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Constructivist, For my first 5-gallon batch of Pumpkin Ale, which I was totally delighted with (and has gotten good reviews from friends and family, including a son who brews professionally). I used 1 vanilla bean cut into 1-inch lengths added about 10 minutes before the end of the boil...

RedGuitar, glad it's working out for you! I am Presbyterian, and have been ordained for 15 years, serving in my current church for 7 years and have been homebrewing for almost 2 years - won my lessons in a church auction and was taught by a member after outbidding others to win. Served...

Agreed, GeorgiaTiger - this forum is so welcoming and helpful! I hope that sometime in the future I'll have enough knowledge to be as helpful as others are here to me. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Peace, RevZen

OK, have dealt with all three batches - and have the photos. The first we opened was the pumpkin ale brewed 10/3/11 - very yeasty smell and look, and the sample looked like something from a beer swamp. None of us (two of my adult sons were with me) had any desire to taste it. Dumped it...

They have not been moved at all - we have a long narrow pantry and they sit at the far end. Since I'll be doing at least some of this with my adult son who is moving to Beijing in a few weeks - it won't be a waste of time - I'm just wishing I had dealt with this a month ago so the beer would...

OK, attached are photos of the yeast patch, including a close-up, and my hall of shame: 3 14-month old brews that will be investigated, and possibly bottled, today. The adventure continues.... naturally I chose deal with this, after a year-plus of neglect on a very busy holiday weekend as we...

So...Hopsilicious...how did this story end? Did you bottle it? Drink it? Since I have 2 buckets and a Better Bottle of 14 month brew that I'll be dealing with today, I'm very curious.....

Oh boy! Thanks progmac! Two are in buckets - and I think I can skip the secondary after 14 months :rolleyes: - and the Oatmeal Stout is in a Better Bottle. It has about a 4" patch of what looks like yeast on top. How much yeast would I add at bottling, and how would I do that? Sorry to be...

Okay, I guess this is the thread for me. I'm a longtime noob just off a 14 month hiatus - I started brewing in summer, 2011 - brewed 6 different kits then that turned out just wonderfully, except a batch of IPA that was just plain flat - no carbonation. Me being lazy, I just let them sit in...

Thanks for all your replies - I ended up deciding to go ahead and bottle it yesterday morning (before deggenbe's advice to let it sit for a few days!). When I racked it into the bottling bucket, I left a little more than usual, avoiding that very top surface - it looked beautiful in the...

Hi, did that white film ever clear? I have what appears to be the same stuff, only it's not a fruit beer, nor all-grain -- mine is an IPA from extract with steeped grains. And mine is still in the secondary - a Better Bottle (first time I used it, rinsed, and then sanitized with One-Step). I...

Hi all, I am still a relatively new brewer (was about to bottle my 5th batch, 6th is in the secondary, 7th is in the primary). I switched from glass carboys to Better Bottles with the 5th batch so this is my first experience with them. There appears to be a kind of waxy residue on top of...

Thanks, all! Unionrdr - your anniversary was the 27th? Ours was the 28th - 29 years. Would have liked to celebrate with a homebrew, but after church, we packed the car and started the long drive to SE Pennsylvania to visit my folks - plenty of homebrew packed in the car to share with the fam...

I'm very much a beginner - have brewed five batches, starting July 17. Three are in bottles and ready to drink: a Nut Brown Ale, a Porter, and a Cream Ale. There is also a Red Ale in the secondary and an IPA (really looking forward to this one) in the primary. So today we had an open house...

Welcome SKuyken! We lived in Chicago for 29 years (actually, my husband did all of his life) until 5 years ago when we moved to Central WI. I just started brewing in July - we tried the first brew (a Nut Brown Ale) a few days ago and really like it. Tonight we are tasting the Porter and the...

Hi Glenn, I already see the addictive properties - I learned how to brew on July 12 and have 5 brews so far. If I weren't entertaining this weekend, I'd be brewing. We love Central WI - lived in the Chicago area for 29 years (that's me, my husband lived there forever) before moving here...

I tried the screen filter on the first brew, and like you, was really frustrated with how long it took. For the next four brews, I have just sanitized a screen kitchen strainer and used that - it's not quite as fine a mesh as the screen filter, but seems to do just fine without being painfully...

Hi Dmangan, Welcome to you and your wife from over by Stevens Point.... Sláinte, Susan

Thanks, Michael! :cool: How 'bout that, Pappers? My husband is the pastor's spouse, too - and being Catholic, never envisioned himself being married to the pastor! I'm Presbyterian - but our sons all have gone to a Lutheran college. The youngest is learning to brew with me (when he isn't...

Wow, those are some scary stories - my carboy slipped and landed a little hard when I was returning it (empty) to its cardboard box on the garage concrete floor yesterday. So I've been wondering whether I might have damaged it in some way that won't become evident until it's full. Is that a...