A fermenter should never be completely air-tight or it's just a bomb waiting to go off. That's why we use airlocks, which allow the Co2 to escape, but don't allow oxygen to get in. The sweetness was most likely a yeast that had been on the shelf a long time and didn't properly attenuate.
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tasted belgian stout in secondary last night.
not as sickly sweet as it was when i put it in secondary, starting to taste good.

stuck on whether or not to use bourbon or rum soaked oak chips, or just let it be as is.
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I just started a Pale Ale...have high hopes. Gave it a German flare...using mostly German grain and noble hops. If it ends up tasting anything like it smelled in the kettle, I'll be a happy man.
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What time do your kids go to bed? Are you AG or extract? I can't imagine having the time in my night to brew after my kids go down.
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extract. they go to bed at 6:30 :-)
when i can find time to prepare and get ingredients i think i'm going to try this for my next batch.
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yes, yeast problems.

2 weeks is a general time frame. It can take longer. I have let some go up to 4 weeks before the sweetness was gone and it was time to bottle.
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I just made the jump to AG...I've been very happy with my results so far. I wish my kids went to bed at 6:30, I'm lucky if they're down at 8:30. :-)
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I have to get you a jar of my house yeast (the Bell's strain) for use in your next beer, whatever it is. I keep forgetting.
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tasting my Ruination clone - it's been like 11 days in the bottle.
Pretty good, I think.
Knowing that it's mine I think I'm hypercritical.
Have to get a bottle of Ruination for comparison.
By memory though, I think it might be pretty close!
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Nice!
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I'm going to brew up a Delerium Tremens clone shortly...I love that beer. I gotta get you a bottle of my Abbey Ale. Its been well received, but I'd like to get a more critical opinion on it.

Are you a member of the James River Homebrewers Club?
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Dude, I was just going to IM you about this. Some years back I was, but they met down at Legends and it was tough to get there. They've now moved to Mekong, second Wednesday of every month, and this is right down the street from my office. So I was thinking about hitting the March meeting.
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I'm going to make it to the March meeting as well. Think I'll be dragging Matt with me. I wanted to go to this past meeting, but had too many things going on to fit it in. Early Mar is more open for me. I checked out their website...seems like they do some cool things.
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I just picked up the grains for something close to Rogue's Dead Guy Ale. I've got a bomber of Rogue Shakespeare Stout I'm going to try to harvest the yeast from to use.

Haven't tried it before, so hopefully it'll work.
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I know we trade cigars all the time but is possible or even advisable to swap a couple hb's for hb's??? Just thinking out loud.
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I would think that could present a real challenge. I didn't think you could mail alcohol.
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If you're not successful, you can pick up Rogue's yeast retail: they use a proprietary strain called Pacman, Wyeast sells it now (1764.)
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I heard you're not allowed to buy Cuban cigars, either. :-)

I've done plenty of homebrew shipping & receiving using USPS, FedEx ground & UPS. Competitions will not accept homebrew shipped via USPS because, as Ferg points out, it is technically illegal. But packed properly, you can ship beer safely using any of those methods. Not that I'm advocating anyone break the law.

As far as trading, I think the ToE frown upon those kinds of discussions in forum, due to drinking age restrictions, different state regs, etc. In forum.... again, not that I'm advocating anyone break the law.
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I have been thinking about starting a Homebrew pass with cigars and homebrew.
I would start the box with the cigars and put one bottle of my homebrew in, the next person would take my hombrew and some cigars, and put back one bottle of their homebrew and some cigars, and so on......

*I ship beer all the time and have never had an issue
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I would totally be down with this! I am down to scratch on my beer selection and need to start brewing again shortly after the move... I do have a case of Cascade HopStar that I made which turned out to be very well received for those who enjoy cascade hops. Shipping Beer is easy enough, but this will require quite a large box to accommodate a box of sticks and a few bottles of beer.
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