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Brewed a saison with Wyeast Belgian Saison strain and controlled fermentation starting around 68 and gradually bringing it up to 80 over the course of a couple weeks. All was going well. Sample was good. It hadn't quite reached FG, but was close (~1.012). Then it went to secondary where I...

I’m going to brew 11 gal of 1.053 lager. Mr. Malty offers the following advice: 11 packets of yeast pitched direct, or 5 packets of yeast in a 2.5L starter, or ~460ml slurry (~815 billion cells) I’m not super excited about the idea of #1 or #2. So… in order to save money and to be...

Just wondering if anyone has any experience using the Fermwrap straight up - no temp control, taped to the side of a carboy, in a room temp (~64F) environment. And then, what if I cover the carboy with a shirt? What kind of bump could I expect? [Background/anecdotal details: I have a...

A question out to those with Brett experience and/or knowledge, preferably both. I am planning on co-inoculating a 1.050 beer with both a Belgian Saison & a brett strain in the primary. According to my tap schedule, I expect to be drinking this about 3 months after pitching, and I would like...

So, I have this friend who is making bad beer. Seriously… I really do. We brew together, and we split the wort, at which point we ferment at our respective homes with our respective yeast starters and do our own packaging/serving. Come tasting time, my beers are clean and as delicious as the...

35 days ago I brewed what I am calling a double imperial red saison. Mashed @ 148-149. Grain bill was mostly pils, with 3 lbs DME into kettle at the end of the boil. OG into primary was 1.083. Pitched Wyeast 3711 - French Saison. Near the end of fermentation (or what I observed to be near...

It wasn’t my intent, but I ended up performing a controlled experiment, the results of which confound me. Here are the details: I brewed 10 gallons of a red ale, OG = 1.053, and split the wort into 2 six-gallon carboys. I made a single 2L starter with 3 yeast packets (Wyeast 1728 –...

I’m brewing a strong lager (OG of ~1.070) 5 days from now. I have a previous fermentation from which I intend to collect the yeast slurry, and then rinse it over a few days. However, by the time I brew the upcoming strong lager, it will have been 3 weeks since I first pitched into the previous...

My Process: I inject pure O2 with a diffusion stone, and normally run a 1 to 1.5 L starter on a stir plate using a the freshest smackpack I can find. I pitch at ‘optimal’ temperatures (usually at the lower end of the range wyeast recommends) and I see krausen formation within 12-18 hours...

Something I’ve always wondered about. Following JZ’s wisdom, you want to begin fermenting a strong Belgian ale at a conservative temp to keep ester production at a noticeable level, but not obnoxious. Then after slowly ramping up the temps through fermentation, add a healthy portion of...

I was introduced to the idea of laying foam insulation on top of the mash for better temp control in another thread. (And who wouldn't be interested in better temp control!) But I want to know if anyone knows of any legitimate concerns with foam insulation being in contact with the mash...

Take this scenario for example: if mash-in begins @ 154, and drops to 150 over the course of 60 min. I use this particular example because it happened to me (as far as I can know with the instruments I use) and my efficiency was not as good as I had been seeing in previous batches using...

Before I rack a beer into a keg, I hit the keg with ‘some’ CO2. Usually at about 3-5 psi for about 5-10 seconds. Then I wait ‘some’ time for the CO2 to sink to the bottom and replace the O2 before I start my siphon. Usually about 30 seconds. Am I waiting long enough in either or both...

I just picked up a mini-fridge that I’m going to use as a fermentation chamber. I’m getting a 2-way temperature regulator so I can use the fridge in conjunction with a Fermwrap(tm) for total temp control, and I’m thinking the thing’s going in the garage where it gets up to 75-80 in the summer...

FACT: Hop aroma and flavor are the first things to fade in a beer as it is aged. QUESTION: As these aromas and flavors ‘fade’ from obviousness, do they still leave some kind of imprint on the beer that would not have been there otherwise? In other words, if the plan is to brew a big...

First of all, when does the clock start on ‘lagtime’? 1. Is it the time between pitching and visible fermentation? 2. Or, is it the time between the moment the wort is cooled and visible fermentation? (eg. If I cool my wort, transfer it to the fermenter and move it to a fridge to...

Assuming a proper amount of healthy yeast, what kind of attenuation should I expect from this brew? “Oatmeal Stout” 70% Pale malt 11% Flaked oats/barley 11% Mid-range crystals 8% Chocolate/Roasted Barley Mash 60 min @ 153 OG = 1.051 Fermented @ 68 degrees with...

Brewed an Alt yesterday evening. It was 38 degrees in my garage. Ah, the things I do for beer… Anyway, Wyeast says this strain operates best @ 55-70+ degrees. So, hoping to ferment around 58, I tucked it under my basement stairs with a wet t-shirt wrap. Any other day of this winter that...

I was 3 degrees under my desired mash temp in doing my 70 Shilling, and so to compensate for lost body, I reached for a 10-year old, half-empty packet of Malto-Dextrine powder I had laying around. The beer is only 7 days old. As usual, I sampled after racking to the keg. The beer finishes...

Hi fellas. I could use some advice from those who have gone before me. For this Christmas I want to do a beer that is big bodied, caramelly sweet, highly hopped, and RED. I’m calling it an Imperial Red, though I think a lot of the time that suggests something in the vein of a large Irish...