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I've done it before and there was a recent BYO article that outlined how to do it. Both my method and the BYO method are similar to the suggestions listed above. Mist it down with a sprayer filled with distilled water (no chlorine) until it is wet, but not soaked. Smoke with your choice of...

Everything you'd want to know is right here.

FWIW, on 10/23/09 I ordered and picked up one bag each from South Holland: Fawcett Golden Promise 55lb., $37.49 Franco Belg Pils 55lb., $31.42 Best Munich 55lb., $32.52 This is something like my 5th or 6th buy from them. Sweet and only 15 mins. from home.

That's exactly the way I've always done it.

Nobody has mentioned it, but it is a cheap fix - new plastic tubing. Fixed the one infection I ever had. Also, does the beer taste okay when you sample it throughout the process, then - boom - at bottling/kegging it takes on this off-flavor?

Geez, I know that DB!:cross: I was just ... trying to be simplistic, yeah, that's it... for those who aren't so versatile in their beer vocabulary.;)

That's b/c this is your 1st AG. The more you do, the better you'll get at it and you'll quickly see how much better your brews have become. Extract beers can be every bit as good as an AG beer. But when it comes to less expense and more versatility of beer styles, there is no comparison to...

Same here, but I've never used rice hulls. I've never had a seriously stuck sparge, so I've never had the need. In fact, I'll be brewing this again soon.

Yep. That video that Kaiser has is well worth watching. I've yet to do a decoction, but his video has gotten me to thinking about it.

That's another reason I siphon - I use whole hops whenever possible and I hate using hop bags. I want every hop cone to get wet with wort! But I want to leave all that behind when I take it to the carboy. Lately, I've been trying to get my lighter colored ales to be as clear as possible. So...

I do b/c it's a pain to stand there and pour a full five gallons (or ten when I'm doing ten gallon batches) of wort into a carboy. 2-3 extract gallons is no problem, but try holding roughly 50 lbs. and it gets tiring. However, if you're tough enough, then go for it, Popeye!;):D

+1 on composting. I just turned mine last weekend after we got a lot of rain. Man, did it stink! :cross: I should give some of these cookie, bread and veggie burger recipes a try.

Same here, and I batch sparge. Easy and fun to build. I've used it since my 1st AG and have never looked back. No concerns on the plastic in coolers creating any off-flavors or any other such problems.

FWIW, I have the same cooler for a mash tun. Been using it for countless brews. I also use a manifold very similar to the one linked in the picture. Mine is CPVC. I made it myself and it was fun and easy to make. Has slits instead of holes. And, yes, holes (or slits in my case) down! I...

Ain't it great?! With anyone's first AG session, your estimates are really more like SWAGs! You'll be able to dial your numbers in better, now that you have one under your belt. Congrats on your 1st!:mug:

Holy crap, that thing is awesome, Biermann! Way out of my price range, but man! Let us know how it works out. As for recipe suggestions, Brewpastor's 8-8-8 is one I'd recommend, as well as my own Chocolate RIS.

Get back on that horse and ride, cowboy! It sounds like you have a handle on what the problem may be. Being located in SoCal, the temps may well be your problem. Address that issue first and brew a simple pale ale. See if that improves things. Good luck!

All I'll add to what's already been said is to keep your first recipe a simple one without a lot of different grains, hops and extra steps. A basic stout or pale ale would be ideal. You want to get the process down first. Normally, I'd advise you to try an extract or PM first, but if you...

Mine is the CWS 5400 Imperial IPA (see my Recipe drop down) at 102 IBUs. My Yellow Rose is pretty tasty, too, at 68 IBUs. I plan to brew one of these again soon. And I can! I lucked out and ordered a sh!tload of hops right before the big shortage took place, so I have a freezer full of hops...

I add ~a gallon of water, then the grains, then the remaining water and stir. Before I did my first AG batch I had read that it helped eliminate dough balls and stuck sparges. So, I did it that way and never veered from it.