Search results

It is still amazing to me just how cool home brewing is. Every time I turn around there is something new to try, something to learn, and the side effect is great beer! We just launched this infographic...

Here are some snaps of my Cascade plant. In the same spot I have five other very healthy hops plants (Magnum, Nugget, Hallertau and Goldings). Last year same thing happened about 3 days before I was going to harvest the cones on this plant only. It looked like a bunch of black little mites in...

Did a batch of Pinot Noir this year. At crush time (10/21/2010) I added sulfites up to 60 ppm. I have not added any sulfites since then. Primary fermentation went perfect. Malo fermentation is about done. I am ready to rack again. I am wondering if other people add sulfites (campden tablets) at...

Wow, I just got a 10% boost in mash efficiency. Unfortunately there were two variables that changed. A) Re-calibrated digital thermometer. It was giving some suspicious readings, had not used it in a few months. B) Mashed for about twice the time (normally just do 60 minutes with 15...

I just read Alas Babylon, great book. What would be the best kind of liquor to keep around in case of a large scale emergency or natural disaster? I plan to buy a case or two. The main purpose being to trade for stuff I need in the event things get real bad. I don't enjoy hard alcohol myself...

Did a complete fermentation of my Pinot Noir down to 0 Brix in 3.5 days. I don't know my pH, but this year was said to be acidic for the Oregon grapes. It definitely tasted tart when I sampled the juice during the crush. The wine is now in glass carboys waiting for malolatic fermentation to...

How long will the initial addition of sulfites protect the must after the crush? I am waiting for my yeast starter to kick off and it looks like it might be awhile before I can pitch. Details: Crushed 117 pounds of Pinot Noir Grapes last night. Had 11 Gallons of must including skins. Added...

I plan to do a 5 gallon batch of red wine this month, using local grapes. That means the grapes will be destemmed, crushed, and added to the primary. How big should the primary be? I'm wondering how much extra space the grape skins take up? I have a 5 gallon glass carboy for the secondary...

I need some help getting a foamy, creamy head on my beer - out of the bottle. A recent batch and probably half of my past batches were fizzy with a quickly diminishing head. FYI - I brew all grain, and keg/bottle 50/50. My kegged beer is way smoother and has better head retention. My latest...

Got it off CL from a guy who got it off government auction, 2005 Ford Crown Vic, P71 Cop motor Cop shocks Cop struts Cop transmission Cop tires Cop brakes ... Seats about 20... Trunk holds about 8 corny kegs. Very smooth riding. Only 50k miles!! Just thought I would share...

Just for fun, I'm going to try wine this year. I want to make an Pinot Noir. What is a good yeast to use for this style?

I am going through a set of conditions for brewing, ruling out various factors and wanted to know what would be the symptoms (off flavors, flaws) from having too weak of a boil? Leaving behind too much DMS is my first thought. Anything else going on here?

Hi, I've got some bottles of yeast I saved from prior batches (siphon the yeast cake into a 12oz bottle and cap it). One is Wyeast London III #1318, the other is White Labs German Lager. They have been in the fridge for about 6 months now. The batches they came from went fine, so at least...

I recently had my 5 pound CO2 tank run out on me. I think there might be a leak somewhere in my system. If it is, it is a small leak. I'm using a standard regulator, and I have that connected to a splitter that then leads into two ball lock quick disconnection so I can serve from two 5 gallon...

Its been pretty warm in Oregon, above 85 recently. Not exactly the kind of weather I want to be boiling the kettle, indoors or out doors. I've got plenty of home brew saved up and I don't plan to brew again until fall.

Hello fellow brewers! Here is the newest online water chemistry calculator: Brewing Water Chemistry Calculator | Brewer's Friend One unique thing about this one is it goes into flavor balance and warns of harmful ppm levels (both to the beer and to human health). It also converts grams of...

I just heard from a friend that he boils all his grains during a partial mash, leaving them in the kettle for the entire 60 minutes after crushing. Does this sound advisable to you? Everything I have read says not to boil grains. I have never heard of boiling grains on purpose, but I have...

GRAINS: 9 lb German Pilsner MASH: Hold at 152F for 60 minutes. HOPS: Tettnanger 1.5oz for 60 min Tettnanger 0.5oz for 10 min Just curious what others think about this recipe. I got some tettnanger hops pellets and wanted to try them out to see the difference between...

I was wondering how people like to dough-in. What do you add to the empty mash/lauter tun first, grains or water? Just curious how other people do it, and if there is a preference.

Here is a Rye IPA recipe: Denny Conn's Rye IPA Turns out the guy that created this recipe is a friend of my boss'. I was going to brew it, but I've never tried a beer that has Rye in it. What is a good commercial beer that might get close to this? I am OK with rye bread, but I'm not a...