Confession Time

[DoctorMemory]

I don't boil my starter, I just get the temp between 175-200 and hold it there for 10-15 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool to pitching temp on its own.

Several times I've been tempted to simply dump some DME into a beaker full of water and stick it on the stir plate. Once the stir plate has it mixed, dump the yeast in. Maybe not even wait and dump the yeast in with the DME, the lag time for the yeast should give the stir plate time to homogenize everything.

I think I might be searching for the answer to "How lazy can you get?" :rockin:

 

[nDub]

Several times I've been tempted to simply dump some DME into a beaker full of water and stick it on the stir plate. Once the stir plate has it mixed, dump the yeast in. Maybe not even wait and dump the yeast in with the DME, the lag time for the yeast should give the stir plate time to homogenize everything.

I think I might be searching for the answer to "How lazy can you get?" :rockin:

Make sure the chlorine dissipates. I tried that once with water and juice concentrate and got a phenolic band aid taste and to date was my only dumper. Well kinda, had a friend make an apple cider tincture with it...

 

[Calaeb]

I have some bad habits I will admit lol. Sometimes poor aka lazy sanitation, and i am absolutely horrible at doing numbers, volumes, gravity, etc. I've been getting better but still not where I should be. Whew I feel better!

 

[WilliamSlayer]

I confess I've had so much beer/wine/cider to drink this winter (homebrewed) that I had to shut my pipe line down just to clear out the backlog.

 

[Dlou84]

I have enjoyed reading a lot of this thread. It is nice to see some things you can relax about. I dislike taking hydrometer readings and this thread hasn't compelled me to be religious about it. It is also funny to see all the people who ignore a lot of rules and still make "great beer." Who knows for sure about that. I know that when I first started I had a hard time admitting to any other brewer that this hobby I had spent so much time and money on was giving me less than "great beer" results in the end. I can say now through the following confessions what led me to make some average to poor beers

1. Like all the newbies before me I thought my first beer was ruined when I smelled rotten eggs up close to the fermenter.

2. When I first received my kegs I only star sanned them. Didn't clean them before that. My second beer I kegged started tasting off after 2-3 weeks and was spoiled by 4 weeks. Luckily, most of it was gone by then.

3. On my 3rd beer my wort chiller broke and started spraying hose water all over and into the wort. This beer actually did turn out pretty well.

4. By my fourth beer I was ready for all grain! But I didn't grind the coriander and forgot that you are suppose to slowly move the wort from mash tun to kettle. I dumped it all in in five minutes getting a few stuck sparges along the way! This beer sucked!

5. I did about ten all grains and only half turned out really well. My IPAs were usually good, but other's faltered. Even though I have had a temp controlled fermentation vessel from the beginning I believe I was pitching the yeast too soon and not getting a good temp for what was really going on in the fermenter. I did a couple Belgian beers. One was a banana bomb! The other had hardly any flavor! I went back to extract to focus on fermentation and shorten the brew day. Now I wait until I'm sure my wort is at the exact temp I want it to ferment at and pitch the yeast.

6. Even though I have been doing this for over two years now and want to think of myself as not a noob I know I still am. I am trying my hand at yeast washing, aging a Belgian Tripel and will return to all grain today. If I can continue to be consistent with the move to AG I will finally feel like a more advance brewer!

 

[Kampenken]

...I know that when I first started I had a hard time admitting to any other brewer that this hobby I had spent so much time and money on was giving me less than "great beer" results in the end...

4. By my fourth beer I was ready for all grain! But I didn't grind the coriander and forgot that you are suppose to slowly move the wort from mash tun to kettle. I dumped it all in in five minutes getting a few stuck sparges along the way! ....
I am trying my hand at yeast washing....!

Good confessional my son!!

I agree fully on the great beer point, I suspect one's great is another's meh beer. As for #4 did you dump it in or run it off?
No need to wash yeast, just capture and store, then pitch slurry, works great, and I confess that I keep it all very sanitary!
One last tip on making good beer, get Bru'n water and make water adjustments, easy and improves beer quality.

Now back to confessions....

 

[Dlou84]

Thanks. On number 4 I believe I recirculated the first runnings and then for the lauter I just opened the valve all the way and let the wort pour in. It got stuck pretty quick so I kept stirring the grains around in the mash tun to unclog. I do wonder what my efficiency was for that one.

