I use a homemade spreadsheet implementing the formulas found in a past issue of Zymurgy. Because of the ease of reading the refractometer, I find it more accurate than using my hydrometer.

You could but you'll need a pretty big tank to hold the cooling water. As long as your fermentor is capable of holding up to the heat, you can get away with the "no-chill" method you describe. Ben, the method was pioneered in Australia, know anyone using it?

There's a PPG table here on Brewer's Friend. Candi syrup and honey should be close to 1:1, just make a proportion of the PPG values. Dextrose is pure sugar, 46 ppg, maybe a bit less because it can have water.

We'll have to get together for a beer over at Bent Barley, my favorite watering hole....

I use silicone tubing.

Here's the formula: Hardness = Cal * 2.497 + Mg * 4.118 where Cal and Mg are amounts of calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) in mg/L, respectively. Mg/l and PPM are equivalent. Mg++=(hardness-(Ca++ * 2.497))/4.118 I use 6 ppm, if the guys at the Brew Hut use 10, it doesn't make that much of a...

Dry yeast saves me time and a process step, oxygenation. I have built an inline oxygenation system for my RIMS system so my risk of something going wrong at the step is low, but not zero. As mentioned above, I use both, depending on the outcome I want. There's a greater risk of something going...

Way too much water which accounts for the low gravity. More is often not better in brewing. P. s. the Brew Hut gives lessons....

Here it is, even in Word format. Feel free to use it if you want....

Those water dispensers are simply RO water. Great for brewing!

I have records on every beer I've ever brewed. Some are in an old Moleskine notebook, most are in a 3" 3-ring binder. I use a homemade data sheet to record my brews and all of the important data.

You looked up an obsolete German tax law that happens to mention beer? (I have a stein from Germany with the complete text of the law printed on it)

I don't see why you couldn't use Vienna. I've seen all sorts of beer lore on that particular style...

ATC simply compensates for the difference between the sample and the stage. You still need to let the sample cool for a few moments before testing it - you can see (as Herms pointed out) that the reading changes, generally increases, by a point or two over time. No need to cool anything, air...

Solid recipe. Should be good.... FYI, Homebrew Club at the Brew Hut is Sunday, 6:30.

One of my favorite beer recipes was initially a professional failure: A brewer friend of mine oversparged an Imperial Stout. It made a wonderful American Porter, the infamous Nautical Star!

Looking forward to trying it!

I brewed, first full all-grain batch since March, my Kentucky Common. I also did a lot of cleaning kegs and moving beer around to fit it into my fridge. Carbing up a kit Kolsch, a little dark but pretty good! Hint: US-05 at 61 degrees F makes a passable Kolsch....

I don't recall the OG on your beer but two packs would have been an overpitch for anything higher than 1.060.... No starters for dry yeast necessary, nor is oxygenation - it comes ready to rehydrate and get to work!

That's not beer, it's Coors. Full disclosure: On a clear day I can see the brewery from here.