New Brewers -O2 obsessions - and mild ranting

[Queequeg]

Mattdee1. Think another thing that gets conflated is that oxidation and micro oxidation. Not all oxidation produces cardboard or sherry. And again the off flavors that are produced really impact different styles differently.

 

[Renegade Brewer]

Oxidation is a huge deal to us to the point where we even try to minimize oxidation on the hot side to much controversy on the topic. On the cold side oxidation is very evident when judging beers on a panel.

It’s not uncommon for us to enter 20 or 30 beers into NHC or club comps which are well over two or three years old. If oxidation were in any of those beers they would not even place.

 

[AMessenger]

Oxidation is a huge deal to us to the point where we even try to minimize oxidation on the hot side to much controversy on the topic. On the cold side oxidation is very evident when judging beers on a panel.

It’s not uncommon for us to enter 20 or 30 beers into NHC or club comps which are well over two or three years old. If oxidation were in any of those beers they would not even place.

Or maybe you are claiming a flavor is due to oxygen when it isn't.

 

[Renegade Brewer]

According to BJCP, guidelines wet cardboard, paper, stale, wine like are all signs of an oxidized beer. I’ve sat on many panels where beers have exhibited these flavors, and we mark them down for oxidation. The AHA, BA, BJCP, and Brewer’s Guild have determined such off flavors are due to oxidized beer.

I studied quite hard and long to pass my BJCP cert exam as well as make it through the Brewer’s Guild, so I typically take to heart the things they teach and have us tested on.

When we fight so hard on the professional side to minimize things that cause potential off flavors. We also try to introduce those techniques to the homebrewer as well so he or she can make an equally good product as what you can buy. There is no reason any homebrewer can’t produce the same if not better quality product than what we can purchase from our local craft beer store especially with the equipment like blichmann and Ss Brew Tech is putting out and the ingredients we have access to. I try to push each of my customers and students to make a beer that scores higher than the latest GABF winner. Why make good beer when you can make great beer?

Our local club also shares this mentality as well which is why members are encouraged to become judges and begin judging BJCP events. We hold monthly style comps and each member is supposed to brew that style each month at which time the winning beer will be sent to the national BJCP comp.

Learning off flavors and what causes them and more importantly how to avoid them is a huge step toward making award winning beer

 

[AMessenger]

According to BJCP, guidelines wet cardboard, paper, stale, wine like are all signs of an oxidized beer. I’ve sat on many panels where beers have exhibited these flavors, and we mark them down for oxidation. The AHA, BA, BJCP, and Brewer’s Guild have determined such off flavors are due to oxidized beer.

I studied quite hard and long to pass my BJCP cert exam as well as make it through the Brewer’s Guild, so I typically take to heart the things they teach and have us tested on.

When we fight so hard on the professional side to minimize things that cause potential off flavors. We also try to introduce those techniques to the homebrewer as well so he or she can make an equally good product as what you can buy. There is no reason any homebrewer can’t produce the same if not better quality product than what we can purchase from our local craft beer store especially with the equipment like blichmann and Ss Brew Tech is putting out and the ingredients we have access to. I try to push each of my customers and students to make a beer that scores higher than the latest GABF winner. Why make good beer when you can make great beer?

Our local club also shares this mentality as well which is why members are encouraged to become judges and begin judging BJCP events. We hold monthly style comps and each member is supposed to brew that style each month at which time the winning beer will be sent to the national BJCP comp.

Learning off flavors and what causes them and more importantly how to avoid them is a huge step toward making award winning beer

To the extent that judging is answering these questions it is valid:
1. Does this beer taste as the style should?
2. Do I like the way it tastes?

The idea that a judge is going to accurately diagnose all the off flavors, accurately correlate those to mistakes in brewing process based on their very limited time with the beer and understanding of how it is made, and provide useful advice is a joke.

Anybody who has brewed a while has heard the common descriptors for signs of oxidation. I'm sure most of us believe we've tasted them (myself included) and speculated that O2 was the culprit. How many people have done honest to goodness tests though? The unscientic claims of 1000 internet experts is worth a lot less than 1 honest test.

 

[brewbama]

Thank goodness I don’t brew to please the style Nazi’s idea of what my beer is supposed to taste like or look like or what the starting or finishing gravity should be or anything else. O2 is important...but not fanatically important. In the grand scheme of things it’s pole vaulting over mouse turds. A new brewer has bigger fish to fry. Old brewers just have to make a choice of whether to follow the O2 rainbow or not.

 

[Big Monk]

The absolute last thing a new brewer should be doing is trying something like LOB. I’m 100% agreement on that. It is an advanced set of techniques. There are infinitely more important fundamentals to get down pat before considering the effects of hot side oxidation.

Cold side is something that should be on a new brewers radar but even then, there are basic fundamentals and mechanics to master.

If you get your process down to where you are making consistent beers that you enjoy, and you want to start incorporating more technical things like step mashing, break exclusion, etc. then that stuff is always there. If you want to take it a step further and pursue LOB, that stuff is there too when the time comes.

A wise man once told me:

“Low Oxygen brewing is 99% good brewing practices and 1% funny chemicals...”

The point being that a prerequisite is just regular, good ole fashioned consistency and good practices. Fundamentals first, a trip through the weeds after that.