Brewing consistency and a newbie brewer.

[slym2none]

So, looking at some other posts that are being discussed right now, I see people saying "You should be able to re-brew a beer you already brewed well once, and have a (relatively) consistent product."

So, as a new brewer (7th batch in the FV now, 8th batch to be brewed next Friday), my question is WHEN should I be looking at re-brewing a recipe I have already made? I am sure there is no good "right" answer, and that's why I am asking for all of you guys' & gals' opinions.

FTR - my first re-brew will be the Centennial Blonde from Biermuncher. I have only made one beer I was unhappy with, although three are still conditioning, that Blonde was tops. Everyone who tried it, loved it.

 

[astrolic]

I'm in the same boat. This November will mark my one year anniversary as a home brewer, with about 8-10 brews under my belt. I'm planning on brewing this upcoming Monday, and it's looking like it will be my first ever re-brew, a simple stout.

I'm curious to hear others responses.

 

[Teromous]

So, looking at some other posts that are being discussed right now, I see people saying "You should be able to re-brew a beer you already brewed well once, and have a (relatively) consistent product."

So, as a new brewer (7th batch in the FV now, 8th batch to be brewed next Friday), my question is WHEN should I be looking at re-brewing a recipe I have already made? I am sure there is no good "right" answer, and that's why I am asking for all of you guys' & gals' opinions.

FTR - my first re-brew will be the Centennial Blonde from Biermuncher. I have only made one beer I was unhappy with, although three are still conditioning, that Blonde was tops. Everyone who tried it, loved it.

Re-brew a recipe when you feel like drinking it and you don't have any left in stock.

 

[iijakii]

I don't think I've rebrewed a single beer in about 5 years. I always wing/change something. Plus there's just so many styles. Just brewed a milk stout I was very happy with, but it'll be well over a year (maybe two) before I do another one. I'll probably wind up changing something about it by then.

That said, my efficiency is always consistent and on target, so I'd say I'm a consistent brewer? Either way, consistently tasty brews!

 

[fj605]

If it's one you really like, brew it again before you run out. Having one ready as a backup is nice because you can see if there are any differences from batch to batch.

 

[Subdivisions]

I've done Edwort's haus pale ale 4 times this summer and feel that I've got it down pretty well. I could brew it in my sleep. It also gives a very good idea of what the taste should be. Almost like how you know exactly what your favorite commercial beer tastes like in your mind.

That being said. Once a month is a good time frame since the last brew is pretty fresh in your head and you may still have some left over (I usually don't).

 

[chickypad]

I have very few that I brew exactly the same time after time, though I have some stock grainbills that I like to reuse. For example I have a couple of go-to APA/AIPA grainbills that I may have brewed 10-15 times each but always with different combos of hops, sometimes just due to what's on hand and sometimes based on new things I want to try. It is instructional to try to reproduce a beer, or nearly the same beer, but like the others said only do it if that's what you want to drink. No reason you ever have to rebrew a single beer really.

 

[slym2none]

Thanks for all responses so far!

 

[Homercidal]

Consistency is relative, and at the homebrewer level it's more difficult then the big guys who have trained professionals tasting and lots of expensive equipment that can pinpoint things. Plus the scale of their operations means that they can be extremely precise and it's still measured in pounds, not grams.

That said, the key to consistency is to not change your process once you get a recipe down. Use the same equipment, the same ingredients from the same source, same freshness. Kepe track of your recipe and brewing process in fine detail and make single adjustments until you get what you want.

If you don't play with different equipment setups like I do, you can probably get a very good handle on your process and after a while you can make adjustments and know what the result should be.

Mostly, though, keep the same equipment and process and ingredients, keep VERY detailed notes, and make single changes each time.

 

[Gavin C]

I've done a few rebrews, most with minor changes, some with significant changes as my confidence in recipe development grew.

There was a good article on rebrews being kind of like free throws. The pro's rarely miss both. Not that we are pro's but it's fun to rebrew a recipe with some planned improvements to allow for your equipment/mash profile/water profile etc and see how things turn out.

Some recipes I've done more than once with changes are
Edwort's Haus Ale
Da Yoopers house ale
Yooper's oatmeal stout
Edwort's Hefeweizen (unchanged)
A hybrid Munich Helles, brewed as a lager second time

 

[drgonzo2k2]

I think it's really more important to be consistent with your techniques and final output as opposed to brewing the same beer over and over.

What I mean by that, is you should try to find equipment and procedures that work well for you, and then refine them so you are getting consistent efficiency, volumes, and gravity numbers.

