Nebraskan
Assoc. Winemaker
I was looking at a Youtube.com video and saw this comment, which I might share here, since it's posted on Youtube as a comment, and ask. What sort of mechanics/chemistry is involved in Ale brewing??
"Hot side oxidation begins when the water is slopped into the malt, stirred like mad and the lid closed for an hour. Home made beer usually goes from the boiler to belly in four weeks, the damage does not set in. Real issues become myth due to the type of liquid home made beer brewers produce. The liquid is basically distillers wash. I'm not sure that any experiments are of value when it comes to brewing Ale or Lager due to the poor quality liquid the experiments are performed on. High modified malt means that the malt has less enzyme content. The malt is high protein, except for certain types of Marris Otter which are very high modified malt but it is low protein. Marris Otter is distillers malt that home brewers have been convinced will make Ale and it will if enzymes are added. High protein malt contains less starch which means less sugar. It is basically, distillers grade malt. The single infusion is used in the brewing industry as a means to test malt. the temperature used for testing can be found in every recipe for producing home made beer. The method is used to produce grain alcohol. The liquid is called wash, the slang is moonshiners beer. That is the type of liquid that most home brewers produce which somehow by magic becomes Ale. It is chemically and enzymatically impossible to produce Ale using single infusion, single temperature method. The part about high sparge temps; you failed to mention that the complex starch called amylo-pectin enters into solution at temperature of 169 F and up. The starch bursts, the enzymes denature due to the high temperature and the occurrence creates starch carry over. But, that is probably a myth, as well. By the way, when you toss the starch in the garden notice that the birds are eating it. They are eating your money, more importantly, they are eating the starch that produces Ale and Lager. Yup, squeeze the bag, might as well squish the protein mud, protein gum, beta glucan and carry over starch right into the boiler, not to worry about tannin. Batch sparge while you're at it, that method insures that the highest amount of goop goes into the boiler. The method claims to increase efficiency, all that it increases is the amount of goop in the wort that a hydrometer floats high in. When the goop drops out, the hydrometer sinks and the brewer believes a false reading. Unless, your taste buds are tuned for drinking moonshiners beer with hops added continue to make home made style beer because everything works and everything that causes issues in Ale and Lager are myths. It is a conn story used to convince novices that anything goes and not much knowledge is needed to produce Ale. If novices knew what it takes to produce Ale the home made beer empire would not exist as it does today."
Not my thoughts.... his. Youtube video of Brewing myths is here:
Basically saying we are all drinking cheaply and poorly made distiller's wash with a bit of hops thrown in for good measure. THIS is from one of the commenters not from the 2 guys hosting the video BTW.
"Hot side oxidation begins when the water is slopped into the malt, stirred like mad and the lid closed for an hour. Home made beer usually goes from the boiler to belly in four weeks, the damage does not set in. Real issues become myth due to the type of liquid home made beer brewers produce. The liquid is basically distillers wash. I'm not sure that any experiments are of value when it comes to brewing Ale or Lager due to the poor quality liquid the experiments are performed on. High modified malt means that the malt has less enzyme content. The malt is high protein, except for certain types of Marris Otter which are very high modified malt but it is low protein. Marris Otter is distillers malt that home brewers have been convinced will make Ale and it will if enzymes are added. High protein malt contains less starch which means less sugar. It is basically, distillers grade malt. The single infusion is used in the brewing industry as a means to test malt. the temperature used for testing can be found in every recipe for producing home made beer. The method is used to produce grain alcohol. The liquid is called wash, the slang is moonshiners beer. That is the type of liquid that most home brewers produce which somehow by magic becomes Ale. It is chemically and enzymatically impossible to produce Ale using single infusion, single temperature method. The part about high sparge temps; you failed to mention that the complex starch called amylo-pectin enters into solution at temperature of 169 F and up. The starch bursts, the enzymes denature due to the high temperature and the occurrence creates starch carry over. But, that is probably a myth, as well. By the way, when you toss the starch in the garden notice that the birds are eating it. They are eating your money, more importantly, they are eating the starch that produces Ale and Lager. Yup, squeeze the bag, might as well squish the protein mud, protein gum, beta glucan and carry over starch right into the boiler, not to worry about tannin. Batch sparge while you're at it, that method insures that the highest amount of goop goes into the boiler. The method claims to increase efficiency, all that it increases is the amount of goop in the wort that a hydrometer floats high in. When the goop drops out, the hydrometer sinks and the brewer believes a false reading. Unless, your taste buds are tuned for drinking moonshiners beer with hops added continue to make home made style beer because everything works and everything that causes issues in Ale and Lager are myths. It is a conn story used to convince novices that anything goes and not much knowledge is needed to produce Ale. If novices knew what it takes to produce Ale the home made beer empire would not exist as it does today."
Not my thoughts.... his. Youtube video of Brewing myths is here:
Basically saying we are all drinking cheaply and poorly made distiller's wash with a bit of hops thrown in for good measure. THIS is from one of the commenters not from the 2 guys hosting the video BTW.