Recent content by cstrub

I know most answers, and my intention today as well, will be to relax and give the yeast time. So consider this a question of curiosity. I brewed two identical Oktoberfest kits, both using Wyeast Octoberfest. I made 2 large starters, both showing active yeast growth. Last night I...

I brewed a very high gravity kit from Northern Brewer that I had in primary for 2 weeks, then racked to secondary for 6 weeks. It did not carbonate in the bottles. I know I had adequate priming sugar as I made a double batch and bottled a 2nd recipe the same day that did carbonate. Should I...

Newbie question here. I'm brewing extract with all my kits for far from Northern Brewer. The first 4 kits I've brewed were all "basic gravity" kits with a labeled time of 6 weeks from boil to drinking. My latest is an IPA with OG of 1.069 and their label time is 8 weeks. I'm diligent...

Mr. Beer is today's item on woot.com! FYI.

Thanks orangeandblue. That's not as in Illini Orange and Blue is it?

Thanks again all. Just for reference, I do have the s-type, though plastic. It was from my Nothern Brewer starter kit. I too really enjoy watching the bubbles come through. The most odd thing (and don't think I'm ignoring the advice) was seeing a backwards bubble direction about 4 days after...

Was only slightly lower than OG, so there has been at least minimal activity. I gave it a little swirl. Thanks for the advice. Your airlock comment made me curious. Shocked to hear you say there's almost no activity in half your beers. In a carboy with a good airlock seal, where is your CO2...

Thanks. I will take a hydro reading and see. I should have mentioned the complete lack of krausen as well. But I'll try the hydro tonight before I try anything else dramatic. I did read your link. I've checked it every day so it's doubtful krausen could have come and gone between checkings...

I can't quite find this type question anywhere else on here. I made an American Wheat extract using a NB kit. It's my 4th batch with the first 3 turning out quite well. The only thing I did differently this time was to try city tap water. Part out of curiosity (seem to be plenty here who use...

What about the simple carb tabs (mouton's)? The idea seems simple. Is there a quality issue?

No, I meant right away after I fill the bottles and add the carb tabs.

This should maybe go in a new thread but seems somewhat related. If I've racked to secondary and am ready for bottling, is there much to be gained by going into the bottling bucket vs. going straight from the secondary into the bottles? In the bottle, am I better to condition in a fridge or...

Which are not a problem? All the yeast seemed to settle during primary, at least when it wasn't rolling with fermentation. These are just kind of hanging there.

I don't have a photo, but my pale ale has been in the secondary carboy for 9 days now. I have noticed just a few white flecks of something either floating or just below the surface. They appear to be just a bit too big to be undissolved One Step from the sanitizing. Any ideas what they could...

I feel like I have the sanitizing process down well, but my question is on handling of sanitized objects. If you have odd shaped equipment like the siphon cane where you can't just pull it out of a bucket, what do you do to keep it sanitized until done? Also, what about your own hands...