They popped up again this year and look pretty happy. I extended the stringing this time.

The isolation upside is that I was able to get my hop containers moved down from the deck to the ground. I strung the twine to the deck rail. I will set up the sprinklers tomorrow. This is their third year, so I am optimistic about a good crop.

I brewed my first Czech Pilsner on Tuesday. Saflager S-23 was my yeast and I put it in a starter before the pitch. I had room in the beer fridge so I stuck it in there after I pitched about midnight. The next morning it was bubbling at a steady rate, so I tried to adjust the temperature to...

I was studying brew kettles to see if I could justify one with a scale and a dip tube, really the only features that I wanted on my generic kettle. I decided to try two projects this morning from internet searches to "upgrade" my kettle. The only purchase I made was some lemon juice to...

I scored a brand new single tap Insignia kegerator on Monday for $150. CO2 bottle, whole kit. It's the 5.4 cubic feet model and has enough room for two and maybe three corny kegs. The off-the-shelf two and three tap towers are 3 inch diameter towers and the one on my new toy is 2.5 inch...

I checked the planters today. The Cascade seems to be ahead of the Chinook, Willamette and Styrian.

I have been sorting out my brewing layout and have come to the conclusion that lifting five to six gallons of hot liquids for gravity feed is just not that smart. So if anyone has recommendations for pumps and fittings they would be appreciated. Camlock versus Quick Disconnect pros and cons...

I started my first Belgian Golden Strong Ale on Saturday. I used a Wyeast 3787 High Gravity Trappist yeast. The recipe was for 5 gallons. I had read somewhere that I should consider doubling the yeast or at least making a starter. Short story is I didn't and the fermentation took off crazy...

I have done all grain batches this year in my plain jane steel kettle. I saw a Blichmann G1 on Craigslist this morning. For those that have upgraded, is the move to a G1 for $200 worth it? Or am I just being enticed by shiny things?

My Rubbermaid 5-gallon mash tun developed a substantial leak in the middle of a sparge last week on brew day. I made it worse and cracked the cooler when I over-tightened. I made a trip to the Home Depot for a new cooler and gasket. I found a Danco "Tip toe drain gasket" that had the exact...

We tried the Sam Adams 76 when it came out a couple of months ago. I read on their website that it was a blend of IPA and lager. Is this a common practice? I am a newbie, and thought that this would help my less than perfect batch (i.e. my first original recipe, AKA Heavy Attack). I cut the...

My first two original recipes were haphazard at best and improved from "not horrible" to "not so bad". THIS time I used the recipe builder tool. Just tasted the Cannonball keg. We have move up to "good". I cheated in that we tried the recent offering from Sam Adams Everyday IPA. They list...

I made a trip to the local home brew supply shop on Sunday and as is normal they milled my grains. I keep them in a sealed fermentation bucket until I can brew, usually within a couple of days. The best laid plans can run awry and I won't be able to brew until tomorrow. I know fresh would be...

I received some great feedback from my first attempt at an original. I thought I'd share the second which I sampled this afternoon. This is the last recipe I will make without using the recipe builder tool. I leaned on the bitterness hops too much and plan to cut down on both quantity and boil...

I read a column here about everybody's "Go to" recipe. The predominant answer was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I just kegged 1.75 gallons into my brand new Cannonball. IT IS OUTSTANDING! Kudos to Ozark Mountain Brewery for the recipe. My first kegging and a monstrous success in taste. MIne on...

This was my first original attempt at a recipe, Heavy Attack. Tried some last night, and I'm not horrified. It will get better with some more bottle conditioning, I think. Of course as my wife said, "It's beer, how bad can it be?"...

I upgraded to premium membership recently and am VERY pleased with the tools in the package. I am new to home brewing, but apparently have a problem...Eight batches of all grain this year and my first two original recipes. I used the brewing checklist yesterday, it really is a lot better than...

Hello Everyone, A good friend has been an intermittent extract brewer for the past year. He recruited me to help on brewing days shortly after he started. He hoped my chemistry profession would help with consistency in his technique. Well, bottom line is I got hooked. I started all grain...