All Questions
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Contact time for sanitizing bottles with diversol
To sanitize bottles with diversol can I simply put the solution in a vinator, pump it into the bottle a couple of times and rinse?
Or does it require to soak in the bottles for 20 minutes?
4
votes
2answers
131 views
Is using brass ball valves safe?
I heard the other day that using brass in your brewery set-up is a bad idea?! well I have brass ball valves from the hardware store on all my kettles? I know that typical brass has lead in it but is ...
2
votes
1answer
76 views
Boil size, ABU's and adding LME
I see version of this question has been asked, so apologies for the repeat but its never quite answered in the way I need.
I made a batch last night and noticed half way through the process that ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Does trub effect your gravity reading?
took a gravity reading today at the end of the transfer from the kettle and there was quite a bit of trub in the cylinder, like the whole flip'n tube. so would the trub hold the hydrometer up and give ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Using a March pump without a kettle valve
I'm thinking of buying a March pump, but my kettle doesn't have a hole in which I could install a valve.
Now, obviously, I could drill a hole and install a valve. But before I do that, how easy is it ...
0
votes
3answers
117 views
Mash process vs specialty grains
Everybody can buy a certain number of specilaty grains and combine them, but in a way it seems to me this way I will do something that someone else can do just replicating my grain choice. On the ...
0
votes
2answers
90 views
Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout- Cocoa or Nibs?
I'm looking to piece together a Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout recipe and I torn between using powdered cocoa late in the boil or cocoa nibs in secondary. Any suggestions?
Also, with either ...
1
vote
3answers
183 views
Hydrometer reading interference
When brewing an IPA about a week ago, my starting gravity reading came out to be 1.12 - significantly higher than the listed target of 1.07 on the recipe. I had suspicions of error at the time which I ...
1
vote
4answers
284 views
Why is there so much foam when I open the bottle?
I have a batch of beer, fermented and then bottled. When I open the bottle, there is a lot of foam and it flows out of the bottle for a while.
What could cause this? I assume it's too much CO2 and ...
7
votes
1answer
108 views
Does using a fining agent effect the flocculation of yeast?
I'm doing a series of smash beers all using the same yeast same temp same grain. I'm noticing a big variation in flocculation on the current batch (forgot the Irish moss oops) WLP001 by the way. Im ...
4
votes
2answers
93 views
How to avoid blowoff on a 1 gallon jug?
I'm experimenting with 1 gallon batches, and every single time I had a blowoff. So for the batch I brewed today I just put a bucket of sanitized water and a blowoff tube to start with since I know ...
0
votes
1answer
63 views
Control Products 9102D Temperature Controller won't go below 50 degrees?
So I got a dual stage controller (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057APR3I/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to hook up to a keezer that I am making. I got it wired up today and was ...
11
votes
8answers
2k views
Is it important to weigh down a hop bag for dry-hopping?
If so, what kind of weight should I use? Should it be enough to sink the bag to the bottom of the carboy?
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Yeast Starter Stopped after ~20 hours
I am trying to make skeeter pee without the slurry from a previous batch. so I wanted to make a starter to make sure my yeast were happy guys.
I took 3 pints of water to 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrients ...
1
vote
2answers
158 views
Is beer belly a myth or fact?
Will not stop the pints either way, but does beer really causes 'beer belly'?
Please provide links/research.
5
votes
5answers
196 views
Fermentation vessels options for 1/2 batch experiments (~2.5 gallons)?
What are some good options for primary and secondary fermentation vessels for half batch (2.5 gallons) recipes?
At the moment half batches seem to be the best compromise between ease of brewing, ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Make root beer without a refrigerator
All the recipes for root beer end with, bottle up your root beer in a plastic bottles. Put it away and monitor the bottles when they become hard they are ready, 2-3 days. Put them in your fridge to ...
3
votes
3answers
744 views
Whirlpool hop additions
What is the real difference between a whirlpool hop addition and a flameout hop addition?
The practice of whirlpooling is more of a pro-equipment setup type of technique, but I have seen and heard ...
4
votes
3answers
522 views
How to calculate the minimum vessel sizes for all grain brewing
Background:
Brewing in an kitchenette with limited storage space
All Grain brewing, extracts are not available around here
I'm looking at BIAB also, but want to have the traditional 3 vessels setup
...
4
votes
3answers
929 views
My cider stopped fermenting until I swished it around in the bucket a bunch, then continued. Is that normal?
My malted cider had been brewing after about a week in my plastic brewing bucket to the point where the little 'hat' thing in my airlock fell onto the 'neck' (no internal pressure).
I opened it up ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Airlock Alternatives
Imagine that brew-day rolls around and you find yourself without an airlock for your carboy or bucket.
What other things can you use in it's stead?
Further imagine that you do not have the ...
-1
votes
2answers
115 views
when making whiskey what is left of the barley? [duplicate]
I have been reading about the whiskey making process, but I do not make it. From what I understand, in very basic terms, a barley soup is made, and the water is drained off. This water contains ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Proof dry yeast, or just pitch it?
In the past, I've used Wyeast smack packs, where the instructions tell you to make sure that the pack is viable before opening so that you can get refunded for a dud.
I'm a baker, and I use dry yeast ...
3
votes
3answers
120 views
Adding honey to a cooled wort
Can I add a 12oz or 24oz of honey to a cooled 5 gallon wort without boiling it or does it have to be boiled. Does 12oz or 24 oz sound like the right addition to the wort, I was going to add 4oz of ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Boil Time for Partial Mash with a Hopped Extract
I'm doing a partial mash, but using a pre-hopped-extract. I'm adding flavour and aroma hop additions in the 15 to 1 minute range, but no bittering hops.
