All Questions
6
votes
3answers
765 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 ...
7
votes
2answers
370 views
Cask beer at home
Anyone have a good source for getting smaller versions of a firkin for home use?
I am interested in casking some beer at home for parties and special occasions.
Are there any good links out there for ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
How do you clean and fill a keg manually?
What equipment is required to clean and fill a commercial keg (not one adapted for homebrewing), before paying for a full blown keg washer and filler? Is this even possible?
3
votes
3answers
171 views
Buying equipment in bulk
If one wanted to buy homebrew equipment in bulk, is there a way to go straight to the distributor? Bypass the LHBS / Northern Brewer / etc., and buy straight from the supplier? IF so, does anyone know ...
3
votes
2answers
631 views
Fermenting 1/2bbl and 1bbl batches
As I start planning my pico brewery, I've been thinking about fermenters. I'd love some thoughts on ways to ferment 1/2 and 1bbl (15.5 - 31 gallon) batches. Options for when price is and is not a ...
8
votes
2answers
5k views
Choosing a good refrigerator/freezer for kegerator conversion
Does anyone have experience and recommendations for a good fridge/freezer for conversion into a kegerator? I'm basically choosing between a full sized fridge, a mini-fridge and a chest freezer. I'll ...
5
votes
2answers
283 views
3
votes
2answers
175 views
6
votes
4answers
954 views
Re-racking in a Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel
The story is; We have 5-6 home brewer's who will be doing 6 batches of 5 gallon beer. We will be bringing the fermentators/carboys over to my house and re-racking all 30 gallons into a Buffalo Trace ...
1
vote
2answers
355 views
What's the minimum mash time?
Listening to an episode of Basic Brewing last night, I heard a guest say that most of the conversion in the mash happens in the first half, and that the mash can thus be cut down as short at 45 ...
6
votes
2answers
338 views
What's the shelf life on crushed specialty grains?
What's the shelf life on crushed specialty grains?
6
votes
3answers
494 views
How do I do a partial mash?
I understand (from experience) how to brew with extract and steeping specialty grains.
I understand (from reading numerous books, blogs, etc.) how to do an all-grain mash.
I see little on how to ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
What causes a stout's creamy head?
Stouts, especially beers like Guiness (its cousin Kilkenny as well), have a head that's really creamy. Being a stout lover myself, I always envied this head, but I have no idea how one can achieve it. ...
5
votes
2answers
956 views
Can I add finings after fermentation has begun?
My first all-grain batch was, er, a bit hectic. I forgot to add my Whirlfloc tablet in the last ten minutes of the boil.
I know I can use isinglass for fining at room temperature, but my brew ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How many pounds of grain can you mash in a cylindrical cooler?
For the standard 10-gallon, cylindrical cooler, what's the upper limit of grain I can reasonably expect to mash?
5
votes
2answers
735 views
How do I adjust mash temperature and thickness to add body to a beer?
My most successful brew to date has been Northern Brewer's Scottish 80/- extract kit. It was a dead ringer for Belhaven, but lacked Belhaven's body and mouthfeel, maybe due to the fermentability of ...
6
votes
3answers
602 views
Why use a synthetic bag for BIAB?
Everywhere I see conversations about BIAB, people are always referring to nylon or polyester bags. Why can't one use, let's say, a cotton bag, since it will be so thin it won't hold any water?
6
votes
3answers
658 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
125 views
Would you trust this starter?
I had one WLP001 vial of yeast that was only 14 days past its "best buy" date. I made a starter on a stir plate 2 full days before brewing. I got good growth as estimated by an increase in creamy ...
5
votes
6answers
756 views
Alternative/Non-traditional Brewing Practices
Brew in a bag.
No chill.
Olive Oil aeration substitute.
Overnight mashing.
Batch Sparging.
The list continues.
These types of techniques are great and frequent areas of discussion in the home ...
3
votes
1answer
118 views
Is trapped air in a counterflow chiller really an aeration risk?
I recently bought a Blichmann Therminator counterflow chiller (I know, extravagant, but it is the awesome).
The instructions say to operate it with the hot wort input facing down, so that gravity ...
6
votes
2answers
184 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. ...
3
votes
2answers
396 views
[Wiki] Tips for recipe scaling
What are some best practices for scaling a 5 gallon homebrew batch up to something bigger, be it a 10-15 gallon batch, or a full on multiple barrel commercial batch?
Efficiency goes up on some bigger ...
7
votes
2answers
229 views
Light control during brewing process
From what point in the brewing process do you need to be concerned about light skunking the beer? Only after the fermentation has started? Or right from the start?
From doing a bit of research on the ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
12
votes
1answer
3k views
What is a hopback?
How do you use it?
What does it do?
Do you pass finished wort through it hot or cold?
4
votes
1answer
165 views
How do I reconcile hopbursting and whirlpooling?
