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Beer and Wine Making Forum
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

First Steps
What is the simplest, most basic way to get started?
How do your equipment kits vary?
Is homebrew expensive to produce?
Quick directions for brewing 5 gallons with malt extract, specialty grains, hops, yeast, and priming sugar.
 
Kits
Where do your recipes come from?
How does making beer from canned kits compare with our kits?
Why do some kits call for corn or table sugar?
Malt Extract
What is malt extract?
What are the differences between various varieties?
What is the difference between the syrup and dried forms of malt extract and what is the ratio between the two?
Grain
What are "specialty" grains and how do they differ from other types of grain?
How are specialty grains utilized?
How long will specialty grains keep?
Hops
What are hops and what is their function?
What is the difference between hop pellets, plugs, whole, and extract?
When do I add hops?
What is dry hopping?
What are alpha acids, AAU's, HBU's, and IBU's?
What does hop utilization mean?
What are the different types of hops?
How does beer gravity affect hop utilization?
Yeast
Can I use the yeast I buy in the supermarket or health food store to make beer or wine?
What's the difference between dry and liquid yeast?
What is the difference between ale and lager yeast?
What type of Yeast do you carry?
What are my yeast size options?
What is a yeast starter and how do I prepare one?
Water
What is hard and soft water?
What is temporary hardness and what affect does it have on the brewing process?
What is pH and why is it significant in brewing?
How can the pH of the mash be adjusted?
My water needs adjustment. How can I do it?
Where can I get information about my tap or well water?
Other Ingredients
What is yeast nutrient and when do I need to use it?
I want to use honey in my brew. How much should I use?
How do I use fresh fruit to flavor my brew?
How much fruit do I add to my brew?
I heard this unnerving rumor that you can make pumpkin beer. How does that work?
I want to make a heather ale. How much do I use?
Fining agents, what's out there, what are they and how do they work?
What is heading liquid?
Fermentation
I've pitched my yeast and nothing is happening.
My wort was fermenting happily and then it abruptly stopped.
What is two-stage fermentation and what are its advantages?
When should I transfer my beer from the primary fermenter to the secondary fermenter?
How long can fermented beer remain in carboy without bottling or kegging?
My beer has bubbled up through the airlock/has blown the bung and airlock off, what now?
Oh sh#t! I accidentally pushed my rubber stopper into my carboy! Is the beer ruined? Can I get it out? How do I get out? Aaaaahhhh!!
What are the ideal fermentation temperatures for ales and lagers.
Bottling and Kegging
How do I prime 5 gallons of beer with corn sugar or dried malt extract?
How do I prime my beer using other sugars?
My beer has been in bottles for two weeks and there is no/very little carbonation.
When I open my bottles the beer comes gushing out/is over-carbonated.
How do I prime my beer using gyle? What the hell is gyle?
How do I force carbonate beer using a Cornelius kegging system?
How do I properly clean my Cornelius kegs?
All Grain Brewing
What equipment do I need to get started all-grain brewing?
Beginning principles in all-grain brewing.
What is involved in All-Grain Brewing
Laagering
So you finally invested in the refrigerator thermostat control and are ready to try your hand at laagering eh? Perhaps a word on fermentation will help de-mystify the whole deal and put the "grrr" back in "lager, baby! Yeah!"