Recent content by Richard Kutschman

Thanks. Ive managed to get temp back down to 70 F and bubbling never slowed or stopped, so, hoping for the best. Everything I’ve read seems to say you don’t get a lot of off flavors until about 10 F off.

So, been home brewing for a few years now. First time I ever let the ferm get outside the temp range. its getting hot here in W TN and I guess I consumed a bit too much of my product last evening. Got up later than normal and went to check on my current brew in the conical. It’s actually a...

Wow! Now feel dumb! Thanks all. So, refractometer works fine for my OG but need to “correct” if going to use for FG. Need to figure out how to use the brewersfriend app. Confused me a bit.

I have a batch of pale ale fermenting. I used only my refractometer (NorthernBrewer) to test my OG (1.050). Fermentation appears to have stopped on Day 7, so I took a few drops to sample, again with refractometer (temp 68°). Read 1.024 (target is 1.012). I was confused wh I was so far off...

looking to build an 8 ft cabinet/counter to do all my brewing but without stainless counter. Any other good options? Was thinking either a cheap Formica or maybe a quartz top? Something easy to clean. Thoughts?

Why raisins? Added for taste or extra sugars for ABV?

I appreciate all the assist. New to this. I love the chemistry but may be overthinking it. I used Brewer’s Friend software to make water adjustments while it was coming up to strike temp. My tap water (from Ward Labs): pH 8.1 Cl 5 SO4 6 Alkalinity (CaCO3) 185 HCO2 223 Total Hardness (CaCO3)...

I don’t own a laptop, just my ipad. I purchased the Beersmith3 Mobile app and it works but I’m looking for an app that’ll give me estimated mash pH. Thanks.

I’m using a recipe kit for a Sierra Madre Pale Ale. I had my tap water tested by Ward Labs and made the adjustments using Brewer’s Friend (ended up adding 4 gm gypsum, 2 gm CaCo3, and 2 gm NaCl). Ward Labs had my tap at a pH of 8.1. I had meant to test pH at 30 minutes into boil, but...

Also, what can i do in future ciders to increase my ABV? I’d like to get up around 7-8%. I have no apple orchards around me, so I’m kinda stuck getting “commercially” available. Also, is there a better sugar adjunct than brown sugar? Thanks for all the input. BTW, I checked and my lid is on...

Looks like final gravity is 1020. So, looks like i am just about 5.0% ABV. Taste test has it a bit “sour” - not tart, but sour. Should I let it just sit for another week then rack into keg for carbonation? Or should I rack into sanitized bucket to separate unused yeast and then let sit to...

Discounted to $100 plus shipping! Brand new. Never even taken out of wrapping.

But, how about the cherry purée? Shouldn’t that have restarted ferm even if the juice and sugar was used up?

Wyeast 4766 Smack Pack. I was shooting for 1060 after adding sugar. If not the star san, not sure why the 2nd dose of yeast didn’t kick it offf again. Should be plenty of fermentable sugars left, especially after adding the cherry purée!

Making cider using 6 gallons of Walmart Musselmans apple cider, 2 lbs brown sugar and 1 packet of Wyest cider & mead yeast. Put into my SS Brewtech Chronical BME - 7 gal. OG was 1044 before adding sugar. Started bubbling at 12 hrs. All going well, Day 10 it seemed Ferm was slowing down so I...