RDWHAHB is starting to sink in

[exoreality]

I admit to freaking out over my brewing on most occasions but my last two batches have made me start to embrace RDWHAHB.

A couple months ago I brewed a Northern Brewer Chocolate Milk Stout. After I added the yeast, sealed it up and put it to the side, something hit me. I didn't sanitize correctly. I used One Step and used teaspoons of it when I should have used tablespoons. My excuse is that was early in the morning. Anyway I didn't freak out and I just let it ride. When I transferred to the secondary, things looked good. No sign of infection. Tasted great when I bottled it. Final results came out amazing! My best brew yet.

The next batch was a Northern Brewer Tongue Splitter. Everything was going well in the brewing process. Problems arose during the wort cooldown. My clamps on my wort chiller were loose and water started leaking into the cooling wort. The water was coming from my tap through the wort chiller hose. Wort chiller hose has never been sanitized and always has water sitting in it. So this hose had to be crawling with bacteria, and now I have water going through this nasty hose into my wort. Not good.

A month later, the beer is fine. Not my best, but very drinkable. Maybe it was all the hops that saved it. IDK.

Last weekend, I brewed a Toad Spit Stout recipe and probably for the first time in my two years of brewing I was free of anxiety. It was a liberating feeling. I have turned a corner. Things are so much easier when you Relax, don't worry and have a homebrew.

Peace,
J.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,it's always a liberating feeling when we come to that crossroad. Especially so when we realize the devil isn't coming up behind us. That was brew #2 for me...

 

[IXVolt]

Indeed, that was brew #2 for me as well.

 

[unionrdr]

I guess I just had to see that it was about the same as making wine,but more involved. But in a good way. Once I saw how it pretty much takes care of itself with minimal input from me,I relaxed & started to enjoy it. I guess it really is like being an expectant parent the 1st time out.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

It doesn't help when you prowl the forums and every third thread starts with "help, please diagnose my infection". People come here to discuss and resolve issues. That's a good thing, but it gives one a skewed sense of perspective. I suspect the percentage of batches that have problems is very small . I have 9 under my belt with no infections or major problems. (Murphy, keep your grubby paws off my fermenter !!!) anyone else care to share statistics?

 

[Revvy]

It doesn't help when you prowl the forums and every third thread starts with "help, please diagnose my infection". People come here to discuss and resolve issues. That's a good thing, but it gives one a skewed sense of perspective. I suspect the percentage of batches that have problems is very small . I have 9 under my belt with no infections or major problems. (Murphy, keep your grubby paws off my fermenter !!!) anyone else care to share statistics?

But if you read those threads, you find that 99.99% of the time it's a false alarm. To me that should reassure folks. It did to me. I saw all these threads that turned out to be nothing, and the first time I had something I was concerned about I said, "gee if all these other ones are false alarms, why would my situation be ANY different?" I'm not terminally unique....why would my situation be the exception rather than the rule?

 

[gr8shandini]

+1 on the false alarms. I'm glad I started off using buckets (still use 'em actually). If my first brew was in glass, I'm sure I would have started asking "is this infected" as soon as a krausen formed.

 

[unionrdr]

I think that's it in a nutshell. They wanna watch it ferment,but don't know what their looking at...

 

[Revvy]

I think that's it in a nutshell. They wanna watch it ferment,but don't know what their looking at...

Exactly, or what it smells like for that matter.

 

[BamaRooster]

I know you guys helped me rdwhahb........I was freaking out over everything. Last batch went off without a hitch.

 

[kappclark]

My second batch with my new immersion chiller got me very worried when the hose clamp came loose, and the tap water went POURING into the chilling wort...I was convinced this was the end, but the Nottingham said otherwise to that Haus ALE..

 

[exoreality]

My second batch with my new immersion chiller got me very worried when the hose clamp came loose, and the tap water went POURING into the chilling wort...I was convinced this was the end, but the Nottingham said otherwise to that Haus ALE..

score one for the Nottingham!:rockin:

 

[beersteiner2345]

Funny, I am 9 batches in.

My first 6 batches I overplanned, overthought, and was super worried, and brewing was actually terribly exciting.

Last 3 batches I have been totally relaxed, and I love it so much more now. So relaxing to have good music on, a cold home brew in my hand, and smelling/hearing that kettle go.

So I can honestly say RDWHAHB has set in for me too. of my 9 batches, I have had one turn out to not be drinkable. Since I have relaxed a bit, all are good.