Pickngrin
Well-Known Member
With the invaluable wealth of knowledge shared by wise brewers on the internet (dating years back from the original Homebrew Digest to this fine site), I find it interesting to every so often hear some downright inaccurate or bad advice from local homebrew shops.
There is a place I frequent, and I like the guys there. However, on my last visit, I was told that mashing should only be done up to 153 degrees, because 154 degrees is the critical temperature at which the alpha/beta amylase ratio changes (or something to that effect). I can't think of any area of brewing in which there is zero margin of error.
Last weekend, that shop was unexpectedly closed, and I had to go to the other shop in this area. I was looking in the yeast fridge for Wyeast 2112 - California lager. The owner was trying to explain to me that there is no "California lager" yeast, and that I was thinking of American lager. Finally, he pulled out the Wyeast brochure and lo and behold, there it was. He just doesn't carry it. I wasn't arguing with him and am not a "see-I-told-you" kind of guy, but I've heard him dispense some unusual brewing advice in the past, so I was a bit leery about going in there to begin with.
Anyone get any bad advice from a LBHS?
There is a place I frequent, and I like the guys there. However, on my last visit, I was told that mashing should only be done up to 153 degrees, because 154 degrees is the critical temperature at which the alpha/beta amylase ratio changes (or something to that effect). I can't think of any area of brewing in which there is zero margin of error.
Last weekend, that shop was unexpectedly closed, and I had to go to the other shop in this area. I was looking in the yeast fridge for Wyeast 2112 - California lager. The owner was trying to explain to me that there is no "California lager" yeast, and that I was thinking of American lager. Finally, he pulled out the Wyeast brochure and lo and behold, there it was. He just doesn't carry it. I wasn't arguing with him and am not a "see-I-told-you" kind of guy, but I've heard him dispense some unusual brewing advice in the past, so I was a bit leery about going in there to begin with.
Anyone get any bad advice from a LBHS?