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I usually brew a couple of saisons in the Summer - using the M29 yeast which I suspect is the yeast supplied with the MJ kit. They are an acquired taste and no-one else in my household really likes them! The 'off' flavours you describe do sound kind of saison-like to me to be honest. A few...

Yeah, carb drops by weight are certainly an expensive way to carb your beer. If you want that kind of bottle-priming convenience then sugar cubes are an option. But either way, I still strongly recommend people try bulk priming in the primary. Definitely the way to go, particularly with a...

I use table sugar exclusively for priming. I see no good reason to use the more expensive dextrose, or anything else for that matter. Just be aware that if you do decide to use table sugar it will be need to be around 10% less for the same level of carbonation as dextrose.

Haven't used airlocks for several years now. I don't think they are really necessary though I guess the bubbling does give a visual reassurance.. to those that need reassuring!

Except bulk priming in the primary. athumb..

I've tended to drop the whirlpool/FO additions more recently and instead add them to the dry hop charge instead. I still include late boil additions (5 - 15 mins.) for that 'locked-in' flavour. Whether this approach is any better it's hard to say, it's all very subjective and to be honest I'm...

This has now become my preferred method. This priming method works incredibly well, particularly if you can cold crash and use high flocculating yeasts as well. I simply make up a sugar solution - the requisite amount of sugar dissolved in boiled water, pour it into the primary FV and then...

I've been round in circles with this. Anecdotaley I found that hops added post-boil at sub 80ºC seemed to fade quicker. While they might initially seem to impart greater hoppiness into the beer they did also seem to fade away quicker and I did then wonder whether even a short boil might...

I used to have an ongoing issue with phenolic brews, in particular the medicinal 'bandaid' variety. While it's commonly blamed on chlorine in my case it was the particular yeast strain that was producing the 'bandaid' most times I used it. I'd eliminated chlorine as the possible cause and...

Copper colouring? This kit usually comes out quite pale. If it's copper in colour then that makes me whether it's either oxidised or the can itself was expired...?

I once brewed a Coopers Lager that was 2 years past expiry. The resultant beer was a LOT darker than it should have been but actually tasted OK. It was purchased from an air-conditioned supermarket so storage temperature was acceptable. Your can however is 15 years old! The good news is...

Technically this is incorrect. Hop alpha acids are increasingly isomerised at higher temperatures approaching boiling point. The question is will it contribute and detectable bitterness? This will depend largely on the quantity and the AA% of the particular hop used. I high alpha hop may...

"Amberillo" - as the name suggests, an American Amber ale featuring Amerillo hops, brewed a couple of months ago:

Yes, it may well be my only choice at this stage, though it's a week later now, I racked it a few days ago and it is looking better... but still a long way to go. I don't mind a bit of the sediment in the bottle, I can deal with that but it does make it a little difficult for those bottles...

I'm a beer brewer but thought I'd have a crack at making a cheap wine kit - picked up a Cantina Shiraz/Merlot kit for half price. Fermented in my fermentation fridge and ended up at an FG of 0.996. I did the degassing and stabilising as instructed and then added the finings also as per...

I transitioned to partial mash brewing several years ago and it is now my usual approach to brewing. It gives you all the benefits of AG brewing but without the capital outlay and space and plumbing requirements that AG usually requires as they can be easily done at a stove-top level . And, a...

I use 4.5g sugar cubes in 750ml bottles. That's about right for the styles I usually brew but if you want more of a cask ale level of carbonation then it's way too much! Conversly, it's not really enough for say a saison or lager/pilsner etc. This is when bulk priming is preferable - you...

I'm surprised no one picked up on this? Without knowing the fermentables used in the brew I'd say that's a very low SG. I would have thought 1.010 was a fairly reasonable FG for this style of beer and yeast. 1.004 on the other hand sounds over attenuated. Even with a very healthy ferment I...

Don't forget - carb drops are made from glucose, sugar cubes are sucrose. Weight for weight they will give a different levels of carbonation.

Everything gets recorded in Beersmith, however... the list was getting ridiculously long so I just recently deleted a large number of brews that I know I'll never revisit. They served their purpose and in many cases contributed to the refinement of most current versions of recipes so the older...