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    Brew Cart Plans

    4 Wheels. I built a wood stove with 3 wheels and it can get tippy when moving it.
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    thinking about trying beano for a junk beer

    Beano IS alpha amylase, from asparagus I believe. Just a different package for a different purpose. From what I read, corn was mashed up and pressed into patties in the mouth, giving it the protein shake needed for starch break-up. Everything was denatured and sterilized in a boil later, of...
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    Mash temp.

    It turns out I was using a busted thermometer for about a year and my mash was actually done 18-20F LOWER than I thought. So this whole time the enzyme action was all one-sided (beta I think). I could never get the FG down where it should be, always 4 points high. Im' sure my OG was low due...
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    I Love Craigslist

    you sir, are a thief. a lucky, lucky , lucky oh nevermind. Awesome find!
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    Possible to do AG in 4 gallon pot?

    I brew 3 gallon batches with a 4 gallon pot. It's enough to make a case, and small enough that I don't have to drink a lot of so-so experiments.
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    Rye Beer?

    I've added it to a batch and it definately has an extra bite to it. Don't use a ton though, I think mine was 9% of the bill.
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    Yet another stupid question

    You're an idiot. There, feel better now? Matt :D
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    need stout input

    I'm in Madison and my water is pretty similar: Ca=61 Mg=47 Na= 3 SO4=9 Cl= low (less than 10) HCO3=344 With lower numbers it's easier for your mash to control the pH. If I'm brewing something lighter I boil water first to precipitate CaCO3, then I add some gypsum, partly for taste...
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    Pasta/Grain Mill.

    What about making a sleeve over the smooth roller, like cheese cloth or silicone? Duct tape? the non-sticky side may be sticky enough. how about a condom? The non-lubricated ones. I'd try this but I don't have a pasta maker, or condoms like that^. Matt
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    Water Cemistry: Where to find Calcium Carbonate?

    You could try sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). There might be a slight taste difference but I doubt you'd notice in a stout. Don't use too much, and don't boil the water before you mash, or the carbonate will turn to carbon dioxide and disappear (CO2 and H2O from -CO3). Matt
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    DIY Conical Fermenter idea

    Right, the material is the same (ie. HDPE, PET etc.) but the little extras they use to produce the bucket are not guaranteed safe. If you can pick up bottled water, the bottle would be ok to use, and sometimes infomation is written on the bottom of the item. You just have to be aware of it's...
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    DIY Conical Fermenter idea

    Wrong. It means that all the extra compounds they put into plastic to make it pliable, extrudable and set up properly are safe to eat. So with non-food-safe plastic these random molecules are melted in, you can't wash them off and they will leach out of the plastic for as long as you use it...
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    I'm Brewing My Christmas Ale Right Now!!

    Hey I made your recipe, but I modified it to be more "swill drinker" friendly: Christmas Light – 2.5 Gallons 3 lbs. Pale 2-Row .25 lbs Cara-Pils .5 lbs. Turbinado Sugar .5 oz. Cascade (45) .5 oz. Cascade (15) Spices added at end of boil: 3/8 teaspoons Cinnamon 1/8 teaspoons...
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    Is Oxyclean a good Sanitizer?

    I've used sanitizer and oxyclean and they are virtually the same. Oxyclean has a bit of detergent in it, so it's harder to rinse out. I started to use it when I ran out of sanitizer. When I sanitize bottles I use a scoop per 5 gal. (about a tablespoon) It takes about 3 rinses to get the...
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    Mashing with too much water

    I'm no mash expert, but from a simple chemistry standpoint the extraction is right. The more liquid in the mix the more room for sugars to dissolve. I don't think this takes into account sparging though. So any kind of sparge would effect this property. The high fermentability in a thick...
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    First Stout, reused yeast, Interesting smell...

    It's on my list to Santa this year. Thanks! Matt
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    What can I use??

    I've used gelatin a couple of times. You don't have to use a lot, just make sure it's unflavored. This is only because I wanted to bottle sooner rather than later.
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    First Stout, reused yeast, Interesting smell...

    Why would I coddle it? Then I'd just get pwussy yeast. j/k I only capped it and threw it in the fridge. I learned my lesson and read up on washing. I didn't read this and I racked it AGAIN last night! I think I'll stop racking. I also had a little taste and it was ok. My...
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    Ale Ferm. Temp too high?

    From what I understand the yeast ferment things that they shouldn't at higher temperatures. So now that the flavors are made, they are there to stay. The good news is I brewed a 1 gal kit amber (bad ingredients) at about 78º and it was drinkable. No matter what you make, it will be better...
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    First Stout, reused yeast, Interesting smell...

    So this is my 2nd real batch. First was a 5 gal amber extract. This is a 1 gal AG oatmeal stout. I reused the yeast from the amber batch, but I didn't wash it. I saved it about 3 months in the fridge, then made a starter batch from that (with some mashed rye). I didn't filter the cooled...
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