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So I have created a mead that I managed to take notes on all through creation (a struggle of mine), and I have reached a point where it is 9 months old, the SG stablized at .994, and the lees finally settled at the bottom. The moment I (carefully) picked up the jug, they invaded my crystal clear...

So, lacking GoFerm, I could rehydrate my (hopefully not dead) yeast with a small amount of sugar, to give them a bit of a head start and to ensure they are, in fact, not dead? I am certainly going to invest in some GoFerm for future batches, and store all my yeast in the freezer. Would It be...

Quite some time ago, I purchased a large amount of dry yeast (Red Star and Lalvin, various varieties). It wasn't until a few months later I read on the packets "Keep Refrigerated". Every time I proof a packet, no bubbles form, but I pitch it anyway, and fermentation usually starts in a few days...

The only time I dumped a mead was when it grew moldy, and I know exactly what went so horribly wrong, and I should have know it would do that. I still cringe at that mistake. I had started two 4 liter jugs of mead with about 3.5 pounds of honey each, let those go for a few weeks (probably too...

I suppose it might just be better to invest in bottles, or ask the local bars. Shipping is just so expensive it makes me sad. There are probably 20-30 bars in the area, so there shouldn't be a shortage in bottles. For my first brew I'm simply using a recipe kit from a brew store near my old home...

He's an engineering major... Im so sorry. Thanks for the advice! I think for now I am going to try my luck with twist off bottles, simply because I have a great deal of them that I have saved up. Once again, Thanks!

:ban:Hello!:ban: I am planning my very first batch of beer, and I have a few questions and/or concerns that I would like to ask about before I get too involved and end up wrecking myself and my beer. Cooling the wort. I am a poor college student (I know, typical college student looking...

I thought I read somewhere that uncooked elderberries are poisonous? It's that true? Do you cook them, or does fermentation change things?

I have a SodaStream, and for water, it works great. You add the flavor after you carb it. If you do it backwards, it foams and fizzes and goes everywhere in a blaze of sticky mess. My mum tried carbing her wine one time in hers (we both have them because we love them). She spent the next hour...

So, after contemplating many meads, and actually starting a few of them, I figure its time I dig around for some answers to a variety of questions, about specific gravity, nutrients, and other additions. Specific Gravity: I know its important to monitoring fermentation and vital in...

I found a local honey producer who offered $3/pound honey. At the time I didn't have the money to take him up on it, but now that I do, I am going to see if that offer still stands. Sam's Club and Costco probably have 5lb jugs of honey (I know Sam's Club does, not sure about Costco). Probably...

I'm not sure anymore. I remember seeing activity in my first batch of yeast in my first batch of mead, so I was expecting it to happen again I suppose. Its fermenting away, so I gues its fine. Rather upset that I dumped 2 packets of yeast though...

I didnt even pitch them into the must. I rehydrated them in warm tap water, as per the directions on the back. the water was 98 degrees, while the pack said to use 104-108 degrees. I even waited longer. I still got no bubbles. I ended up pitching a packet of Red Star Montrachet (I didnt get any...

Well, after a night of miserable brewing (all of my yeasts failed actually, except I think the last one had a few bubbles), I am rather eager to see how this batch turns out, if it even starts at all. Honestly, My hopes aren't very high. Ordering more yeast tomorrow, and I'll be ready to pitch a...

Greetings! I am currently (read, literally in the process of, as I type the must is sitting waiting for yeast) starting a batch of mead destined to be a strawberry mango mead. I tried using a Lalvin EC1118 and RC212, but both of them failed to proof. I read the back and saw the words "Keep...

Wow! Thank you guys! I understand sanitizing EVERYTHING, as I have made a batch or two of mead, and countless hours of contemplating and planning it. Sadly, there are no homebrew shops near me (State College, Pennsylvania), so for the most part I will be mail-ordering things. Which will make...

That is by far the most thorough and helpful post I have ever seen. And best of all: I actually understand it all. Thank you sir. Thank you all. I downloaded that book that was linked to me. I'll get reading and once I start getting paychecks (agonizing wait for paychecks after starting a new...

So, I seem to be rather confused about all the different ingredients in beer making, as well as the terminology for various parts of the process. So there are grains, hops, and malt extracts. What are they? What do they do and how do they effect the product? What are typical methods of...

I'm glad someone is asking this. I was wondering about this myself. Though, provided they dont spoil, subtle differences in each bottle sounds like a bonus.

Black teas brew at near boiling temperatures best, but green tea yields the most flavor and antioxidants when brewed at about 165-175 (it was late last night and I wrote the wrong number). Thank you guys. You have reinforced my hope for the batch. As soon as I have money (tax return soon, and...