Confessions of a bad brewer...

[kryolla]

^^^
If the kit says it makes 5 gallons and you have 5 gallons in your fermenter then you more than likely hit your OG with extract. This isn't rocket science or that complicated for that matter.

 

[JPicasso]

+1 on not taking OG readings for my extract batches anymore.

I just use the calculated gravity. Everytime I've measured I've been +- 0.002.

However, most of my brews consist of pre-measured cans or bags of malt, so there's no reason to think that some of the malt sneaked out.

If I mini-mash, I take it, and when I start AG I'll do it also. But for extract, Meh.

 

[ruprplxd]

My confession......
OG, FG, hydrometer, refractwhatever, DME, attentuation, mash, partial mash, cold crashing, dry hopping.....huh???? What???? I just wanna make beer. Just follow the instructions, put it in your secondary after 1-2 weeks then bottle it after another 2 weeks. Wait at least 3 weeks. Then drink.

 

[retired_young]

ruprplxd, you forgot last important step. "Repeat."

 

[timgman]

Yep, I do exacting CS work at work ALL day... admin 1000's of pc's and 50 or so networks on several dozen vpn's.
I want brewing to be mind numbing.
I like the fact that it's a magical-organic process...... and I'd like to keep it that way.
In general I follow ALL principles / metods and routines set by the well defined masters on this forum. In that manner I have blind faith and feel that I can't go wrong. I use their direction more that the instructions that came with any kit....
ahem... (thanks revvy and others)



timg

 

[timgman]

Good reading


History of the Sikes Hydrometer

 

[wilserbrewer]

Well I think I may have everyone beat at at being a fine and talented extremely lazy brewer. Brewed my first batch in the mid eighties w/ two friends. Been brewing on and off ever since. Over the years I feel I have skillfully maximized quality and also minimized labor.

Don't even own a hydrometer, been brewing all grain for a couple of years now. I wouldn't even consider letting someone "muck around" with my brew and take readings for three consecutive days to check completeness of fermetation. I pitch healthy yeast at the proper temps and it has yet to fail me!

I brew 1/6 and 1/4 keg batches and feel I have a pretty darn good idea how much grain I need to make a tasty brew.

Ok, you want lazy, sometimes I brew up 8 gallons in my 11 gal. stainless pot. Cool the wort w/ either my IC or a big ass ice/water bath (and who says ice baths don't work well...hah...w/ enough ice and a big enough tub they work great!). Either pitch dry yeast directly to wort in kettle (no airation req'd for dry yeast per manufactur) or airate wort using a pitcher dipping and pouring if I am using a saved slurry from a previous batch. Once the yeast is pitched I place the lid on the kettle and fermentation starts. Usually at high kreusen, I place a plasting bag over the kettle and secure w/ a long piece of string wrapped twice tightly around the kettle and tied tight. With this set up you can see positive pressure as the plastic is ballooned up. If I can see positive pressure in the fermenter, I assume little to nothing is making it's way back in. After two weeks plus or minus I will rack to a keg and purge w/ CO2.

Follow sound mashing techniques, Boil vigorously, cool wort promptly, pitch and ferment at proper temps, and follow sanitation practices (yea star san!) and all the other details willl take care of themselves.

Anyone who doubts this crude method is surely welcome to stop by the brewery for a free sample.

Mike

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I got lazy in the end with extract batches. Gravities always hit the mark and evreything, it seemed superfluous in the end, so I brewed extracts without one. Since going AG I would not brew without it. I need all the info I can get. I don't see a time in my future now where I will be ditching it. There are too many variables where things can go wrong, so I need the info it gives me for trouble shooting at the very least. I'm not all that interested in the ABV of my beer, but I AM interested in poor brewhouse efficiency etc. Each to their own, it's all beer!