Questions for home brewers

[austinmclark]

Hello all!

I am a student at College for Creative Studies in the product design department. This semester I will be developing a home brewing kit. Just looking for some insights and figured this would be a good place to start. Anything will help, and thank you in advance!!


What is the most confusing part about brewing process?

What was your worst beer brewing experience and why?

What is the main difference between cheap brewing kits and and advanced kits?

What batch yielded the best tasting beer and why?


I have always wanted to do my own brew and have most of the supplies, but I have always thought there could be a way to make this process easier and less complicated.

 

[Darwin18]

Put together a solid set up of instructions for your kit and I imagine you would address all the items you listed in your post.

 

[kh54s10]

Here is my advice:

Hello all!

I am a student and College for Creative Studies in the product design department. This semester I will be developing a home brewing kit. Just looking for some insights and figured this would be a good place to start. Anything will help, and thank you in advance!!


What is the most confusing part about brewing process?

Not really about confusing but just learning. Time: most kits suggest very short time frames. Don't go by time, learn about and use a hydrometer to determine when to move to the next step. Longer is usually better.

What was your worst beer brewing experience and why?

I plan well so boil overs and forgetting that I have water flowing into a plugged sink were my worst things.

What is the main difference between cheap brewing kits and and advanced kits?

Price and "BLING"

What batch yielded the best tasting beer and why?

The last one. Not really, I have done a few that I REALLY liked. Some were very good and all of them have been good.

I have always wanted to do my own brew and have most of the supplies, but I have always thought there could be a way to make this process easier and less complicated.

Keep reading, pick up tips and tricks. Try things, everyone has different ways of going about things. For instance BIAB has low equipment needs but personally I don't care for the process, others will only do BIAB.

 

[steveoatley]

Austin,

GO out to Brewing World in Warren, buy a Kit, make some beer.
You will find the answer to your questions at every step you take.

http://www.brewingworld.com/

There is a big event coming up the AHA Big Brew day - May 3rd 2014
Brewing World will have the KGB members brewing in the parking lot
There will be 10-15 people brewing, you can watch how they do it.
And ask questions along the way.

Homebrewing is as simple as the brewer wants to make it ( extract kits on a stove top )
Or as complicated as the brewer wants to make it ( check the electric brewing form for all the stainless steel automated systems )

Brew on
Steve - CCS Alum - Photogrpahy 1989

 

[Teromous]

What is the most confusing part about brewing process?
For me it's number related things. I find it hard to commit them it to memory, so anything that involves a number is written down in my brew process. I have quick conversion notes written down prior to brewing (quarts to liters, liters to gallons, etc). Even if I have my whole brewing process converted in advance, there are situations that arise where I need to do conversions on the fly.

What was your worst beer brewing experience and why?
Having to dump a batch that I had poured my heart and soul into creating.

What is the main difference between cheap brewing kits and and advanced kits?
For the most part it's the amount of stuff you get with the kit. Occasionally it will be the type of equipment as well, for example plastic buckets versus glass carboys.

What batch yielded the best tasting beer and why?
I've noticed that the batches that have the best flavor come from the best sourced ingredients. This goes for everything from base and specialty grains, to spices like vanilla beans and coriander. I have had noticeable flavor differences from different sources. This is why I have found it crucial to write down the source of my ingredients when I record the recipe.

 

[blastfemur91]

I'm relatively new to the game so the only question I can answer is the first one. The actual brewing process is not that complicated; anybody can make beer. It's making good beer consistently that gets hairy.

I can also tell you that when it comes to equipment, do your research (the HBT beginner forums are a great place to start) and you can build a perfectly respectable set up for relatively cheap. Figure out where you're willing and able to but it in a little extra elbow grease and assemble something yourself (again, HBT forums have a DIY section), and where it's necessary to splurge.

The most important thing is to be comfortable with your set up and the process. Don't go into brew day blindly.

Lastly, SANITIZE!