All Questions
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Using StarSan in Airlock
Just getting started on home brewing and I used boiled water in my airlock. I've seen that some places recommend using sanitizer as the airlock "fill". Is it ok to use straight up StarSan in there or ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I make homemade ginger ale?
Looking to make something really tasty, and also non-alcoholic. Is this possible to achieve at home?
9
votes
8answers
5k views
What is the best brewing log sheet to use?
I'm looking for a log sheet to use to start tracking all the beer and wine I brew to (hopefully) improve the results over time. What's your favorite and what could be improved in it?
9
votes
5answers
525 views
Shorter Brew Day
For all grain brewers, what part of the brew session lends itself best to shortening the total brew session. Time is tight for me these days and shortening up the brew session a bit will certainly ...
9
votes
6answers
2k views
Reusing twist-off bottles
I've heard it said that twist-off bottles should be avoided when reusing bottles for homebrewing. I've also heard a few people saying they've used plenty of them with no ill effects. Given that (at ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
Why my homebrewed lager beer bottles explode?
I started home-brewing lager beer last year. I am using ready-kits and the first three times it went quite well.
Now, with the latest, I had a very strange problem. A couple of weeks after I bottled ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
No bubbles in the airlock - should I still bottle the brew?
I'm attempting my first brew using a kit with all the provided ingredients (it's a lager). My brew is still in the big tub and has been there for about 2 weeks now. Initial SG was 1.040 and it's now ...
9
votes
7answers
297 views
How to clear beer
I am brewing my first homebrew an American cream ale. Was just reading into secondary fermentation. In the directions and books I've read it seems to suggest doing this. But as I search online and ...
9
votes
5answers
1k views
How to get the carbonation right in bottled beer
I am really struggling to get the carbonation of my beers right. They either seem to turn out too flat or too carbonated. I take care in calculating the correct amount of bottling sugar for the beer ...
9
votes
7answers
734 views
Are bottle brushes necessary?
I've always bottled my beers (haven't invested in a kegging setup yet), and I've never once used a bottle brush. I simply soak my bottles in OxyClean to clean them, give them a shake, then rinse, ...
9
votes
3answers
908 views
Over-carbonating in the bottle
I've had a few batches get a little too carbonated in the bottle. Currently, I have a delicious stout that fills two glasses on pour, and needs some time to settle down. That is, of course, if you ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
High-gravity beer stored too cold to carbonate during bottle conditioning. How can I carbonate this beer?
I made a strong scotch ale. Bottled it up, 2 weeks later no carbonation. Is there a way to save this batch?
OG 1.095,
Used Safale US-05,
2 weeks in primary,
6 weeks in secondary,
FG 1.030,
I ...
9
votes
3answers
373 views
How much hop bitterness dissipates with time?
I am planning to age a big Russian Imperial Stout for about a year. I understand that during this time, the bitterness imparted by the hops will dissipate. If I want to maintain a balance, I'll ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
Homemade airlock
I recently moved to a place that doesn't allow brewing equipment to be imported (But it is legal to brew... don't ask me). I've built a lot of my stuff, but I have a question about airlocks. I've come ...
9
votes
4answers
6k views
What causes beer to induce flatulence when consumed?
More importantly, how can the process or recipe be adjusted to reduce this effect?
I'm not trying to be crude. Actually, I'm trying to be less crude.
9
votes
3answers
568 views
What material should I make my brew paddle with?
I've been using the cheap plastic spoon that you'll typically find at your local homebrew store. It's pretty terrible when it comes to agitating my mash tun. Heat + Resistance = Bent plastic spoon.
...
9
votes
4answers
389 views
How would you ship your brew?
I've been thinking about shipping my beer to a fellow homebrewer on the opposite coast. I know the post office doesn't exactly condone this, but if you were to mail a bottle or two, how would you do ...
9
votes
5answers
364 views
Dry malting - a crazy idea?
A lot of talk is about dry-hopping in order to bring out the aroma of hops lost during the boiling process. Could a similar approach be used for malt? That is, could the addition of crushed grains to ...
9
votes
4answers
788 views
What prevents contamination during primary fermentation?
I'm about to start my first beer and I've been doing lots of research.. but a question I haven't seen answered is why isn't there more contamination during primary fermentation.
For secondary the ...
9
votes
2answers
4k views
Is it possible to over-ferment?
I am very newb at this. My first batch started fermenting 8 days ago. The liquid is still very cloudy but I'm wondering if its even possible to over-ferment your beer?
If I let it sit for another ...
9
votes
2answers
541 views
Fruit for fruit beers
What are the best fruits for brewing fruit beers?
Some fruits appear to be classics like cherries raspberries. Some fruits you rarely hear about like kiwi and papya.
Which fruits have flavor ...
9
votes
3answers
572 views
Brewing with Aluminum Pots
There seems to be controversy whether or not aluminum pots are acceptable for home brewing. What are the pros and cons of brewing with aluminum?
9
votes
2answers
408 views
Should I dunk my dry hops?
When dry hopping, should you try to submerge the hops after you add them to the secondary?
Half the hops in my last IPA weren't wet after a week, so I'm thinking they couldn't contribute much flavor.
...
9
votes
3answers
926 views
What is the best type of beer to brew for a beginner?
What is the best type of beer to brew for a beginner?
