wordswithtim
Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2015
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 1
Hey guys and gals,
What follows here is a bit a of a plea for advice. I have been home brewing for about two years. In that time I've gone from extract, to partial to all grain (only recently). My set up is pretty basic: a couple of large stainless pots for mashing and boiling. And a 30L plastic fermenter (the type you get when you buy your first extract kit). Basic stuff, but it works.
Over the last two years I've tried brewing all sorts of styles from Saisons to Porters. Mostly I get these recipes online; I tend to go for stuff that others have rated highly and then tweak to fit my set up (as they're never the same). And I achieve varying levels of success. Some pretty good, some not really drinkable. And that's the bit I'm asking your collective knowledge about here.
After two years, I'm the first to admit that I really have no idea what's going to make any brew better than the next. What comes out at the other end is a total crapshoot. I can never tell whether it's going to be great or not, and that's really frustrating when it's bad because I have no idea why or what to change next time. I'm happy to fail, but I hate not learning from it.
So my question - assuming I'm a only a step above a noob brewer in knowledge, in your opinion what are the three most important things to pay attention to / get right to give me the best chance to make the brew a better one? I realise most people will have different responses, but that's okay, it's the themes I'll be looking for.
Any wisdom you can impact would be most appreciated.
Tim
What follows here is a bit a of a plea for advice. I have been home brewing for about two years. In that time I've gone from extract, to partial to all grain (only recently). My set up is pretty basic: a couple of large stainless pots for mashing and boiling. And a 30L plastic fermenter (the type you get when you buy your first extract kit). Basic stuff, but it works.
Over the last two years I've tried brewing all sorts of styles from Saisons to Porters. Mostly I get these recipes online; I tend to go for stuff that others have rated highly and then tweak to fit my set up (as they're never the same). And I achieve varying levels of success. Some pretty good, some not really drinkable. And that's the bit I'm asking your collective knowledge about here.
After two years, I'm the first to admit that I really have no idea what's going to make any brew better than the next. What comes out at the other end is a total crapshoot. I can never tell whether it's going to be great or not, and that's really frustrating when it's bad because I have no idea why or what to change next time. I'm happy to fail, but I hate not learning from it.
So my question - assuming I'm a only a step above a noob brewer in knowledge, in your opinion what are the three most important things to pay attention to / get right to give me the best chance to make the brew a better one? I realise most people will have different responses, but that's okay, it's the themes I'll be looking for.
Any wisdom you can impact would be most appreciated.
Tim