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If you have basic process questions there is a wealth of information here: http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/

First of all welcome! As for tips... clean and then sanitize. Other than following the instructions, making sure that no unwanted microbes get into your wort is a huge step into making great beer. Also, I assume you will be bottle carbonating. Make sure you use the proper amount of...

If you take LLBeanJ's advice, make sure to compensate by adding a little more water given the longer boil.

Hey so based on your OG, I estimate that it will finish in about the 1.020 range. I totally agree with the cat...Great job going off the deep end with your first brew and don't stress about the OG. Let it go in primary for over 2 weeks and then dry hop. Good luck and as the mantra goes...

What yeast did you use? I will then run the numbers for you based only on the starting gravity. So it will be a rough estimate. Likely less than 1.033, it is more of a percentage of attenuation than a direct subtraction. Also, did you mix up you water before taking a gravity reading? For more...

O.G. came in at 1.063. As far as IBU's goes, after punching in the AA for the hops I used, I came to 46.23. I will see how it turns out. It smelled pretty good coming out of the fermenter, but I agree with you, not quite IPA territory and that is ok. In the fridge I have 0.5oz of Citra and...

So here is what I ended up going with. Thanks for the recommendations. 0.5 Warrior at 60 min 0.5 Warrior at 30 min 0.25 Citra at 15 Min 0.25 Citra at flameout 0.50 Cascade at flameout 0.5 Citra Dry Hop 1.5 Cascade Dry Hop Should I add another oz of Cascade to Dry Hop? My local...

I started with reading the online version of John Palmer's How to brew. I found it to be a great resource, however like stated above the print version is likely better/more up to date. I have not read the dummies book. Also, I prefer the statement "Inexperienced brewer who is eager to learn."...

As long as 65 is the range for the yeast you are using, don't touch a thing. Otherwise rasie the temp into that range.

Only use the star san for sanitation, but I like to use it for cleaning if I have some left over after I am done sanitizing. For general cleaning I use PBW (Powered Brewery Cleaner) and warm water. It works really well, for instance it almost eliminates scrubbing the inside of carboys after...

The fluctuation in temperature may have something to do with it, however I am not convinced. Would you mind posting up the recipe? Copy paste my template and fill out the values that correspond. Grain: Strike Temp: Mash time: 70 Min Mash Temp: ~151F Sparge/grain rinse temp: Pre-boil...

Short Answer: Yes you can (make sure to boil it and cool it first). Long Answer: How low are you? If it is low enough that the alcohol content would be sufficient, I wouldn't do it and just take rigourous notes of what you did to miss the gravity so when you do another batch you can audit...

I would not recommend just tossing it into secondary. There are many microbes that live in spices (you should have seen the petri dishes after we plated the various spices back in Microbiology.) If you feel as though you need to add it, make sure it is boiled first. Some may disagree stating...

As you say that you are brewing tomorrow, I would recommend doing the starter anyway. Getting the yeast going is key if you do not have as much time as you typically use. My opinion is that 1 vial (I am assuing a white labs vial) with the starter should be sufficient. If you skip the starter it...

Yes. I have now done 3 batches since I started recirculating and I have been better than my preboild estimated OG exactly on each of the three batches (~80% efficiency). I use a really primitive setup where the coil just rests in my HLT with hoses attached to the ends of the coil. Pretty...

I can't say that I have used orange peel in a beer before, however I do not suspect it would have significant affect on the overall flavor of your brew as I am assuming it was boiled for at least a couple min. I am more concerned that you transferred to secondary prior to the krauzen falling (at...

I completely agree. One thing to add is make sure that you adjust for temperature. As most hydrometers read "accurately" at 60F. There are various online specific gravity calculators. I typically use Dave's Dreaded. http://dd26943.com/davesdreaded/tools/convert.htm I am not sure if it...

My recommendation is then to go more with more citrus style hops for your late additions rather than piney... Also, give her the citrusy-floral aromas without significant mouth puckering. I am not sure if this is the best example, however I was able to get my fiancee, her mother, and her...

Thanks Sarge.

So I want to take a little web space and rep recent home brewers turned pro brewers. Big Wood Brewing Company (tap room appears to soon be opening in White Bear Lake, MN suburb of St. Paul). The tap room is opening on the ground floor of where my wedding will be in a few months. So the...