Egregious Errors

I make delicious brew, so I'm not actually worried about anything, but....

After reading all you all's posts on technique and equipment I can't help but think that I am lacking in those departments. So here is a poll. What will make the biggest impact on my brews? I brew extract beer (maybe AG soon) on the stovetop w/steeped grains.

There is a poll above.

starters / pitch @ proper rates
full boils
lack of fancy fast wort chiller
no fermentation temp control
lack of enthusiasm for my hydrometer.

Post your current equipment and process. Also post what you think you are lacking.


...and how did we get to 40,000+ members by the time RDWHAHB joined without having a member named RDWHAHB?!

I've read a lot and listened to a lot of "brewing radio" and the consensus seems to be fermentation control (temperature). Next on the list would be proper pitch rate.

Of course I've not really dealt with either of these adequately myself, but they're at the top of the list and getting close to realization.

RDWHAHB said:

I make delicious brew, so I'm not actually worried about anything, but....

After reading all you all's posts on technique and equipment I can't help but think that I am lacking in those departments. So here is a poll. What will make the biggest impact on my brews? I brew extract beer (maybe AG soon) on the stovetop w/steeped grains.

There is a poll above.

starters / pitch @ proper rates
full boils
lack of fancy fast wort chiller
no fermentation temp control
lack of enthusiasm for my hydrometer.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forums. I'm still new here but have been brewing or the last 12+ years and I'm somewhat local to you (Down in the Springs). I try to brew AG about every two weeks or so so if you'd like any pointers from a local or want to come down for a brew and session send me a PM I'll give you the guided tour of my setup and a few pointers along the way. Love the forum name....

starters / pitch @ proper rates
How bad this is depends on the beer. The most likely side effect is stuck fermentation. If you are not brewing high gravity or lager beers, you can get away with it.

full boils
Not a huge deal. Concentrated boils can create more caramelized flavors in your beer though.

lack of fancy fast wort chiller
Not a huge deal either. Some people around here are doing no chill. I wouldn't consider my immersion chiller fancy though.

no fermentation temp control
This is huge. Most people I talk to say this is the one thing that made the biggest improvement in their beer. Its very easy to do.

lack of enthusiasm for my hydrometer.
Not a huge deal if your system is down. It would be stupid to bottle after a week without making sure the gravity is stable. If you are extract or even PM brewing, its harder to screw something up. Efficiency isn't a big deal.

That's a hard poll- I think there is a "tie" among the choices.

Proper yeast pitching, and fermentation temperatures. I consider them equal and crucial.

Crap. I should've read first. I thought you were asking us what was missing in our process. I have to change my answer to big starter. My beer quality hasn't improved since making starters but my fermentation is a lot more predictable than it used to be.

YooperBrew said:

That's a hard poll- I think there is a "tie" among the choices.

Proper yeast pitching, and fermentation temperatures. I consider them equal and crucial.

Click to expand...

these were my most recent offenses, but poor turnouts quickly changed my tune. To hell with stuck fermentations!

I decided when i started to not use a hydrometer. Dont ask me why.. i guess if felt the beer was going to do its thing so it didnt matter. Yeah ignorant and a terrible idea. Now i use it everytime, but i dont overdue it. I take a gravity in the beginning and then another about 3 weeks later. That is it unless i run into an issue.

If you are skipping any of the above... stop skipping them!

I was a bit suprised myself when RDWHAHB was available. When I got it I figured I must have left out a letter or something. That would be classic move. It tried for Jeffro--my nickname first.

Looks like fermentation temps is winning. Might have to rig something up this weekend. I do pay attention to where I put my beers when, but i don't control. I think I might add a "warm box" to a closet. Something to keep it at about 65° (We keep the house at 48 when we aren't home/at night & 60 in the evening). That will take care of the winter. I can rig something else up next summer, or embrace the belgiums.

NNatic-Voting for all is cheatting.
Grimtas-I would very much like that at some point. Most processes are much easier to grasp after actually witnessing them.

hal2814 said:

Crap. I should've read first. I thought you were asking us what was missing in our process.....

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Yeah same here, I voted starters/proper pitching rates because that's my biggest lack. Temp Control is what I would have voted had I read the post first

if i think back to the beers i've made that i'd consider "not great" or "bad," every single damn one of them was due to fermenting too hot.

edit: these days i don't brew if i'm not going to be able or willing to keep the temp down in the right range.

I voted temp control; #2 would be not doing full boils.

My beer that managed to finish second in the HBT comp... it was a partial mash, partial boil. I didn't make a starter and I cooled it in the kettle in the kitchen sink.

But I kept a close eye on fermentation temp 24/7.

Temp control #1!

ChshreCat said:

My beer that managed to finish second in the HBT comp... it was a partial mash, partial boil. I didn't make a starter and I cooled it in the kettle in the kitchen sink.

But I kept a close eye on fermentation temp 24/7.

Temp control #1!

