Hi Al,
I bought a Brewers Best kit for a Kolsch from you the other day. I brewed it on Sunday, Monday and tuesday it was going crazy bubbling away like I have never seen. Today, Wednesday, it has slowed quite a bit, I have to wait almost a minute to see a bubble. Is this normal? What do you think is going on?
Thanks
Eric
Hi Eric,
The Kolsch is a lower gravity beer (~1.045 OG) so this is no surprise. My guess is that it will be complete in a week, I’d give it another 1-2 weeks in primary then bottle.
Cheers,
Al
Hi..dumb question.. If 2 of us come to the wine-making class, friends who live separately, do we each get to make and bring home a bottle of wine? Or should we sign up separately? Thank you, this sounds like so much fun!
Hi Patty,
Yes, everyone in attendance receives a custom labeled bottle of the wine started during the class. It takes 4-6 weeks before it is bottled, depending on the kit. You can sign up for the both of you or do it individually, it doesn’t really matter. We will not have a class in December but will start up again in January. I will post the new class dates very soon.
Cheers,
Al
Karthryn and Al. Just wanted to Thank You for the wine making class. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it. We would definitely be interested in attending again as a refresher. It was not just about the learning, but was also fun. We purchased the kit and the Amorone ingredients and can’t wait to try it. You had asked for feedback, negative or positive, and we honestly could not think of a single thing you could have done differently. It was perfect. Great job!
Lisa & Steve
Al and Kat, thanks so much for the wine making class offering and all of the hospitality you showed us. Wanted to also let you know that the Pinot Grigio I made was in fact a 10 liter kit. I plan to start making more of the 14 liter kits now that I’ve got more confidence in what I’m doing. You have a great store…I’ll be back soon for more supplies.
In my opinion, the store is the best store in NY and CT that I visited. I travel all the way from Westchester to visit it and to see the owners. Both Al and Katheryn are very nice people. Thank you for your hard work. I look forward to buying more supplies from you.
Sorry to keep bothering you guys; one more post (promise); never having made beer does your sell everything I would need to get started, is it better to get a bigger kit I mean volume of beer produced so I don’t have to buy up so to speak. I love beer but the store bought stuff lacks true flavo; I’ve tried home brewed beer someone made and I’m hooked, I want to make my own with my own personality; I think I’d be great at it. Thanks for any info you could give me
Was wondering if you sold sanitation supplies such as sodium metabisulphite for cleaninghome brew equipment. I was thinking of trying to get a home brew kit and I was reading up on it and this stuff was mentioned
Hi Rob,
I would recommend the MacDay labels. These high quality labels go on and come off easily, the ink will not run if it gets wet and they are customizable. There are many templates available and more on the way, stop by the shop and we would be happy to show you the complete line and help you get started.
Cheers,
Al
Greetings! My question is simple (and if it’s been answered above already, I apologize for not having checked)…..
Do you deliver?
I’m interested in purchasing a beer kit and having it sent to my mother’s house in North Haven, so that she could bring it with her when she visits me outside of the country.
Al, have a batch of pale ale that is not fermenting. the lid is tight,airlock secure, temperature was right when the yeast was pitched. any suggestions. should i pitch ore yeast?
Hi Mark,
I would need more info. When was the yeast pitched? What kind (liquid or dry) and strain of yeast? How long since you pitched? If liquid, did you activate the pack? Did it swell properly? What was the age of the yeast? Did you make a starter? Did you properly oxygenate the wort?
This topic is by far the one I get questioned about most. There are so many variables at play but it almost always comes down to pitching enough healthy yeast into a well oxygenated wort.
Stop by or give me a call at the store and we can discuss further.
Cheers,
Al
I have a 5 gallon batch of Imperial pale ale that started fermenting on 1/26 and it is showing no signs of slowing down as of tonight, 2/2. This is the sixth batch of beer i’ve brewed and the first time this has occurred. Is something wrong or do I need to be patient. Any suggestions. Thanx Mark
Hi Mark,
Don’t worry, be patient and let it do its thing. There can be many reasons for this. Imperial implies high starting gravity, these will take longer to ferment out completely than your garden variety 5% beer. Yeast strain, cell number, health, oxygenation level at pitching, fermentation temperature and amount of less fermentable sugars in the wort are all variables that come into play here. Keep good notes and let us know how it turns out.
Cheers,
Al
My wife bought the Brewer’s Best Weizenbier kit from you as a Christmas present. She also bought a 3-pound can of red raspberry puree. How much of the puree would I use to create a raspberry-wheat beer? At what stage of the entire process would I add the puree?