I pitched my first yeast slurry into the AG brew from yesterday. I can be pretty intense about the sanitizing too. After brewing some beers that I didn't want to drink I don't want to take any chances.

 

[catalanotte]

Forgot to add hops at flameout. Tossed them in at about 130 degrees. So far so good.

 

[bendog15]

Just throwing recipes together super randomly on beersmith. Not putting much work at all into the design. Still clean everything with oxyclean and starsan so at least I'm not getting any infections. Beer still turning out top notch!

 

[SGTSparty]

I only ferment in bottling buckets... and only do primary fermentation. Step 1: Brew. Step 2: Dump into Bottling bucket and ferment. Step 3: Transfer out the bottling spigot and some tubing into keg. Step 4: Force carb while cooling, Drink.

 

[sleepspeaking]

I never check pH or adjust water profiles.
I buy drinking water at the store and go.

Should I start?

 

[DrWill]

I never check pH or adjust water profiles.
I buy drinking water at the store and go.

Should I start?

I have always been told and in turn told others, if your water is making good beer, don't sweat it. Once you have everything else dialed in, then water adjustments can make a great beer outstanding.

 

[Hoppity]

Process and ratios drive baking and brewing. Cooking, on the other hand is less precise: a handful of this, a pinch of that, etc. I am more the cook than the baker wrt brewing.

 

[55x11]

I've heard it a lot. Not really a flavor thing though so no reason to feel bad. More of an ease thing. Easier to rack off cones than pellets. Less particulate gets through

but you also lose a lot more beer/fermenter volume to swelled up hop leaves and it clogs the opening easily. Pellets work just fine for dry hopping in my opinion.

 

[bendog15]

I never check pH or adjust water profiles.
I buy drinking water at the store and go.

Should I start?

If your water is good enough to drink, it's good enough to make beer with. I used to buy the water at the store, beer always turned out great. Then, since I'm cheap, I got an rv filter for my hose. Been using that for a couple years now, changing the filter every 4-6 months. Good to go.

 

[Rockn_M]

If your water is good enough to drink, it's good enough to make beer with. I used to buy the water at the store, beer always turned out great. Then, since I'm cheap, I got an rv filter for my hose. Been using that for a couple years now, changing the filter every 4-6 months. Good to go.

I thought about getting an RV filter but was worried about it only getting used about once a month. Do you take yours apert and let it air dry after each use?

 

[mongoose33]

If your water is good enough to drink, it's good enough to make beer with. I used to buy the water at the store, beer always turned out great. Then, since I'm cheap, I got an rv filter for my hose. Been using that for a couple years now, changing the filter every 4-6 months. Good to go.

Yeah, I believed that too. Except....it didn't. My local water tastes great, but it's highly mineralized. Only when I switched to RO water did things move in a very nice direction. My base water profile for mashing is 1/4 of my home's tap water, 3/4 RO water with some additions to bring it into line.

Much better beer this way.

 

[TorMag]

If your water is good enough to drink, it's good enough to make beer with. I used to buy the water at the store, beer always turned out great. Then, since I'm cheap, I got an rv filter for my hose. Been using that for a couple years now, changing the filter every 4-6 months. Good to go.

I talked to the guys at a local brew pub who make great beer, we are on the same water source, what they do. All they do is filter the water. If its good enough for the Pros, its good enough for me. Bought a RV filter on Amazon and a drinking hose. I am making great beer.

 

[Texconsinite]

I find myself wanting to put fruit into almost all my beers (because its delicious, and I can)

I have never made a yeast starter for beer. (does letting wyeast smack-pack inflate overnight count?)

I use table sugar at bottling, and just dump it into the bottling bucket without preheating or dissolving (i do mix it in until its not sitting on the bottom tho). My beers always carbonate fine)

I usually decide which wine to make when I'm in the juice aisle at the grocery store. This is also where most of my winemaking ingredients come from.

 

[sleepspeaking]

I use table sugar at bottling, and just dump it into the bottling bucket without preheating or dissolving (i do mix it in until its not sitting on the bottom tho). My beers always carbonate fine)

I work way to hard to sanitize everything at bottling time and fret the priming sugar measurements and boil it, and I have a hard tinge getting beer to carbonate....

I may try your approach.

 

[DoctorMemory]

I never check pH or adjust water profiles.
I buy drinking water at the store and go.

Should I start?

Hell, you're already ahead of me. I just fill my brew kettle from the utility sink in the basement. If I remember I'll throw in a Campden tablet, but I don't always remember.

