Can homebrew ever equal microbrew quality ?

[Yooper]

In my mind I am thinking plastic buckets used as fermentors, not better bottles for instance. Plastic buckets let oxygen in which will negatively effect beer.

Dang, I use a plastic bucket AND an aluminum pot. With every post you are just compounding my problems!!!

I use plastic buckets as well! Oh, I guess my beers must suck then.

 

[Shooter]

This whole thread really has me in a state of panic. I think I'm going to start another thread to see if I really should be worried or if I should just RDWHAHB. I'm going to title the new thread:

"HELP, IS MY BEER RUINED?"

Please keep an eye out for it!

 

[brian74]

The freshness of homebrew is what does it for me. The stuff I brew hasn't travelled across the country or planet in varying conditions and it is its freshest when I'm drinking it.

 

[Malticulous]

I think most of mine are as good or better than what I can buy. Not to say I'm as consistent. I don't want to be. I don't want to brew the same things over and over every day like they do any more than I want to drink the same beer all the time. That's why I homebrew.

 

[frydogbrews]

I think most of mine are as good or better than what I can buy. Not to say I'm as consistent. I don't want to be. I don't want to brew the same things over and over every day like they do any more than I want to drink the same beer all the time. That's why I homebrew.

yup.

also, yoopers right, her beer does suck. she should quit.

 

[warex]

reason I'm asking, is one of my home brew friends wants to buy one of those massive copper kettles and other professional brewing equipment.
He seems convinced better equipment will produce better quality beer....
less chance of any oxidation , more tighter control over temperature ( stovetop temp control is variable ) .

He may have read Bert Grant's book. Bert Grant is one of the forefathers of home brewing. He had a thing for copper and thought it added something important to the beer.

 

[brian74]

And my plastic buckets are just fine. Don't fall into that idea that they're inferior. The fermentation process itself creates a protective CO2 layer above the beer. And as far as O2 leaking in through the bucket, it's negligible on our scale and considering the amount of time the beer is in the bucket.

It's easy to make yourself believe that you have to have the most expensive option because "it must be better." Not necessairily the case. Remember, there is a marketing side of homebrewing and we are being advertised to every day. The more we spend, the more they make.

 

[LVBen]

This whole thread really has me in a state of panic. I think I'm going to start another thread to see if I really should be worried or if I should just RDWHAHB. I'm going to title the new thread:

"HELP, IS MY BEER RUINED?"

Please keep an eye out for it!

LOL! I can see it now:

"I made a huge mistake. I was really drunk last night, and after I chilled my wort, I accidentally put my wort into a plastic bucket with a lid and airlock instead of my SS conical and then aerated and pitched the yeast. Is my beer ruined?"

 

[jonmohno]

Of the 99% of homebrews you tried what percentage of those were conditioned over a few months?

 

[daksin]

LOL! I can see it now:

"I made a huge mistake. I was really drunk last night, and after I chilled my wort, I accidentally put my wort into a plastic bucket with a lid and airlock instead of my SS conical and then aerated and pitched the yeast. Is my beer ruined?"

This genuinely made me laugh, out loud, in my office.

Thanks for that

 

[boo boo]

I love microbrew beer, and the challenge to to equal or best it, in terms of taste, quality.
Using only simple plastic fermenters, basic equipment...is it possible to succeed ??

99 % of all homebrew I've tried never quite beats microbrew, imo.

Like was said before, Yes, it is quite possible to make beer as good or better than micro brewed beer or other commercial beer. I have made some myself, and I have had some shipped to me from Montreal and Gataneau that exceeded any micro brewed beer I can get locally. Also last week a member of the brewNosers in Halifax brought down some HB as well as hard to get imported beer for a tasting. His wit was excellent and only second to a fellow brewer here. Both are better than anything I can buy at the store, and that includes Blanche de Chambly.

 

[Forddog]

Better!
Especially if you go all grain, good yeast, good water and control
fermentation temps.

+1 consistent fermentation temps

I started doing this and beers got way better and clearer

 

[Dan]

I love microbrew beer, and the challenge to to equal or best it, in terms of taste, quality.
Using only simple plastic fermenters, basic equipment...is it possible to succeed ??

99 % of all homebrew I've tried never quite beats microbrew, imo.

Yes it is.

 

[jonmohno]

This reminds me of when i was a kid an my brother found a combination lock and he was destined to open it.Meaning with work/experience/consistency/ time/yes,luck yes,hit or miss, yes.lazyness and or not cleanliness,yes.maybe.If they dont seem right,change up your technique,ingredients,....
He could also solve a rubix cube which always amazed me of his geekyness but still admired. I just cheated and peeled a couple of my neighbors rubix stickers off and swiched them and my neighbors dad got super pissed, and he was big and hairy and i ran away cuz i dint like angry bears. I lied when confronted because i didnt want to get eaten.

 

[emjay]

I love the Ugly Baby Syndrome apparent in so many of these posts

 

[Shooter]

I love the Ugly Baby Syndrome apparent in so many of these posts

Look, I'm coming to grips with the fact that my plastic bucket and aluminum kettle are providing me with crappy beer, but nobody, and I mean nobody, calls baby ugly, and they definitely don't put her in the corner!!

 

[rexbanner]

Most beer is best fresh. Also, commercial brewers have to pinch every penny. We don't. Bottled beer styles less than ~1.060 OG are easy to beat, the rest are fairly easy to equal and can be beaten.

 

[gr8shandini]

Some of these posts remind me of the guy at the golf course with a $500 driver who keeps shanking the ball. Aside from scale, there's no functional difference between homebrew equipment and the commercial stuff.

 

[Darkblade]

Re golfer with $500 club who keeps shanking it - yeh a hacker is always going to be hacker.
But give a good brewer better equipment & surely he/she will do better.
I'm not not sure what equipment you blokes are using (I'm still in the plastic fermenter stage & happy enough thankyou) but surely better equipment coupled with skill & expertise should win out?
You reckon valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner would have been world champs running around the paddock on a back their mate-down-the-road tuned for them? No.
By the same token, reckon I would be in with a chance of being world champ with their kit? No way!
Maybe you blokes with the kettles & mashes etc are pumping out good brews. Maybe they are as good as a microbrewers but at the end of the day, big $$, expertise & equipment is surely going to triumph.
Thats not to say we cant be happy with what we have achieved. Off for a bevvie lads - cheers.

 

[Shooter]

You reckon valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner would have been world champs running around the paddock on a back their mate-down-the-road tuned for them?

MotoGP it livens up ANY conversation!