Confessions of a bad brewer...
- Thread starter timgman
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Meh, I am a lazy brewer as well. I use my hydrometer (or at least plan to) since going AG for my next batches. I will admit that I didnt let my priming water cool before I dumped it in the keg and siphoned my beer into it. I almost felt bad for those yeasties that were killed as a result of that, but the fact that I had so damn much starsan foam coming up I didnt care long.
Its carbing.
Now to piece together my serving setup.
-Me
Its carbing.
Now to piece together my serving setup.
-Me
ohiobrewtus
Well-Known Member
It was still, beer, right?
It's not like failure to use a hydrometer magically makes your beer horrible
It's not like failure to use a hydrometer magically makes your beer horrible
spriggan486
Well-Known Member
are those real ohiobrewtus?
kryolla
Well-Known Member
same here I don't take an OG due to only using extract with steeping grains. You always hit your OG when using extract kits I believe. I do take a FG to make sure it is done fermenting. When I start going PM or AG then I will take an OG and see if I have to add any DME to make up for my low efficiency.
I'm curious as to how many other "lazy brewers" are out there. I have tasted a lot of my fathers home brews, (some to excess) and with only one exception, they were all terrific, (one I remember was excessively bitter). Otherwise, he made some of the best beer, (not just home brew) that I've ever had and he was an admitted "lazy brewer". This, despite his years as an engineer/designer in the defense industry, he said that brewing was something he just "did" and never got involved with hydrometers, etc....
Bernie Brewer
Grouchy Old Fart
There are folks on this forum that insist that hydrometers are evil................
Stef1966
Well-Known Member
You can count me in the club.
I take my OG once in a while to see if I'm hitting the spot i want it to be in, since i don't change my recipes (unless for adjuncts) that much, it's usually around the same.
I do take FG when in doubt, some yeasts are kinda puzzling and don't give you much signs of their current works.
I don't use any fancy equipment and don't plan to, cause IMO homebrew has to remain a simple thing to still be fun.
I just throw hop pellets in my wort and leave it there, heck, my beer comes clear after a while in their bottles anyways.
I do mash my grains, but i have also tried just as with the hops with decent results.
I don't boil priming sugars, I just pour a measured amount of 'em in the bottling bucket and stir like mad.
I never followed a given recipe, i just go by feel and sometimes take small notes about what comes out of what i tried.
I take my OG once in a while to see if I'm hitting the spot i want it to be in, since i don't change my recipes (unless for adjuncts) that much, it's usually around the same.
I do take FG when in doubt, some yeasts are kinda puzzling and don't give you much signs of their current works.
I don't use any fancy equipment and don't plan to, cause IMO homebrew has to remain a simple thing to still be fun.
I just throw hop pellets in my wort and leave it there, heck, my beer comes clear after a while in their bottles anyways.
I do mash my grains, but i have also tried just as with the hops with decent results.
I don't boil priming sugars, I just pour a measured amount of 'em in the bottling bucket and stir like mad.
I never followed a given recipe, i just go by feel and sometimes take small notes about what comes out of what i tried.
Kronin
Well-Known Member
art usually cant be measured accurately with a device.
I expect an old guy whose been brewing for years, just *knows* when his beer says "bottle me!".
Brewing to me is like cooking and love, Jump in with reckless abandon! (albeit sanitary reckless abandon!)
I expect an old guy whose been brewing for years, just *knows* when his beer says "bottle me!".
Brewing to me is like cooking and love, Jump in with reckless abandon! (albeit sanitary reckless abandon!)
ohiobrewtus
Well-Known Member
As well as those who insist that not using them is evil...........
I say to each their own. Do what you're comfortable with. Me, I use 'em all the time.
Lindyrig
Member
Yeah... I have a confession.. although I did it unintentionally. I was making some Irish Red Ale last weekend and boiled the grains right along with the extract. Some people say it might turn out alright, some people say it won't. I guess I'll just wait and see.
winzerz
Well-Known Member
I must confess
I do not brew enough !!!!
:rockin:
I do not brew enough !!!!
:rockin:
I'm with the OP, although I think I might want to start taking a FG eventually, especially with PM recipes, I usually just let the beer go and taste it at every step and it always turns out fine...
Me too.If mash is sweet time to boil,If fermented beer tastes like beer,time to bottle.I'm still working on the time to drink
Taking just ONE sample bottle is so hard
QueenCityALER
Well-Known Member
I think I love you ohiobrewtus... and I'm not even a cat person...:cross:
retired_young
Member
I took a FG on my first batch. It seemed to stop somewhat short of what the recipe suggested. It didn't move after a couple more days. But I kegged it anyway and fell completely in love with it. So my hydrometer doesn't make an appearance much anymore.