You can do that by brewing your simple pale ale over and over, or you can do that by brewing 10 different beers 1 time each.

For me I am nearly a year into my brewing career, and am starting to have a pretty firm understanding of what I'm doing and how to output good beer on my system. I'm on track to finish 20 brew sessions in my first year (batch 15 next weekend - woot!), and of those...

I've brewed 1 beer 3 times
I've brewed 3 beers 2 times each
I've used the same grain bill in 3 different pale ales with different hop combos

There's definitely nothing wrong with sticking to something you like, and it's fun to "get to know" a beer across several different batches.

Of course variety is fun too, which is why I've tried IPAs, pale ales, stouts, sours, saisons, fruited wheats, and so on.

 

[MannyEdwards]

I'm a newbie too, so I'm in the same boat. On the one hand, I planned to rebrew and get good at churning out the same stuff regularly. On the other hand, I keep tweaking and experimenting. I feel like that's a necessary step in gaining experience with the ingredients and methods. At some point soon I'll have two or three brews everybody in the family likes, and I'll keep those in the pipeline while I continue experimenting with new styles.

 

[oujens]

I think for a new brewer, re-brewing a recipe will help you dial in your process. You can judge changes in your beer based on adjustments you have made. The sooner the better so you can improve your beer and make it consistently. Make a simple recipe from this site that you like and then once you are satisfied you can start making slight adjustments. You can brew other styles if you like, but it might be tough to tell if you are having recurring issues or if adjustments in your process are working. My advice for consistency:

1) Water source - Use RO water if you can to eliminate water as an issue. My tap water makeup can change month-to-month, so this gives me confidence knowing what is in my water. RO water cost me $3.50 for 10 gallons and its worth every penny.
2) Make yeast starters and control fermentation temp. A fridge would be best.
3) Monitor Mash pH - Brun water is a powerful tool. A pH meter is too.
4) Monitor grain crush for consistency since this can impact efficiency. Grain mills are useful for this purpose.
5) Don't be overly critical - this is tough to do, but necessary to not drive yourself crazy
6) Be patient - My beers don't hit their prime until about 4-6 weeks post fermentation. Still delicious before that time frame, but the flavors really come together at that point.

It is easy to get frustrated with consistency issues, but focusing on these items has really made brewing much more enjoyable for me. Now its all about fun and experimenting. Keep brewing and consistency will come!

 

[slym2none]

I know you aren't criticizing me, so I want to be clear that I am not criticizing your list - I am just letting you know via your list what I am doing now.

1) I buy spring water right now and it works fine (cheap Kroger brand) but I know if I want something like an APA or an IPA to come out with it's full hoppy-ness, then I need to go RO and add the right stuff to it.
2) I have yet to work with anything but dry yeast, but at some point, vials of yeast and starters will be in my wheelhouse. I do hydrate my dry yeasts (whether or not they call for it) and I have even done some batches with washed yeast. As far as temperature control, my ghetto FC (an Igloo cooler with ice bottles) serves me well, and I know what to do to keep it at whatever temperature I want (size of ice bottles, number of them, etc.) but at some point, having a real FC would be nice.
3) So far, I have only made extract recipes, and only one of those had a mini-mash. But, from reading up here, I do know that when I finally start BIAB, this is definitely important.
4) see #3
5) yeah, it's tough, especially if you are already an overly-self-critical person. Really, I have only made one big mistake (pitching the yeast into too-warm wort) but t was my absolute first time brewing, so I didn't beat myself up. It was a good learning experience, as I know what the consequences are and what exactly those consequences taste like!
6) If nothing else, I have turned into a patient man later on in life. It serves me well as a home-brewer. My second batch ever was a barley-wine, and it is still bottle-conditioning, and will be a "young drinker" at 7 months come Christmastime.

Thanks for all the advice, to you and everyone in this thread!

 

[mattdee1]

FTR - my first re-brew will be the Centennial Blonde from Biermuncher. I have only made one beer I was unhappy with, although three are still conditioning, that Blonde was tops. Everyone who tried it, loved it.

Same here. That beer was brew #2 and brew #4 for me. I bought the ingredients from brew shops in two different countries, brewed different sized batches each time, and despite my general lack of attention to fine details and all around noobness, the beers were pretty much indistinguishable from each other.

 

[dpatrickv]

In my first year I brewed 14 batches.

I brewed 2 batches of two different recipes.

I don't repeat a ton of recipes as I like to experiment but every now and then I come up with something that I rebrew on a consistent basis.