 

[Opiate42]

I never take a gravity reading, mostly do 1 gallon batches but even when doing 5 gallons. Just don't bother cracking out the hydrometer.

If I get curious about the ABV I pop the ingredients into brewtoad or something.

I've also used bleach to sanitize when I ran out of star san and the LHBS was closed. No bubbles, beer turned out fine.

 

[Kampenken]

I work way to hard to sanitize everything at bottling time and fret the priming sugar measurements and boil it, and I have a hard tinge getting beer to carbonate....

I may try your approach.

Ok, Tex's way is pure luck. No need to fret, just go online for a bottling primer calculator and use it. Easy and you can really dial in your carbonation. I boil table sugar water (2c) for 5 min.

 

[catdaddy66]

i rarely ever tsste or chew any of my grains, which is generally encouraged. I almost cracked a tooth on a few grains of honey malt once... Not fun!

 

[CGVT]

I don't like EdWort's Apfelwein. I've made it a couple of times and can't see the attraction.

I think it is swill.

 

[hio3791]

I don't like EdWort's Apfelwein. I've made it a couple of times and can't see the attraction.

I think it is swill.

Me too

 

[thenugsmoustache]

Me too

Me too, glad someone finally said it. :beer:

 

[SunnyDownSnuff]

What is a blow off tube.

 

[TorMag]

I don't like EdWort's Apfelwein. I've made it a couple of times and can't see the attraction.

I think it is swill.

I've got 5 gallons sitting in my carboy from February 9th, never finished the first keg of the stuff. Taste too much like champagne to me and I can't stand champagne

 

[nDub]

I've got 5 gallons sitting in my carboy from February 9th, never finished the first keg of the stuff. Taste too much like champagne to me and I can't stand champagne

Feb 9th 2015? If not I'd let it go a year, it gets better. The first time I made it it tasted like rocket fuel for at least a year. I had bottled it so it was no skin off my back to let it age. Mine came out really really dry, tart and with a slight apple taste.

Although I must confess I haven't made it again... If I'm committing to a year I'd rather made mead or cyser.

 

[TorMag]

Feb 9th 2015? If not I'd let it go a year, it gets better. The first time I made it it tasted like rocket fuel for at least a year. I had bottled it so it was no skin off my back to let it age. Mine came out really really dry, tart and with a slight apple taste.

Although I must confess I haven't made it again... If I'm committing to a year I'd rather made mead or cyser.

It's Feb of this year. It is sitting in my basement. Heck, I should let it go a year, just because I can at this point, and try it then....

 

[CGVT]

I have some I made 5 years ago. I have tried it every now and then since I bottled it. I keep waiting for the epiphany, but it has never gotten any better.

 

[headfullahops]

I RIMS mash and pump through a plate chiller with fittings for inline oxygenation and digital temp monitoring, but I have never controlled fermentation temperature. I ferment Belgians upstairs and ales in the basement. I also ferment "lagers" in the basement with Cali Common yeast. I've also never fretted over mash pH or water chemistry. Haven't had a bum batch yet!

 

[biochemedic]

What is a blow off tube.

You'll find out the first time you have to clean krausen up from all over your counter...or god forbid, your ceiling!

 

[phug]

I made a batch, it's probably 2 years old, I still don't like it, but it does well in competition, so i'm going to keep submitting bottles until I run out.

 

[hio3791]

I made a batch, it's probably 2 years old, I still don't like it, but it does well in competition, so i'm going to keep submitting bottles until I run out.

Winner winner chicken dinner. That's funny!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I never measure gravities, I have my system tuned now, I just brew it and drink it

 

[cyanmonkey]

Sigh...I've been brewing over 3 years and it just occurred to me that I don't need an auto siphon to transfer beer. All I need is a tube. [emoji17] So much faster to transfer and way less oxygen introduction.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Sigh...I've been brewing over 3 years and it just occurred to me that I don't need an auto siphon to transfer beer. All I need is a tube. [emoji17] So much faster to transfer and way less oxygen introduction.

We did not have them when I started. Pansies afraid of infection used a sanitized turkey baster to start the siphon...the rest of either used the thumb over the tube end our a nice oral siphon starter.

That said, love the autosiphon. Just put a 1/2" or more of star san on the back side of the seal before you start and no extra O2 introduction.

 

[sleepspeaking]

I'm pretty sure my beer sucks...