At what point did your homebrew go from good to great?

[bob1852]

I'll have to +1 fermentation temp control....

heck, I've had extract beers that were fermented at proper temps taste a heck of a lot better than AG beers feremented too high.

 

[Palefire]

this is a really great thread, IMO - thanks to all who've added to it!

A question to those of you who said "better sanitation practices": I'm wondering if any of you are willing to be a little more specific. I'm really working on trying to improve all aspects of my technique. I'm starting to get my fermentation temps down (swamp cooler + fermometer = pretty damn easy), just started doing full boils, working on getting proper temps all through the process, etc. And my beers are getting better and better!

I think I'm pretty good about sanitation, and basically don't put anything in the post-boil wort that hasn't been sanitized. But I'm sure there's still room for improvement, so I'm just checking to see if there are any specific sanitation-related techniques people have started using that have ended up making a big difference for them. Anyone?

Apologies if this is a bit of a thread-jack ... I'll move it if people want. Thanks!

 

[sjlammer]

For me I noticed a big difference when i started adding campden to knock the chlorine out of the water. I also noticed a big jump when i started partial mash. The jump from partial mash to all grain was not as big a jump as extract to PM.

 

[smalltown2001]

For me I noticed a big difference when i started adding campden to knock the chlorine out of the water.

That's the other thing I was going to try on the next brew is campden tablets, I've really been working on perfecting a pale ale recipe, because darker beers can easily hide any flaws that I might have in brewing, but the pale ale will be tougher to hide anything. After I get the pale ale down, I figure I'm on the right track. For the campden tablets though, does it work better to add it to the water and let it sit overnight before brewday, or just 10 minutes before using the water on brewday?

 

[Beernik]

My beers became much better after:

1. I realized my cold room is too warm for most of July and August for fermentation.
2. I made my first hazelnut stout - my first really good beer.
3. I made my first ginger ale - my first really bad beer.
4. I made enough different styles with enough different ingredients that I could imagine the flavor of the beer in my head before I made it.
5. I realized I could tell the difference between well made beers and poorly made beers even in styles I don't like or ones that used ingredients I don't like.

 

[david_42]

Two words: temperature control.

 

[Homercidal]

Still not there yet. Still plenty of learning and practicing to do. I always seem to mess up something. That said, I have had a couple of really good beers nonetheless. Just need to get better every time.

 

[Droot]

Temp control is a big one. I found big starters worked for me. 3 litres for 10 gallon batches. I since have bought a stir plate and only need 1.6 litres for a 10 gallon batch with the same result. Water does matter, but only if you have problem water. I use only the best ingredients to make the best beers. Don't scrimp on the quality of ingredients. I make my house ale over and over changing one thing at a time. It just keeps getting better. No complicated recipe, just good stuff at the right temps.... Mash, and ferment.


Sanitation is #1, but after a few batches you should have this nailed down. Star San has improved my beer.

David The happy brewer

 

[Bulls Beers]

When I went to all grain. I'm gonna have a better temp control soon, so I'm hoping for even better beers.

 

[TexLaw]

Temperature control made a huge difference. Using starters made a huge difference. Giving strong attention to ingredients and doing something closer to actually experimenting, rather than just throwing something against the wall and seeing if it stuck, made a huge difference.

If my beer is great, it's that last factor that has made it so. I cannot imagine trying to understand what different ingredients (whether grain, hop, yeast, or water) and techniques do to and for your beer until you start brewing a recipe over and over, only turning only one knob (i.e., changing one thing) each time you do. There's one recipe I have been brewing since Day 1, changing one (and only one) thing each time. It's a very different beer today than it was when it began, but I understand every reason why.


TL

 

[Austinhomebrew]

When I paid attention to the water because that is the main ingredient.
Also when I refused to be a style nazi.

Forrest

 

[hexmonkey]

Two things that made a noticeable difference for me:

1.) If you're brewing extract, your "water profile" is easy: distilled.
Don't ever use tap water in extract brewing, because all the minerals are already in there. My first few beers were the wrong color and very harshly bitter because I was brewing extract with well water. The water was causing darkening due to maillard reactions from high bicarbonate and the bitterness was from the chloride:sulfate ratio being completely unbalanced.

