I just filled out my registration to steward for Homebrew Alley. I won't have an entry ready that I am happy enough with to enter. But it will be fun to steward.

Thanks to all. I'm thinking that the PET cap is the culprit as many have suggested. I have been too gentle in tightening the caps for fear of stripping the threads. For fun I'll bottle mostly glass for my next batch but bottle a few PETs.

I'm not sure about the caps. I do feel safer with glass bottles and crimped caps. I knew they were sealed! I'm also switching back to batch priming. Bottle priming is convenient, in a way, but it's also a pain in a way.

The beers have been Bewitched and also an American Amber, which is MB American Ale with 1 lb of DME and some crystal. The bottles have been PET bottles.

I do not cold crash. I have been priming with 1 tsp. of corn sugar in a 1/2 liter bottle.

I have been bottle priming with corn sugar. I will probably switch to batch priming soon but my question may still be valid. I store my primed bottles in a closet where it is 67 to 69 degrees. I have found that my beer is not ready to drink before 6 weeks. It is still flat at 4 weeks. Is this normal...

Last night I tasted 2 more bottles, these were conditioned for 5 weeks and were in the fridge for a week. There was slightly more carbonation, not quite ideal for me but acceptable. I'm putting 2 more bottles in today for next weeks drinking. The extract twang taste I'm getting is there, maybe a lit...

I've read through the kit section on this forum and the people seem helpful and nice.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/

Congrats!

I've brewed that one before and used 1 1/4 tsp. It doesn't have any head. You could have used some dextrose that give it a bigger head. I was trying to go straight up because I figured it was a premium HME and didn't need help. Last year I brewed one of their regular HMEs, the stout, and added 1 lb...

Thanks all. I'm glad it's probably not a PET issue. Hopefully an extra week or two of conditioning should help. I have a batch that I made which was MB American Ale plus DME, crystal and cascade. That has been in the bottle for 2 1/2 weeks, so it should be ready for the holidays. Hopefully that will...

I had brewed a Bewitched Amber once before but added hops and also the fermentation was too hot. I was not happy. So this time I did the recipe straight up and used some temperature control, ket it around 68' for the active fermentation. The only thing I did was added 1/4 tsp Wyeast yeast nutrient. ...

I'm an urbanite, 1 bedroom apartment in Queens. The LBK is a perfect size for my little kitchen. Although when I previously brewed I did 5 gallon batches, the kitchen got tight.

What I mean is that anyone is insane for spending $195 for a 1 gallon kit. I appreciate boutiquey BS gifts but I just don't get it. I love Brooklyn Brewery and drink their beers, I support my local brewers. But this is just plain stupid. Okay, rant over. Here is a link to it: http://store.brooklynbr...

I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. I went through it once, almost 30 years ago. A few days before we put Topaz to sleep I believe she knew it was time and was telling me so. I came home, late because I was in my 20s. She greeted me and pressed herself against my leg. It was the way she d...