Over Thinking Brewing?!

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The_Scooch

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This is probably my 3rd post in this forum and I've yet to brew my first beer. The following is both a question and general opinion and I'm just curious about what others here think.

For reasons I have yet to fully understand, I recently had the epiphany to brew my own beer. I've become a beer snob over the last few years (that's what my wife says) and have spent much time educating myself about beer. A few weeks ago I decided to brew beer. I have yet to do it but I have become obsessed with the idea. I have read Palmer's book now twice, spent alot of time searcing and reading this forum, bought some equipment, fabbed some others and am still piecing together the items I want. As many of you have suggested, I'm not wasting money on things I will end up not using in the future. I'm getting the good stuff.

For the first time in a long time, I'm really excited about learning something new and (hopefully) progressing to be able to do it well. I will go ahead and admit that I am obssesive and methodical about accuracy, quality and detail. Do it right or don't do it at all.

My excitement has become infectious and now my wife is anxiously waiting for the big day. She works with all men and told them about my plans, telling them about the various items I had bought or made. A few of them chimed in about having brewed beer before (but not in a while) and said I was "over-thinking it". They went on to say that the harder I tried to make good beer, the worse it would turn out.

I can understand this point of view but then, these guys are not consistent brewers, just tried it a couple times in the past. I'm sure you can make yourself nuts trying to treat brewing as though it were synthesizing DNA... I'm not that crazy. But I don't think using a wort chiller or a pre-chiller, doing a full boil or setting up a thermostatically controlled fermentation fridge are signs of OCD.

I know some of you will say "stop waiting and just brew". Believe me, I would like to. But I simply can't do it until I feel I have the proper tools and are mentally prepared. Then it's "game on".

Meanwhile, what do you think? Do you brew for the satisfaction of making a great beer or just for the casual fun of making beer, regardless of how it turns out? Am I over-thinking it?

Thanks
 
Doesn't sound like you're going overboard to me, you're just serious about making some good beer. Those guys probably just poured a can of goo into a pot of boiling water and called it beer. Making good beer is more complicated than that, but not THAT much more complicated. Sounds like you've done your homework. Just get your system set up, choose a simple one for your first, make a plan, and follow thru. You should end up with some good stuff.

A good first AG brew(or extract if you want to) is EdWort's Haus Pale Ale.
 
Beer is fun to make. Beer is fun to drink. Beer that you make yourself is really fun to drink.

That about somes it up.
 
Thing is, you can make beer simply to begin with (and real good beer), and add compexity as you go. Most of us started out with simple setups - using extract and steeping grains, simple recipes, ice baths to chill the wort, dry yeast - very easy, honestly, a lot harder to **** up that you would think.

You add stuff as you go; you start to partial mash, so you build a mash tun. You want to do full boils, so you get a burner and wort chiller. You want temperature control, so it's time for a sparge fridge and external temperature controller. You want to keg, so it's cornies and CO2 and faucets and regulators and all of that.

But still - at its core, homebrewing does NOT need to be complex. Do something simple to start, nothing overly complex, and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll climb the learning curve.
 
sounds like you're on your way and going at your own pace

just remember...all this preparation doesn't stop the fact that you will make mistakes on your first batch :D

but you'll learn from them ;) and the beer will be good anyway

:mug:
 
OK, I'll be the one to say "Stop Waiting and Just Brew!". If you've read Palmer's book twice and have some equipment already, then you are ready to do your first batch. Get an extract + steeping grain kit and go for it.

Brewing is a hands-on activity. You can read all you want, but you won't be a brewer until you actually brew something. Besides, there's nothing better than reading a book about beer while you are drinking a beer you made.

It is possible to overthink brewing (especially when it comes to sanitation). But the more you brew the more natural it will become.
 
I'll go along with Sigmund here, as well as the "start brewing" crowd.

And, I do not want to insult you in the least, but it sounds like you have a classic case of stage fright. If you never have brewed, how will you know when you have the proper tools and are mentally prepared?

