Top non-gear related improvements to your brewing process?

So I'm curious what some of the best improvements have been for the beers you've made? Non-gear related. Have you started doing one thing every time that has clearly made a significant difference in your beer?

Please share!

Patience.

Attention to detail.

Airborneguy said:

Attention to detail.

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Can you be more specific? Are you talking about exact measurements and note taking, or something else?

Basically, everything. I notice in a lot of the "What is wrong with my batch" threads, a common denominator is lack of attention to detail, ie, "I forgot my hops", "I didn't cool my batch before pitching," "I only added half the grain," etc. These are stupid mistakes that could have been avoided by forming a plan and following it during the brew.

1. Attention to cleaning and sanitizing
2. Full batch boils (equipment related if you need a bigger kettle)
3. Starters.
4. Patience
5. Liquid yeast instead of dry

Better recipes. I spend a lot more time looking at/researching recipes. Sort of equipment related since I bought Brewing Classic Styles.

Creating a custom brew log. Every time I wonder what I did on a prior batch, I update the template with a place for the missing information.l

I try to cut down the amount of beer that I drink while brewing.
Sometimes at clean up I'm hatin' life..

Whole hops.

4 week primary, no secondary, and (if possible) cold crashing for two days, and being very careful when racking to not disturb the yeast cake and trub. It made a huge difference in quality and aesthetics.

Relaxing. Brewing should be fun, not stressful. Use what you have to make great beer, and have a brew buddy to help with the "requires 4 hands" steps

I cold crash everything for as long as i can stand,WOW what a differance.

1.) Patience. I won't even look inside my fermenter for the first 4 weeks unless I plan on dry hopping
2.) Fermentation control
3.) Using starters
4.) Long cold crashes in the keg. Crystal clear beer in a few weeks.

Totally non gear related?

Learning everything I can about yeast and fermentation. Making great beer is ALL about fermentation. Everything else is secondary, including recipe formulation.

Patience

No sparge, no mash out brewing.

Dry yeast.

Kegging.

Interesting question:

Three things have made dramatic changes in my brewing. They are

1. Control of temperature during fermentation (this is, clearly, equipment related but why not list it?)

2. Control of mash pH.

3. Use of low mineral content water.

Step mashes - instead of keeping the mash at 150 for 60 min I'll start with a mash temp of 145 for 30 min then add boiling water to bring it up to 155 for 30 min.

90 min boils - it seems like the longer boil helps to give more body to the finished beer

I think at first just making more beer, kits or known good recipes, will really help getting you comfortable with the process and what's happening. Using kits or known good recipes means you can focus on getting the basics correct.
Once you get that down I'd say understanding ingredients (kind of general I know).

• 90 minute boils
• Yeast starters

I would say fermentation temp control has had the biggest positive impact, but that required additional equipment.

TB

As others said: patience and attention to detail.

Research.

water chemistry.


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1) research: knowing what contributes what to my brews
2) attention to sanitation
3) style specific yeasts and controling fermentation temperature.
4) kegging (gear related maybe...)

up next that i expect to make a big difference
- sight glasses (so i don't have to guess at my volumes)
- starters
- controlled temp fermentation (converted freezer)

Practicing all grain has made the greatest improvement in my beers.

-water pH
-this might not count but, getting to know your equipment
-fermentation times and temp
-getting stuff prepared a day early (hops measured for different additions, everything set up, water volumes measured, minerals measured, etc.)
-pre-boil gravity and knowing when and how to adjust for mistakes

Having a Yoda in you back pocket can't hurt.........

GiraffeBrew said:

Having a Yoda in you back pocket can't hurt.........

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Wouldn't that count as an equipment upgrade?

As others have said #1 attention to detail. You're not making chilli, what goes where, for how long, and at what temperatures is very important.

Learning to know what changes in ingredients and process has, tastewise, on the beer. I use a program to caluclate color, and IBU's but I should be able to imagine the taste any changes to the recipe would create based upon experience.

Long primary, no secondary, unless you count time in the keg as a secondary.