Using the full can will give you a pronounced raspberry flavor, especially in a lighter style such as weizenbier. If you prefer a more subtle flavor you may want to try half to 3/4 a can. I would suggest adding the fruit to the primary once fermentation slows way down, this way the aromas are not driven off by all the CO2 during active primary fermentation. There is sugar in the puree so fermentation will start up again. When using fresh fruit or the puree I rack to secondary once fermentation is over to allow the beer to clear and condition. Let us know how it turns out.
husband wants to bottle his homebrew in champagne bottles of the kind that freixenet 750 l is in. need corks to fit this bottle. use tapered or regular corks? do u supply? and do u have very simple / inexpensive hand corker? thanks.
Hi Diane,
We have plastic Champagne bottle “corks” and wire hoods. These “corks” are inserted by hand not a corker although we do have both hand corkers and floor corkers available.
Cheers,
Al
Hi Nicole,
We have put together recipes for customers with the same condition, sorghum malt extract is used as a substitute for barley. Stop by or give us a call to discuss this further.
Al
Hi Nicole,
Some of the Brewer’s Best Kits we have are partial mash. In addition, we can make up any recipe you (or we) have as a partial mash. Give us a call or stop by, we’d be happy to put something together for you.
Cheers,
Al
Just did my first brew this weekend and I had a great time. Now I plan a regular brew party with my friends. Thanks S&C for your being near by. I was a little apprehensive starting my first brew but after finishing the brew I feel much better now. I plan on doing this OFTEN !!! Thanks S&C you have a loyal customer in the works.
Hi, I am glad I came upon your website. Your place sounds awesome, I love wine and would be interested in making some. Do you have parties for making wine or beer that you cater to a private home?
S&C is a great place to get started if you dont want to waste time being sold on things you don’t need, or leave without the things you do!
Grains are clean…hops and yeast stored correctly….well informed staff…..they’ll order what you need without trying to up-sell you on whatever is in the shop….all in all they’ve got me covered and i have no doubt you’ll be taken care of as well.
I was just there last night and wanted to say thanks for all of your help. Your prices are great and your willingness to assist me was really appreciated. You have a customer for life! Thanks!
Do you carry oak chips to ad to wine? And also the container to hold the chips.
Hi Al,
Yes we carry chips, cubes, sticks and spirals. We also have perforated tubes for chip containment.
Cheers,
Al
Hi Al,
I bought a Brewers Best kit for a Kolsch from you the other day. I brewed it on Sunday, Monday and tuesday it was going crazy bubbling away like I have never seen. Today, Wednesday, it has slowed quite a bit, I have to wait almost a minute to see a bubble. Is this normal? What do you think is going on?
Thanks
Eric
Hi Eric,
The Kolsch is a lower gravity beer (~1.045 OG) so this is no surprise. My guess is that it will be complete in a week, I’d give it another 1-2 weeks in primary then bottle.
Cheers,
Al
Hi..dumb question.. If 2 of us come to the wine-making class, friends who live separately, do we each get to make and bring home a bottle of wine? Or should we sign up separately? Thank you, this sounds like so much fun!
Hi Patty,
Yes, everyone in attendance receives a custom labeled bottle of the wine started during the class. It takes 4-6 weeks before it is bottled, depending on the kit. You can sign up for the both of you or do it individually, it doesn’t really matter. We will not have a class in December but will start up again in January. I will post the new class dates very soon.
Cheers,
Al
Karthryn and Al. Just wanted to Thank You for the wine making class. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it. We would definitely be interested in attending again as a refresher. It was not just about the learning, but was also fun. We purchased the kit and the Amorone ingredients and can’t wait to try it. You had asked for feedback, negative or positive, and we honestly could not think of a single thing you could have done differently. It was perfect. Great job!
Lisa & Steve
Al and Kat, thanks so much for the wine making class offering and all of the hospitality you showed us. Wanted to also let you know that the Pinot Grigio I made was in fact a 10 liter kit. I plan to start making more of the 14 liter kits now that I’ve got more confidence in what I’m doing. You have a great store…I’ll be back soon for more supplies.
In my opinion, the store is the best store in NY and CT that I visited. I travel all the way from Westchester to visit it and to see the owners. Both Al and Katheryn are very nice people. Thank you for your hard work. I look forward to buying more supplies from you.
Sorry to keep bothering you guys; one more post (promise); never having made beer does your sell everything I would need to get started, is it better to get a bigger kit I mean volume of beer produced so I don’t have to buy up so to speak. I love beer but the store bought stuff lacks true flavo; I’ve tried home brewed beer someone made and I’m hooked, I want to make my own with my own personality; I think I’d be great at it. Thanks for any info you could give me
Was wondering if you sold sanitation supplies such as sodium metabisulphite for cleaninghome brew equipment. I was thinking of trying to get a home brew kit and I was reading up on it and this stuff was mentioned
I am interested in making my own wine labels. Are there any software products and/or label stock that you could recommend? Cheers!
