un-scientific way, I understand it as the difference between hot liquid (at the bottom) and a very different...

Meandering through Greg Noonan's New Brewing Lager Beer, I was struck by this: "Kraeusen beer should be added [to the layering vessel] to produce the smoothest possible beer. Kraeusening generally reduces diacetyl, corrects poor primary-fermentation yeast performance, entrains CO2 in the beer...

I made my first beer with the BrewZilla Gen4 the other day. Before, using a BIAB set up, I always let the wort settle for 30-45 min after cooling & before draining out to the fermentor. Seems to me I can skip this step with the BZ - it drains right from the middle and the false bottom is going...

I wandered into the supermarket, looking for a little thumb-size piece of ginger to use in the dinner recipe. They were all out of the bulk ginger, so I had to buy a pound of the organic ginger in the clamshell box. I thought to myself, “I’ll NEVER use all of this .... wait a minute....” Ninkasi...

Written by my friend Dave!!! The Anchor Brewing Story by David Burkhart: 9780399581236 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Mix up yeast solution and use sanitized eyedropper?

Thanks everyone for the replies. At my abode, I usually ferment, age & bottle condition in a walk-in closet downstairs. (Lagering takes place upstairs in a temp-controlled chest freezer.) The closet temp in cooler months (in Northern California) is usually between 60-65, and in the warmer months...

I had my first Köstritzer a few weeks ago and am totally hooked, so this thread is great as I definitely plan to attempt one. Fwiw, Zainasheff/Palmer Brewing Classic Styles sez: OG 1.046 - 1.052 FG 1.010 - 1.016 22 - 32 IBU 17 - 30 SRM 4.4 - 5.4% ABV They give two recipes. One is described as...

I should clarify: with bottled lagers I do the upside-down thing right away after bottling, maybe 3 or 4 times in the first week. I did not do this with the Xmas Ale as I was not anticipating the problem. So one approach would definitely be to rouse the yeast once or twice more and wait? But...

Hi there beerists! So this year's Christmas Ale is causing me some consternation. It tastes good, but is a little bit like drinking molasses, because there are not many bubbles. I didn't want high carbonation, I was aiming for about 2.0 vols. My calculation could have been off, but I don't...

Noted. Thanks for this, great info!

Aha! That would perhaps explain the higher-than-predicted mash pH, if in fact I was able to coax the Ca to dissolve? Usually the BF water predictions are very accurate.

I'll get back now with my real-world experience. I dissolved the chalk in a small jar of carbonated water, which I made with my Sodastream. It immediately foamed up a bit, which I took as a good sign (chemical reaction?). I swirled it up a couple times, ending up with this white .... chalky ...

Right, thanks. But minerals are added to mashes to influence pH AND provide desirable substances, like calcium, no? I mean controlling pH is the easy part b/c you can adjust salts accordingly and in the end just squirt in the acid of your choice if you're still too high. My main concern, to...

Right, I'm an empirical kinda fella. But given the fact I wouldn't know whether or not it "worked" if I toss the chalk in the mash water - other than the pH reading - and by the time I take the reading it's too late - and the fact I can *see* in my little jar of carbonated water whether or not...

Based on what I've read so far, if carb. water works, I mean, it's so simple, why not do it. There is a lot of concern over solubility of chalk, and even if it's misplaced I'd just as soon guarantee myself some Ca. Don't have the time or the chops to wade thru all the science.

This is very interesting. It seems obvious that if chalk will dissolve in an acidic environment, and a mash is acidic .... well then...???