Anything You Wish You had Known

[clayroc]

Calibrate your thermometer and hydrometer before you start. I saw a post somewhere on calibrating your hydrometer, and the thermometer is easy, just test it in ice water and you should get 0. And making an Inversion Coil is easy, cheap and so worth it, just get some copper tubing at you local hardware store, and ask them what fittings you need to attach it to your tap. Just make sure you know what type of tap you have or you will be going back to the hardware store.

This answer is subject to change as I learn more

 

[Homercidal]

Sanitation (Star san is MY choice)
Fermentation Temps - Critical to making the best beer (Most ale yeast like 62-68F!!)
Pitch enough yeast - Just like fermentation temps
If brewing from a packaged kit, throw out the instructions and get your info here!!
Homebrewtalk.com - I wish this site was available back in the early 90's!
Most of all, RDWHAHB!

 

[clayroc]

Yes, I get first call! Terrific idea for a STICKY!

That gets my vote, I think there's a lot here that every beginner should read. It shows you whats important to brewing good beer, and seems to be highlighting common mistakes to avoid

 

[cenla]

I wish I would have known to relax and not worry so damn much.

+1000. This is an essential rule.

This group has great information. There are things I learn on here that I would not have run into even after 100 brew sessions!

+1, but...

like other hobbies, there's a lot of YMMV (your mileage may vary) in homebrewing. this board demonstrates the diversity of brewing techniques.

in other words, how you brew is up to you. everybody does things differently and even the pros change their minds sometimes. so just relax and enjoy brewing.

 

[RobBug]

-Do not use a remote probe thermometer that is designed to monitor roast meat in the oven. The probe to wire connection is not waterproof and you will eventually short the connection. I went through 2 $20 probes before getting smart and reading about it on here.

-Temperature indication is important during extract brewing but critical for AG brewing (which is not any more difficult than extract - just a little more time consuming).

-Temperature indication/control during fermenting is critical.

-Glass thermometers are ok IF - you are using the correct range and IF it is NOT a floating thermometer. i.e. Lab Thermometer. You pay for accuracy/lower price with fragility. Acurate, rugged, designed for high temp liquid remote probe/non-remote probe digital thermometers are expensive but worth it.

-Not all digital thermometers are created equal. Do some research before you purchase or you will be repurchasing thermometers.

-During fermentation and depending on the beer and setup (carboy vs. bucket), you may encounter vigourous fermentation. Have a blowoff tube setup nearby (or instead of the airlock). Last night I walked by my Hefeweisen in the carboy and it was hissing at me pretty loudly. I immediately sanitized my blowoff tube and replaced the airlock with it. (A loud release of CO2 informed me that yes, I was about to have a nice burp of kraussen everywhere).

-Be wary of where you brew if you use a propane burner. Carbon monoxide dangers are very real.

-The more organized you are the more fun the brew day can be. Lay out your ingredients, brewsheet (if using), equipment and sanitation bucket.

-Sanitation is beerlyness

-Finally, if you miss you temps, times, forgot to sanitize something and realize it later, you will still most likely have great beer to drink. All these things we do that sound ridiculous at times is to just increase the chances (already high as it is) of getting a great beer.

-Oh and ask a lot of questions but use the search function first. There are a lot of threads buried on these forums with great info. Can't sticky them all.

Rob

 

[sportscrazed2]

how long it would have taken. i wouldn't have started that late at night if i had known.

 

[statseeker]

I wish I had known that YMMV rule sooner. Do the math on your brews, especially if you're brewing from a recipe whose techniques/equipment are different from yours.

Love it? Let your neighbors try it too. Great way to network and get feedback.

 

[statseeker]

Please ignore this double post. Sorry.

 

[jmf143]

Don't become obsessed with "big beers" just cause you can brew them (unless you really like them).

 

[Frodo]

It took me quite a while to realize I was underpitching yeast. Check out the info at http://www.mrmalty.com/

It also took quite a while to realize that Bleach and Iodophore were more difficult to use (for me) than StarSan. StarSan in a spray bottle is a must have for me now.

I too started with the Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Just realize that the book is somewhat dated but it is the "classic". The other three that I'd suggest as "must read" are: How to Brew (Palmer), Brewing Classic Styles (Zainasheff and Palmer), and Designing Great Beers (Daniels). I page through those books A LOT. How to Brew seems to me to be simply a more modern/updated version of the Complete Joy of Homebrewing (but it doesn't necessarily replace it). The recipes in Brewing Classic Styles are delicious. Lots of recipe formulation and history info in Designing Great Beers.

 

[Minky]

My early brews were cooled in an ice bath in the sink, and then poured into the fermentor. There's nothing wrong with that, but after a couple of mystery infections it dawned on me that it may have been the nasty sink water running down the outside of my boil kettle. After that I made sure I dried off the kettle before pouring - no more infections!

Another thing I did that caused a heap of frustration was to try filtering out hops and trub as I poured. The screen WILL clog!! Don't bother with it. Large quantities of hops can cause vegetal flavors in beer after prolonged contact, but over the course of a couple weeks of fermentation, it's not going to matter. Dump 'em in there!

 

[g-love]

I wish I would have known how to use my hydrometer correctly. I realized when it was time to take my OG reading that I had no idea what to do with the hydrometer or even what to put my beer sample in to take the reading.....

I figured it out quickly, but it was just one more thing to stress me out on my first brew day!