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Has anyone ever looked into using an industrial water chiller for a DIY glycol chiller instead of an AC unit or an aquarium chiller? A Chinese CW-3000 is way less expensive than an aquarium chiller and it comes in a aluminum case rather a plastic case...

So I forgot to clean my counterflow chiller before using it on an actual brew. Blue liquid came out of it and went into the wort. This is only my second time using it. I did clean it the first time, but I didn't clean it again before using it again on this batch. I tasted the wort afterwards...

At least I think it may come in handy, especially for a DIY project. So I'll just leave this here...

So I read an article saying real Belgian-style ales are step mashed. I also read that a step mash is only required when mashing unmodified malts. Step mashing modified malts will only result in a beer that lacks body. If one were so inclined to brew a Belgian style the traditional way...

The title says it all. I've read that the reason why decoction mash doesn't extract tannins from the grains is because the wort it is boiling in is of lower pH than straight water. So... What if I dissolve some of the extract in boiling water, then throw my steeping grains in?

I have a batch of Amber ale that has been carbonating in a corny keg at 35F/8 psi for a week now. When I pour it in a squeaky clean glass, the beer doesn't form any head. WTF? Both line and tap are clean and sanitized. It sat in primary for three weeks. The hop charge is at the lower end of...

The fermentation temp. of my pumpkin ale went up to 77F during active fermentation. The blow-off smelled like a truck load of bananas collided with a truck load of peaches! All I had for temp. control system when I started this batch almost 2 weeks ago was a soda bucket filled with cold...

As I understood it, esters are by-products of yeast reproduction. What if I pitched a large starter at high krausen, reducing lag phase and thus reducing the rate of yeast reproduction? Do I still need to worry about esters produced by fermentation temperature that's several degrees higher than...

Here's a riddle for you. My glass carboy has an adhesive strip thermometer on the outside. If I place said carboy in a soda bucket filled with ice water, which temperature is the strip thermometer indicating, that of the wort or the ice water?

I would like to add liqueur at bottling to infuse flavor into the beer. Bumping the ABV higher is an added benefit. Now, I understand liqueurs contain sugar (most have 11g/1 oz.), which should be taken into account to avoid over-carbing, and that the increase in ABV should be within yeast...

I recently met a fella who claimed that he has abandoned home brewing beer after being engaged in it for years. He went on to say that, "people have died from drinking home brewed beer infected with bacteria." He then added that home made wine is much safer due to it's higher alcohol content...

My first all-grain batch was a success and is, so far, the most popular among my friends and family. I encountered a few challenges, but thanks to the valuable resource that is Home Brew Talk, I was able to address them without panicking. It is a Belgian Wit. Simple recipe: 50/50 pilsner and...

At 6 batches, I'm still pretty new at home brewing. So far, I haven't infected or dumped a batch and the only off flavor my brews have exhibited was the cidery taste caused by high fermentation temperatures. I'm learning to address this. I exercise due diligence in observing proper sanitation...