I'll start this by saying I'm a very new brewer. All of one brew under my belt still in the fermenter, getting ready to start another.
But I've noticed in this short time some very conflicting opinions on the "right" way to brew. This I totally get I mean a great many people it seems have been doing this for a long time and likely a majority are making some great beers. I just find it a bit amusing how animated and excited some people get about one point in the process or another.
For example, today I went to my LHBS to get supplies for my next batch. I mentioned to the shopkeep that I just took a gravity reading of my first brew (after a week) and it was at 1.017 (OG 1.060). He said it should be done and I should be racking to a secondary. I told him I wasn't going to bother with a secondary, wow did he get excited. Lectured me a bit on why I must use a secondary.
Now here is the thing, I'm not saying I know better then him, clearly my experience on the matter is nill. However I will say I've been studying all I can on homebrewing in the last few weeks. And I based my decision to do only primary on recomedations from Jamil from the Brew Strong podcasts and his assertion that it really makes no difference unless you plan on leaving it in the fermenter for a very extended lenth of time (over 4-6 weeks). Obviously a contested subject, but what made me chuckle was how adament he was that the only proper way to ferment was to use the secondary.
But I've noticed in this short time some very conflicting opinions on the "right" way to brew. This I totally get I mean a great many people it seems have been doing this for a long time and likely a majority are making some great beers. I just find it a bit amusing how animated and excited some people get about one point in the process or another.
For example, today I went to my LHBS to get supplies for my next batch. I mentioned to the shopkeep that I just took a gravity reading of my first brew (after a week) and it was at 1.017 (OG 1.060). He said it should be done and I should be racking to a secondary. I told him I wasn't going to bother with a secondary, wow did he get excited. Lectured me a bit on why I must use a secondary.
Now here is the thing, I'm not saying I know better then him, clearly my experience on the matter is nill. However I will say I've been studying all I can on homebrewing in the last few weeks. And I based my decision to do only primary on recomedations from Jamil from the Brew Strong podcasts and his assertion that it really makes no difference unless you plan on leaving it in the fermenter for a very extended lenth of time (over 4-6 weeks). Obviously a contested subject, but what made me chuckle was how adament he was that the only proper way to ferment was to use the secondary.