I also think you just need to get your hands dirty and brew some beer. I'm not sure what "mentally prepared" means, but it usually means you want to wait until that perfect moment when you believe you have everything under control, prepared for every contingency, have every tool, and believe you know what you are doing. You cannot do that, man. No book or other explanation can teach you how to brew. You just have to learn by doing. The books just reduce the number of surprises you will have. I know some brewers who can barely swallow their own food without a refresher course, but they are mentally prepared to brew. :)

I also do not know what "proper tools" means. I brewed fine beer with a four gallon stock pot, a bucket, a hydrometer, a racking cane, my kitchen spatula, and some tubing. I brewed better beer and had an easier time of it when I got more stuff, but I didn't need a wort chiller, 10 gallon kettle, temperature control, and the other dozen doo-dads I have lying around. I am very glad I have them, but I did not need them to start off.

Now, like I said, I do not mean to insult you in the least, despite my tone. In fact, I applaud your attention to preparation, and I wish more new brewers would prepare a bit more or, at least, take it upon themselves to learn a little more on their own. However, your friends make a good point. You cannot learn to fly while sitting in the nest. This is not brain surgery. You've heard your queue, and it's time to get out there and perform.


TL
 
Disclaimer:

Meanwhile, what do you think? Do you brew for the satisfaction of making a great beer or just for the casual fun of making beer, regardless of how it turns out? Am I over-thinking it?

Thanks

I wanted to make the best beer anyone has ever tasted, but it turned out to be one of the best hobbies I've ever taken up (and there's been many). Im still looking for the best beer, but along the way I've made some tasty beer. Take it from someone who over thinks and over analyzes everything, just do it!
 
I was just reading an old BYO Mr Wizard answer and came upon this quote;

Mr Wizard said:
It sometimes seems like homebrewing has advanced from “Relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew” to “Stress out so much that only a homebrew can calm you down.”

I agree with Sigmund's statement above, this is supposed to be about fun AND beer...It combines the DIY ethic, with a little bit of geek science, and more importantly- BEER!

And like others have said...You can make it as complex as you want to...but you DON'T HAVE TO....You can sweat every detail of the process, and stare obsessively at your carboy and bottles for the entire several weeks until you crack the first one or you can shove the fermentor and the cases of filled bottles in the back of the closet until drinking time..It's your choice...

But guess what....It doesn't really matter to the yeasties either way. They know what they're doing, they've been doing it since the first airborn spore landed on some wet grain and started peeing alchohol that some caveman had the guts to take a sip of...(Was he a genuis, a fool or a bit of both?)

I guess what I'm saying is...No matter how complex you choose to approach this obsess...erm...hobby, just remember that the yeasties have already figured out how to make beer....we just sort of direct them to make it for us :D and most importantly...have fun!
 
Be careful not to confuse difficulty and complexity. Making good beer is not terribly difficult, especially given the amount of information and help available. Making truly great beer and making complex beer usually come in the later stages that experience alone can bring. Of course, some folks are just gifted to do things like put together recipes. And, even the ones that are will put many recipes through refinement, and throw out some altogether.

What I am getting at, like has been mentioned, is you need to start somewhere. It is good to have a repertoire of technical information to fall back on and help on the fly, but there is no substitute for experience. If you are questioning over-thinking it, then perhaps it is time. :D

Also, keep in mind that over-thinking and over-educating can push you 'into the box'.
 
I'll go along with Sigmund here, as well as the "start brewing" crowd.

And, I do not want to insult you in the least, but it sounds like you have a classic case of stage fright. If you never have brewed, how will you know when you have the proper tools and are mentally prepared?