2.) Pitch the right amount of yeast. My first few beers were underattenuated and tasted way too sweet because I had been using far too little (liquid) yeast. I would even go as far as to say that you should stick to dry yeast if you can't make a proper starter.

 

[thisjrp4]

First going all grain, then kegging instead of bottling. The beer just tastes so much cleaner from the keg.

 

[r2eng]

I don't know if I should be commenting on this thread, as I don't think my beers are truly great yet. But my $0.02:

- Temperature: consistent, repeatable mash and fermentation temperatures
- Time: Patience! 90-min mash, 90 min boil, and most importantly: Never tap a keg before it's time!

 

[Cheeto]

I am still waiting for my beers to be great !!

 

[FireNightFly]

Well this is my first brew. I think its all great, but I would say so far the best part was drinking my first brew and actually getting **** faced on it. If it gets better than this .... i cant wait.

 

[becksbolero2]

i'm here in seattle also, what do you do to soften the water ?

 

[Homercidal]

As far as what is important to improving?

Sanitation (always)
Fermentation Temp Control
Yeast Pitching Rate
Organization/Preparation/Notes

The switch to AG was not a big jump for me, because I had started doing full boils already, and late extract additions, which improved my Extract beers quite a bit. I've had an AG batch that did not turn out well at all, simply because I did not control my ferm temp for the first 2 days.

My next step is continue improving my ferm temp control, and to start looking at my water profile and how to tweak it. One thing at a time.

 

[Arkador]

Full Boil + Yeast Starters + Temp controled fermentaton + BeerSmith

I added those one at a time to my brew process, and each time, the beer got better!

 

[ClaudiusB]

At what point did your homebrew go from good to great?

I am still waiting for the miracle to happen

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Saccharomyces]

When I downloaded Palmer's spreadsheet and started treating my water (especially removing chloramine with Campden tablets). Miles and miles better beer, because our water is BAAAAADDDDDDDDD.

I practiced good temp control and pitching rates from brew #3 onwards, because I read How To Brew early on.

 

[ghpeel]

All grain (or just getting close to it) and good recipes. I jacked up a few beers early on with trying to cram too many new ingredients in. Pick a style you like and get the recipe from Brewing Classic Styles. Jamil Z is the man!

If you are new to brewing, it will take you a while to understand the ingredients enough to put together complex recipes. I'm still figuring it out after about 2 years, and am leaning more now towards grain bills with less than 5-6 different grains. Go simple early on to really understand how each ingredient affects the final flavor.

 

[jcarson83]

First going all grain, then kegging instead of bottling. The beer just tastes so much cleaner from the keg.

Kegging for me too. There is something to be said for being able to adjust for the perfect carbonation. I do AG, correct pitch amounts, and fermentation temp control. They all make a big difference but I think kegging was just the icing on the cake that made it that much better. I still need to get into adjusting the water though.

 

[Malticulous]

Chest freezer. I'm certain I'd have no ribbons without it.

 

[boo boo]

I would have to say all grain, although I made quite a few changes after that also, that really affected the quality of my beer for the better.

 

[Orangevango]

Today, or rather a month ago, drank the beer today.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL FTW!

 

[SkinnyShamrock]

Still waiting haha.

My first AG batch (an oatmeal stout) was pretty tasty, though. But I wouldn't call it "great."

 

[humann_brewing]

Still haven't got there IMO. I am inching closer and closer though.

 

[Picobrew]

I'd say it was when I started adding fruit to every recipe.


ok seriously tho, not there yet. The biggest changes were AG, temp control, and patience.

 

[goetzUM]

My discovery that I didn't get at first is that it is ALL about yeast. Pitching a suitable amount of yeast and controlling ideal fermentation temperatures. I discovered that is so much more important than ingredients or going AG.

Although, I was really pleased at the clarity I was getting when I started kegging. I didn't even realize that was one of the advantages of kegging. When I poured my third IPA from my first keg and saw how crystal clear it was coming out, I was delighted.