Recent content by Poynton Blue

Yes, O2 will enter, but if still fermenting then the process will naturally create more CO2 and “self purge”, but a blast of bottled CO2 wouldn’t go amiss to minimise exposure.

Hi folks - sorry for any confusion. I’m in the UK, so July ‘19. Happy it’s fresh. Just wondering if it’s been frozen at any point. No worries, I’ll use my backup US-05. Thanks for all the advice. Just waiting for wort to cool now. Rest of the brewday has gone really well. [emoji6][emoji482]

Just checked and it’s fresh - 01/07/2019 manufacture date. I’ll get going with the US05. Cheers!

No, the pack didn’t swell. Actually when I opened the pack, one of two nutrient pouches hadn’t popped, so I had to cut (sanitised scissors used) and pour in to the wort. Just checked gravity - 1.042. No fem additions, just the water, yeast & nutrient mix. So chill to 18C, drain off most of the...

Ordered Wyeast London Ale #1028, and my first time using liquid yeast (for an Imperial NEIPA I’m brewing today. Yesterday lunchtime (24h ago), I took the pack from the fridge, and “smacked the pack”, & shook it up, before leaving to stand. Once done, I boiled 2l of water, with 145g of DME...

No issues whatsoever! I’ve even got the heater cord via the same method, as my fridge is a temporary fermentation “chamber”. Hoping to upgrade to a used chest freezer, so I can fits couple of fermenting buckets in, so don’t want to damage, but may have to postpone as Mrs just sanctioned purchase...

Yup. That’s often how the kits are set up (usually 50/50 split). Worth downloading the kit instructions prior to buying to check, but the NB stuff I’ve done has been that way. E.g https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2785/6868/t/3/assets/BlockParty-1526670279765.pdf?8376444641436849713

Never boiled more than 2.5gal so far. Like you, I don’t have the heat or space. The boil volume is poured into the fermenter, and then topped off with 2.5gal to bring up the 5gal primary. If you’re nailed on doing full-batch all-grain, then unless you find a 2.5/3gal kit, scale down the 5gal...

I bought a Northern Brewer “Brewery In A Box” equipment kit which included their Block Party amber ale for less than $90 (on offer). You steep grain in a bag in 2.5 gal, bring to a boil on the stove, add LME and hop additions, then add to 2.5gal water in the plastic bucket fermenter. Although...

I’m on brew 5, and I used kits to gain experience. All Ingredients, in the correct measured quantity, with clear instructions. I deliberately use a kit using liquid malt extract, then one that was partial grain (so a small scale boil in the bag), and then a dry malt extract kit. Two were 3 gal...

I ended up buying both, and am three recipes up & one brewday down. Laptop version is great for designing a recipe and adding your equipment & ingredients. IPhone version was used on brewday for timers and reminders. Store your brews on the cloud and tweak on either app to your hearts content...

Now that’s a different interpretation, but it’s a good one!

John Palmers book suggests a pitch rate of 58bil cells per gallon for ale at .75 billion cells per litre per 4gps, based on a wort SG of 1.085. He also suggests its “difficult to hurt a fermentation...by pitching too much”. Keen to hear other comments as I’m a beginner and reading more than...

Yep FV, fermentation vessel - I use shorthand FV1 & FV2, as primary & secondary fermentater. And to “mother” something, may be a Manchester (UK) expression meaning to look after, to tend to. [emoji6]

Love that answer! Too excited to wait another 3 weeks to brew again! [emoji23]