One Thing You Learned Recently

[libeerty]

One of the most amazing things about homebrewing is how the learning literally never ends. It can't. You can read every book out there, brew every style 1,000 times and get a 40 on everything you submit to a competition, but unbeknownst to you, somewhere else in the world someone is discovering something new that is somehow going to make its way to you and change how you do things.

So, in that spirit, name one thing you learned recently.

I just recently learned how many times you can re-use star-san. It has made my life a lot easier, much more efficient.

 

[Cbaddad]

I just learned the hard way that I still do not understand brewing water chemistry.

I diluted my water, made mineral additions, and put lactic acid in my sparge water. My wort was sour/tart and not sweet coming out of the tun. I dumped it.

Bah humbug!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Just read the recent Zymurgy article on hops and it gave me a whole new appreciation for combining hops rather than doing single-hop IPAs. I beer knew that yeast can actually change hop compounds to generate volatile compounds that weren't present in the original hops.

And I think some of the research into hop oils will one day help better understand why things like FWH seem to retain hop character rather than just bitterness.

 

[drainbamage]

Although I'd read about it, I only recently learned what a big difference in color it makes to do late extract additions. I'd had things turning out darker than expected for a long time, and now I feel dumb for not starting it earlier.

 

[zacster]

I've been reading up on HERMS and RIMS, but like a lot of things I doubt I'll do either. I'm pretty happy with my BIAB setup.

There's always another piece of equipment to buy...

 

[poislb]

Ive learned not to use an rv hose, yeah it may be safe for drinking but still tastes and smells like a hose...wasted a perfectly good 6 hour brew day...back to carrying out buckets.

 

[mpjay2000]

I recently learned how to make a stir plate out of a cigar box and some spare computer parts. Very cool to have a second/ spare stir plate!

poislb: I recently bought a water filter from MoreBeer and was gonna run it directly from a hose bib and then run an RV hose over to my equipment for a water supply. Will my water still taste like a hose if I do that? Is there a better way or do RV hoses just suck?

Thanks!

mpjay

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

I learned that my hop rocket gasket had come loose... take a guess how.

 

[amandabab]

If you make a T-hose with a garden hose adaptor and a pair of gas/beer quick disconnects, then put the lidless keg upside down in the sink it makes a nice keg washer.

 

[OkashiiBrew]

cold steeping the dark stuff overnight in cold water, filter and add to the last 15 minutes in the boil. Smooooooth as 'fill in the blank". Making a batch of wort to can for starters has made this part too easy. Toss cold yeast in a cold canned wort. Stirplate at room temp and in 24 hours....good to go.

 

[poislb]

I recently learned how to make a stir plate out of a cigar box and some spare computer parts. Very cool to have a second/ spare stir plate!

poislb: I recently bought a water filter from MoreBeer and was gonna run it directly from a hose bib and then run an RV hose over to my equipment for a water supply. Will my water still taste like a hose if I do that? Is there a better way or do RV hoses just suck?

Thanks!

mpjay

Rv hoses just suck, dont even attempt to try one even with a filter. Your better off just buying some 1/2" tubing from you lhbs and make a hose with garden fittings. It will obvisily cost more but its worth it not to serve beer that smells like plastic..

 

[grathan]

I learned soda gunk persists in corny keg's out tube even after a 2 week soak in pbw and a 2 year soak in beer.

 

[brokebucket]

I learned that water chemistry is only for mashing...extract doesnt need it. Learned that right here.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I re-learned that a pile of spent grains in your yard on a 90 degree say smell like concentrated death.

 

[plumber_bob]

I just learned the hard way that I still do not understand brewing water chemistry.

I diluted my water, made mineral additions, and put lactic acid in my sparge water. My wort was sour/tart and not sweet coming out of the tun. I dumped it.
Bah humbug!

Ok, I wanna learn this one,... How do you dilute water?

pb

 

[novahokie09]

Ok, I wanna learn this one,... How do you dilute water?

pb

Water contains charged ions (Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfate, Chloride, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, etcetera), which impact water hardness and akalinity. Based on his comment of diluting and adding lactic acid, he's referring to adding distilled water (which is water that's been boiled and recondensed to remove ions) to his tap water. The reason you would add distilled water to tap water is to reduce your water's akalinity. Adding lactic acid to sparge water is done to lower the sparge water's pH in effort to keep the sparge runoff pH below 6.

If you sparge with highly akaline water, the mash may not be able to lower the pH below 6 (target pH = 5.2 - 5.5 at mash temperature or 5.5 - 5.8 at room temperature), which can result in tannin extraction during sparging. Also, proper mash pH will lead to better hot break formation and several other benefits.

Here are some additional links:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brewing-water-chemistry-primer-198460/
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Mash_pH_control

 

[plumber_bob]

What I just learned, (Instant update):

Water contains charged ions (Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfate, Chloride, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, etcetera), which impact water hardness and akalinity. Based on his comment of diluting and adding lactic acid, he's referring to adding distilled water (which is water that's been boiled and recondensed to remove ions) to his tap water. The reason you would add distilled water to tap water is to water's akalinity. Adding lactic acid to sparge water is done to lower the sparge water's pH in effort to keep the sparge runoff pH below 6.

