Quality Ingredients=

[BrewStef]

Greetings,

I have read that you should spend a few extra dollars to get QUALITY ingredients. I wholeheartedly agree.

The question is: What differentiates quality ingredients from, uh, non-quality ingredients? The LHBS has stuff, I buy it, thats it. Sometimes it is online, sometimes local. Is there a "hidden stash" where the good stuff is kept?

So please, how do I know what is quality, and what isnt? Shelflife? Which vendors have better stuff and why?

Thanks.

BrewStef

 

[user 574]

My two cents:

Liquid Yeast vs Dry would fit this category. Although if you harvest yeast for future batches you save $ here.

This could be debatable but whole hops vs pellets; if they're fresh. I use a mixture of both because I get fresh online but if I need something I don't use much I get that at the HBS in pellets.

If you do all grain - using grains from the countries that the recipe calls for would fit this as well. You can always get American 2-row cheaper than belgium, british etc but if your making a belgium whatever, use that grain. Example I make a porter that I could use american 2-row for .99 lb but I want the richer, maltier flavor I get from the $1.69 British Maris Otter.

 

[user 574]

Different vendors actually having quality vs older product is a differnent story of course. But, if all were equal then my previous commentary...

 

[BrewStef]

Thanks for your input. It is my personal philosophy is to always use the best ingredients - life is too short to do otherwise.

Cheers

BrewStef

 

[Cheesefood]

Your beer will only taste as good as the worse ingredient.

Since I've used whole. fresh hops, I can't turn back. Same with high quality grains and fresh yeast. There's just such a huge difference in the quality of the process that it's an entirely new dimension to the beer.

Homebrewing isn't cheap. If you're trying to save money, consider making cuts elsewhere.

 

[BrewStef]

Homebrewing isn't cheap. If you're trying to save money, consider making cuts elsewhere.

I agree. Where do you get YOUR ingredients BigCheese?