Unnecessary brewing practices

[broadbill]

But you have to sanitize your thief or your turkey baster or whatever you sample with. And I just drink the gravity sample, partially so I don't have to sanitize the hydrometer and tube.

I grab my OG sample directly from the CFC outlet before it runs into the fermenter

 

[insanim8er]

What do all of you people need to sanitize on your brew day, other than the fermenter the cooled wort is going into???

Some people are just as worried about hot side infection as they are to hot side aeration.

 

[freisste]

What do all of you people need to sanitize on your brew day, other than...

"You people"?

Just kidding.

 

[freisste]

The only reason I sanitize my hydrometer and test tube is that after taking the OG reading, I'll cover the top with a piece of sanitized foil and leave it on the counter for a few days. If it starts to ferment on its own, it's kind of a warning sign that my wort may have gotten contaminated post boil. (Not that there's much to do about it at that point. Just reassurance.)

And yes, this can be filed under Unnecessary Brewing Practices.

Unnecessary, but interesting. I just read about this practice (and actually, I thought the vessel needed to be STERILIZED for it to be useful) as well as the practice of keeping a second sample out of the fermenter to ferment hot and overpitch yeast (as a way of knowing your best case FG to see if you are OK to bottle). I thought both were interesting, just not interesting enough to remember the names of the practices.

 

[AnOldUR]

Here's another one that should be in the Debate Forum. I think that fly sparging on a homebrew level is an Unnecessary Practice. Any possible gains in efficiency don't outweigh the extra time and equipment. It's just a way to play like the big boys. When talking about AG methods, BIAB or batch sparge will give you equal or better quality wort.

 

[kirbcheck]

In the end its all about which corners people feel comfortable cutting. I personally enjoy the process of sanitizing, keeping record, tracking progress, etc. It's part of the appeal of the hobby. And I take pride in my work. You can make beer without most of it. But hopefully you enjoy the process no matter how involved or complicated you choose to make it.

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[fearwig]

Here's another one that should be in the Debate Forum. I think that fly sparging on a homebrew level is an Unnecessary Practice. Any possible gains in efficiency don't outweigh the extra time and equipment. It's just a way to play like the big boys. When talking about AG methods, BIAB or batch sparge will give you equal or better quality wort.

Yes. I tried it my first few AG batches and quickly said "WTF". I now do a flexible batch sparge and don't see why I'd do it any other way, especially with typical efficiency over 80%. The rationale by which fly sparging improves efficiency is the same rationale that means it also should extract more tannins (assuming you don't acidify your sparge water, which I don't think anyone does). I doubt it does either, I think it's just another way of playing with your mash. Fly sparging also makes a stuck sparge seem scarier than it has to be.

 

[Ilan34]

[*]Fizz-X rod or diffusion stone/tubing for aerating

Crap. Never thought about sanitizing my aeration tubing since it doesn't touch the wort. Makes sense, though, if we're blowing oxygen through it right into the wort. Dammit, now I'm paranoid. Do you also somehow run sanitizer through the metal rod?


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[kombat]

Crap. Never thought about sanitizing my aeration tubing since it doesn't touch the wort. Makes sense, though, if we're blowing oxygen through it right into the wort. Dammit, now I'm paranoid.

No, I don't sanitize the inside of the tube, I just meant the outside, since I submerge the stone deep into the wort, so the tubing leading up to it is also in contact with the wort.

Do you also somehow run sanitizer through the metal rod?

No, the Fizz-X rod isn't hollow. I just toss it into my pail of Star-San while I'm getting things ready, then right before I use it, I take a plastic pitcher and pour some Star-San over the upper portions of the rod that didn't otherwise get submerged (because the rod is taller than my Star-San pail).

 

[Ilan34]

What do all of you people need to sanitize on your brew day, other than the fermenter the cooled wort is going into?

Ok, I'll join the parade.

Large spoon for whirlpool, small spoon for scraping hop matter off of strainer, funnel, strainer, thermometer, aeration stone/rod, siphon, siphon tubing, blowoff tubing, bung, bung stopper, turkey baster.

I also keep a lighter on hand to flame my flask and kettle rim if I wind up pouring.

I'm probably forgetting something, as usual.

Incidentally, for those who sanitize and store in order to save time on brew day - isn't it six of one and half a dozen of the other? Either way, you're sanitizing on brew day, just in a different order.

 

[stpug]

Yes. I tried it my first few AG batches and quickly said "WTF". I now do a flexible batch sparge and don't see why I'd do it any other way, especially with typical efficiency over 80%. The rationale by which fly sparging improves efficiency is the same rationale that means it also should extract more tannins (assuming you don't acidify your sparge water, which I don't think anyone does). I doubt it does either, I think it's just another way of playing with your mash. Fly sparging also makes a stuck sparge seem scarier than it has to be.