If you sparge with highly akaline water, the mash may not be able to lower the pH below 6 (target pH = 5.2 - 5.5 at mash temperature or 5.5 - 5.8 at room temperature), which can result in tannin extraction during sparging. Also, proper mash pH will lead to better hot break formation and several other benefits.

Here are some additional links:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brewing-water-chemistry-primer-198460/
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Mash_pH_control

And I thought it was a typo!!!

Thanks

pb --- damned I love this place:rockin:

 

[CooperBrew]

If you attempt to degass for the first time ever using the new degassing wand you just bought on a full 5 gallon carboy of Skeeter Pee for 10 seconds
(according to the instructions) you will get a massive geyser of said Skeeter Pee erupting all over your kitchen floor

On the plus side my two Labs did a great job assisting with the clean up....then they slept a long time

 

[BinghamtonEd]

Not exactly beer related, but I learned that putting oxi-clean in a closed container for a few minutes, then shaking it, and opening it, will create an explosion of oxi-clean.

I was cleaning the reservoir of my daughter's humidifier before we put it in storage for the summer. I thought "Hey, I'll fill it up with a little oxi-clean and water and let it soak." Filled it up, let it soak. Came back 5-10 minutes later, and shook it up just to get any loosened junk off the inside. Went to remove the cap and POW!!! Cap flies across the room, and now me and half of the bathroom are soaking went. I guess I should count myself lucky that I didn't get hurt.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Ive learned not to use an rv hose, yeah it may be safe for drinking but still tastes and smells like a hose...wasted a perfectly good 6 hour brew day...back to carrying out buckets.

Rv hoses just suck, dont even attempt to try one even with a filter. Your better off just buying some 1/2" tubing from you lhbs and make a hose with garden fittings. It will obvisily cost more but its worth it not to serve beer that smells like plastic..

I use an RV hose and my beer doesn't taste like plastic. I still plan to add a carbon filter to my rig at the end of said hose to remove any chlorine and possible flavors from the hose, but I've brewed a lot of beers that all taste fine. Just my experience. Maybe different styles of hoses are better/ worse regarding off flavors.

I recently learned that beers brewed with all Brettanomyces do not make sour beers. The flavors can be subtle, delicate, and complex with a little tartness rather than barnyard, horse blanket, sweaty goat funk!

 

[user 157712]

I never quite understood vorlauf until recently after building a new MLT and getting a proper grain bed thickness. I could not believe how clear the wort drained out after recirculating and setting the grain bed. Before this I had just been going through the motions and not seeing any difference from the process as my old cooler was too big for my batch size, and grain bed too thin...

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Scaling from 5.5 to 11 gallon batches is pretty easy, especially with BeerSmith, but experimenting with cloning a commericial beer is not the best beer to brew as your first 11 gallon batch. You would think this may be common sense, but some of us aren't real bright at times...

 

[Weezy]

Brewing drunk is a lot of fun during the brew session...and when you first taste the finished product a few weeks later.

 

[Monster Mash]

Ive learned not to use an rv hose, yeah it may be safe for drinking but still tastes and smells like a hose...wasted a perfectly good 6 hour brew day...back to carrying out buckets.

There's nothing wrong with the hose, just the way you are using it. If you just hook up your filter and start filling your brewery you will get the water that has been soaking up the hose flavor.

Run the water a few seconds to flush it out of the hose before you fill your brewery and the water will taste fine.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

There's nothing wrong with the hose, just the way you are using it. If you just hook up your filter and start filling your brewery you will get the water that has been soaking up the hose flavor.

Run the water a few seconds to flush it out of the hose before you fill your brewery and the water will taste fine.

True...I empty mine completely after each session and still run a few gallons through before filling my kettle.

 

[libeerty]

Learned that a gallon of water is 8.34 pounds. This makes marking my fermenters MUCH easier.

 

[SixStrings]

I learned that my new hydrometer is 5 points low. Now I can stop losing sleep over why my last brew's numbers were so off.

I've also been reading a paper suggesting that a day or less is all the time you need to extract maximum dry-hop aroma. Surely will be testing this one out.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I learned that my new hydrometer is 5 points low. Now I can stop losing sleep over why my last brew's numbers were so off.

I've also been reading a paper suggesting that a day or less is all the time you need to extract maximum dry-hop aroma. Surely will be testing this one out.

I'm doing the same. I've got a batch I've been dry-hopping since Sunday afternoon, that I want to keg and carbonate by Saturday evening. I think I might start cold-crashing tonight, keg it Thursday, and serve it Saturday.

 

[SixStrings]

I'm doing the same. I've got a batch I've been dry-hopping since Sunday afternoon, that I want to keg and carbonate by Saturday evening. I think I might start cold-crashing tonight, keg it Thursday, and serve it Saturday.

I'd be interested to hear how that turns out. I did a quick search but couldn't find anything about homebrew-scale tests. I think next brew day I'll do a split batch and try to gauge how big a difference it makes. The time-saving benefit would definitely be a plus.