I've got a plate chiller and so can chill my wort quickly to preserve the hop aroma, but I also need to whirlpool to mound up hot break, which takes 10 minutes.
I can use a hop-back to get hop flavor ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Brass vs. Stainless Steel for fittings
I see both brass and stainless fittings for sale. Which is appropriate to use when?
2
votes
1answer
641 views
What gravity is suitable for not using priming sugar?
Assuming full attenuation, is there a way to figure out what gravity reading would be suitable to not use priming sugar, and just allow the excess sugar to create the carbonation? A sub-question would ...
2
votes
1answer
203 views
How big do the holes need to be in a Zapap style Mash/Lauter Tun?
I'm looking to make one of the mash tuns out of a plastic bucket. I find instructions like "drill a bazillion holes into the bottom with a small drill bit". How small? Is there a size that's too ...
4
votes
2answers
272 views
Temperature conditions for saving cropped yeast?
What is an ideal environment for saving yeast I have harvested from my fermentation vessels?
The lowest survivable temperature? Highest?
I recently found the top of my fridge to be too cold when I ...
6
votes
2answers
444 views
Scottish Ale - is it supposed to taste like fire?
Just yesterday I opened up my first stage fermenter to transfer my Scottish ale to it's second stage. First of all...it looked like toxic waste. Second of all...I smelled it and it literally singed my ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Pro Mash Tun design
I was wondering if anyone had a link to a graphic of what the typical profesional mash tun is like. Specifically I was wondering if the majority of professional scaled mash tuns draw from underneath ...
6
votes
1answer
215 views
Priming still possible after bottling
I must have been really lucky with my yeasts so far but usually my beers turned out nicely carbonated without any priming. The last batch though is really flat. Is it still possible to prime in the ...
3
votes
1answer
160 views
Basic information on priming
I'd appreciate a little input on "Priming": How do you do it? Which sugars do you use? Do you use it for all your beers and if not for which ones?
3
votes
6answers
3k views
Converting your fermentation bucket into a mash tun
Most people use coolers for mash tuns, but living in an apartment myself I can tell that having the least possible equipment is a priority. I know some people use their secondary fermenters as mash ...
3
votes
2answers
680 views
Why does my brew look cloudy
i took a reading of my brew and the hydrometer is reading 1.010, it smells great to me but the beer looks cloudy not clear can someone help plzzzz
3
votes
1answer
386 views
How tight should bottles be capped?
I've bought a new bottle capper (two-handled hand held capper) and have tried it on a number of different types of (empty) beer bottles.
It works okay, but I've noticed that none of the caps seem to ...
8
votes
2answers
603 views
Effects of different boil intensities
What are the effects of having a super rapid crazy boil vs. a very slow, slightly rolling boil, and the different stages in between? If you're boiling 6 gallons on an electric stove or trying to do ...
4
votes
2answers
413 views
Using flakes in a mash
Do you just mix them with the grains or cook them first to get them gelatinized? What are the pros and cons of each method? What portion of the fermentables can be in flake form?
4
votes
2answers
79 views
First time! Brew guy
Well i bought a kit and followed the instructions and it has bee 4 days now and i don't think i have seen my airlock move. i open the top of my bucket and there was a lot of foam (bubbles). Also look ...
1
vote
3answers
548 views
How do I use this Digital Temperature Controller?
For my birthday, I asked my sister for a Digital Temperature Controller. Rather than buy the one from Norther Brewer, I found what I thought was a better deal from Pex Supplies. However, it looks like ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Ale bottle conditioning temperature
For bottom-fermented beers the conditioning/storage temperature is crucial and supposed to be really low (32F / 0C). Is this the same for top-fermented beers or is conditioning / storage at higher ...
4
votes
2answers
377 views
Bag-in-box packaging
Is it suitable for beer "bottling" or would the pressure tear it apart? If it's suitable it could be really useful since it can contain a large quantity of liquid with low package weight.
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
3answers
898 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
337 views
Calculating Mash Water Volume When Brewing with Pumpkin
Okay, so pumpkins are not in season and I'm substituting winter squash (acorn/butternut) for my pumpkin ale recipe, but the concept remains the same as if it were pumpkin. I've never brewed with ...
6
votes
2answers
631 views
What's the best way to add lemonade to a wheat beer?
I have a wheat beer I'll be bottling this weekend. I want to add some lemon flavor to a portion of the bottles, creating something akin to (but hopefully better than) Leinie's Summer Shandy. Very ...
1
vote
2answers
356 views
Is a sweet aroma normal?
On last sunday I made an all-grain APA with an alternative equipment, trying to reduce space, so I used my fermentation bucket as a mash tun with a bazooka screen on the tap to filter the mash, but ...
1
vote
1answer
616 views
First All Grain Batch / LOW Efficiency
Yesterday I went down to my homebrew retailer, planning on buying a simple screen/valve assembly for a cooler. No go. He didn't have any of THOSE left, however he did have an assembly to use an ...