I also think you just need to get your hands dirty and brew some beer. I'm not sure what "mentally prepared" means, but it usually means you want to wait until that perfect moment when you believe you have everything under control, prepared for every contingency, have every tool, and believe you know what you are doing. You cannot do that, man. No book or other explanation can teach you how to brew. You just have to learn by doing. The books just reduce the number of surprises you will have. I know some brewers who can barely swallow their own food without a refresher course, but they are mentally prepared to brew. :)

I also do not know what "proper tools" means. I brewed fine beer with a four gallon stock pot, a bucket, a hydrometer, a racking cane, my kitchen spatula, and some tubing. I brewed better beer and had an easier time of it when I got more stuff, but I didn't need a wort chiller, 10 gallon kettle, temperature control, and the other dozen doo-dads I have lying around. I am very glad I have them, but I did not need them to start off.

Now, like I said, I do not mean to insult you in the least, despite my tone. In fact, I applaud your attention to preparation, and I wish more new brewers would prepare a bit more or, at least, take it upon themselves to learn a little more on their own. However, your friends make a good point. You cannot learn to fly while sitting in the nest. This is not brain surgery. You've heard your queue, and it's time to get out there and perform.


TL

You're dead on as usual, TexLaw. There's nothing wrong with wanting/getting the proper equipment, but there's also nothing wrong with starting to brew WHILE you get the new equipment. When I started I ordered an equipment kit and an extract batch and within 4 hours of them showing up on my doorstep I was brewing.

It's really damn hard to mess up a batch of beer, so start brewing! :D :tank:
 
I'll join in the crowd saying "go ahead and brew already".

Making beer takes a little bit of knowledge.

Making good beer takes a fair amount of knowledge

Making very good beer takes a good amount of experience and a good amount of knowledge.

And so forth....

As much as you try, you can only learn so much by reading. You already have all the tools and knowledge you need to make good beer. If you want to make it even better you need some experience. I haven't been brewing that long, and was pretty anal about reading up on everything before I did it, but I learned 10 times what I know from actually doing versus reading.
 
While I agree with what others have said here to get brewing, I think you sound alot like me when I started thinking about brewing. I studied and built things for months. It got to the point where I wondered if actual brewing would be as fun as the anticipation of it was. Turns out it was:)... and I built an AG brewery that I don't have to add much to. I can brew any style and my first batch came out very good. But I didn't know as much as I could have with raw experience. To a point, the more mentally prepared you are, the better your beer will be. But don't wait too long. You'll never be prepared for everything and there is always something new to learn. The important thing is, don't question yourself... I think you sound perfectly sane. We all approach brewing from different perspectives. That's what makes this community so wonderfully diverse.
 
In my experience with brewing, both in the home and at a microbrew, I've learned a couple of things. First, there's no such thing as overthinking brewing. There may be hesistation, but planning and consideration are an important step with brewing, especially early on. If you want to make the best possible beer, you need to plan well and do your best to follow through on those plans.

But...

There is no substitute for experience. Sometimes, you just have to go out there and bite the grist. Some of the most valuable things I've learned in brewing came from mistakes or missteps, even though I've also learned a lot from research and HBT. A lot of the techniques that are used in brewing, particularly AG, are techniques that usually don't quite "click" unless you transform them from theory into practice.

So what it comes down to this...plan as best as you can, cross your Ts and dot your Is, and when you feel you've covered your bases, go brew it. You may not feel ready, but you'd be surprised. Finally, don't be afraid of making a mistake or experiencing something beyond your control that affects your brewday. Learn from it and protect your process the next time you brew. As hard as it is, there's no use crying over spilled wort or beer for that matter.

You sound like a smart, meticulous brewer and I believe you'll do great! :rockin:
 
Similar to the famous shoe ad..... Just Brew It. You've got to start somewhere, and based on what you've said, you are more than ready.
 
I'm sure you can make yourself nuts trying to treat brewing as though it were synthesizing DNA... I'm not that crazy.


Some of us brew beer and synthesize DNA...some even synthesize their yeast's DNA for brewing "special" beer....:rockin:

What you're encountering is just the tip of the iceberg, and the makings of a great brewer. Never turn your mind off!

