.... on a side note... I went to a local brew store the other day and told the owner I dumped out a bunch of my stout cause it did not taste that good... he looked at me like I was crazy and said "I never throw out beer.. if it does not taste good, mix it with something the does!" Anyway...

Thanks all for the encouragement and advice. I think I will take on your recipe, Larry... the golden ale... or find a kit that is similar that is a pre-measured and has minimal ingredients. Cheers!

The first was an NW IPA that was a kit... the problem with this one is that it took 3 hours to get my water boiling on an electric stove! then I dont even think it really broke and I got impatient. Result: Was wonderfully hoppy... with a metallic like taste... YUK! My second batch... a...

Thought I'd put a shout out from the Columbia River gorge in Oregon. I joined about a month ago and have to say this site has been a great help. Cheers to all!

Thanks again guys for the tips! I appreciate your responses. I am glad I joined here... great help for the beginning brewer.

Does temperature matter when considering where to store bottles as you wait for them to carbonate? I put them in the garage @ 55 Farenheit. I am wondering if they will carbonate quicker in warmer temps but I dont have a ton of inside real estate.

Ok total NOOB question here... I have been using a 5 gallon stainless brewpot for my 2 batches so far... I noticed tonight brewing 3.5 gallons of wort it boiled over pretty bad.. prob a rook mistake. I do have a much larger aluminum turkey fryer pot. I have heard different opinions from...

Hello, I just got back from my local brew store to gather ingredients for my second brew. I am trying for an extract version of a stout but I forgot the finings. Is it worth it to go back and get them or do I even need it since it is such a dark brew anyway?

Ok great... yeah I aerated the mix by shaking and stirring rapidly before taking my reading. Man I can't wait to try this brew! I am thinking about starting another batch of a different style but perhaps I should wait to see if my first batch was a success... :) Thanks again for the help...

Thank you all for the helpful info! Jetset, You mentioned I should take OG reading before adding to fermentor. I took the OG reading after adding the cooled down wort to the fermenter with added mixed in water (2.5 gallons wort + 2.5 gallons added water = 5 gal). Did I do this wrong then?

Hey all, this is my first post. I have just reached the fermentation stage of my first brew (NW style IPA) and am confused about what to put in the efficiency section of my recipe. For the recipe I steeped 1 pound of grain for 30 minutes (at 160-170 degrees). I then added 7 pounds of malt...