How has your brewing mindset changed since you started?

[PADave]

I started out brewing 1 gallon extract brews. I quickly got tired of all the effort for little return and moved up to 5 gallons. I'm still searching for those couple brews that I can make my "house" brews and have on hand all the time. I've pretty much got my process down, now working on the little details. When I first started I wanted to brew everything, but now realize that I should brew what I like, IPA's and stouts. Sure I still explore, but the majority of my brewing is these two styles.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I used to follow recipes to a T without wavering. But now I just wing it most of the time. I have a recipe but it's very simple. Instead of 10 different Malts and various other stuff (i.e. 1 oz of this and 2 oz of that) I just keep the recipe simple. The beers are just as good and not muddy with all of the variables.

 

[foam_top]

I'm probably just mirroring many thoughts already posted before me but I started out trying to make complex, specialty beers. Now I just try to make really "clean" simple brews. I still brew many varieties, I just keep the process as simple as the style allows. I just recently brewed my first wine. Still more of a beer guy but branching out is fun too.

 

[brick_haus]

My mindset has not changed in 5 years of brewing. I started all grain trying to brew beer that I like. IPA... I have perfected the process (over time) and recipe that I like. I also brew PA, Amber ale and Yoopers Stout to keep 4 taps pouring for friends/family. No experimenting, no multitude of recipes, no adjuncts. Just a few good recipes, clean fermentations and lots of simple enjoyment.

 

[DaWhip]

I started out just trying to make beer and didn't really care if it was actually good or not. I loved good craft commercial beers, but just thought that it was cool that I was producing alcohol at home. My process sucked and my beers sucked, but I still thought that was OK. Then I realized I could do all grain cheaper than extract and stepped up to that. After a few crappy all grain brews I found myself contemplating the ingredients I used and my process to make that beer a little better, so I did. Before I knew it, I realized that I could make as good or better beers than I was buying with no extra effort, just more attention to detail. Now I get so sad when I screw up the pipeline and have to pay for someone else's bottles, haha.

I have an education and background in science, but shied away from microbio and never really considered applying it at home. Now I'm kinda hooked on all the cool stuff these little yeast cells do and half wanna go back to school to study more.

 

[Kent88]

I started brewing in the LBK, went on to NB 1-gallon kits, did a few BIAB small batch kits with simple grists, and now I'm back up to brewing the occasional 3 gallons of ale, and lagering 1 or 2 gallons at a time and I have a 3-gallon igloo cooler I use for partial-extract brewing. I try to get all the fermentables I can from grain, but I usually end up adding a fair amount of extract, too.

I'm still ridiculously picky when it comes to sanitation.

I'm actually planning to transition into stronger beers that will age well because I don't drink that much, most of what I brew gets shared or sits around for months. I have a few 3%-6% brews planned, but I don't know how big of batches they'll be, probably pretty small. I plan on brewing rhubarb saison for the 3rd consecutive summer. I'm going to keep tinkering with my milk stout recipe & method, and I want to kettle sour another berliner weisse. I think, after 3 or 4 years at it, I'm finally getting to a point where I'm dialing in certain recipes.

I still love playing around with different ingredients (mostly malts and yeasts, I stick with hops that recipes call for and I'm just beginning to think about my water) and techniques (just did a real decoction mash about 6 weeks ago).

 

[Kampenken]

To add to my earlier post, I also pick one thing to work / learn a year. Last year was water chemistry. This year is yeast flavors. With new SS mini brew buckets I am brewing my standard 5.5g batches but then splitting them into 2 fermentations on different yeasts. I know they will taste different from what I've read but now I'll now by my taste buds!

 

[DurtyChemist]

MY Mindset went fro "follow the recipe" doing extract to "I need 10 gallons because it's gone so fast" to "its cheaper to do all grain" and is now focused on brewing beers that don't contain flaws according to BJCP standards and I want to enter more competitions with my brews just to get feedback and see how that goes. I don't want to brew just FOR competitions but I'd like to have some recipes I know typically do well for the style.

My mindset has also gone from "just follow the recipe" to "take notes about everything you can think of" so I can brew a batch consistently. When I started I didn't care about taking notes or knowing volumes as long as I got about 5 gallons of beer. It happened to my step-father and now I have him taking notes just as much as me because he has tried brewing the same beer a few times and it always came out different. Now he can look at his notes, as can I, to see what might have changed. I have temperature control for fermentation, kegging equipment, beer gun to fill bottles easier and avoid bottle bombs. I also went from buying yeast every time to washing yeast to harvesting from starters and keeping only one or two styles of yeast on hand.

Now I'm getting to the point where I'm looking at purchasing a grain mill, grains and storage containers so I can save more on the hobby overall. I bought 8 lbs of hops on sale a short time ago and keep those in the deep freezer. I've also ventured into trying new styles and opened even my wife's taste from wine to beer after bringing home a couple different beers she likes.

If I could go back and tell myself when I got into this hobby where I'd end up or why I should take notes or even why I should look up a brewing club locally I'd gladly do it. Mostly so I could start doing what I do now earlier.

