Some Important Things I've Learned About Homebrewing.

[untothee]

I've been Homebrewing nearly a year now.
Eight batches under my belt.
I'm sure there's still plenty to learn but wanted to share what I have so far.

1. Like cooking, make sure you have all of the ingredients BEFORE starting a brewday. This includes cleaners and sanitisers as well as grains, hops, yeast and whatnot.

2. Lay-out/set-up all ingredients beforehand (this goes with number 1 as well).

3. Of course-clean and sanitise EVERYTHING right and proper.

4. If you're thinking your brewday will take three hours, plan for four (at least).

5. Try a commercial beer of the style you're attempting to clone. BEFORE you attempt it. (Know what it tastes like and decide if you like it). Don't go blind.

6. Before creating a recipe of your own-Research. Research. Research. Research regardless-even with a kit.

7. Upon tasting your finished own creation be prepared to be disappointed or (possibly "and") pleasantly surprised.

8. (If bottling) make sure you have enough bottles BEFORE bottling day. Bottling day may need pushing back while you stock up.



I'm sure there are more I'm not thinking of a the moment.

I know these don't apply to everyone but may have at one time or another.
Just wanted to share a few of my lessons and curious about what you're learned.

[wortchillergoal]

For those of us well fermented flatulence types(read old farts) have reading glasses handy for reading measuring cups and spoons, reciepies, and the hydrometer.

[barleyburps]

planning ahead always makes for a smoother brewday. . .

[corkybstewart]

But always expect the unexpected.
2 of my worst brewing sessions ever have been in the last year, so never think you've got it down pat. You still need to pay attention.

[untothee]

Always expect the unexpected.

That's the one! Definately.

[zoom6zoom]

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

[sittingcow]

Good homebrewers do!

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by zoom6zoom
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

that's what they make Spanish to English translation pocket books :D

BTW, nice thread idea untothee

[markaberrant]

Originally posted by untothee
5. Try a commercial beer of the style you're attempting to clone. BEFORE you attempt it. (Know what it tastes like and decide if you like it). Don't go blind.

If I followed this advice, I never would have made a saison, kolsch, hefeweizen, alt, american pale ale or american brown ale when I did... on top of that, they all turned out fantastic.

And I still haven't tried a commercial kolsch, alt or american brown.

[corkybstewart]

I'm about 50/50 on this one too. Sometimes I brew my version before I even know what the commercial versions taste like. That way my beer is automatically the standard and therefore better.

But seriously I often will have only read about a beer style before I brew it, then if I like mine I will search out the commercial versions and tweak my recipes.

[M.K. Jeeves]

9. If you are married, make sure your supervisor is some where else.

[untothee]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
I'm about 50/50 on this one too. Sometimes I brew my version before I even know what the commercial versions taste like. That way my beer is automatically the standard and therefore better.

But seriously I often will have only read about a beer style before I brew it, then if I like mine I will search out the commercial versions and tweak my recipes.

I am too but it's still a good idea. A part of Research-trying out the world of Beer and seeing what's out there.

I wouldn't have made a Hefe or Bitter without trying a commercial and just going on the style description.
But Dubbels sound so delicious and they are.

See I came from BMC and the most "exotic" beer I had was a Corona or Heineken.

I've come a long, long way in such a short period of time.

Thanks all.

[Mad Scientist]

10. No Matter how big that kettle is, it will boil over if not watched

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
I'm about 50/50 on this one too. Sometimes I brew my version before I even know what the commercial versions taste like. That way my beer is automatically the standard and therefore better.

But seriously I often will have only read about a beer style before I brew it, then if I like mine I will search out the commercial versions and tweak my recipes.

dang, guess i drank too much before brewing. there's not many styles i haven't had the pleasure of knowing.

[corkybstewart]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
dang, guess i drank too much before brewing. there's not many styles i haven't had the pleasure of knowing.

Hark, where I live there aren't many good beers available, and when I vist my family in Alabama it even gets worse. I honestly didn't know there was a craft beer revival in the US until I started hanging out here. We're just now getting a few craft beers at the local grocery store along with a few good imports. Up until last year Heinekin, Bass, and St. Pauli girl were about the "best" imports we could find. As for craft, we've had Redhook IPA and Widmers Hefe for a couple of years, along with Sam Adams Lager. Things are better now, but my kids bring me good stuff when they come to visit and that's my best source.

