Recent content by Ruy Lopez

So I've finally done it. A clean record of 5 years out the window.....I've made an infected batch of beer. Almost certain it is due to an infected yeast culture. So......I hate to throw away 10 gallons of beer, even if it is sour. I'm thinking of just letting it turn to vinegar. Anyone...

You're right. They're not stainless. Magnet sticks easily. They are in great shape, though. At this point, I'm thinking one could be used to mash (simple infusion, no heat of course) or to ferment. Hell, we can't be too disappointed. They were free after all. Thanks for your thoughts.

You're right. The barrels are painted on the outside and coated on the inside. Couldn't this be removed? Sand blasting maybe?

My friends and I recently acquired 3 55 gallon food-grade barrels. They were originally used to store juice concentrate. (I'm assuming steel or stainless?) They are in good shape. Our intention is to build a large volume brew system. Any thoughts on potential health hazards from heating...

What he's saying is: The yeast is not all powdery and soft looking as it settles out. It's settled out as gravel-sized clumps. To pitch or not to pitch, that is the question.

I'm bottling a barley wine this weekend. It's been in secondary for 3 1/2 months. Do you think I should add some fresh yeast before I bottle?

I'm sick of paying for yeast every time I brew. I'm going to start culturing my own. I really enjoyed the Pacman yeast that Wyeast put out, but, alas, it is no more. Anyone have a culture? I'd love a bit of it. I can trade a nice sourdough bread culture for it. Yeast for yeast, eh?

For the record, I checked a cardboard box with six, well-wrapped liters. Foam peanuts also. No problems. (The box was opened and inspected, as there was fresh tape on it when I got it back.) I was going to take 12, but weight was an issue. Made sure not to write "fragile" on the box, per...

I'm flying up to Long Island to visit my family in a couple of weeks, and I want to bring some homebrew with me. I bottle in 1-liter bottles. Pre-senseless-liquid-ban, I would just put them in my carry-on. What to do now? 1. Check a 12-bottle box, (the original ez-cap box) well padded. 2...

Why don't you just get an adapter for your sink so you can hook a hose up to it? You might already have one if you use a bottle washer. Run the hose to your garage. Run the waste hose back to a sink or outside. Pray for the mercy and patience of your wife/fiancé.

Exactly! I just kept thinking of those pictures of the old Bass system you see in all the books. The wooden barrels with the blow-off tubes.

I brewed an all-grain barley wine this weekend. Big beer. 23 lbs for 5 gallons. Put it in a 6.5 gallon carboy with an airlock and stuck it in my closet. A smarter man would have put a blow-off tube on from the start, but I didn't. I usually don't mess with them, saving space for the...

Don't just make one batch from one yeast cake. I have several sourdough starters cultured from beer yeast I was "finished" with. Some better than others. Check out books by Ed Wood. His page: http://www.sourdo.com/index.htm

What recipe are you using? Would you mind posting it if it's all-grain? I'm working on a recipe for this weekend.

Just transferred after a week in primary. Bottle next weekend? I usually go two weeks in secondary, but that is with strong ales. This is my first wheat.