A fermented beverage where the majority of the fermentable sugars are derived from malted grains via mashing.
15
votes
7answers
18k views
If/When to move to secondary fermentation
Digression from What's the point of secondary fermentation?
What are the good rules of thumb for determining a. whether to use secondary fermentation at all and b. when to move from primary to ...
14
votes
7answers
3k views
How do you cool a lager on a budget?
What techniques would you suggest for cooling a lager during the lagering phase? Further, how important is the stability of that temperature?
8
votes
1answer
2k views
When brewing a chocolate stout, should the cacao nibs be added in the boil, the secondary, or both?
When using cacao nibs to brew a chocolate stout, should they be added in the boil (if so, when?), in the secondary fermenter, or both? Is there a better ingredient to add to produce the chocolate ...
7
votes
4answers
711 views
should hoppy beers be aged?
Do hoppy beers not need to be aged? About how long does it take a hoppy beer to get to its maturation point?
Thanks,
Chris
5
votes
3answers
118 views
Which brewing podcasts do you listen to?
Which are the essential podcasts that should be on my ipod right now?
13
votes
7answers
3k views
Is it OK to starting fermentation while wort is still warm?
I'm just getting started, so in my first couple batches I realized I had a problem cooling the wort all the way down to 60°F/16°C recommended by my instructions. I boil all of my water, but I don't ...
28
votes
6answers
3k views
How likely is contamination in an average batch?
I sanitize everything; carboy, bottles, bottle caps, tubing, funnels, etc; because I was essentially told that my beer would turn to deadly poison without it.
I accept sterilizing the lot once ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I cut my extract brewing cost?
I'm trying to reduce my cost-per-beer, without investing in an all-grain setup. I know I'm pretty limited with what I can tweak (can't get around needing sugar, yeast, and hops), but here in Montana ...
3
votes
2answers
406 views
Good holiday beer recipes? [closed]
I'm getting ready to brew up a holiday batch to bring to parties and give as gifts, etc. Any suggestions on a good one? I'm thinking a cranberry beer might be surprising and delicious...
1
vote
0answers
137 views
New Wyeast private stcok yeast strains? [closed]
Has anyone had any experiences with the new Wyeast Private Reserve yeast strains. I just bought a Cask Ale, and wondered if anyone had tried a beer with it yet?
4
votes
4answers
372 views
What type of beers stand up to temperature variation during fermentation?
I've just moved from a Condo into a house, where I am now paying for heat.
In the area that my Domestic Sergeant Major has permitted me to brew in, the temperature varies from 16° to 21° C throughout ...
8
votes
8answers
1k views
Are some types of beers easier to brew than others?
I'm just getting started with home brewing. Are some types of beer easier to brew than others? Would you suggest starting with a certain type for my very first brew?
38
votes
4answers
1k views
What equipment do I need to buy to start making beer?
What is the minimum equipment to start brewing some good beer at home?
2
votes
1answer
191 views
Pumpkin Spiced beer
I was looking at your pumpkin beer recipe and I really want to brew that beer soon. The recipe sounds great, I just want to know the exact boil times and what exact time to add the ingredients, ...
9
votes
1answer
547 views
Making a Yeast Starter
It seems that there are varying opinions about the size your starter should be. What is the basic rule-of-thumb for 5 and 10 gallon batches?
How much water should be used?
How much malt/malt ...
7
votes
3answers
428 views
Bottling homebrew late
My guess is that my homebrew will be done fermenting while I am out of town. Is there any harmful effects if I don't bottle it until a few days after the fermentation process stops?
6
votes
5answers
664 views
How do you characterize “Breakfast Beer”?
What makes a good breakfast beer?
Thinking of brewing something for an upcoming eggs and kegs event.
Any clones of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout out there?
12
votes
12answers
1k views
What is the best book for beginning home brewers?
What is the best book for beginning home brewers?
** Please post 1 book per post, then the resulting votes will show what most people consider to be the best book.
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there such a thing as malt-free beer?
I am allergic to malt and thus need to avoid it. I currently drink hard ciders, brandy, and wine.
Are there any brew kits out there that does not use any kind of malt as an ingredient? I am trying ...
6
votes
3answers
769 views
How do you degas an empty Sanke Keg?
When folks legally acquire Sanke kegs for conversion to kettles, mash tuns or HLTs, the first step is often to relieve the pressure inside the keg before dismantling the spear and valve.
How best is ...
6
votes
3answers
659 views
Using commercial (breakfast) cereals in a mash
This question looks similar to Using flakes in a mash, but is not actually the same. I was thinking, if someone runs out of maize flakes, and definitely wants to use some for his mash, what happens if ...
6
votes
2answers
185 views
Best Resources on Getting Started?
I have several food allergies and a big one is malt. Because I thirst for a good beer once in a while and the difficulty of finding beer I can drink, I am entertaining the idea of brewing my own beer. ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
Should I ferment a new batch directly on the yeast cake generated by the previous batch?
I'm going to re-use the yeast cake from a low-gravity batch to ferment a high-gravity batch.
Can I just put the wort directly on it? Does it then need to be agitated?
Is it worth the risk of ...
5
votes
4answers
895 views
What is Extract Twang?
This term pops up from time to time and it often cited as a reason to go to all grain. But maybe its because I don't really know what it tastes like.
Do you believe in extract twang?
How do you get ...
4
votes
2answers
533 views
Using Granular Yeast in a Lager
Will dry yeast do any good when brewing a lager or is it necessary that you use a liquid one? I am talking about making some kind of starter with the yeast, not just pitching it into the fermenter. ...
8
votes
4answers
623 views
Steeping grain time
We are steeping 5# of grain. Is the time the grains should steep based on the weight? We were just going to do 30 mins. Is this the correct amount of time or should it be more or less? This is for an ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
Early vs Late secondary fermentation
When do you start your secondary fermentation? Some people wait until the bubbles of the wort stop completely, others leave the wort in the fist fermenter for 3-4 days and then move on to secondary ...
12
votes
2answers
929 views
Sanitation & Dry Hopping
Is there any risk of wort infection by not sanitizing hops before dry hopping?
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How much chocolate extract should I use?
The Young's Double Chocolate Stout clone recipe I'm about to rack to the secondary in two days calls for 0.33 ounces of chocolate extract. That's less than a tablespoon. The bottle of chocolate ...
3
votes
2answers
630 views
Gooey Yellow-White film after fermentation slows when using lactose
I currently have a Young's Double Chocolate Stout clone (extract & specialty grains) in the primary. I got the recipe from one of the responses to this forum question. (You have to be logged in ...
16
votes
1answer
958 views
Partial vs. Full Voume Wort Boil
The starting postion for most new extract brewers is to use a partial boil set up. Defined as using a pot smaller than the intended batch size, all the ingredients are boiled in a smaller volume. ...
10
votes
4answers
12k views
How to grow yeast?
I have read that it is possible to grow your own yeast, but I have not been able to find exact instructions. I would like to grow my own yeast so that I don't have to spend money on those small ...
