Recent content by pschaf

Excited to share my backyard hops garden. The vines on the far (right) side are technically 2nd year, but last year I had them planted in pots and their performance wasn't the best. In the ground they've exploded. I have Cascade, Nugget, and Columbus. Some of the cones are ready to...

I always use growlers on the end of my blow-off tube. Fill them with the cheapest vodka you can find - just in case you get any suck-back, you aren't drinking sanitizer and the vodka keeps your beer clean.

My local HBS sells fruit flavoring (like a syrup/extract) - picked up some Boysenberry yesterday. It was a 4oz container and they suggest starting with 2oz and checking the flavor. This will be interesting because 1) the flavoring doesn't contain any sugar so it shouldn't ferment-out or cause...

Thank you! That is great info... makes sense. I think I may either back-sweeten the batch I made yesterday with honey (in a few weeks, after fermentation is done), or just wait an experiment with my next batch adding honey in the start. I've used a pound or so honey in brewing beer before...

My basic cider recipe is: 5 gallons apple juice 2 cups (1 lb) white table sugar It ferments into a dry apple cider that I keg and enjoy (about 6% ABV) in about a month. I'd like to experiment and thought I'd ask first - what might happen if I substitute honey for table sugar. I...

I've had good success with Sluggo Plus ("plus" being the keyword...) I only saw a few snails, but I discovered what was eating my plants was actually pill bugs (rollie-pollies). These guys were notorious for chomping away at the leaves in all of my plants, including the hops. Check out Sluggo...