Rob
Hi Rob,
I would recommend the MacDay labels. These high quality labels go on and come off easily, the ink will not run if it gets wet and they are customizable. There are many templates available and more on the way, stop by the shop and we would be happy to show you the complete line and help you get started.
Cheers,
Al
Greetings! My question is simple (and if it’s been answered above already, I apologize for not having checked)…..
Do you deliver?
I’m interested in purchasing a beer kit and having it sent to my mother’s house in North Haven, so that she could bring it with her when she visits me outside of the country.
Thank you!
Hi Hanna,
We would be happy to help you out. Please give us a call during business hours and we can make arrangements.
Cheers,
Al
Al, have a batch of pale ale that is not fermenting. the lid is tight,airlock secure, temperature was right when the yeast was pitched. any suggestions. should i pitch ore yeast?
Hi Mark,
I would need more info. When was the yeast pitched? What kind (liquid or dry) and strain of yeast? How long since you pitched? If liquid, did you activate the pack? Did it swell properly? What was the age of the yeast? Did you make a starter? Did you properly oxygenate the wort?
This topic is by far the one I get questioned about most. There are so many variables at play but it almost always comes down to pitching enough healthy yeast into a well oxygenated wort.
Stop by or give me a call at the store and we can discuss further.
Cheers,
Al
I have a 5 gallon batch of Imperial pale ale that started fermenting on 1/26 and it is showing no signs of slowing down as of tonight, 2/2. This is the sixth batch of beer i’ve brewed and the first time this has occurred. Is something wrong or do I need to be patient. Any suggestions. Thanx Mark
Hi Mark,
Don’t worry, be patient and let it do its thing. There can be many reasons for this. Imperial implies high starting gravity, these will take longer to ferment out completely than your garden variety 5% beer. Yeast strain, cell number, health, oxygenation level at pitching, fermentation temperature and amount of less fermentable sugars in the wort are all variables that come into play here. Keep good notes and let us know how it turns out.
Cheers,
Al
My wife bought the Brewer’s Best Weizenbier kit from you as a Christmas present. She also bought a 3-pound can of red raspberry puree. How much of the puree would I use to create a raspberry-wheat beer? At what stage of the entire process would I add the puree?
Using the full can will give you a pronounced raspberry flavor, especially in a lighter style such as weizenbier. If you prefer a more subtle flavor you may want to try half to 3/4 a can. I would suggest adding the fruit to the primary once fermentation slows way down, this way the aromas are not driven off by all the CO2 during active primary fermentation. There is sugar in the puree so fermentation will start up again. When using fresh fruit or the puree I rack to secondary once fermentation is over to allow the beer to clear and condition. Let us know how it turns out.
husband wants to bottle his homebrew in champagne bottles of the kind that freixenet 750 l is in. need corks to fit this bottle. use tapered or regular corks? do u supply? and do u have very simple / inexpensive hand corker? thanks.
Hi Diane,
We have plastic Champagne bottle “corks” and wire hoods. These “corks” are inserted by hand not a corker although we do have both hand corkers and floor corkers available.
Cheers,
Al
I have a friend who is allergic to barley. Is there a recipe you guys can suggest/help put together?
Hi Nicole,
We have put together recipes for customers with the same condition, sorghum malt extract is used as a substitute for barley. Stop by or give us a call to discuss this further.
Al
Do you guys do partial mash kits?
Hi Nicole,
Some of the Brewer’s Best Kits we have are partial mash. In addition, we can make up any recipe you (or we) have as a partial mash. Give us a call or stop by, we’d be happy to put something together for you.
Cheers,
Al
Just did my first brew this weekend and I had a great time. Now I plan a regular brew party with my friends. Thanks S&C for your being near by. I was a little apprehensive starting my first brew but after finishing the brew I feel much better now. I plan on doing this OFTEN !!! Thanks S&C you have a loyal customer in the works.
Mike
Hi, I am glad I came upon your website. Your place sounds awesome, I love wine and would be interested in making some. Do you have parties for making wine or beer that you cater to a private home?
Hi Mary-Lou,
We are currently looking into group wine making events. Check back for more information as we work out the details.
-Al
S&C is a great place to get started if you dont want to waste time being sold on things you don’t need, or leave without the things you do!
Grains are clean…hops and yeast stored correctly….well informed staff…..they’ll order what you need without trying to up-sell you on whatever is in the shop….all in all they’ve got me covered and i have no doubt you’ll be taken care of as well.
dave
madison ct
Great store and selections , yeast, kits, grains, equipment etc..finally a brew store in this area..
support ’em…
“prost”
I was just there last night and wanted to say thanks for all of your help. Your prices are great and your willingness to assist me was really appreciated. You have a customer for life! Thanks!
You guys are awesome!! Sounds like you have a good selection, Glad you guys have a website up and a storefront.
This is great. It’s great to now have a store in the area.