Early on, I had the bright idea (NOT!) of using a glass thermometer instead of a digital one. It broke in the brew pot and contaminated my beer with mercury. Had to dump the batch and do a furious clean-up of the pot.

Specifically, if it's necessary for a smaller batch of lager. Between 2.5 and 3 gallons, to be specific.

Hey, I remember Koch's from when I was at SUNY Fredonia in the late 70s/early 80s. In fact, this thread put me in mind of those days, when the local supermarket would take all the odd beers on Friday and make mixer/sixers that they'd sell on the cheap. They really catered to the college community be...

It's my understanding (although I'm not sure how I came by this information) that twist-off bottles have thinner glass around the lip than pry-offs. This can lead to small bits of glass getting in the beer both at capping and uncapping. It's also been said that a wing-capper won't seal them properly...

I'd like to pass on some advice that could prove useful to a new brewer. First, keep in mind that the HME kits from Mr. Beer and Brew Demon are meant to be sufficient unto themselves. That's the point of these HMEs; using them the way they come produces a beer that has been tested to be what it's su...

Thanks for all the great info. My new batch of Twisted Monk is now fermenting at a constant temp of 68-69 degrees. I plan on leaving it in the fermenter for 18 days, then condition in bottle for at least 3 weeks. That's a good temperature, and a good time frame for fermenting/conditioning. But don'...

When I started kegging, I was under the misapprehension that I'd need three fivers. This has never been the case, and while I rotate through all three kegs to keep them active, I only ever have two filled at once. So I'm looking to unload one of them. Obviously, it's a used keg. Ball lock fittings. ...

I opened the first bomber of my saison last night. Delicious! Fruity with a touch of black pepper. I kept the carboy upstairs in the closet of the Man Cave™ to keep the temperature higher. It usually gets in the low 80s, what with the heat generated by the yeast, so it's a good place to ferment a sa...

Tomorrow I'm brewing a fiver of White Panama Blonde Ale. I just hope it doesn't get too hot in the kitchen. Summer brewing can be rough. That's why I'm concentrating more on extract batches for the 3 gallon brews. Cuts the time in half as opposed to an AG mash, even using BIAB. I've got a new extrac...

CHEERS! RDWHAHB!

Yeah, that was my inclination, too. I've got a porter I want to condition for a lengthy time, and I hadn't wanted to bottle it, but perhaps that's my best option. Otherwise I'd have to either tie up a smaller carboy or a smaller keg, and I really don't want to do that.

Thanks, guys.

I figured I'd solicit opinions. It's about a secondary fermenter. I make both 5 gallon batches and smaller batches, between 2.5 and 3 gallons. I like to keep my three carboys (2 small ones and one large one) active at all times, to keep the pipeline flowing. Sometimes, like when I make a small batch...

I'm like Berryman. I prefer to keg, but I've got plenty of bottles if it comes to that. For now, though, I have a pretty healthy CO2 can in the keezer, with a full one in reserve, so I should be good for several months.

I'm still working, since supermarket employees are essential. I was brewing pretty much every week anyway, so that hasn't changed.

Stay safe, everyone!

Wow, great info! I've kind of wondered this myself, as I much prefer kegging, but still want to have bottles available to share with friends. I'll have to give this a try. I'm going to assume it works just as well whether using bombers or 12-oz. longnecks.