How long does my boil time need to be? ...
0
votes
2answers
81 views
Addition of extract at bottling time
If I use 4oz of watermelon extract at bottling time,do I have to cut back on the amount priming sugar to prevent bottle bombs.
1
vote
1answer
42 views
Is tin safe on the mash?
A friend is building a manifold and the copper connections he bought have a bit of tin (Sn) on it, supposedly to make the solder easier.
He is not going to solder them so the tin will remain in ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
How early can I know if a brew is ruined?
Today I tried my very first brew using a Coopers DIY kit. I was told the Lager mix that comes with the kit probably won't taste amazing, but it should be hardy and forgiving for beginners that don't ...
2
votes
3answers
186 views
How to chill wort
I have made a few batches of beer from those home brew kits sold at Brew n Grow. When I cook the beer, I only am boiling 2.5 gallons instead of the whole 5, per instructions, and then I add the other ...
3
votes
3answers
124 views
Preparing water for brew day
I'd just like to get some opinions on the most efficient way to prepare the water for my brew day. I'm pretty new to brewing and still using extract with a few specialty grains.
I've read it's good ...
10
votes
3answers
387 views
Glutten for punishment? How can I make a Gluten-free beer?
A few friends of mine have Celiac Disease. They've all told me that the commercial gluten free beers they've tried have been terrible. Can I brew something at home that's tasty and something they can ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
Why is the beer head and head retention important?
Does the head improve something on the beer flavour/aroma?
Back home in Brasil, the folk has it that head is useful to keep the beer cold, but in colder lands (and warmer beers) as they have in ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Extract addition
Would 4oz of watermelon extract be the right amount to add to the secondary or bottling bucket for a 5 gallon batch?
I am in a wort transformation contest with a 5 gallon wheat.
1
vote
3answers
141 views
Is whisky distilled from beer? [closed]
Legal issues aside, how is whisky made?
Do you make a beer (presumably without hops), ferment it with regular beer yeast and then distill?
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Bottling a Lager
I brewed my first lager (a doppelbock) about a month ago and I'm thinking about bottling it in about a week. I followed some advice from my LHBS on the proper schedule for a lager that I now question ...
2
votes
2answers
62 views
Addition of Watermelon extract to secondary
I would like to add a 4oz bottle of watermelon extract to my secondary, do I have to boil it or can I just add the extract?
6
votes
2answers
120 views
What are the harms of a boil over?
Besides forcing me to clean a lot more stuff than I would generally do, will a boil over harm my beer?
I suppose I will loose a lot of the break material and according to brewstrong the break ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Why can't I control my regulator's output pressure?
I'm completely new to this, so I don't know if I'm doing something dumb or my regulator is broken. Here's what I'm doing:
Here's what I'm doing:
I connected this regulator to a 5 lb. CO2 cylinder.
...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Kettle lid with hole in it
I always boil with the lid off my kettles (2 pots).
But I've been thinking lately about the design of commercial kettles. It seems that to more closely match a commercial boil, I should put about a ...
0
votes
5answers
150 views
Can I bottle when still bubbling a little?
I made a beer from extract (amber dryed malt extract). Recipe says OG is 1.040 FG is 1.010. Used Safebrew S-04 (english ale yeast). The wort has been sitting in primary fermenter for 10 days now. ...
3
votes
3answers
175 views
What size mash tun for a half batch (2-3 gallon) brew?
I have a 10 gallon mash tun (chest cooler) and I've been brewing with pre-made kits. I want to start making my own recipes but I want to do half-batches (2.5 gallons) until I get the hang of things so ...
3
votes
3answers
215 views
Relation of CO2/alcohol/yeasts in Ginger Beer
The article making_ginger_beer mentions using bread yeast so you get more carbonation and less alcohol. Isn't carbonation a by-product of the process that makes alcohol? Wouldn't that mean more ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
What is the pressure limit for PVC tubing on barb?
I'm building a spunding valve and can't locate an adapter from female flare to male pipe thread. Until I can, I'm planning on using reinforced PVC tubing to connect the valve/gauge assembly to the gas ...
2
votes
2answers
197 views
Why (if) should I do secondary fermentation? [duplicate]
I like to kees things simple, and I do not like to clean stuff, so adding secondary fermentation is something that bores me... Should I do it instead? What are the advantages and resons of doing it?
2
votes
1answer
139 views
Has anyone a recipe of Yuengling beer?
As a visitor of the US, I have learned to appreciate Yuengling beer. Did someone try to brew a clone of this beer and can publish a recipe?
1
vote
2answers
167 views
no air lock activity after 3 days
First time brewer,I brewed a ipa extract kit.There is no airlock activity after 3 days.I had an og reading of 1.060, I took another reading today of 1.020.I want to ravk into a secondary should i do ...
1
vote
3answers
239 views
Recipe says don't add priming sugar, will it lead to flat beer?
I am total novice so please excuse me for possibly stupid question. I bought a "beer kit" (malt + hop) that had recipes for 20 and 12 liters. I decided to go for 12 liters, because I don't have a lot ...
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?
0
votes
1answer
220 views
quick release pipe clamp
I want to secure my inline electric mash heater to my brew bench but be able to quickly break it down for cleaning purposes. I'm thinking the easiest way to do this would be some type of ...
2
votes
2answers
157 views
Is it easy to brew a high gravity beer with the braumeister?
I'm only reading from other brewers who are brewing with the Speidel Braumeisterthat they it is very difficult, maybe even impossible, to brew beers with high alcohol levels. Is that true?
