Confession Time

[aviator01]

I leave my burner and keggle out in the elements between brew sessions. I think the rust oxide adds some authenticity to my brewing.

 

[DrunkleJon]

 

[PlexVector]

I'm overruling this confession. It's one thing to do something, but have no idea why you're doing it (first post). It's another to do something but know why you're doing it and just not test other possibilities (second post).

How many people can honestly say they know for a fact that a dolphin is a mammal? Everybody knows it's true, but I've never dissected one to check out it's internal organs (I can come up with more esoteric questions if you're not buying this example). I haven't cut up a dead dolphin, but you're not going to catch me calling one a fish. My point is that we all choose sources we trust and treat the information they give us as fact. If a marine mammologist tells me a dolphin is not a fish, I'm on board. If Jamil tells me I need a certain pitch rate, I'm on board. I'm not going to intentionally screw up my pitch rate just to test and see if it really matters. Which would be an incredibly stupid way to live life. "Doctors say smoking causes cancer, but it's never happened to me, so I'm going to start smoking two packs a day." Bah!

Confession: I'm cranky this morning.

That must be why I believe in climate change. Thanks, now I know why.

 

[PlexVector]

True. You gotta go through the paranoid retentive phase before the RDWHAHB stage is that relaxed. Once you figure out what works for you and makes good beer you can relax on some things.

Gets back to the old saying: "It's easy when you know how."

 

[Clarke]

You're raising a good point. One of my biggest pet peeves on this site is folks blasting someone for trying something new or different just because it goes against convention. The difference, I suppose, is that I'm all for conscious decisions to experiment. I am totally opposed to doing something different just to be a contrarian, and I'm super opposed to pouring 5 gallons down the drain. Do good research and then make rational decisions.

"The difference, I suppose, is that I'm all for conscious decisions to experiment. I am totally opposed to doing something different just to be a contrarian, and I'm super opposed to pouring 5 gallons down the drain. Do good research and then make rational decisions."

wholeheartedly agree, though I have wasted 5 gallons on an experiment, which saddened me greatly, now I experiment with 1 gallon batches and still fail

 

[trussell]

I watch old episodes of Archie Bunker's Place late at night. I find the PC meter peaks more often than not, but the actual moral lesson is often positive. I know some people might accuse me of being a racist for even enjoying vintage television shows like this one, but I think anyone that does didn't actually watch it themselves. Carrol O'Conner was actually a very liberal person in his time. Liberals like him are the last of the liberals I ever respected. Not for his television characters, but for who he really was in reality.

I enjoy watching Archie Bunker's Place. I enjoy it without apology.

Those old Norman Lear shows were great in what they were trying to do. Yes some of the stuff you hear pings the PC meter while watching but starting with "All In The Family" they pushed boundaries and yes at the end of the show a moral lesson was often revealed. I grew up with Archie Bunker and the spin-off series. Nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[branman]

Wow! Some of these posts are just alarmingly worrysome...
I confess, I could probably buy a lifetime supply of miller lite with all the gear and systems I've built and I treat/clean/sanitize them accordingly.

 

[vwmasstransit]

I have a closet that must lead to Narnia because no matter what the thing always reads 65 degrees.

This cracked me up cause I have one like that too, always 68....

 

[brewmesomewater]

This cracked me up cause I have one like that too, always 68....

The beer gods must like us

 

[GHBWNY]

I confess that since I have started brewing, I can barely stand the commercial/craft beers I once thought were awesome. I had a Blue Moon Farmhouse Ale last weekend that didn't come close to my (yeah, extract) saison.

 

[Psylocide]

Cleaned this out on Friday for my brew on Saturday.

I racked the last beer in here to the keg on 2/22...

 

[cjokrap]

I've been brewing for a couple of years now, and I know I shouldn't, but I have an ale in fermenter right now, and its not bubbling like crazy, and I'm worried I screwed it up...

