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"If you can still get your materials at the price you were paying before and your beer is still better than AB’s, who cares honestly?" Price should not be the only factor in making a decision about who to do business with. AB is in direct competition with other breweries whose products and...

Craft beer and, by extension, homebrewing, have an element of localism at their core. One of the greatest benefits a craft brewer brings to a community is the sense of community identity, a sense of it being "our" brewery. I'm sure everyone on this comment board has gladly paid a premium for...

Yeah, I wouldn't go hotter than what you can get out of your tap. I use the hot water out of my bathtub faucet for my carboys. I've been using them for 5 years now with no problem.

That is the best, "why didn't I think of that" advice I've heard in a while. Thank you, oh Wise One! :rockin:

Thanks for the input, folks. I should have mentioned that I brew on the back patio, which is wide open, with no available anchor points for a pulley. I do not own a step ladder that is tall enough to hold a bag above the kettle. I think the grill will work if I can find a way to cinch the top of...

I'm prepping for my first BIAB batch in a few weeks. I'm considering buying a grill cooking grate to use in lieu of a pulley for the grain bag. I would lift the bag, slide the grate onto the kettle, and rest the bag on it to let it drain. Does anyone foresee a potential problem with this? I'm...

+1 on the PBW. Run straight hot tap water--100 to 110F--into the carboy, add about 1 oz per gallon of PBW, let it sit for a few hours. It should rinse squeaky clean.

Yeah, so far I've only had to worry about cooling to the mid 60's in a basement that's right around 70F, so sealing the edges hasn't been an issue. Maybe for lagering I can put a rubber gasket around the edge of the bottom tote, like on a freezer or fridge door, then seal the seams in the...

If you want an accurate temp from inside your FV, get a thermowell: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stopper-thermowell

I made a clamshell fermentation chiller by lining two plastic recycling totes with 3/4 in foam insulation board. The carboy goes into the bottom tote, the top tote covers it like, well, a clamshell. I rotate out three quart bottles of ice every 12 hours or so. I have held a steady ferment at...

"but I must disclose that our Pastor asked my wife that following Sunday if she had been drinking." Awesome. I am fortunate to have a wife that appreciates the fruits of my brewing labor. But then again, we have a spacious basement ;)

The advantage of using plastic fermenting buckets is that they are lighter, cheaper, and won't shatter if you drop them. The advantage of glass carboys is that they are more scratch-resistant, so there's less chance of bacteria lurking in scratches after you clean them, and they are pretty :) To...

I've heard about Bru'n from multiple people. I'll check it out. I use Beersmith, and I've played with the water profile calculator a bit. I was just hoping that "Water" would be more straightforward in its approach, giving practical info first, then delving into the molecular level of things...

I'm about 30 pages into "Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers" by John Palmer and Colin Kaminski. I feel like I walked into a chemistry class in the middle of the semester and everyone is speaking Latin. I was just wondering if those who have read the whole thing found it useful. Should I...

"We do not do these things because they are easy; we do them because they are hard." -JFK For me, brewing is about mastering a complicated process. I try to keep it relatively old-school. I don't think I would enjoy it nearly as much if I just bought an automated system and pushed buttons.

Since I don't own a kegging system yet, I would definitely be interested. The Synek comes with a refillable CO2 tank that, according to the website's FAQ page, is capable of force-carbonating a cartridge. I could "keg" a gallon or two of each batch, and bottle the rest for long-term storage or...

Here's my plan: 1) warm up the propane tank 2)start the partial mash on the stove top indoors 3) get the fire pit going on the patio 4) drink a few room temp hb porters while I'm out there. It will be about 25* F when I start today, which is a lot better than 7* yesterday. Also, I'm going to...

maybe I'll bring the propane tank into the basement for a little while before I start, then wrap a blanket around it or something. Thanks for the suggestion.

I really wanted to have a batch in the fermenter by last weekend, but sick kids and a busy schedule have kept that from happening. It is now 7 degrees outside. Does anyone have advice on brewing outside in extreme cold? I am using a Blichman Top Tier propane burner. My garage is off limits...

Wow.. You can tell I'm a newbie. I've been using One Step to Sanitize for my first six or seven batches. Maybe I'll start reading labels. Thanks for the clarification! PBW seems to work great on bottles, so it looks like I'll be picking up some Star San today!