Haha so I'll take that as a no then! I know it's a silly question, but I've been stressing out about the ins and outs of yeast lately since I switched to all grain and have been toying with higher gravity.
You went all grain before you learned to malt your own? Talk about
putting the cart before the horse!
We really need someone knowledgeable to write a site primer for
beginning brewers. Brewers should learn techniques in a logical progression,
such as:
1. Learn to age your beers. This should be the first thing any
brewer learns, as it requires patience, necessary for everything
else in brewing. I age my beers a minimum of 6 months.
2. Learn to malt your own. This doesn't require as much floor space
as you think! And the rewards are far greater than the all grain
brewer obtains when switching from extract.
3. Switch to all grain brewing. All grain can be done in simple
containers or with fantastically expensive and complex shiny
machinery which you will no doubt want to own to impress your
friends.
Other things such as knowledge of hop and grain flavors and
aromas, proper yeast pitching rates, dried vs. liquid yeast
and temperature control are less important but should be
introduced as time and space allow.
Chris