 

[DrunkleJon]

I've been brewing for a couple of years now, and I know I shouldn't, but I have an ale in fermenter right now, and its not bubbling like crazy, and I'm worried I screwed it up...

Its okay. You did screw it up. Your beer is ruined and bad and you should feel bad.

Let her ride, yeast is a fickle creature. It shall be beer. RDWHAHB or several.

 

[normonster]

I sometimes remove the labels from a 12 pack of lagunitas, pop the caps off and replace with generics then bring it to work for the Friday beer and claim as my own.

Try it.

 

[1977Brewer]

I sometimes remove the labels from a 12 pack of lagunitas, pop the caps off and replace with generics then bring it to work for the Friday beer and claim as my own.

Try it.

Thread closed. Good job d-bag.

 

[normonster]

I win

 

[cyanmonkey]

I sometimes remove the labels from a 12 pack of lagunitas, pop the caps off and replace with generics then bring it to work for the Friday beer and claim as my own.

Try it.

I've wondered if people submit to competitions this way.

 

[Oberon67]

Did you know that in the Middle Ages, brewer's yeast was in high demand for use as bird repellant? People would obtain the yeast and sprinkle it in the manes of their horses in the spring, and then birds would not steal the hairs from the horses' manes to build nests with. Hence the phrase "Yeast is yeast and nest is nest, and never the mane shall tweet."

Confession: I have a stupid sense of humor.

 

[Clarke]

I sometimes remove the labels from a 12 pack of lagunitas, pop the caps off and replace with generics then bring it to work for the Friday beer and claim as my own.

Try it.

I hope no one tries this...

 

[Clarke]

I've wondered if people submit to competitions this way.

where's the pride in that?

 

[normonster]

I hope no one tries this...

You guys realize I'm kidding, right?

 

[Clarke]

You guys realize I'm kidding, right?

I didn't take you seriously, I just hope no one tries this, they would suck..

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

When washing yeast, I have cut the steps down to one, ignoring Palmer's instructions. I add a little sterilized water into the carboy and gently swirl the yeast cake leaving most of the trub on the bottom. Then pour into a sterilized quart jar. Let it settle for about an hour and pour the top half into a pint jar....done. I also cheat on sterilizing my canning jars by microwaving an inch or two of water to boiling, put the lid on and turn it upside down to sanitize the lid. So far, so good.

 

[dobes]

I went to rinse the yeast out of my carboy and realized I left the water boiling on the stove. So I grabbed a bottle of water and used that instead.
Since then, I used the bottled water for 2 more consecutive generations and so far no issues. I plan on going one more generation before not using it again.

 

[bbohanon]

My dog once peed on the propane burner mid brew(he had phenomenal aim) and put it out(as well as splashing dog piss on the side of the brew keggle). On re-light, it stunk like hell until the piss burned off the burner and sides of the keggle, but the beer turned out great.
I called it Dog Piss Pale Ale.

 

[Kirkwooder]

I told my wife, 6 months ago, that she wouldn't like my house rye, in hopes that she wouldn't drink any. It's really good and I think she'll love it. I've brewed it 3 times since and haven't told her the difference. I don't want to share! nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar:

 

[cyanmonkey]

where's the pride in that?

There isn't any, but people are people. Would never do it, naturally but have been curious if people have done it and either gotten away with or caught.

 

[wtaylor3]

I actually thought about removing the label and recapping a commercial beer, but not to pass off as my own. Simply want to do a side by side comparison with a clone recipe. A blind taste test, if u will.

 

[Singletrack]

I actually thought about removing the label and recapping a commercial beer, but not to pass off as my own. Simply want to do a side by side comparison with a clone recipe. A blind taste test, if u will.

Many of us drink out of a glass.

 

[wtaylor3]

I drink out of a glass also, I suppose I over thought it.

 

[vwmasstransit]

Many of us drink out of a glass.

True, but when you pull them out of the fridge and open them in front of someone, it will be a blind taste test.