Those 2 recipes that I brewed twice that first year, are still house beers that are rebrewed a couple times each year.

 

[Aristotelian]

I don't think I've rebrewed a single beer in about 5 years. I always wing/change something. Plus there's just so many styles. Just brewed a milk stout I was very happy with, but it'll be well over a year (maybe two) before I do another one. I'll probably wind up changing something about it by then.

That said, my efficiency is always consistent and on target, so I'd say I'm a consistent brewer? Either way, consistently tasty brews!

My buddy at the office has a beer that he likes and he just brews it over and over and calls it "my recipe".

Myself, I can't imagine brewing the same beer twice. There is always something different you can add and match with different seasons, food pairings, drinking contexts etc.

 

[m00ps]

im about 20 months in now, well over 100 batches, and just now im getting to the point where im re-tooling older recipes a bit more often that trying out new ones. although I went the hard route of designing my own from the start so many of my very early recipes could use some improvement. But in terms of consistency, to me getting your efficiency, final volume, fermentation handling, etc dialed in is most important to making good beer

 

[dpatrickv]

My buddy at the office has a beer that he likes and he just brews it over and over and calls it "my recipe".

Myself, I can't imagine brewing the same beer twice. There is always something different you can add and match with different seasons, food pairings, drinking contexts etc.

I can say the only beer that is consistently always in my fridge is my quick golden sour, and even then Im usually dry hopping it differently each time.


My brewing is pretty random at times. Theres a good 3-4 recipes that I will remake at least once a year as they are damn tasty(Strawberry blonde, saison, coconute black ipa), but thats typically it. I enjoy a vast variety and lots of experimentation.

im about 20 months in now, well over 100 batches, and just now im getting to the point where im re-tooling older recipes a bit more often that trying out new ones. although I went the hard route of designing my own from the start so many of my very early recipes could use some improvement. But in terms of consistency, to me getting your efficiency, final volume, fermentation handling, etc dialed in is most important to making good beer

Ive always brewed my own recipes as well. There are some I go back and look at 3.5 years in and just shake my head.

Though, I did just rebrew my 2nd recipe I made. Delicious. Maris Otter, Simcoe and Honey.

 

[mattdee1]

Myself, I can't imagine brewing the same beer twice. There is always something different you can add and match with different seasons, food pairings, drinking contexts etc.

I can totally understand that, but for me, repeat brews are a means of risk management. In other words, I can sacrifice the "exploration" aspect for the sake of essentially guaranteeing a beer I really enjoy. I've got a case left of this brown ale recipe I came up with; it's way too good to just dump out, but not nearly as good as my other batches, so it's going really slowly. In that sense, I guess it's what you'd call a "tediously mediocre" beer.

 

[EtchyLives]

I started AG brewing last fall and decided that with all the new variables I was going to work on one beer (the recipe I use as my house ale) and use it as a test bed. It's a simple brew so there are very few variables and it's relatively easy to see/taste/measure changes. (The beer is Bit R Done ESB). I also REALLY enjoy drinking it.

Initially I needed to get my pipeline up and running so I brewed two five gallon batches. Each time I focused on hitting or improving my efficiency numbers. I also measured the length of time for fermentation so I could automate my STC-1000+ temperature changes and create a specific profile for the beer. I kept track of different variables as they changed. I also RELIGIOUSLY read on here about ways to improve my technique. First up was efficiency since I was a new AG brewer and had a lot to learn.

Each time I brewed I tried to change only one variable (the first three being mash technique) and then carefully measured and recorded the resulting change.

However I can only drink so much ESB and I have two taps so... I mix it up and do about one House beer brew for every "rotating tap" beer. I also use my upgraded techniques in these "rotating" beers. This way I see improvement across my brewing range, get to work on known issues, and still enjoy the process.

So in short:
1. I repeat a specific house beer I like a lot on a regular basis (I'm on iteration #4)
2. I focus on one specific aspect with each brew as an area for improvement
3. I research a LOT before each brew session
4. I mix it up (every other brew session) so I have some variety around the house.

 

[drainbamage]

I've never rebrewed a beer in 8 years. I've used a similar recipe with tweaks to hops or yeast strain, but never the exact same thing to test for consistency. There are a couple recipes that I'd like to redo, but my to-brew list of new beers always seems to be growing.

 

[tfbrews]

Demand and personal taste dictate my rebrews. My pale ale is liked by a lot of my friends and myself so I always try to keep it on tap. However all the others rotate. I think we brew what we want to drink so as long as you crave it, brew it!