Just curious. How many batches before you're not a beginner?

[DNKDUKE]

Black belt: Has malted the barley that they have grown, dried the hops that they have grown, harvested wild yeast and have separated good strains from bad strains, have brewed beer using a fire pit, fermented and lagered beer with a lagering cave and the beer comes out exquisite. Can drink any beer and can formulate a clone recipe with a few improvements to the original to suit their tastes.

...in a loin cloth and a beaver hat that they sewed together from a beaver that they killed themselves by jumping out of a hiding spot with nothing but a sharp stick.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

...in a loin cloth and a beaver hat that they sewed together from a beaver that they killed themselves by jumping out of a hiding spot with nothing but a sharp stick.

I can do that. I might tie a sharp rock to the stick if that would meet the said requirements.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I guess I'm still a beginner...........

What do RDWHAHB, BDMA and DFTF mean? Iv'e been trying for months to decipher these.

You must meditate on these. And read more HBT.

 

[DNKDUKE]

You must meditate on these. And read more HBT.

I will do all you command of me, Oh my Master...

 

[Qhrumphf]

I guess I'm still a beginner...........

What do RDWHAHB, BDMA and DFTF mean? Iv'e been trying for months to decipher these.

Don't worry, I'm far from a beginner, and i had to look BDMA up. I knew the first immediately and DFTF took me a minute.

 

[duboman]

Regardless of your experience level you will always find something new to try and revert back to being a nOOb all over again

 

[DirtyPirate]

Don't worry about beginner or expert enjoy the brewing process. With all grain I feel it is a primal experience that has been practiced for 1000's of years long before star San and water chemistry. Brew on

 

[1975brewer]

Once you started your first batch you move from beginner to student. If your being a good student you should always have something to quench your thirst while you study. There's a lot here to learn so grab a home brew & learn.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

I'm not a black belt by any stretch but I will say that going to all-grain "takes off the training wheels" in that it forces you to start to think about all the "nuts and bolts" that we talk about to make a successful beer:
-crush
-water profile
-mash pH
-diastatic power of the grain bill
-proper sparge

Once you start thinking about each of those for your next brew, I think that graduates you from beginner. Not that you need all-grain for that, but that's what did it for me.

 

[grevengrevs]

As others have said, everyone will have a different answer. Me? I still feel that I am a beginner because I am still in the learning phases of brewing. I still have a lot to learn and look forward to learning it. I think once I feel confident enough to teach someone to brew and not worry whether or not it will turn out good, then I may consider myself a step above beginner.
Either way, beginner or not, you still have beer!

 

[Aonghus]

I personally think it happens when you understand why you are undertaking a particular step and the ramifications of variations of that step and what to do if you F* that step up. The F* up happens more frequently if you like to drink your homebrew whilst brewing. Say your initial mash temp is too high and so you are going to miss out on your beta amylase breaking down some sugars. Then doing something about it to save your initial idea. It can be free form like that. Or it could be, as others have suggested, repeatability. In the end, who cares about arbitrary designations? You brew for yourself and to see the enjoyment of your buddies getting loaded on your homebrew (at least I do). Cheers

Aonghus

 

[schematix]

I was just browsing around the beginner forum and it hit me: You're not a beginner anymore when you stop using carapils and wheat in every recipe "for head retention"....

 

[chxgh]

Unfortunately it took me far too long to get fermentation temp control. That's when I was no longer a beginner. Almost 2 years

 

[GHBWNY]

One

 

[Ivypunx]

When you like a few of your recipes more than any other beer and when you no longer worry about anything in the brewing process because you know you can fix it or deal with it either way

 

[ol-hazza]

Once I got my first AG brew done and dusted I went straight to expert. Have been kicked down a couple of notches since then though.
With so many components to so many styles, many of which of negligible importance (when it comes to making "DRINKABLE" beer), I think its really quite easy to get from beginner to intermediate but takes a lot of work to get above that.

PS you can advance past beginner without knowing how to type in ALL CAPS on here

 

[paperairplane]

When you think of what you want to make, you design the recipe and it comes out like you planned just about every time.

