Straining was such a slow process it's probably more trouble than it's worth. The batch I cooked tonight I just let it settle for a minute and tried to leave most of the sludge behind. I just sent the first few bottles of my first batch to the fridge, taste testing day by day. So far no odd flavors ...

Excellent info here. On a similar note, how important is it to eliminate the sediment after boiling? I can see the hops continuing to add, but it seems uncontrolled. Is filtering the wort worth anything? I'd love to hear some procedures for steeping. If the temperature is not to exceed 170 for steep...

I do respect the info, and I admit I get a little carried away at times and need to be brought back to earth every now and then. I was just thinking about how to eliminate oxy, in case it's important. The proof is in whether the beer is drinkable and I enjoy it. Probably doesn't matter for much, but...

Amen. I broke another float tonight, by dropping it while in the protective sleeve thing. I'm starting to not care. I couldn't do my comparison test between the two types, again. I'll just see what the results are when a start reading is taken with the refractometer, to compare one batch to the next...

I can't find any definitive info on the difference between hydrometers and refractometers measurements. The hydrometer is simple and reliable, but the refractometer I bought always gives me a different value. Except for water where both read 1.000. Is this a typical problem or is it the unit i bough...

I'm a new member and a new brewer, so I've just started learning the craft. I started making wine, and after 50 gallons or so I've started making my beer as well. I like the taste of El Guapo but it's expensive abv 7.5% and ibu 70. Give it a try if you like hoppy happy. I'm making a 4 gallon batch o...