Ok, I already tried to post, but I've waited a while and my post hasn't shown up. I hope I'm not going to look like a double-posting idiot. Wil, I can't remember if you've said whether you're doing all-grain or extract... but a lower temp mash rest is often used to increase the clove flavor. Googling "ferulic acid rest" will give you some useful info. There's some debate over how much it helps, but I think I noticed a difference after I started doing it.

Wow, I had no idea, this is the first I've heard about it. I'm so glad I checked your blog tonight. I'm not an Apple fanboy either, but my first experience with computers was an Apple II. I think my father recognized what a big deal it was and bought one in the 70's. That pretty much set the course of my life. I spent many hours playing games, typing in programs from computer magazines, then writing my own... eventually it led to a CS degree and career as a programmer. Thank you, Steve.

If the brewing bug has bitten and you know you'll stick with it, I highly recommend investing in a keg setup. Best money I ever spent on homebrewing. Someone already offered some good tips on converting a refrigerator, but I wanted to suggest that chest freezers can also work out great. But a chest freezer will require an external thermostat, and may be harder to find at a good price. I started out using picnic faucets, and would open the lid to pour a beer. Eventually added a collar on top (so that I would have a safe place to drill holes) and mounted real faucets through it. Some pics on my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saaz42/3408737175/in/photostream/ When you try doing a full mash, I suggest you try batch sparging. Less equipment, faster, more foolproof... probably less efficient, but I figure adding an extra pound of grain in order to save myself a lot of hassle is a good tradeoff. You can google and find some good guides, but briefly: In conventional fly sparging you try to maintain a slow, constant flow of water through the grain. In batch sparging you drain off all the wort quickly, then add fresh water, let it soak and settle for a few minutes, and drain again.