Recent content by mike77

I don't do any exact measurements just usually about 5 or 6 spoonfuls. I probably get about 4 starters out of a jar. If the yeast has been hanging around in the fridge for a while I'll maybe use a bit more.

I don't bother washing yeast. I just leave a little beer in the fermenter swirl it around then pour into sanitized jars and leave it. The beer helps store it. When I want to use it I just use several tablespoons of the yeast slurry in a starter. Easy and effective.

If you can't get another barrel you could leave that one on it's side so it doesn't leak then transfer it to the other when it's drunk. You'll have to reprime it.

Is this a 5L brew? If so you are using way too much hops. The bitterness (IBUs) will be off the chart. Try running the recipe through the IBU calculator below. I personally like about 45 IBUs. You have some high AA hops. I don't think you need a 60 min addition. You could start at 20 mins and...

I've read that if you have a dog then you shouldn't compost your hops. It can kill them if they eat it.

If you plan on reusing the yeast then it's not a rip off. I've just brewed 2 beers in the last few weeks from a yeast that I've been using for about a year or so. So a single pack can go a long way.

Nice one. Hopefully you'll have some good beer.

You might be able to age a bit of the harshness out. I don't like mine too bitter and try to limit to 45 IBUs. Usually I do something similar to what you've done here and don't do any early additions. They're usually all late 20 mins onwards.

I've just finished drinking a seudo lager. Pilsner malt, hallertau blanc and mandarina barvaria brewed with a clean ale yeast. 35 IBUs all from late additions. Went down pretty well. Just kegging up another tonight. Similar recipe but I subbed out some of the mandarina with some perle. Had a...

I usually do about 5 days before kegging If I'm harvesting yeast I do it in a secondary fermenter if not just straight in the primary. Whole hops I put in a muslin bag and weight them down. Hop pellets I just chuck straight in.

A quarter of a camden tablet in the water is supposed to drive of chlorine

I'm making a lot of assumptions about as I don't know the size of your brew or the AA of your hops. But I would split the hop additions 50/50 and only do a 20 boil adding hops into the boil at 20, 15,10, 5 and 0 and then allow the hops to steep. You may try something along the lines of 10, 16...

I don't do any dedicated bittering additions in my IPAs anymore. I like to cram as much hops in as I can over the last 20 mins to maximize flavor and aroma additions. With high AA hops especially I find dedicated bittering at 60 mins severly restricts the amount you can start adding in at 20 if...

The krausen on some yeasts seems to hang around. I did one with Burton ale yeast recently and ended up racking the beer anyway. The wlp090 I've been using seems to drop like a stone as soon as it's done. I think how long you condition your beer depends on the type. I think I usually prefer my...

Did one in 4 days. It was force carbed in a corny keg. I've done some fast beers with a steam beer yeast as well. The main thing is the yeast ferments quickly and is highly flocculent so it clears fast. http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58027