Just make sure you brew often, and brew lots. Brew with regularity, for the sake of brewing. Brew once, twice, sometimes 3 times per week. Give beer away to friends...have them help invest in kegs or ingredients. There really is nothing stopping you from making phenomenal beer. Enjoy it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hop addition to make...
 
I did the same as you, spent a really long time reading Palmer and researching online. In fact, I had built a counter-flow wort chiller even before for my first batch. I basically tried to make myself more familiar with the entire brewing process and each piece of equipment. That way when the big day came, it didn't feel like a foreign process. My first batch went great and everybody loved it which just brought my confidence level up even higher. However I think that I could have easily started earlier and obtain similar results. I guess my philosophy is that you shouldn't jump in blind and unprepared, but you also don't need to know every single detail of the process. If you find the craft to be enjoyable then you will have all the time in the world to learn the process down to the molecular level. It reminds me of when I was 5 years old learning to play ice hockey. I was too eager to get in and didn't bother learning how to skate. My brother only a couple of years older was the opposite. He learned to skate well and then gave it a shot and ended up playing for several years where as I quit at the end of the season.

Moral of the story: Brew beer and make sure your kids play hockey. :D
 
If you enjoy being so meticulous and tedious with it, then that is the way to go!

Any idiot can make really good beer by basically following a recipe and being reasonably sanitary.

That said, someone who over-thinks it and is always tweaking it, taking samples etc., may very well flub it up.

It is actually much like baking. Think as much as you want as far as ingredients. Once it is going, just monitor the temps and leave it alone!
 
If you're going to obsess or over-think it, the best place to put that energy is into making sure your equipment is cleaned and sanitized. :mug:

Just enjoy the rest, and RDWAHAHB!
 
You can read all the books. You can study all the processes. You can listen to every Homebrewing podcast out there. You can watch every Homebrewing video on YouTube…and you can lurk on HBT for 7 hours a day for two straight weeks…

Nothing will replace the experience you get standing in front of your brew pot watching your wort boil…or taking periodic hydrometer readings from your fermenter…or sampling that first bottle after only 3 days because you couldn’t resist.

It’s not like you have only once chance in a lifetime to brew. If you screw it up…which maybe you will…maybe you won’t…brew again.

After all, you’re simply:
  • Creating a sugary liquid using malt extract or soaking some grains in hot water
  • Adding some hops to the liquid while it’s boiling
  • Cooling the liquid and adding some yeast.
  • Waiting several weeks.
  • Transferring liquid to bottles and waiting several more weeks.

The simpler you view the process, the better your beer will be.

So I guess that puts me in the “just do it” camp. :D
 
After all, you’re simply:
  • Creating a sugary liquid using malt extract or soaking some grains in hot water
  • Adding some hops to the liquid while it’s boiling
  • Cooling the liquid and adding some yeast.
  • Waiting several weeks.
  • Transferring liquid to bottles and waiting several more weeks.

The simpler you view the process, the better your beer will be.

This pretty well sums it up nicely!
 
Relax, Don't Worry, Make a Homebrew.

I applaud your attention to detail and desire to do things well from the start. Remember, brewing is a craft. Craftsmanship takes time and practice to develop. The sooner you start brewing, the sooner you'll develop your methods to a level that works for you.

I've had great beer brewed by a beginner in a bucket, and I've had terrible beer brewed on $5000 brew rigs. Go get started already -- you're better informed than 99% of first-time brewers.
 
Wow. The passion that you guys have and the info sharing is great. I build custom cars and bikes and that community is nothing like this.

While all of you were sending me great advice I went to my LHBS and bought the ingredients for my first brew, a Honey Brown Ale recipe developed by the LHBS. It's bulk LME and steeping grains, liquid pitchable yeast. They pride themselves on fresh LME so it should be good. I'm not ready to go AG yet. I think I need to get the basics down before that. Besides, more equipment!

I'll be brewing this weekend.