 

[wtaylor3]

True, but when you pull them out of the fridge and open them in front of someone, it will be a blind taste test.

This was kind of my thought process, the way my dads bar is setup they'll see them come out of the beer fridge and be opened

 

[Zenzi09]

Oh boy, here we go

- Sanitation habits have slipped some since I began 3 years ago, I use bleach for my carboys and just 140 degree rinse for most everything else.
- I've come up short in water volume on a AG batch and just used cold tap water to bring it up
- I only do gravity tests if it's a new recipe
- I have hope in my freezer from a year ago or more that I might still use.
- In my starting batches i siphoned by mouth(two people that once helped even spit back into the bottling bucket and I still bottled it). I prime the hose now.
- I've only once used a starter
- I've given my dogs homebrew that I personally didn't enjoy just to get rid of a few bottles.
- I have about 20 cases of homebrew in a closest and all I can think about is filling up another closet.

Probably much more, but that's all I can think of right now

 

[podz]

Oh boy, here we go

- Sanitation habits have slipped some since I began 3 years ago, I use bleach for my carboys and just 140 degree rinse for most everything else.
- I've come up short in water volume on a AG batch and just used cold tap water to bring it up
- I only do gravity tests if it's a new recipe
- I have hope in my freezer from a year ago or more that I might still use.
- In my starting batches i siphoned by mouth(two people that once helped even spit back into the bottling bucket and I still bottled it). I prime the hose now.
- I've only once used a starter
- I've given my dogs homebrew that I personally didn't enjoy just to get rid of a few bottles.
- I have about 20 cases of homebrew in a closest and all I can think about is filling up another closet.

Probably much more, but that's all I can think of right now

You sound just like me. I confess to doing all of the above. But I've never had a problem.

 

[kombat]

When washing yeast, I have cut the steps down to one, ignoring Palmer's instructions. I add a little sterilized water into the carboy and gently swirl the yeast cake leaving most of the trub on the bottom. Then pour into a sterilized quart jar. Let it settle for about an hour and pour the top half into a pint jar....done. I also cheat on sterilizing my canning jars by microwaving an inch or two of water to boiling, put the lid on and turn it upside down to sanitize the lid. So far, so good.

That sounds like a lot more than one step to me! I don't bother with a) sterilized water (I just use tap water), or b) sterilizing the jars (I just dunk 'em in StarSan), or c) trying to separate the trub (I just pour the whole yeast cake into 4 jars). I've done this dozens of times successfully.

 

[Clarke]

This was kind of my thought process, the way my dads bar is setup they'll see them come out of the beer fridge and be opened

You would have to mark the caps, 'A' 'B' so know which is which.

 

[Zepth]

My mash paddle is one of those flimsy plastic stir sticks. I'll upgrade as soon as it stops working.

 

[Clarke]

My mash paddle is one of those flimsy plastic stir sticks. I'll upgrade as soon as it stops working.

I use and started with one of those BIG spoons, and when brewing with a friend, he used that "flimsy plastic stir stick", I helped stir in the mash and IMO it was frustrating and "didn't work" go ahead and upgrade, you will be happy you did. The spoon will slice dough balls with ease.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Confession: I'm not convinced by "...and I've never had a problem" or "...and it tastes great" or "...my friends love it". The human race continues to exist because no matter how ugly our babies are, we love them and nurture them and can overlook a slew of faults. I'm more convinced by "...and I scored a 40" or "...and it won a medal". At least, then, someone who has no dog in the race evaluated it for off flavors.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Confession: I'm not convinced by "...and I've never had a problem" or "...and it tastes great" or "...my friends love it". The human race continues to exist because no matter how ugly our babies are, we love them and nurture them and can overlook a slew of faults. I'm more convinced by "...and I scored a 40" or "...and it won a medal". At least, then, someone who has no dog in the race evaluated it for off flavors.

I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to my beer, mainly because I know I can't count on my family / friends / and co-workers to be. I don't enter competitions though.