Recent content by alwhite77

I brew 5g batches in about 4 hours total, plus a little more clean up time. I pretty much dedicate an entire day to the process. My brewing partner and I like to sample beers past, and new beers off the shelf while brewing. I like to get the job done, but not rush anything. This is a hobby...

Another trick that I didn't see mentioned. Place your lid in hot water on the stove for a few minutes before sealing it. Or hold under boiling water for about 30 seconds. This softens the rubber O ring, helps it make a better seal.

I don't think I will strain again. It was a huge pain in the a**. Clogged the strainer, made a bigger mess. I appreciate the comments, and suggestions. Thank you all.

After finishing the boiling of my first batch of wort, of a belgian wit, I decided to run it through an ordinary kitchen strainer, while pouring into fermentor. There was a huge amount of sediment that I strained off. Upon completion of bottling that same batch, about 2 weeks later, I...

My first batch of hard cider is complete. This is my first ever attempt at any homebrew as well. I'm satisfied with the end result. This was definately a learning experience. I made several mistakes in the first batch, and have learned from those. I just started a second batch, using...

I haven't had any problems with odor yet. I started my cider on 10/2, using White Labs - English Cider Yeast. I also added several pounds of sugar, pre-fermentation. I sampled some last night, while testing SG, and it still tastes great, with only a very mild alcohol/yeast odor.

I received a Mr. Beer for christmas last year, somehow, I skipped it and went straight to apple cider in a carboy. I'd like to think my priorities are straight, but some may disagree! I'm very excited about this first batch of home brew!

Quick backstory: I grew up in Western NY, where apple cider is everywhere this time of year. Hearing stories of folks talking about their hard ciders, hearing recipes, and so on. Now, 20 years later, with the money to invest in hobbies, I've chosen to try my hand at it myself. I found...

I've started my very first batch of cider, in a 3 gallon carboy. I have a commercial stopper and airlock, and two questions. 1 - how much headspace is required for primary fermentation in a glass carboy? I left just a few inches. 2 - when installing the airlock, how much water are you...

I'm currently working on my first batch of cider. The articles that I have been able to find, all said for a "dry" cider add about 1 pound of sugar per gallon of juice, and for a sweeter cider, increase to 1-1/2 pounds of sugar per gallon. This is pre-fermentation. I hope, I got some good...