Rhumbline
Well-Known Member
Im a noob, I do almost everything wrong
and I still brew some great beer.
This isnt meant to knock anyones passion, I know how much fun it is to throw yourself headlong into a hobby. I recently saw a post that claimed it was impossible to brew great beer without a wort chiller and it got me thinking that it easy to engage in the kind of endless pencil sharpening, always chasing one more decimal point, that ruins the fun of just brewing.
This post is for my fellow noobs, the ones who fret at every new thing they hear that they havent been doing. Im not suggesting for a second that I know more about brewing than the old-timers. My point is just the opposite, that as ignorant as I am, and with all the things I do that should result in disaster, I still get great results.
For the record, Ive brewed exactly seven extract kits. Only three of them are at a point where I can try them. Although Im organized and a bit of a lunatic about cleanliness, I do all kinds of wrong stuff. I have never had an infected beer or one with an off taste.
Happy brewing,
This isnt meant to knock anyones passion, I know how much fun it is to throw yourself headlong into a hobby. I recently saw a post that claimed it was impossible to brew great beer without a wort chiller and it got me thinking that it easy to engage in the kind of endless pencil sharpening, always chasing one more decimal point, that ruins the fun of just brewing.
This post is for my fellow noobs, the ones who fret at every new thing they hear that they havent been doing. Im not suggesting for a second that I know more about brewing than the old-timers. My point is just the opposite, that as ignorant as I am, and with all the things I do that should result in disaster, I still get great results.
For the record, Ive brewed exactly seven extract kits. Only three of them are at a point where I can try them. Although Im organized and a bit of a lunatic about cleanliness, I do all kinds of wrong stuff. I have never had an infected beer or one with an off taste.
- I brew all extract kits. This may change at some point but its working for me for now.
- I never make a starter.
- I use city water, unfiltered. I boil it the night before but Ive never had it tested.
- Ive never calibrated my thermometer. Truth is, I figure plus or minus 3 degrees is close enough.
- I dump all the LME in at the beginning of the boil.
- I dont use a wort chiller, I top off with cold, boiled water and drop the pot in an ice bath on the back porch.
- I usually forget to measure the OG, wouldnt know how far off was too far or what to do about it anyway.
- When I do measure specific gravity, I never bother to adjust for temp.
- I ferment at whatever the temp is where ever the fermenter is. Sometimes thats out on the back porch here in Florida, sometimes its inside the house. I do use a water tub to stabilize the temperature swings.
- I always rack to a secondary. I do wrap the glass carboy to block light.
- About a week in the primary, and two in the secondary is the max unless its a slow fermenter. Usually one week each has worked for me.
- I bottle the beer.
- The beer gets stored in the closet at whatever the temp is. In FL thats usually 75-80 degrees.
- I have little willpower so I usually sneak a bottle way before its supposed to be ready.
Happy brewing,