[untothee]

Have plenty of sanitiser on hand. Possibly buy in bulk.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Hark, where I live there aren't many good beers available, and when I vist my family in Alabama it even gets worse. I honestly didn't know there was a craft beer revival in the US until I started hanging out here. We're just now getting a few craft beers at the local grocery store along with a few good imports. Up until last year Heinekin, Bass, and St. Pauli girl were about the "best" imports we could find. As for craft, we've had Redhook IPA and Widmers Hefe for a couple of years, along with Sam Adams Lager. Things are better now, but my kids bring me good stuff when they come to visit and that's my best source.

wow, that sucks for sure! but it looks like you're way ahead of the curve these days.

[vw addict]

I'm 5 months in, and 14 batches passed. I went from extract(first batch), to mini-mash(5 batches), to all grain(8 batches). All I know so far is if it's going smoothly, something is bound to happen.:eek:

[untothee]

like there's no smooth,easy brewday. Something somewhere at sometime will go wrong, you've ran out of, spilled, added too early or late, etc,etc.
I've had pretty nice brewdays but there always seems to be a goof somewhere. Nothing to jeopardise the brew but make for a bumpy ride.

[SoxyinMO]

Originally posted by M.K. Jeeves
9. If you are married, make sure your supervisor is some where else.

Here here. Nothing worse than having someone looking over your shoulder & reminding you to do this or asking, 'Did you remember to do that?' A sure-fired way to do something wrong.

[Radian]

i break equipment more often than i should... just recently i put the tubing too far onto the auto-siphon and when i took it apart after moving to secondary i ripped the top right off the inside part at the bend... I suppose it wasn't critical, i just made a clean cut and sanitized it again, no worries. I COULD have dropped a carboy on the cement i guess...

So theres something to be said for being careful with your equipment.

I also had a hydrometer shatter all over my kitchen. I think i need to settle down a little more. I've brewed with friends a bunch but only have 4 under my belt personally.

(btw, long time reader - first time poster. hello everyone)

[corkybstewart]

Welcome aboard.
I buy hydrometers 2 at a time, they don't last long. I'm a lot more careful with my refractometer. And I've never broken a carboy but then I rarely use them. I used to be hell on racking canes and bottling wands, but I bought stainless steel wands and canes about the time I quit bottling.

[Mad Scientist]

Yeah, I've been through my fair share of hyrometers too......

Welcome, BTW

[BrewDog]

11. Clean up as you go. It makes the brew day go much faster and you aren't facing a monster dried on mess at the end, since you've already cleaned most of it already while it was still wet and easier to clean. Your equipment will also tend to last longer if it is well cared for.

12. Give the yeast the time they need to do the job. Patience, Grasshopper. Nothing worse than green home brew, and a lot of "bad" home brew gets MUCH better if it is given the time to mature.

13. I totally gave up on hydrometers. I find that my refractometer doesn't want to roll away by itself, and I'm much more careful with it anyway. Buying one once instead of coughing up 10 or 15 bucks a pop replacing hydrometers is way more cost effective. It is also easier to use when sparging and taking post-fermentation gravity readings, since it doesn't need anywhere near as wort/beer for a test.

[corkybstewart]

Originally posted by BrewDog


13. I totally gave up on hydrometers. I find that my refractometer doesn't want to roll away by itself, and I'm much more careful with it anyway. Buying one once instead of coughing up 10 or 15 bucks a pop replacing hydrometers is way more cost effective. It is also easier to use when sparging and taking post-fermentation gravity readings, since it doesn't need anywhere near as wort/beer for a test.


But licking the refractometer sample ain't nearly as good as drinking the hydrometer sample

[Otis_The_Drunk]

I think I'm just old school, I still use a hydromater....

[EBW]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BrewDog
[B]12. Give the yeast the time they need to do the job. Patience, Grasshopper. Nothing worse than green home brew, and a lot of "bad" home brew gets MUCH better if it is given the time to mature.