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This pretty much sums it up. But, did you fart near your fermenter?

Temperature control, hands down.

My second choice, which is not on the list, is fresh and properly stored ingredients-- especially for extract brewers. I noticed a quantum leap in my brewing when I started using suppliers that could deliver fresh extract and properly stored hops to my doorstep.

-Steve

Saccharomyces said:

This pretty much sums it up. But, did you fart near your fermenter?

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Where don't I fart?

It's a photo finish, in my opinion, with the winner being temperature control and starters/proper pitching rate in a close second.

RDWHAHB said:

After reading all you all's posts on technique and equipment I can't help but think that I am lacking in those departments.

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Stick to RDWHAHB like you picked for your handle and enjoy this hobby. If someone does something that you are interested in and you want to give it a shot, great. But there are so many ways to skin this cat it isn't funny.

I make a starters from yeast that I've washed or just pitch on the last yeast cake. Who is to say what proper rates are?

I do full boils ans have since I went AG. Were something to happen tomorrow and I had to go back to extract, I'd likely go back to stove top partial boils.

I don't have a fancy fast wort chiller, I have a few coils of copper that my lhbs calls an immersion chiller. If I don't have my yeast pitched in the magic half hour that Palmer says I need to shoot for, I don't sweat it.

I don't control fermentation temps as much as I should, but I think I do well enough for the ales that I like. If I had to dead nuts repeat a brew batch after batch after batch or was doing lagers, I rethink this. But right now I'm OK.

I never use a hydrometer for anything but measuring my OG pre and post boil.

I fart everywhere.

Yuri_Rage said:

...and how did we get to 40,000+ members by the time RDWHAHB joined without having a member named RDWHAHB?!

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I was just asking myself this very same question. You would have thought it'd be taken years ago!

I was listening to one of the older Brewing Network Podcasts the other day, probably Sunday Session, and someone called in with just about this exact question. Jamil and the rest of the gang all told him that going to full boils would be the step that could create the most impact.

Then on Brew Strong, he said that before full boils or anything else, temperature control is the most important step for improving your beer. hehehe those guys on BN have short attention spans. Must be all the beer they drink when they record.

I think temperature control should be your first focus. My beers were decent, and some even good, when I was just doing my thing at room temps. As soon as I started caring about controlling fermentation temps, my beer started tasting great, like commercial quality, "I like this better than what I buy in stores" beer.

Farting near your carboys is not that big of a problem . . . generally . . .As long as you're wearing some sort of undergarment and pants. If you aren't wearing those things you could get pink eye.

Now, queefing near them is an entirely different story. Then you can get a wild yeast infection.

So I started working on a heater. I installed a ceramic heater on the wall of my brew closet. I also had a metal basket that I mounted over it to try to keep it safe. It is thermostat controlled. I'll add a longer cord (that was the only SO cord I had & I was scrounging everything from the garage). I think that I'll install a solid bottom shelf of some sort so that I can mainly heat the lower portion where the beer is. I'm sure some will leak by, but as long as I stop most of the convection the heater shouldn't have to run much.

I agree that temperature control is most important. However, pitching a proper amount of yeast is a very close second and an incredibly easy fix.


TL

TexLaw said:

I agree that temperature control is most important. However, pitching a proper amount of yeast is a very close second and an incredibly easy fix.


TL

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Having a good beer to drink while you brew is in third.

1a.) Temp control
1b.) Proper pitching
2.) Full boils


All are very easy to achieve, especially for 5 gallon batches. Effective temp control can be had with a swamp cooler. Proper pitching rates can be as simple as buying extra yeast. Full boils just takes a larger pot. For a 5 gallon batch, you can get an 8 gallon stainless pot for $60.

Three very easy improvements that will make a huge difference in your brews.

JKoravos said:

1a.) Temp control
1b.) Proper pitching
2.) Full boils


All are very easy to achieve, especially for 5 gallon batches. Effective temp control can be had with a swamp cooler. Proper pitching rates can be as simple as buying extra yeast. Full boils just takes a larger pot. For a 5 gallon batch, you can get an 8 gallon stainless pot for $60.

Three very easy improvements that will make a huge difference in your brews.

Click to expand...

+1

And late extract additions.

But, to make the best beer possible, you HAVE to go AG! :rockin:

We'll, I thought I was in the clear with SWMBO. But she looked in the brew closet last night. "What's that on the wall honey?" I don't think it went over well that I heat the brew closet better than her living space.

But the beer warms us babe....

RDWHAHB said:

We'll, I thought I was in the clear with SWMBO. But she looked in the brew closet last night. "What's that on the wall honey?" I don't think it went over well that I heat the brew closet better than her living space.

But the beer warms us babe....

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I put my fermenters in a tub of water with an aquarium heater in it... its got a thermostat to keep the temp constant and the water makes it very thermally stable. Its also cheap to set up and the heater is like 100w so not too expensive to run.