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OK. Even though I know in my head it takes time, the idea of waiting another 2-5 (!) years blows my mind a little. :mug: Thanks!

Damn, that's not very encouraging. A few years ago when I started the batch it seemed like everybody was recommending D-47. I didn't want to use champagne yeast and lose all the honey aromatics through the airlock. Even though it's in bottles I guess I could pour it out and backsweeten a bit...

I don't believe it fermented that hot, but it could have been in the low 70s. On the other hand, at various points during aging (after I had racked it off the initial yeast cake) the temperature might have fluctuated a bit. I was moved to different locations so it was hard to control temperature...

My first batch of dry mead was just bottled. I started it in summer 2012, so after almost two years of bulk aging it's now in bottles. I used organic Tupelo honey, D-47 yeast and the "no heat" method. Taste wise it's pretty good, still has nice aromatics and honey notes. Problem is that it's...

What does it mean, "collar" vs "no-collar"?? I don't get it.

So I've determined it's probably the gas inlet poppet/post. Because: a) now my tank is truly empty (determined by gauge and by weight) b) there's a strong CO2 smell in my top-loading chest kegerator even when I haven't used it for days c) I took off the gas tube and the poppet was stuck...

I don't *believe* it leaks with the disconnect off, but I'm not sure I tried to shake it at that point. Thank you for your help! I'm going to check the gas dip o-ring.

Sorry, I'm new to kegging so I don't know all the terminology yet. When I say valve I guess I mean "post". The thing you connect the gas and beer lines to. When I tightened the "valves", I mean I used vice grips to screw the posts tighter into the keg body. When it leaked, it appeared to be...

Yeah, that's what I meant. My 10# CO2 tank was almost empty. I connected the CO2, pressurized to 10 psi, left it connected and started rocking the keg back and forth. That's when the liquid started leaking out of the IN valve. So I disconnected and tightened both valves. Then I left the CO2...

I just bought my first kegging setup from LHBS. Ball-lock with regulator and hoses and a set of new O-rings. I broke the keg down, replaced all the O-rings like it said to. Put a batch of beer in it, pressurized to 10psi. Tried to shake it a bit and noticed some liquid coming out of the IN...

Yeah, the issue with dry hopping though is that it fades very quickly and meads in general need to be aged for a long time. So I feel like if I dry-hopped I would either be rushing to drink it all or I would be wasting perfectly good hops.

No need to boil. Cover with a small amount (1oz) of vodka/whisky/etc if you are paranoid, but as long as your mead is finished you don't have to worry about contamination too much. Quantity depends upon how much "oakiness" you want to impart and the size and condition of your chips. I would...

Link doesn't work for me either. Just use dropbox public link or something.

80 degrees is a little on the warm side, but as long as you did an accurate temp reading it shouldn't have killed the yeast. I would add more yeast, and buy a hydrometer to see what your gravity is. It's hard to know what's going on because without doing any measurements you're flying blind.

I was told to soak my corks to get them to ~5% moisture, which is just barely compressible by hand. Why do you say not to soak them Yooper?

How hot was it when you pitched the yeast?

I bottled my batch of hefty braggot last week (12# honey, 3lbs malt extract, maybe 4-5oz cascade hops for a 5 gallon batch). My thoughts are mixed as well. The hops definitely help to balance the sweetness, but the fact that it has hops but is not carbonated makes it taste a little odd. Also...

Can I lager with temps fluctuating into the low 60s?

Long story short -- I just relocated and the only space I have for brewing & fermentation is an outdoor shed/lean-to without any climate control. I'm in SoCal so the temperatures aren't too extreme, but we're still dealing with a typical winter low of 35-40 degrees and a high of 65 or so. I...

It might also make it taste salty, neutralizing all that acid.