I am on vacation from work next week and with not much else to do with all this going on I plan on getting some things done around the house and spend some time brewing, just not sure what I feel like making. When this happens I usually end up brewing up 2-3 smaller batches at or around the same tim...

You could check out the Digiboil that is in the same price range. The extra capacity would be the main thing. Both units would be just fine for you if you are looking to use just for the boil, but the Digiboil leaves you some options for the future, you would have more capacity for larger batches an...

I also have pretty much all that I need. I have made some nice upgrades over the years but there's one thing I could buy but don't really need and that would be my own mill. I don't store any grains, so when I buy grains fresh from the LHBS, they just get crushed there. BUT, something I would really...

Bringing back and old but good thread, this has been a style I haven't been very interested in until recently. I am thinking of putting together a really simple recipe to experiment more with whirlpool additions/hop stand. Those that have been brewing them, do you guys prefer a mix of Oats & Whe...

I didn't care for this one so much, just seemed lacking in flavor both malt and hops for an ESB. This is a grain bill I use for an Ordinary Bitter and I think the malt really shines in a small beer like that. It just didn't scale up as well for this beer. Didn't find the Omega yeast too special eith...

This finished up nice. Finally kegged today since i was out of co2 over the break. Didn't finish at as low a FG as estimated, but a nice 6% english ipa vibe. EnglishIPA.jpg Any further update on this one? How did the dry ESB yeast do? How did it clear up? Esters, mouthfeel? I am looking to use this...

Oh I still get big citrus and fruit from those kinds of hops. I love Citra but the catty thing is usually right there with it. So many hops I haven't tried, this summer I am thinking of brewing more smaller batches to experiment more.

I am certainly no super taster when it comes to hops. I think I have a better sense for malt flavors than hops but that's just how I perceive them. Not indicating they are so similar that they are interchangeable, just something to reference for comparison when descriptors dont do justice. Just goes...

I really like Northern Brewer, good AA's for bittering. Firm, but not aggressive. Flavor wise, I haven't really experienced the woody, or even minty that sources claim they can have. I would describe them as more Earthy, like if an English hop like Fuggles or EKG were trying to be more like a noble ...

I used a hydrometer for the OG, but it slipped out of my hand and landed on our concrete floor. I have a refractometer as a backup and got my latest ready from that. There's the culprit...refractometers get really funky with the presence of alcohol. They are great for SG/OG readings for the brewday...

On a side note, are you measuring gravity with a hydrometer or refractometer?

Yes, it should certainly get better. A good general rule for those starter kits and even beyond that is the 2-2-2. 2 weeks to ferment, 2 weeks to carbonate in the bottle at room temps and then 2 weeks in the fridge. Each stage has benefits to it and it's a process that can't really be rushed. Bottli...

Well, those are solid practices and with that little hop content and the variety you used it's hard to see that as being a culprit. In all honesty, like you said some of these judges are pretty good and have learned how to pick out these things over the average drinker. It may have been one little t...

The only disturbing thing noted by both judges was a green pepper vegetal taste in the finish, which is something I don't notice at all when I drink it. Any ideas what would cause this? I assume it's something in the process, rather than the recipe itself, but I don't know where it would happen. Ca...

Bottled up the small batch Imperial Stout, finished right around where I wanted it at 1.028 for about 10% abv. Sample tasted amazing, rich, complex, yet smooth. Everything nice and balanced, the malt, the roast, the hops, the oak and vanilla didn't really stand out but that's how I wanted it, just f...