Everything that was said by all of you is right on. But don't misunderstand, I don't have stage fright. It will take every bit of will power to not blow off my current projects and just stay home tomorrow and brew.

Thanks to all.
 
Think until you start having second thoughts then just do it before your second thoughts destroy your enthusiasm. That's the point when you done overthunk it! No one knows you better than yourself!
 
Just remember, no matter what you do...no matter what you think may be happening, no matter whether or not your airlock is bubbling, no matter how the beer tastes if you jump the gun and try it before it's sat in the bottle for 3 weeks @ 70 deg....

Your beer is not ruined!!!

So don't start a thread about it....:D

Congrats on selecting your first recipe!:mug:
 
I commend your attention to detail, but believe it or not, this is a very forgiving hobby. There is no substitute for good sanitation and planning.

My first kit was an extract mild ale from Northern Brewer which was simply fantastic. I got started by answering a calssified for a home brewing kit for $60..

Get that extract kit and go for it ... but be sure to have fun and trust the process...those yeast are hard workers.
 
Similar to the famous shoe ad..... Just Brew It. You've got to start somewhere, and based on what you've said, you are more than ready.

Someone needs to make that graphic, though I can't decide if the swoosh should be 2 row, hops, etc :)

I did a lot of research before my first brew -- though not as much as you, I'd say -- and I think it all helped a ton. However, I made a list of 'Things to remember' in a spiral notebook before I brewed, and even after all my planning made a list of 'Stupid S$%t To Not Do Again' that was at least half as long :)
 
I am still pretty much a noob myself, and wanted to add that I did (close to;)) the same thing as you did before I brewed my first batch. Things will become so much clearer when you actual get in there and brew. At least that is what happened for me. Good Luck

Honey Brown....nice choice....let us know how it is going
 
Hi Scooch, You got some great brewers interested in your post some build up. I was on other spectrum a bit. I brewed with a friend then taught myself as I brewed. I read during fermentation :) I would figure out answers after I had questions at times
These are good temps to start brewing :)
It's funny whenever I brew I get a fever for it. I get things clean and organized all I want to do is brew. It seems like each brew I refine my techniques. I'm always trying to speed things up or make brewing easier. Last time I had the fever I brewed 3 batches had 30 gallons in carboys. Some batches are tastier than others but in general I would agree with a statement my friend said," Homebrew’s the Best!" Part of what I like about brewing is that there really isn't much in the way of limits and the recipes are endless.
I remember brewing in December and the power went out the night I brewed and my carboy temp dropped really low. Another time I made a batch thinking it was light in color. I instinctively ground up a pound of 60 L and some chocolate and threw it in. It turned out I left some of the grains I milled at the brew shop in the trunk. My brown ale that time I re named a pale :) Another time the smack pack yeast I bought was dead and didn’t expand and I had to let the wort sit longer than anticipated and buy yeast from a different shop. Another time I made a raspberry beer and it taught me the lesson of needing a blow off tube. I thought I was ultra prepared to make mead until a swarm of honeybees came into my basement. I can’t imagine brewing without curveballs. I'd imagine there will be some no matter how much you plan.
Here’s a post on the sight you might like I related to it
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/worst-experience-home-brewing-106734/

I'm looking forward to hearing how smooth it goes for you and how pleased you are with the results. I agree with you that the homebrew community in general and folks on this site to be specific are awesome! Try adding some honey to your recipes  Good Luck!
Virginia Wolf
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I understand wanting to have everything go perfectly, wanting to do it well. If you're like me, your first batch will be anything but.

You can study all you want, but, that pales in comparison to the actual experience. You may find you don't need some of your equipment. You may find you need more equipment. Actually, that last sentence is an absolute. :p But, use experience as another teacher, a guide.

You asked why we (I) brew. I do it for the planning, execution, and sampling. Basically, the full spectrum.

TL;DR - do a batch. Use it to learn, and fine tune your process.
 
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