Search results

I understand I'm not supposed to worry when my SCOBY sinks like a rock, but I haven't found an answer to this question: When I'm done, and I have both the undersea SCOBY and the new one that's formed on top, can I use both of them? Or should I keep the newly formed SCOBY and throw out the one...

I've got off-flavor spike kits from Siebel and will be setting up tasting/training. What should I use for the base beer? Unless I'm mistaken or forgetting, I think all the times I've done this myself, the choice was Miller Lite, and it always struck me as kind of strong and nasty-tasting for...

I've never done this before, but here's what I've managed to throw together in terms of recipe and process. Corrections and suggestions very welcome. 5 pounds black locust honey 2 gallons apple juice (store bought, no additives) 5 g Lalvin D47 10 g pectic enzyme 6.3 g GoFerm in 126 mL water...

Here’s what I have so far: I steeped 45 g of loose (decaf Ceylon) tea in a gallon of RO water at 190 F. Dissolved 200 g table sugar. Cooled to 80 F and added the Big Momma Kombucha Starter from Fermentaholics. The package had a SCOBY and a far amount of liquid; I added both. The SCOBY sank like...

There's a persistently voiced opinion in Google results that says that that decaf black tea does not support a healthy fermentation. I admit this does not make a ton of sense to me, but I also have no experience to fall back on. Can I make decaf booch? (Doctor's orders are to avoid all...

Cardboard boxes are practically useless in keeping animals out of your stored malt. This is especially the case when the animals in question are 60-pound Labradoodles. In related news, Pongo and Fletcher say that malted white wheat is yum.

Posting this for comments, source suggestions, and posterity. A little time spent with Google on the topic of Dortmunder Adambier: Brewing Dortmunder Adambier Adambier - HoTD Adam Clone | The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog Adambier Adambier None of those links provide much by way of...

I've never made cheese before (other than paneer and mozzarella on a few occasions), but am thinking about taking the plunge. I have a chest freezer (two, actually) with a temperature controller that I use for making beer ... is this a good place to make cheese? And, after making cheese, do I...

I have two chest freezers on temperature controllers in my garage that I use as fermentation chambers. In each one, I have a small desk fan at the bottom, always on and blowing upwards. I've found that the fan keeps temperatures relatively even, and as a bonus generates enough heat that I...

After 300+ batches of beer, 3 ciders, and 4 mead-like things, I'm eyeing one-gallon wine kits. I have Little Big Mouth Bubblers aplenty ... can I use one for primary? For secondary too, or will there be too much headspace (~1.4 gallons for 1 gallon of wine)? I'm happy to buy new fermenters...

Anybody used this hop? It's described as "resinous, spicy, and floral," but smelling it I get skunk and green onion. I do like to try new things, so at the moment I'm planning on forging ahead, but if anyone has experience to share...

My last rauchbier had a shot of Magnum at 60 minutes and Tettnang (at ~0.7 g/L = ~0.1 oz./gal) at 15 minutes. It's probably not traditional, but I think a little more hop aroma would add a nice complexity. So for my next rauch, I'm thinking about 1 g/L at 10 minutes. But which varietal? I've...

I recently had an altbier at Dovetail in Chicago and it was truly excellent. I have utterly no idea whether it was authentic (though the folks at Dovetail do have some cred), as I've certainly never been to Dusseldorf and for that matter I'm not sure I've ever even had a German example of the...

Not really a question, just sharing my befuddlement. Gravity was constant for 10 days. I had mashed on the hot side (157 F) and gotten a 50% attenuation and was pleased that I'd have a lower-alcohol, higher-body beer. Now it's at 70% attenuation and still going down. I suppose a diastatic...

As of morning 5/15: Link $90, but then 20% off that (code SHARE), so $72 for a new 3-gallon ball-lock keg. They charged me $12 to ship 4; with shipping and tax it came to $80/keg for me, though YMMV depending on where you are.

I just gave up and dumped two batches, a session mead and an acerglyn. Neither finished fermenting after 2+ months (and the acerglyn had developed a lovely pellicle) -- they were still so sweet I didn't even bother with a gravity reading. Taste was fine (good, even) aside from the sweetness...

For a ~1-gallon batch: 1 lb. pale ale 1 lb. white wheat 0.25 lb biscuit 0.25 lb. aromatic 2 g Marynka (9.2) @ 60 4 g Sybilla (8.2) @ 10 6 g Sybilla hop stand @ 160 F Lallemand Farmhouse The recipe looks a little wit-ish, though I suppose you could also think of it as a table-strength pale...

Ok, so I maybe made my first two batches of cider. The first was a gallon of Kirkland apple juice with W34/70, fermented for a bit over two weeks at 55 F. It's completely fermented out, OG 1.052, FG 0.998, and tastes it. Plain, simple, but not bad. I'm going to keg and force carbonate it...

Maybe I'm overthinking this. I have a full fermenter (blueberry Kolsch, if it matters) ready to keg. I have a partially filled keg of the same exact beer. It still tastes good; better, probably, than when it was new. The keg (3 gallons) is bigger than the batch size (2-2.5 gallons), so I...

Anybody try this? I find guayusa has a very smooth, mellow bitterness at an ounce or less per gallon (steeped for 10 minutes.) Plus you’d get caffeinated beer. And the antioxidants might be good in there too. I’m trying to figure out what to pair it with. I’ve tried sweet gale and yarrow in...