 

[GHBWNY]

Seems the general consensus here is to have started fancy and transitioned to simple. That would be me. I was attracted to all the 'foo-foo' adjunct styles I thought others would like, "others" being mainly my three adult daughters who like beer and are surrounded by a plethora of great craft brew offerings in their areas. So, by default they became my target audience. As 'Dad-Guy' kept brewing some weirder stuff (apricot wit, watermelon hefe, maple nut brown, lime-ish amber), I came to realize that I had been second-guessing their priorities in taste --- imagine that! Nowadays I try to have a plain ol' Belgian, hefe or nut brown on hand for them while I'm still depleting the weird leftover stock they feigned enjoyment of just to not offend me.

 

[Chris_Primavera]

As the above posters pointed out - simpler is better.

I concentrate on variations in hops and yeast to keep things interesting.

I also no longer obsess about my numbers - I know my process and no longer measure pH, gravity into boil, mash volume, volume of ambient wort... he only reason I measure OG and FG is to write something about ABV on the chalkboard above my kegerator.

 

[Vandulus]

Wow, looking back I brewed my first batch over 20 years ago and shake my head at the mistakes I made. I've got to echo the theme of simplicity, but for me it's been more about ingredients versus equipment. I've whittled my grain list down to a dozen stock grains, 2 yeast varieties and a dozen hops. I've also focused on 5 core styles instead of trying to brew everything. I tend to alternate with brewing something new every other batch and perfecting my recipes the other batches. Ironically my equipment has become more complex having just added a pump and RIMS, but it's still a single kettle BIAB system.

I didn't get seriously back into brewing until two and a half years ago. Most of the batches before then were mediocre at best. One thing that's been a huge help is the wealth of information there is about brewing and I've spent a lot of time learning about the chemistry and biology behind the brewing process. Before it was throw some ingredients together and hope it all turns out OK. Now I carefully plan the recipe and brew day and greatly improved my sanitation practices.

The one last thing that's changed is I'm now trying to focus on consistency. I showed one of my brew buddies my Word template for batch notes and the Excel spreadsheet I use to supplement BeerSmith and was told "you've gone full-on brewing nerd." From adding the RIMS to keep my mash temps steady to a kegerator to control fermentation temps, I'm slowly getting closer to dialing in my process.

 

[nobadays]

Wow! Vandulus you could be me...or visa-versa! Started brewing over 20 years ago (even had a small LHBS store) made OK beer but made more than my sare of mistakes, looking back I'm appalled I actually let people drink the swill I made!

Got serious back into brewing a little over a year ago. Started back with extract beers, focused on controlling the process including fermentation temp control and good record keeping. Then started looking at larger batch, all electric BIAB. About the time I started buying/putting this new system together my brew partner moved.

So... the rig is built and I keep tweaking the rig so I - as a one-armed man - can brew entirely by myself from start to finish. I have, but it was a challenge and am still looking to make a few changes so that can be done easily. More complicated but simpler for a "physically challenged" (my wife would deny that, but rather insist I am morally dyslexic" for sure!) person.

Beers... really about perfecting my APA and IPA recipes but still want to experiment a bit with other styles, esp. porters and stouts to have some "cellar" beers that I can enjoy when I want one. My wife's family are from the Caffrey clan - grand parents directly from Ireland, so I want to find a GOOD old Caffrey beer recipe as well.

Just starting to dabble into water chemistry.... Dang I read this and I sound like a NEW brewer again!!

 

[njviking]

I've come full circle in the now 26 years of on and off brewing.
I started off brewing english and simple american pales while in college. Rode the hop Rollercoaster of the 90's till last year brewing some envelope pushing fantastic beers, rustic, sours, etc and loved every one and rhe process
Lately, I'm seeing my self going back to my beginnings. Nothimg better than producing a great pale or lager where no flaws can be hidden by hops or malt.

 

[catdaddy66]

When I first began brewing is was to see if I could make something drinkable. That was my goal. I began with extract kits like most people and did this for years without ever having a bad beer as a result. Then I took a long break of 7-8 years after changing jobs and wives (lol!!). When I got back into it I used kits for a couple years.

Then, while researching all grain I read a great quote... "With extract you can make really good beer. With all grain you can craft excellent beer!" I was sold by that quote!

I began all grain brewing trying other's recipes and dialing in my equipment, all while absorbing every scrap of info I could find on HBT. Now I have gotten better and crafting recipes and brew mainly to keep my house pipeline full while straying beyond my comfort zone occasionally as well.

The biggest change I guess would be quality and consistency. To quote a great coach (John Wooden), "Do not mistake activity for achievement. Practice the RIGHT way."

 

[Kharnynb]

I haven't actually changed a lot in the 2 years or so.
I certainly got better, faster and removed any useless and overcomplicated stuff.

I got a few small pieces of bottling gear to make that side easier, but my brewing side is still the same basic biab.
Style wise, my main beers are still smash beers, mostly with munich or vienna based, with some season specials, wit for summer, pumpkin beers and stouts in autumn and belgian and porter in winter.