9
votes
5answers
845 views
Best way to mill grains
I've brewed many extracts but want to get into whole grain brewing. What equipment do I need? Any recommendations for beginner / low-cost grain mills?
9
votes
1answer
2k views
Why is it bad to pitch too much yeast?
What are the effects of over-pitching? Where is the line for, say, a 1.050 beer?
There is also a question for to under-pitching.
9
votes
4answers
904 views
What is the best way to store hops?
I recently got a really good deal on some bulk pellet hops (several pounds). What is the best way to store them? I've heard that they should be vacuum sealed and put in the freezer. Will they be OK ...
9
votes
6answers
5k views
Tap Water: Safe to use without boiling?
I made my first batch of beer over the weekend. I didn't have quite enough bottled water on hand to add to my wort to make 5 gallons, so I used tap water. I sanitized the hose sprayer on my sink by ...
9
votes
6answers
283 views
Can anyone recommend a starters kit, available in the UK?
I have inherited a garage after a recent move, and as I also have off street parking, it seems only right and natural that I start to indulge my desire to start homebrewing.
My intention is to be ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Can we estimate the temperature rise in the primary due to fermentation?
OK, this is sort of cheating but I really liked this question so I thought I'd ask the question again in a slightly different way and try and answer it.
I was wondering if we can actually estimate ...
9
votes
2answers
6k views
What is wet hopping and how does it differ from dry?
Specifically what types of beer would you use wet hopping for and how does it affect the flavor/process differently than dry hopping a beer?
9
votes
1answer
2k views
Hop burst technique & bitterness calculation
A friend asked me the other day what the "hop burst" technique was and how to calculate the amount of hops required in a recipe. I made some vague statements about late addition of hops and left it at ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
Is beer bad for dogs?
My dog, Lilly Von Shtupp, loves to drink beer. I only give her an ounce or so once in a blue moon, but I stopped recently because I heard that dogs are sensitive/allergic to hops. Can anyone either ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Can I use a dishwasher that has rinse agent to sanitize my bottles?
My dishwasher has a built in rinse agent dispenser that it claims must be filled for every use, besides I have no clue how to empty it once it is filled. Can I still run my bottles in the dishwasher ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Concerns/Considerations for making mead with raw honey?
I may be able to source enough raw honey to make a batch of mead from it. Are there any special concerns that I need to be aware of? If I don't boil it, should I use camden tablets to control any wild ...
9
votes
1answer
548 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 ...
9
votes
4answers
4k views
What malt should I use to get a red beer?
So, I want to make a red beer, what is the best malt to get this color?
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Massively Over-Carbonated Beer…What Do I Do?
Okay, so I made a mental error tonight when I was bottling and put 5 gallons worth of dried malt extract into 2 gallons of wort. I didn't realize the mistake until I had everything bottled. So now ...
9
votes
2answers
5k views
What is the conversion rate between dry malt extract (DME) and liquid malt extract (LME)?
Say I have a recipe that calls for 5 lbs of LME. How much DME would that be?
9
votes
6answers
2k views
Using coffee in beer
Last weekend I brewed a super classic, nothing special stout. I plan to add coffee to it in the secondary, and didn't want any craziness from the stout itself so that I could really play with the ...
9
votes
3answers
471 views
Avoiding excessive soot on brew kettles
Are there any secret tricks to avoiding an exorbitant amount of soot on the brew kettle after the boil?
We have been making all grain batches recently using a 20 gallon stock pot and a propane ...
9
votes
5answers
299 views
Bottle Marking Pen?
I recently had the idea that, instead of taping my bottles, and marking with a sharpie, it would be very handy to use something like a 'grease pencil' to mark up the bottle with the relevant info.
...
9
votes
4answers
258 views
Will a carboy's narrow opening hinder or prevent successful wild fermentation?
I'm considering trying to brew a simple lambic, which requires some open-air time for wild fermentation and souring of the wort prior to pitching yeast.
I'm wondering if I could use a carboy as the ...
9
votes
2answers
499 views
Why do extract recipes call for a late addition of the bulk of the extract?
My recipe calls for a pound of DME at the beginning of the boil and 6 pounds at 15 minutes to go. What's the point of that?
9
votes
2answers
491 views
Smack Pack and Pitching Time
So I completed my first batch of homebrew this morning, but I forgot one potentially (okay, not potentially, definitely) important aspect of the whole process: the yeast. I didn't forget it, per se, ...
9
votes
3answers
4k views
Consequences of infection in a beer?
Everyone learns during their first brewing experience that you have to carefully sanitize anything that touches your wort after the boil to avoid infection.
What happens when wort gets infected? How ...
9
votes
2answers
467 views
Is it safe to open the lid of a fermentation container to stir the yeast and sugar?
Last night I put a batch of wine going (very simple setup - a plastic bucket with a sealed lid and a cork in the top for a plastic airlock). This morning, I can tell the sugar has settled to the ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
What is Fermcap-S and what does it do?
Lately I've been doing some very large boils -- 7 gallons in a 7.5 gallon kettle. To prevent boilovers, I've been using Fermcap-s. It's great, and I've had no boilover problems, but I have no idea how ...
9
votes
2answers
233 views
What to expect when making mead?
I've been brewing ales for almost two years (extract plus specialty grains), and I want to try my hands at making a mead. What should I expect to be different in the brewing process? Will there be a ...
