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I have been back and forth on Brewzilla Gen 4 VS Grainfather G30. I was about to pull the trigger on the Brewzilla (mostly based on cost), but then noticed it only has a 1yr parts-only warranty from the distributor (not Kegland). On the other hand, from what I can tell the Grainfather has a...

Hi guys - I brewed a batch yesterday, and used the magnet-attached-to-a-muslin-bag-under-the-bucket-lid method for dry hopping. Recipe calls for the dry hop on Day 7. However... A friend stopped by just as I sealed it up, and when I was showing him my setup, he grabbed the magnet on the...

If you have dry hopped with a muslin bag, should you squeeze out all the liquid when you remove it, or just let it drip off naturally and discard it?

I have a yeast for a cream ale that says it should be fermented in the 13-16C range. I don't have a fridge for tempertautre control, but my cellar is consitently 17C. Will the extra degree matter that much? Or, is it an absolute no-no to stray from manufacturer recommended temperture ranges...

I have made a basic cider - just store-bought apple juice with Safale-05 yeast. I am really happy with it - very, very tasty without doing anything else to it. But, wanna get a bit more creative without having to worry about over carbonating by back sweetening. Has anyone had success with dry...

Being a newbie, keep in mind that I'm an idiot. LOL I bought a 25g baggie of Irish Moss at the HB store, and thought I needed the whole bag for a brew, so I dumped it in. I subsequently read the recipe instructions which said to only put in 1 tsp. Oops. About 5x more than called for. Will...

My most recent recipe calls for a dry hop addition 4 days into fermentation. I was just going to pitch the hops directly to the fermenter, but would prefer not having to strain them out later. Can I just put the hops in a muslin bag and toss it in so it's easier to retrieve later? If I do...

Assuming you have bottled your beer properly, stored it in a cool, dark place, in your experiences, what is the shelf life of a home brewed beer?

Ok, first of all, I'm still a newbie brewer, but am hooked. I've got 5 batches currently on the go at various stages. I started with extract kits and now my last couple of batches were all-grain, using BIAB system. I was in a local homebrew shop last week, and they have a used Grainfather G30...

I was in the grocery store last week and saw apple juice on sale, so on a whim I bought 5 gallons of the stuff knowing I had an empty fermenting pail at home. So, I dumped all the juice in the bucket, pitched a package of S04 yeast with some yeast nutrient, and sealed it up. The airlock has...

Just wondering, do cans of extract go bad? I ask because a local homebrew store is going out of business and has a bunch of Cooper's Can kits deeply discounted. If I pick up a few of these can kits for $10-$15, even if they're expired, is it worth it? I'm thinking they might be good for some...

Ok, am so excited, I had to post this. A picture of my very first pint of home brew! This is an Amber Ale recipe (and it doesn't suck! LOL). Although it doesn't have quite the carbonation I had hoped for, it's very, very good. Can't wait to brew my next batch!

Ok, a question from a first-time all-grain brewer: Should you stir the mash or just let it sit (or does it matter?) The reason I ask....I was watching it very carefully, and it was holding at 152-153F as the recipe called for, which made me think 'Yes! I'm a pro!' But, then at about the 40...

I see someone close to me selling a Plaato Airlock on Kijiji for $75. Seems reasonable enough, but is it worth it? Does it work well? Thanks in advance...

I have some empty screw-top wine bottles lying around. Will those work for beer? Will the original screwtops hold carbonation?

Ok, I'm wondering about bottles. I assume swing-top bottles are easier to use than cap bottles, but thougtht I would test that assumption before invesitng in them. So... 1) Are swing-tops better? 2) Do the swing-top caps last? Thanks in advance...

Should the water in the airlock be a sanitized solution, or is plain water okay? One beginner kit recipe says to use sanitzed water, the other just says water. Does it matter? Thanks in advance...

Ok, another question from this eager newbie: What would be the easiest all-grain receipe for a novice brewer to start with? I pretty much enjoy every type of beer, so it doesn't matter to me what I brew. I want to 'graduate' to an all-grain brew, but don't want to bite off more than I can...

Ok, another newbie question (I've become obsessed with homebrewing after only one attempt!) Is it okay to ferment a 3-gallon recipe in a 6.5-gallon pail? Is there too much air, or does it matter once fermentation has begun. Thanks in advance!

Is it better to boil a full 5 gallon wort, or boil 2.5 gallons and then top up with water? The recipes seem to say 'full boil if you can, but half-boil-and-add-water is fine too'. Does it make much of a difference? I do have a 7-gallon pot, so I can make it happen. Just wondering if it...