Recent content by bmac8

It is going to be a basic pale ale something close to Sierra Nevada, I hope, but boosted with one pound of DME in the boil, so it figures to be darker. Added cascade hops at the close of the boil. I picked up a long "hop spider" mesh hops-contain piece for that. The fermentation is slowing to a...

All, I'm ALIVE! Thank you again for your patience as I looked for help in stepping into the all-grain world with a larger, new system... I took a break, waited for some warmer weather... but last week, I had a successful brew day. I worked outside, finally pumping through a window into the...

Thank you for that very kind and encouraging post... I could keep the thread in suspense... but then, this has gone on way too long. How did I do? Ahem. POST-GAME REPORT: Well, a fail, but not a Superfail. I wasted some grain, but my loss was a big win for my next door neighbor's chickens...

Ha, thank you for that. I'm heckling myself anyway, so it is all fair game...and it is fun to report back here as I stumble along... I hope it entertains, but along the way, I am definitely learning.

Great. Thanks.

I'm just trying to make my first all-grain beer. I am just trying to make an American pale ale of sorts. This is also my first crack at creating my own recipe from scratch. I wanted it to be fizzy (and not flat) and first suggested 3.5 vols but I have since been educated (and heckled,) and I'll...

What's LODO?

2.5 sounds like a better number. Thank you.

MASSIVE Shout out to SIBELMAN--The MAN. Kind enough to visit my garage brewery yesterday, and walked me through all-grain + sparging. As I am true visual learner, I cannot thank you enough! Of course, I continue to learn here on Homebrewtalk too. Today, finally, will be my brew day. ...ohhhh...

I misunderstood that--thank you just the same.

Bobby, Definitely interested in help! Would you be willing to stop by? Thank you! Brian

I'm a beginner tackling the same problem... I was about to head for Home Depot same as you. But I am lucky--I have a small electric space heater that I will put inside so I can set the temp (probably 70 degrees.) I am at this same point. Garage brewing in Oregon. Kinda cold.

Okay. I will set something like a 2.75 or a 3.0 carbonation level then? I have some time on this... And yes, I will stick to the lightest DME for priming then. Thank you, guys. That calculator is great.

Definitely. Need about 110 bottles or more. (I always figure approximately 50 beers per 5 gal....but I always drink one and break one, so 5 gallons = two cases (48 beers.)

Okay. I have a little while to think about that... I was thinking about that just to be a little different than my old days with the corn sugar. That calculator is great. Thanks!