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Ever since I moved into my house, my beers have had extremely poor head retention across multiple batches. I have carbonation as expected. Previously, I had no issues with head retention. It’s not my glassware because I have proper head retention with other people’s homebrew and commercial...

I'm studying with a bunch of other people for the BJCP tasting exam later this spring. I would like to make the teas using the Briess method (). I'd like to prepare some malt teas for a class, but our meeting spot doesn't lend itself to using a heating element. As a result, I'm thinking about...

We are expecting our second kid this winter, so I know I probably won't have time to brew for some time. I was thinking about brewing a RIS 1-2 months before the due date so it can bulk age in the secondary. I read a bunch of threads on the topic and came up with the following composite...

Quick question... I brewed a scotch ale on 15-DEC-2012 with an original gravity of 1.063. I was going to bottle it today, but the final gravity is 1.020. The last time I brewed this recipe, my gravities were 1.068 and 1.010 respectively. The only differences between the batches: 1. this...

SWMBO asked me to make her a Scotch ale that's similar to Robert the Bruce. She says she likes it because it isn't bitter or hoppy. After some research, how does this look for a five gallon batch? Mild malt, 8.5 lbs Munich malt, 1 lb Brown malt, 0.5 lbs Chocolate malt, 0.25 lbs Special...

We had some apples that were about to go bad, so SWMBO made some apple sauce tonight. When I was spooning it into containers, it occurred to me that apple sauce has a bit different flavor than cider or raw apples. So, of course, I had the urge to make an apple sauce ale. Has anyone tried...

I'm planning on brewing a barleywine next weekend since I just got married and thought it would be cool to have a beer to share on anniversaries. To do that, I'm planning on brewing Randy Mosher's Ignoble Doble-Doble: 20 lbs Marris Otter malt 2 lbs amber malt Questions: 1. I live in...

I'm getting married on July 31 and will be in Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland on my honeymoon. Like most people, I've heard about that area being beer savvy. So ... where should I go to put my faith in the supremacy of Wisconsin beer to the test? I'm interested in stuff like cool brewpubs...

I'm thinking about doing another experimental batch next week. Any suggestions before I actually put things in motion would be appreciated. I literally just made a smoked stout that knocked everyone's socks off, so I'm interested in doing something different since I still have some smoked malt...

I really like New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red. It's in the style of kriek and is very delicious. Anyway, the New Glarus website says that it is made with "over a pound of Door County Cherries in every bottle". It is only sold in 750 mL bottles. If my calculations are correct, that would...

Here's the deal. SWMBO keeps asking me to brew a brown ale, and I don't like the style a whole lot so I've been putting it off. The only brown ale that I really like so far is Brooklyn Brown Ale, because it has a complexity to it that other brown ales seem to lack. Anyway, SWMBO says she...

My smoked stout spent six months and one day in the primary. I started going back to school (on top of working >50 hours/week), and I kind of lost track of time. Anyway, no sign of off-flavors at bottling time. I pitched another envelope of Wyeast 1084 at bottling time just to make sure it...

I recently got my hands on some of the new Briess cherrywood smoked malt. Ideally, I'd like to put it to optimal use so I thought I'd consult the hive mind. What should I do with it? I'm thinking about doing one of the following three things: 1. Smoked stout 2. Smoked stout with...

I'm thinking about exercising my creativity again this weekend. Any feedback would definitely be appreciated. Vienna malt, 12 lbs (60%) Amber malt, 2 lbs (10%) Brown malt, 2 lbs (10%) Wheat malt, 1 lb (5%) Special B, 0.4 lbs (2%) Crystal 80°L, 1 lb (5%) Black patent, 1.6 lbs (8%)...

I bottled a Belgian wit this week and when I was rinsing off the bottles, I noticed that one cap didn't look like it was securely capped. I thought I could smell beer when I put the neck of the bottle right up to my nose. So I decided to recap it. Unfortunately, it not only released pressure...

Since I live in an apartment, I don't really have the patience to control fermentation temperature except for one batch a year. I'm planning on doing my last batch until fall this weekend and was wondering if you had any suggestions on what to brew. Or advice to steer me in one direction...

I'm interested in making a smoked porter later this year and I'd like to smoke my own malt, if possible. Well, technically I want to use a friend's smoker to do this (he smokes meat as a hobby). But I'd like to take advantage of any experience you guys might have on the subject. How long...

I'm going to be making a wit first thing Friday morning and any advice would be much appreciated. I always thought that flaked adjuncts were to be used essentially as-is, by which I mean I thought they didn't have to be milled, ground, etc. But today I was talking to someone and he said he...

My last two beers are good, but I think they'd be way better if I had better control over fermentation temperature. My goal over the next month is to make something that will help keep fermentation temperatures about 5-10° F cooler than the ambient temperature in my apartment. SWMBO vetoed a...

Back in the summer of 2005, I went on vacation to visit my brother in Boston. I went to the Union Oyster House, got some oysters, and the bartender asked if I wanted a beer. Not being familiar with any of the New England breweries, I just picked a name at random – Harpoon. The bartender gave...