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Wyeast 2565 takes about 6 weeks to clear. That's not fast! Try any other yeast instead. Kentucky Common is a great style. To me it tastes sort of like an English style bitter. It's one of the only styles from the USA where there's not a buttload of hops so it tastes like a "normal beer".

Yes, that is very normal. When fermented in the mid 60s F (that's about 18 C for you UK gents), my experience is that the S-33 / London / Windsor / M10 / M15 / Munton's family of yeasts (all very closely related) consistently completes fermentation within 36-40 hours max. If you fermented any...

This is where evaporation comes into play. That wee bit of steaming as the sample droplets cool can skew the readings higher than reality.

I use my refractometer all the time. They are easy to use, but also easy to screw up if you don't know what you are doing. You need to be aware of a few things: You need to keep it zeroed or account for it reading a little off zero using plain water. Alcohol skews the readings but in a very...

Contamination.

There are many kinds of chlorine ions: hypochlorite (bleach), chloramine (stabilized version), and chloride (table salt). These are all chemically totally different, and Campden removes only the first two but not the chloride. If I were you, I would split your batch 2 or maybe even 3 ways...

What are your mash temperature(s) and time(s)? You're not using a step-mash, are you?

Hmm... 68C doesn't seem too hot. Not sure what is going on. Regarding use of your refractometer, my standard guidance: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=28544.msg404366#msg404366

Are you by chance measuring specific gravity using a refractometer, and not a hydrometer? If yes, we can help you with that later. Misuse of a refractometer is an extremely common problem. If not, you might need to check calibration of your mash thermometer in both ice water and boiling water...

I would use one pack of lager yeast at whatever temperature you can get it. Lagers turn out great even at 18C. Save the odd 6g yeast for a small ale later.

Rabbit holes... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/interesting-genome-sequencing-of-some-yeasts.670056/page-3#post-10333850 YEAST MASTER Perma-Living by Yours Truly

Yep, that's me. You've got my tips. I haven't partigyled in ages so my input today would be same as last time. It's funny... looking back, in some ways maybe I knew more 6 years ago than I do now. No way I'd have that much to say today anymore. :)

@dad_of_jon and to anyone else interested... if you follow that link, but prefer to use SI units of grams instead of ounces, and liters instead of gallons, the calculation is exactly the same but you need to simply divide the result by 7.5. That is the conversion. Cheers.

Here is my method. I've discussed this here in the past including conversions to SI units but have since tweaked the constants in the calculation so it would take some doing for me to create the SI version again. Anyway, here it is with American units (ounces and gallons)...

These are great questions. My belief is that if the total water volume stays equal, then the water:grain ratio and thus mash:sparge ratio does not matter, and you should end up with about the same efficiency either way. Where the thick mash has its advantage is if you also sparge extra and...

When I have tasted commercial beers with Saaz, they have this lovely unique floral character. When I taste my own beers with Czech Saaz hops, they taste to me like lemon citrus & pepper. Totally wrong IMO. When I taste fellow homebrewer's beers with Saaz hops, they often taste like nothing, or...

Dextrins really aren't all that sweet though. Mostly just less fermentable.

Single infusion mash at 71C for 30 minutes. Boom.

Yes! Plus a more educated homebrewing community constantly stressing the importance of pitching plenty of healthy live yeast, instead of the old days with greater tendancy to straight-pitch a smaller pack of yeast that sat in a shop for who knows how long. It can still happen, but... it's much...

In my experience, noble hop character is much better when used only for bittering additions. I have been less pleased sometimes when noble hops are added late in the boil. Saaz especially, I don't like as a late hop addition. It tastes lemony to me, and I don't like that in a lager or noble...