(I will admit that I don't experiment too much...make the same lovely brew over and over and over...)
(I will admit that I don't experiment too much...make the same lovely brew over and over and over...)
HillbillyDeluxe
Well-Known Member
HELL, WITH THE EXEPTION OF REALLY DARK STOUTS, I JUST DO TWO WEEKS OF PRIMARY AND THEN BOTTLE, SAMPLE AFTER 1 WEEK, TWO WEEKS, AND USUALLY OUT OF THE BATCH BY WEEK 3. bEST BEER I EVER HAD WAS IN A BOTTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. FELT LIKE A **** BUT DRANK IT AFTER TWOO WEEKS(5 GAL) GOT HAMMERED AND LOVED IT!
Kronin
Well-Known Member
Loud Noises!
Glubki
Well-Known Member
I'm just the opposite - an anal brewer I guess. I have a dry erase board and track everything from room temperature, humidity level, S.G. all the way to my final gravity. That being said I've tasted the brews of friends who don't and some of their beers are better than mine...
Panzermann
Well-Known Member
I am baffled by this statement. It just simply doesn't make sense. Hear me out, I am confident you make good beer regardless but how do you know what is "done" without taking readings? Now I know you can just wait it out 10-14 days and rack or bottle. But when you take your OG & FG this not only lets you know that fermentation is complete but also lets you know the attenuation percentages etc. This is very vital information for a brewer IMO.
I like to know what I have created, the little details are what counts.
Make no mistake about it though, send me some of your Beer and i'll drink it.
I am baffled by this statement. It just simply doesn't make sense. Hear me out, I am confident you make good beer regardless but how do you know what is "done" without taking readings? Now I know you can just wait it out 10-14 days and rack or bottle. But when you take your OG & FG this not only lets you know that fermentation is complete but also lets you know the attenuation percentages etc. This is very vital information for a brewer IMO.
I like to know what I have created, the little details are what counts.
Make no mistake about it though, send me some of your Beer and i'll drink it.
I think that he means that he just uses the anticipated OG, X amount of extract in Y amount of water will give you Z for an original gravity.
-ander
Panzermann
Well-Known Member
Yeah, might be?
kryolla
Well-Known Member
I am baffled by this statement. It just simply doesn't make sense. Hear me out, I am confident you make good beer regardless but how do you know what is "done" without taking readings? Now I know you can just wait it out 10-14 days and rack or bottle. But when you take your OG & FG this not only lets you know that fermentation is complete but also lets you know the attenuation percentages etc. This is very vital information for a brewer IMO.
I like to know what I have created, the little details are what counts.
Make no mistake about it though, send me some of your Beer and i'll drink it.
I only used AHS kits and 1 BB so far and the instructions give you an OG so as long as you dilute the concentrated wort i.e extract with the recommended amount of water you will get the OG or come very close to it. Now I do take FG and compare it to the instructions to make sure it is done after 2 weeks in the primary then I keg. And yes if you have a pound of LME and 1 gallon of water the gravity will equal X also with DME. With PM and AG I will take an OG because I need to know if I should boil longer because the OG is too low or add DME to bring it up. Hope this makes sense
Whisler85
Well-Known Member
im not gonna lie- sometimes i just forget to take the gravity, probably because ive been waiting for the wort chiller to do its thing, its 1030 at night, and i want to have a damned beer after nine hours of brewing
also, i frequently forget to add the irish moss- like, in my last four beers
also, i frequently forget to add the irish moss- like, in my last four beers
lordbeermestrength
Well-Known Member
I've only used irish moss once, and then it was because my inlaws bought me a 'beer of the month' kit that came with it.
But on the same recipe I forgot to take hydro readings. It was extract though so I think I should be able to figure it out. I need a new refractometer...
kryolla
Well-Known Member
I need to find my PH pen and refractometer from my reef tank keeping days
missing link
Well-Known Member
Boil off will affect your OG and so will the accuracy of your water measurements. A better way to make sure your finished beer tastes the way the kit maker intended is this.....
Brew per instructions.
Top up with 80% of recommended top up water.
Stir well.
take gravity reading
add small increments of water until OG is reached being sure to stir after each water addition.
I think everybody will be surprised by how often they require more or less than 5 gallons total volume to hit the OG number. Too many new brewers focus only on getting exactly 5 gallons and then wonder why the OG is off or why the FG is not what they expected.
Not following the above steps can have a huge impact on the finished gravity and the final flavor of the beer. Granted not hitting your OG will not make the beer "bad" it just might taste slightly different than it is supposed to.
Linc
