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I know there are other threads on this but since they are a few years old, I wanted to start a new one to make sure this one didn't get buried. I noticed a huge discrepancy in BeerSmith calculations as opposed to other sources such as BYO. After fiddling with my BeerSmith options a bit, I...

Thanks for the link! My particular issue isn't mentioned but there are some helpful corrections here. I also stumbled across another last night that isn't listed so I'll email the author. The recipe for Black Ship Pirate Stout has 2 different hop additions for the same exact hop (Willamette) at...

Thanks! I've found BeerSmith to be pretty reliable so I decided to just enter the recipes as is but I have the target IBUs in the recipe notes. When I order my hops and confirm the Alpha Acids, I will adjust to meet the target IBUs. There didn't seem to be a set factor I could multiply...

I have been using BeerSmith to add recipes from Randy Mosher's book, "Radical Brewing". My question is related to hop amounts and IBUs. He mentions that all recipes assume whole hops and if using pellet hops, there will be 25% higher utilization. Therefore, I am taking his hop amounts and...

Thanks, that is the kind of real-world insight I was looking for. I really like the idea of the heat stick. I just think I need to modify it better to be food-safe. When I figure out the parts list, I'll post some updated plans.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I agree that the element would be directly in the boil or mash, but it being designed the way it is, it would be impossible to not have the chrome in contact as well. I'm assuming the chrome drain pipe was used to keep the cost of the project low. My gut told me...

I've come across a few tutorials on building a "Heat Stick" for brewing. This is essentially a hot water heating element mounted in a chrome-plated drain tube which then attaches to a section of PVC so you can safely handle it. My question/concern is does anyone know of any dangers or ill...

Have you contacted their customer support yet? I've always gotten prompt help and excellent service from them.

Cool. Thanks everyone for the insight. Much appreciated.

Thanks Amandabab. That's the kind of insight I was more looking for. I was reading the "Star San vs Idophor" thread and it seems Idophor doesn't have the staying power of Star San. I use filtered water (through a Britta filter) and the PH stays low. I mixed up a batch over a month ago and it's...

Fair point. I had assumed as much. I guess I was looking more of anything that maybe wasn't so obvious. For example, would extended soaking time create some kind of film that would negatively affect the beer? I wouldn't think so, but not being experienced, I was just looking for some insight...

I've found a few threads on prolonging the life of Star San which have been very helpful. To re-iterate for anyone who hasn't found this yet, Star San is a viable sanitizer as long as the PH is below 3.5. Invest in a PH meter! The money alone you will save on Star San will pay for it 10 times...

Thank you for the detailed feedback. I appreciate the thorough, honest review.

I actually took my first crack at a yeast starter for my barley wine. I built it up twice (using 2c. of water and 1/2c. of DME) each time. Started it on Wednesday, brewed on Sunday. All I can say is it was VERY effective. I had fermentation starting in under 12 hours. However, the fermentation...

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback, Inner10. Much appreciated.

I'm looking at the Colonna capper/corker: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/colonna-capper-corker.html It looks like it's gotten decent reviews. Ok, so for std wine bottles it looks like #9s are the way to go?

I'm going to be making my first batch of mead (still mead) and am curious about corks since this is new territory for me. I've been saving wine bottles for the mead. I see a good price on morebeer.com for Belgian 750ml corks and was wondering if anybody had any insight if these will work in...

My guess is because it's highly acidic which could present challenges. I'm in the middle of reading "The Compleat Meadmaker" which talks a bit about this. I would recommend picking this book up (though I will warn you it gets a bit too much into the history and anthropology of mead for my...

Personally I find highgravitybrew to be over-priced for what it is (not to mention their inconsistent pricing and customer service leaves something to be desired). I've started to put together a parts list on Amazon. Have everything but the controller and it's only up to $50. Will report my...

It goes right into the boiling wort. The times given in the recipes are boil times. So if for example you have a 60 minute boil with the following hop additions: Hops1(60 min.) Hops2(45 min.) Hops3(15 min.) You will add Hops1 as soon as your boil starts (boiling for 60 minutes). You will add...