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In the 80's was my first home brew from a kit. After realizing it took me a month to make 50 beers, I abandoned home brewing because the brewing couldn't keep up with the drinking. It wasn't until around 20 years later I took up home brewing again. This time I only drank my home brew so I...

Self control is obviously the answer here. Without it, ALL advice is pointless. For those of you with self control, my advice is to brew 7% and higher ABV beers for the weekdays and 4-5% ABV beers for the weekends. The trick here is to limit yourself 1 high ABV beer per night on weekdays and...

Yeah. I stopped ordering dry yeast online for unknown temps during transport, I cut back to no more than 5% dark and hard to ferment grains, and I always do starters. I always got great fermentation activity at the start but the US-05 just stopped mid way and didn't finish as did the T-58 a...

I used T-58 a couple months ago with the same results you described. I stopped using US-5 for this very same reason. I'm not sure what changed as I can say my recipes and techniques didn't. I now use the BE-134 for my go to. It has great AA (at least as of right now) and has not done me wrong.

2-3 times the price of other Safale yeasts for a 25g packet. 98-102%AA is a large claim to live up too.

I grow in NW MT. Totally different here. In the past I had large harvests by letting 3 bines of each hop to grow without cutting the bulls off early on. They always turned to a tangled overgrown mess and the thick upper growth made for a all inclusive resort for aphids. This year I've cut...

I'm not on FB but I will keep them in mind. I'm always surprised there are not more home brewers in NW MT since we have a lot of craft breweries around. I guess that explains the lack of brew supply shops.

Someone asked for more info on another forum. Not sure if anyone is interested but here is more info if so. I'm sure someone else can do better with the idea but this is cheap, easy, and practical for a home grower of a few plants. Here are those pics of my oast: pic1... whole thing ready to...

I'll be gone for a few weeks, but if you want, I will give something better (more pics) than this when I get home. Here are those pics of my oast: pic1... whole thing ready to store. pic2... I used cardboard packing material (corners) but 2 x 2's can be used instead to make the base pic3... The...

Good to hear. I was also a little worried if beer was becoming water, barley, hops, yeast and Captain Crunch.

I mostly drink my home brew but when I go out or vacation I like to try the local breweries. This past week in my travels, I haven't got to taste any locals breweries but I found a craft beer store. I was surprised to see mostly cans. I didn't recognize any of the brewers. The store, mostly...

No plans. This is my prototype that can be modified. 1) Get carboard to create a 20" X 20" by about 3' tall box without a top or bottom to it. I used a box that my new recliner came in. It is pretty stout cardboard. 2) Build two wood frames with 2X2's measuring just shy of 20" X...

Just wondering if there are any clubs or other home brewers in NW Montana?

I started with 1 gallon, then 5 gallons, and now 6.5 gallons. I try to keep my equipment to a minimal not only to keep cost down, but to keep my brew space to a minimal. The problem I had with small batches is I felt like I was always brewing and out of beer. I began 5 gallon batches which...

I view brewing my own beer as a survival skill like cooking, home repairs, and equipment repairs. I recently moved to an area without a homebrew store. I had to reinvent my whole supply and brewing process in order to continue to brew, affordably. How many people would you say quit brewing...

My last brew was an English IPA. I used APEX London ale yeast. Never heard of APEX before but I don't have a local brew shop, only a health foods store that changes up stock all the time. It was very cheap too. I really liked the strong, steady fermentation and high attenuation. The flavor...

When I was younger drinking beer was about quantity over quality. As I aged and began to brew, its all about quality over quantity now. I like a higher ABV beer, abt 7% because I usually have 1 beer at night winding down. That one, 7%, seems to do the trick. Any lower and I find I'm craving...

I view brewing like cooking. You have to eat/drink. Even though I will never be a chef, nor want to be a chef, I cook out of necessity. I cook well enough to get by and occasionally pull off something tasty. My alternative is to go out and get fast food or domestic beer. I can't afford to...

OR you can work longer, more hours to pay for for the expensive craft beer at your local retailer or you can work less and have the time to brew your own. I'm no rocket scientist, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night. :thumbsup:

My wife bought me my first 1 gallon kit as a birthday gift. It got me interested. I could see over time as I bought bigger equipment the concern she had about where I was going with it. My father was an alcoholic. I made a promise to her it would not go there. I know it would end home...