We're back baby!

Didn't have much luck brewing the past year. I did 6 or 7 brews. Mainly because they were all turning out poorly.

I think I was getting infected beer or sometimes oxidized beer. It is still drinkable to a point. Won't kill you but less than enjoyable.

As a result I lost enthusiasm and tapered off the brewing. The kegging debacles pushed me to the end of the rope kind of thing.
Any way I finally found my self with a few spare dollars to spend and I grabbed a new fermenter. I have 3 already. 2 old ones and a Coopers. The coopers one has a bad faucet on it. It needs a new seal but it's a unique design. So I need to get a new tap. Tap costs $5.30 but shipping is $15.00. I could grab some extra stuff like brew juice but lack the $$ to make it worthwhile compared to going to the local HBS. Free shipping over $100.

I've also stopped bulk priming and gone back to using carbonation drops. 1 drop per 330ml or 2 for 700ml. I think thats 12oz and 24oz?

Back to basics. I think either the old fermenters were giving an infection or I was picking one up when bulk priming. I also think I was oxidizing the beer perhaps when bulk priming. I'm not 100% confident of that because I don't think I was doing any worse than what I've seen other people do.
Also doing straight kits so, I'm also going easy on the dry hopping although I think I will start to ramp that up again. A cascade pale ale batch I'm nearly finished is very tasty.

Anyway brewing like a mofo at the moment. Coming into the ideal temps. If I had a working tap for the coopers I'd be doing two batches at a time. Beer is coming out pretty good. I did have one batch with a load of diacetyl and I thought it might have to go. In the past few days it seems to be coming good.

I've also been brewing a few Morgans cans. They seem to come out great every time. No off flavours that you need to wait to clear up. Also their mouth feel is thicker at 23L where you would have to go to 20L with a Coopers. They have a wide range of beers although the HBS shop only carry the main ones. I'll see if I can get them to order me in a few others. They also have some recipes online to clone beers I really like.

The last beer I kegged finally came good. Took 3 months but it got there. Tastes great although I finished most of it before it was ripe. I think a couple weeks at room temp is the solution.

Been looking for a chest freezer. Keezer time. I thought I had a bead on one last weekend but seller never replied.