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Hey new AG brewers: Don't make my dumb mistake. I made my first all grain 3 batches ago. It had it's issues but i chalked it up to me learning a new process. second batch went better but I has an inorganic medicine taste going on. The third batch was a repeat of batch #2's recipe. I nailed...

So I've gotten to the point where I can brew good beer, but not great. I am hitting my numbers and doing everything correctly as far as process go, but my homebrews are not even close to a good craft brew. What is the next step to get my beers close to that level? Better fermentation temp...

I am about to build a copper thermowell for my kettle. I want to seal the end of the crimped end of the copper tubing with lead free solder. Is there any issue with using lead free tin instead of silver solder. For copper I do not see any advantage to using silver. Thanks!

Here's the dilemma: I have 2 new brews we will be offering at a barbecue birthday party for my son's 1st birthday. Beer for the adults only, of course :). SWMBO wants names and labels for the two beers but we can't decide on a name. She wants a name like "baby brew" which I think is tacky. I...

After 21 days I cracked open one of my German Alt's and was suprised to find very little carbonation. I used 4.5oz of priming sugar. Boiled it up and cooled to 70F before pitching into the bottling bucket. This is my 3rd beer and my first carbonation problem. The first week it was in bottles the...

I was supposed to pick up some corn sugar this week from the LHBS but I forgot. I need to do my bottling tomorrow and am considering using regular white cane sugar. John Palmer seems to suggest that it will work as well as dextrose as long as you adjust the quantity. Anyone had experience using...

I was in Denver and found a grocry store chain with #1 PET plastic water bottles for $6.00. It was Eldorado Springs water being sold at a King Soopers. It looks like cheap Better Bottles have come to Colorado. I know others have found similar 5 gallon PETE bottles. Just wanted to add this to the...

I built an immersion chiller last week but due to budget constraints I could only buy the 20 ft., 3/8 in. roll at Home Depot. This weekend I did a full boil, placed the new 20 ft. IC in there and supplemented it with an ice bath in one of those cheap blue tubs from Walmart. The immserion chiller...

I pitched my starter at the 74F as recommended and then placed it in a room where I thought the temp wat a little closer to the fermentation temp of 65-69F. The starter actually stayed at about 74F for about 24Hrs. Is that okay? I'm sort of expecting a RDWHA-someting-something response here...

Noob question here: I made my first starter tonight. Got my starter kit from Morebeer which included a flask. I followed the directions and boiled right in the flask. What a mistake! I had several boil overs. When I was finished I ended up with 700mL of wort. I cooled what I had boiled after 15...

I had been to two of the Rock Bottom Breweries in Denver on several occasions. They were okay. I never thought much of their beer. Then, several months ago a new Rock Bottom opened up in our neck of the woods, north of Denver in Loveland. The beer at this location was noticeably good. Excellent...

I'm brewing batch #3 next week and want to make a starter. I got a starter kit from Morebeer and the directions say to mix the DME, water, and yeast nutrient into the flask and then begin the boil. Palmers says to bring the water to boil and then add the DME. Is there any harm in adding the DME...

So I got my hands on a free but slightly used turkey fryer and 30qt kettle from my in-laws. The kettle still had grease in it from Thanksgiving. I cleaned it out, scrubbed with a little detergent, rinsed thoroughly, then filled it with water and PBW and let it sit overnight. The grease is gone...