 

[Zepth]

It's difficult to set up a guideline or parameter basis for where one's brewing level is. Do I have AG setup? Yes. Have I looked into water chemistry? Not really. Current knowledge level is that I toss in a pinch of +ph if I use a ton of dark malts. Next on the hit list. Maintaining ferment temperatures? Not yet, parts in the mail. Been brewing by season.

How would this compare to someone who does steeping grains with extract addition and their own home grown hops into the perfectly balanced Munich water? Who is to judge that?

I'm going with the "repeatability of batches" as being my sign. I've had some success with coming darn close, but earlier yeast harvesting without starters and seasonal brewing hampered my efforts. I have however gotten an indistinguishable repeat brew, admittedly it wasn't my own recipe. Thanks for the California Common Yooper!

That said I also failed at repeating a different batch. Twice. 3 attempts, 1 awesome, 1 good for cooking with, 1 that was acceptable but disappointing compared to the first. I actually got to thinking about that, it was just as I was ramping to 10g batches and my process was a little mixed up in the middle. Attempt 4 has a slight recipe alteration and fermenting now. So I would still declare myself to be at the beginner stage, teetering on the edge of whatever we declare the next level to be.

 

[jethro55]

When you would rather have your homebrews than any of the ones on the shelf at the craft beer store.

 

[LandoLincoln]

When you think of what you want to make, you design the recipe and it comes out like you planned just about every time.

That would be "master brewer" not "non-beginning brewer."

 

[TheHappyHopper]

I don't think it has anything to do with your equipment setup (all-grain vs. extract, perfect fermentation chamber, etc.), it's more about understanding the process and knowing how to work with what you have. I had two moments when I realized that I wasn't a beginner anymore:

When I first started brewing, I found a step-by-step brew day checklist online (Brewer's Friend website I think?) - I followed that religiously for several batches and then got to the point where I had the process down and didn't need that constant reference.

When my brother-in-law started brewing and bombarded me with all of his questions and I was able to guide him through the process.

 

[sboyajian]

I very much look forward to that day. I noticed even my second batch was MUCH less precise than the first. Third batch on Friday. I guess I'll strike a balance when I ball a batch up from not paying enough attention to it.

So I have to ask, how did the 3rd batch go?

 

[bobeer]

The thing is, there is always something new to learn- all-grain brewing, water chemistry, building a control panel, yeast ranching- so I always am learning something new or getting new ideas so I'm always a beginner in some aspect of brewing!

My thoughts exactly, Yoop has it right. A beginner cannot be measured by batches brewed. It has to be measured by what you're currently working on. Brewing has enticed me to learn wood-crafting skills, of which I'm totally a beginner, and it has to with brewing a batch. Learning how to use different ingredients, wood aging, building water, kegging, cellaring, milling grain, growing hops, yeast cultivation, etc, etc, etc... are all things you could be a beginner at. I think this hobby would get boring if you could never be a beginner again

 

[Rotor_Head]

So I have to ask, how did the 3rd batch go?

So far so good. Fermenting away happily, if not on the warm side at ~75 degrees. Pretty smooth brew day all in all. Let's be honest, I'm not running a super sophisticated operation over here. We're talkin' a pot, a burner, some water and a grain steep/LME/ follow these directions and you won't screw this up type gig. That said, care is given to timing, brew schedule, and sanitation. The Maple Bacon and Blackberry are both delicious.

The next beer I'd like to make is a Ginger Lime Belgian Tripel. Does that sound good to ya'll....or no?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Let's be honest, I'm not running a super sophisticated operation over here. We're talkin' a pot, a burner, some water and a grain steep/LME/ follow these directions and you won't screw this up type gig. That said, care is given to timing, brew schedule, and sanitation.

This is how I am operating too. Keeping it simple and enjoying it. Figuring out new styles to entertain while balancing my brew schedule (ambient temps vs fermentation chamber).

I am now starting to learn how to make fruit wines and mead (traditional and then a melomel) is next on the list (haven't even tasted one much less know if it is something that I would like).

There is so much to learn and experiment with and make that is enjoyable. I firmly believe by learning from other's mistakes if at all possible. But it doesn't hurt to make a few that are not critical but apparent.

 

[gjgxgh]

Unfortunately it took me far too long to get fermentation temp control. That's when I was no longer a beginner. Almost 2 years