Search results

If in doubt, make a starter, let it ferment out, and taste the starter. If it tastes okay, you're good to go.

I tried to take my extra hour at the bar, but they kicked me out anyway! A-holes!!:drunk:

They use aluminum for radiators because they can form larger, thinner tubes with it, which allows for more heat transfer in a given area. But more important, it weighs less than copper or brass. Oh, and it's cheaper.

Welcome from another SoCal resident. Most of the people on this board seem to be from the midwest or Texas, so it's good to see another local(ish). I'm just south of LAX, I'll ask next time I'm at my LHBS if they know of a club in your area. I go to the Temecula car show every year, so...

Just a guess here, but...I'll bet it's pretty hard to get the DME into the boil successfully. That stuff goes everywhere when you open the package, I bet a significant portion would be blown out of the kettle by the steam of the boil. Liquid, on the other hand, will pour right into the...

I like to use pellets for bittering and whole hops for everything else. The extra bulk of the whole hops, especially on a beer with a large hop bill, makes it harder to decant into the fermenter.

I soaked mine in Oxyclean and HOT water for 45 minutes or so, It worked well, there was a layer of gunk in the bottom that the Oxyclean dissolved. Ditto the Scotchbrite and bartender's friend on the outside, it cleaned up very well. Make sure you replace all the rubber o-rings whether they...

I'm in El Segundo, I don't know where we get our water from exactly, but I will find out soon. One of these weekends soon I will brew an experimental batch with straight tap water. I don't want to take any chances with the next couple batches I have planned, as they are destined to be...

Costco has the same thing for sale at $99.

Thanks for the advice guys. I picked up some campden tablets at the LHBS, and will use them for now. Later I will try brewing with untreated water, but for the next few weeks I'm brewing holiday beers and can't afford a bad batch.

My grandmother died, and left me some money. That money was used to get me started in brewing. So in tribute, I used a nickname my dad and uncles had for her, and came up with... Buzzard Bait Brewery

So I haven't visited the site for a while, because, well...I haven't brewed for a while. I know, I know, I'm a bad human. I started brewing with my brother-in-law, at his house because they have a wine cellar that is 68-70 degrees year-round. Good times were had, but I found myself doing...

Brew whatever you want, it will taste fine. Darker, or hoppier beers do a better job of masking off flavors than lighter beers, so if you screw something up, it's less noticable. You will be so worried that you did mess up, (look at all the "Did I screw up my first batch" posts in this...

My local Ace Hardware has 25' coils for around $30. Go to a plumbing supply house, they'll have longer coils if you want, and their price should be a little better. Or do what I did for my tubing, trade a plumber (my brother) some homebrew for the tubing!

You guys obviously need more equipment!!:D

I noticed I have been slacking off with my bottling lately, the last two batches have had several crooked caps. Quite a few of the crooked cap bottles didn't carbonate, and had some growth in the neck. The growth looked like the yeast cake in the bottom of the bottle, but it was clinging to...

I check when I rack to secondary, I figure as long as I'm moving the beer, I may as well see what's going on with it. If I'm having a problem with fermentation, I can try a couple things while the beer's in secondary. But the most important reason to check the gravity when transferring is -...

I've noticed my beers are a lot less bitter after bottling and carbonation. I guess something about the bubbles cuts down on the perceived bitterness. Don't worry about how your beer tastes until it is DONE. I recently brewed a California Common that I thought was junk until it mellowed...

For me, I started brewing ales because I don't have the equipment to brew lagers. Then I dsicovered the abundance of good ale recipes, and haven't given much thought to brewing lager. Once I get down to a few ales that I really like and enjoy, I plan to branch into lagers. Then comes the...

I know of a BUNCH of junk yards, and know guys who own a few more. I'll take a look around for ya. I had two cars stolen while I lived in Phoenix, both were white. I'll never own another white car, the karma's just bad for me.