Jdub

BS3 is amazing. i use it all of the time and getting much better at it. haven't run a MRB recipe through it yet, although i'm sure someone on this forum knows. BS forum is also very good. there are some guys on it that know it inside and out.

why can't you just transfer from your fermenter to your mini keg and carb and condition in that? fewer steps the better in my opinion. maybe you can do it as you described, but i don't know.

that's actually pretty interesting. i'm gonna try that soon (low temp whirlpool with cryo hops) and do some experimenting.

honey

yeah from what i read whirlpooling gives you the flavor/aroma without the bitterness. although there are some taste tests out there you can read about where no one can tell the difference. gonna whirlpool my next batch.

thanks creeps. yes, i guess i could have googled it before asking on the forum. i found some good info on it too. i know what i'm going to do now.

i guess my question is......adding hops at 0 means basically adding at boiling temp. whirlpooling suggests to cool the wort down a bit and then add the hops and stir for like 15 min. wondering what the difference is if any. i have an upcoming recipe which wants me to add at 0 min. wondering what i should do, b/c my one experience with whirlpool was great. is this minutia?

anyone have an opinion when a recipe says to add hops at 0 mins (flameout) vs. whirlpooling? whirlpooling as i understand it is cooling the wort from boiling to around 170-190 deg or so and then adding hops and stirring it up good in the kettle for a period of time. i had excellent results with a recipe by whirlpooling and i'm wondering if those 2 techniques are interchangeable, or is it specific to a certain recipe?

for 2 gallon batches, i agree that a good whisking will get you what you need. I use an aeration stone and oxygen tank to aerate my 3 and 4 gallon batches. there are folks on this forum who wouldn't spend an extra couple of bucks to upgrade their yeast, or make a yeast starter. I do all that stuff because I want to, and feel like i get good results from it. To each their own..it's your beer!

you don't need to wash your new bottle caps. just sanitize them. also, not everyone has a bench capper, although, having one myself they are very nice. @Shrike's advice about the wet dish towel is spot on. that's what i did when i used a wing capper.

if i were to boil honey, i would let it cool before adding to the fermenter. ya i hear what you're saying @Shrike just wondering if you would wind up with some honey flavor. I guess not. @RickBeer once told me that the only way to get honey flavor is from mashing with honey malt. maybe i'll test that out soon with a 2 row/cascade smash i have in my queue.

thanks! i will try it one of these days, adding to fermenter. i suppose you could even wind up with some honey flavor, as opposed to adding honey to the boil, where you would not. i'm not afraid to experiment, especially with small 2 or 3 gallon batches.

i was just wondering if i could add it after high krausen with no issues. from what i've read, honey is fairly bacteria resistant, so sanitation is not my concern, but would it have the desired effect of more abv. i skipped adding a lb of sugar in this recipe. i think i'll leave it alone.

no need to. i never have even thought about that.

that's really funny! no it's supposed to be an imperial ipa and only came in at around 7%. beersmith suggested it should be around 9% or so. i could leave it alone and be happy or i could add something now.