Amen Dog. That is one of the best tips I have gotten off of this site.

[untothee]

Yup...
Clean up as you go and patience. Right on BrewDog.

Clean up was natural. There's plenty of time as you go to get a chunk of it done.

Having the patience was tough with the first two batches. But after understanding what's going on and what needs to go on with the brew makes having the patience a lot easier.

And hey, patience makes the brew taste better.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Looks as though now you have developed a philosophy about brewing and beer in general out of this whole experience.

Or I could be drunk and reading it wrong.

[Mad Scientist]

Yer drunk at 10:30 in the morning......must be nice, espicially on a Tuesday...sheesh, I at least wait till noon....:D

[SoxyinMO]

Originally posted by BrewDog
11. Clean up as you go. It makes the brew day go much faster and you aren't facing a monster dried on mess at the end, since you've already cleaned most of it already while it was still wet and easier to clean. Your equipment will also tend to last longer if it is well cared for.



Excellent advice!

[peck]

Check the calibration on your thermometer.

I broke my old glass thermometer and replaced it with a SS dial one. Turns out the new one reads 8 degrees lower than it should. I did about ten batches before realizing this and couldn't figure out why the FG was so high.

[untothee]

Originally posted by Otis_The_Drunk
Looks as though now you have developed a philosophy about brewing and beer in general out of this whole experience.

Or I could be drunk and reading it wrong.

Yup.

[untothee]

Recently made my first starter. Two actually.

Awesome. May do this more often as it really took no time at all to prepare.

Oh, When in doubt use a blow-off.

[Xdredo]

Originally posted by untothee
Recently made my first starter. Two actually.

Awesome. May do this more often as it really took no time at all to prepare.



I made starters for my last two batches and they kicked into gear within a couple of hours instead of 12-15 hours. Haven't tasted yet, but I'll always make a starter from now on.

[cul8rv8]

~ Never brew at 10:00 pm after a night at the local brewpub's tapping party. :)

I had this one happen on my second beer. I was so excited to make a second batch that I went home after many, many, many Alpha Dog Double Red's (7.8% ABV) from The Draft House. I managed to spill wort all over the floor of my kitchen in my apartment at the time, boilover mess all over the stovetop, and when I woke up the next morning my Wyeast packet was swelled up still sitting next to the primary fermenter having never been pitched.

Beer still turned out very good, though.



And to patience, I have found I have a hard time with that, but the key is to be sure and have a nice variety of homebrews on hand ready to drink. When I first started, I had one at a time on hand, so it went fast, and was hard to wait. Now that I keep at least 3 ready to drink, then the patience comes along with it. The mead, though, is really trying my patience. Started it just over 2 months ago and it's still at least another month from bottling, which means at least 3 months from consumption.

[psychodad]

I'm going to buy my first equipment kit this weekend and an ingredient kit. This thread is addressing a lot of the things I've been wondering about.

[Lupulinitus]

Originally posted by Otis_The_Drunk
I think I'm just old school, I still use a hydromater....
haha. I still have my original hydrometer from 1996. The tube it comes in is so dried out I have a tube around it to hold it in place.


14. Never leave when it's close to boil, or when you are moving wort from one place to another.

15. Relax and have a homebrew, but relax for a while and have a homebrew towards the end or when you are done. Doing all-grain and dranking for 6 to 7 hours, then when you're chilling your wort, the last thing you want is to mess up what you've worked on all day.

[dparsons]

Originally posted by psychodad
I'm going to buy my first equipment kit this weekend and an ingredient kit. This thread is addressing a lot of the things I've been wondering about.

Welcome to the hobby. Which equipment kit do you have your eyes on? One with a glass 2ndary fermenter is recommended.

[barleyburps]

Check the calibration on your thermometer.

My ss dial thermometer has a little allen screw on the back to adjust the reading. I always check the temp. of my water just prior to mash-in, with a more accurate lab thermometer, then adjust the dial if necessary so they both agree.

[vw addict]

16. Don't rely on "helpers" doing anything but standing around, drinking all your beer, and keeping you company.:D