Search results

Washed yeast from a previous job, and used it for a yeast starter, which appeared to work (krausen formed in the flask). Pitched the yeast into a wort with an OG of approximately 1.047. Fermentation started within 6 to 8 hours and fermented normally for just over a week then abruptly quit. I...

I've done some all grain full volume batches, but kind of like the convenience of stovetop brew sessions using extract, mainly for the convenience of a rapid cool-down to low 70's to pitch yeast. I have a wort chiller, but just getting it down to 80 takes quite some time (I'm in Florida)...

Did a Newcastle all-grain kit from Austin Homebrew which came with Windsor dry yeast as my option. Brewing session went well, OG (1.053) right on the mark. Fermentation started vigorously within a couple of hours and slowed down as normal after a couple of days. Transferred to a secondary after...

I've got a brown ale I brewed (extract) based on two other batches, with this one as a compromise between the two (one too mild, the other a bit too "roasty"). The one difference is I used so-called fresh hops instead of the pellets I usually use, and I'm not so sure the hops were that fresh. A...

Okay. Second batch kegged up. 1/2 cup of corn sugar in a cup of water in the bottom of the keg. Filled the keg to almost full, purged and sealed up tight with about 4 blasts of CO2, bled one last time, blasted again, then closed, sprayed all connections with StarSan solution to check for leaks...

Kegged (for the first time) a brown ale from extract with specialty grains, using about 1/3 cup of corn sugar in the keg, sealing it with CO2, and letting it sit at room temp for 2 weeks. Put the gas on it this afternoon, and while it isn't chilled, I pulled 2 glasses to check on clarity. The...

Aside from using a wort chiller or placing the boil kettle into ice baths, has anyone used something like half-gallon milk jugs, washed, filled with water, frozen, sanitized, then put right into the wort to cool it down? I'm struggling with cooling down the wort with tap water that's over 80...

My first batch was a Coopers Dark Ale kit. Turned out fairly well (I've swilled down 40 bottles and haven't gone blind yet, so how bad could it be). Anyway, brewed my second batch following the "First Batch" recipe from "The True Brew Handbook" that came with the kit I bought at my LHBS, as...

Using something like a prehopped LME kit as a baseline, in what order would one make changes in ingredients for improvement in quality? For instance, would using liquid yeast strains make a more marked improvement in quality, say as opposed to moving to all grain? Does all grain make a...