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If tasters struggled to identify how and which beers are different in the most extreme case, how would making the beers more similar yield better results? But, if you think your experiment would be more valid, I'd be happy to lend my tastebuds.

I lived in an apartment and did all-grain on the stovetop. You just need two pots and a cooler mlt (or just a bag if you're doing BIAB). I think Blickmann systems are also needlessly overpriced. Brewing doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, but some people insist on making it so.

Ed - I seriously appreciate you taking the time to address some of these issues. That said, I have to echo Malfet's experience: Please let us know when you fix your website/inventory system, and I'd be happy to try you again. Also, FWIW I have no interest at all in your Brew Builder, but...

The triple-decocted beer was described as less malty than the melanoidin malt beer. So if you want malty, don't expect a decoction to automatically give you that profile. There was definitely a very small difference, though the decocted beer was the opposite of the "conventional wisdom"...

Well, I don't recommend fermenting 100% grapefruit juice. I think it's too acidic for the yeast to work happily. With staggered nutrient additions, it still threw a lot of sulfur. It's dissipated a bit with age, but it's still pretty undrinkable by itself. Imagine extra-bitter campari, but with...

I wanted to go with the largest conceivable difference in mashing to see if there really was a difference. Still, the beers were very similar, and a couple people mistakenly ID'd duplicates. I think the potential effects from one mashing regime vs another are astonishingly small, in practice. If...

I only use wild Lacto bugs. Not sure what mix I'm getting exactly, or how many strains. I keep one bucket full of pale soured wort and one bucket full of dark soured wort, and I blend those to taste. After blending a soured portion with a completely fermented unsoured portion, the Lacto is still...

There are many different kinds of Lactobacillus. Some of them are very tolerant of hops and alcohol. From my personal experience, Brettanomyces is easier to kill than the more robust Lactobacillus strains.

I don't think what you're talking about is possible. This is basically the method I use: http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/methode-champenoise-beer I don't know how you'd apply that to a keg.

Can I make up my own IBU equation, and then claim my beers have 1000 IBUs?

Unless they had a lab analyze it, I don't believe 300 IBU is possible.

You don't really want to add nutrients once fermentation is complete. Yeast need certain nutrients for growth, but once they're done growing, any additional nutrients won't be used by yeast, and might be used by bugs.

Don't just say "YDIW" to me. It's reading advice like yours on HBT that made me think re-yeasting wasn't necessary. Obviously, you're just so cool and handsome that your beer always carbs up perfectly. I'm not aware of any commercial brewery that bottle conditions without adding fresh yeast...

I add fresh yeast at bottling to every beer I make. I want those suckers to be carbed up in <3 days. I let my tastebuds tell me when it's time to bottle it. I had an RIS I didn't re-yeast that wasn't very old (<8 weeks), and it's a year later and they're still not fulled carbed. So, that's not a...

I used to be skeptical of the "Cadillac" base malts, but they make a big difference in flavor. I have Simpsons GP, and it provides an intense graham-cracker maltiness. You can use it in large amounts in beers where you'd like that flavor (browns, milds, most UK/US beer styles), or in small...

You should use a sanitizer solution. I wouldn't rely on steam alone to sanitize my bottles. You can make you own with bleach/water/vinegar or you can buy something like StarSan.

There's no "real" value, it will depend on everything from how it's malted to which farm it was grown on and how much rain that farm got last year. Refer to the spec sheet for the lot analysis of the particular batch you have.

Probably an infection, or improperly mixed priming sugar. I'd revisit your sanitation at bottling time, and give the bottling bucket a swirl with a long spoon every 6 beers or so.

It sounds like they're just not that into your business. I'd probably find someone else to buy from.

FWIW there are a bunch of open-source alternatives to Skype. Skype won't release how they encrypt calls, and they won't say if/when they allow surveillance of your calls by authorities. If those aren't concerns for you, Skype is fine.