I do, AND I batch sparge.
Unnecessary? Check.

Lots of talk about sanitizing in here. Maybe the topic title should be changed

 

[jbaysurfer]

I do, AND I batch sparge.
Unnecessary? Check.

Lots of talk about sanitizing in here. Maybe the topic title should be changed

Yup.

 

[fearwig]

I do, AND I batch sparge.

Me too! Thought I was crazy, everyone talks about mash pH and doesn't seem to care about sparge pH. And yeah, probably unnecessary, but I feel I can squeeze smaller runnings from a small beer without the risk (not that I ever have cause to go below 1.010, really).

 

[Bamsdealer]

Soaking in pbw or cleaner unnecessarily. I use oxy for labels and thats pretty much it. Maybe a fermenter or keg gets it if gunked up, otherwise hot water and maybe a hand or sponge for a yeast ring is enough. Sanitize before using. 50ish batches in and not one infection.

 

[kombat]

Incidentally, for those who sanitize and store in order to save time on brew day - isn't it six of one and half a dozen of the other? Either way, you're sanitizing on brew day, just in a different order.

Yes, you're right, it's really a "pay me now or pay me later" type of situation. You're not actually saving any time, you're just moving around WHEN you spend the time.

In my case, however, the reason I sanitize before storing is because I give the carboy a good shake with the Star-San to make sure the entire inside is coated in bubbles. Then I pour out the excess. But there are still quite a few bubbles in the carboy. When I seal it up and leave it for several days, eventually the bubbles all go away and I'm left with a small puddle at the bottom of the carboy that I can pour out right before filling it with wort.

If I instead sanitized on brew day, those bubbles would still be in the carboy, meaning an amount of StarSan equal to what I would normally be able to pour out will instead remain in the carboy and mix with my beer. I know they say "don't fear the foam," and I don't - it's not like I rinse it out or anything. But if I can keep an extra 2-3 ounces of StarSan from polluting my beer, without sacrificing any degree of sanitization, why not do it?

 

[cluckk]

I used to demand all beers go through secondary--but that was 10 years ago. I also used to be extremely anal about not aerating my wort while lautering before the boil. Now I don't bother with the former (unless there is a special need) and don't even think about the latter.

In the past I took great care during fly sparging. Now I do everything with a batch sparge. It's quick and I get 80%+ efficiency.

I've taken all the stress I used to apply to these and now apply it to fermentation temps, pitch volume, sanitation, and water adjustments. I don't stress less. I just stress on the right things.

 

[masonsjax]

Starsan won't pollute your beer, the yeast will actually benefit from consuming it. It's mostly phosphoric acid, so you don't want to use it as brewing water or anything, but in the amounts we're talking, you can be sure it's not a problem.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I know they say "don't fear the foam," and I don't - it's not like I rinse it out or anything. But if I can keep an extra 2-3 ounces of StarSan from polluting my beer, without sacrificing any degree of sanitization, why not do it?

I'm the same way. I even made an a$$ of myself arguing that point with Revvy once. Don't fear the foam, but why drink it if you don't have to.

 

[fearwig]

Any acid before fermentation could affect your post-fermentation pH, and pH has a big effect on the flavor of anything. I don't use any more acid than I need for precisely that reason. Then again maybe some small beers could benefit from a little pH adjustment at the end if you want to get all "food scientist", so who knows.

Maybe there's some biological or chemical explanation for how normal levels of Starsan don't make it through fermentation as-is, but I don't know if I buy it.

 

[kirbcheck]

I'm no expert on the subject, but logic tells me that you're in a better situation for consistent brewing if you remove as much Star San as possible before fermentation.... maybe I'm just paranoid though...

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[Brewmenn]

Yes, you're right, it's really a "pay me now or pay me later" type of situation. You're not actually saving any time, you're just moving around WHEN you spend the time.

In my case, however, the reason I sanitize before storing is because I give the carboy a good shake with the Star-San to make sure the entire inside is coated in bubbles. Then I pour out the excess. But there are still quite a few bubbles in the carboy. When I seal it up and leave it for several days, eventually the bubbles all go away and I'm left with a small puddle at the bottom of the carboy that I can pour out right before filling it with wort.

If I instead sanitized on brew day, those bubbles would still be in the carboy, meaning an amount of StarSan equal to what I would normally be able to pour out will instead remain in the carboy and mix with my beer. I know they say "don't fear the foam," and I don't - it's not like I rinse it out or anything. But if I can keep an extra 2-3 ounces of StarSan from polluting my beer, without sacrificing any degree of sanitization, why not do it?

Except that the time I'm using to sanitize is while I'm boiling and/or chilling, rather than at the end of the day while cleaning up. I usually do my brewing in the evening and by the time I'm cleaning up it's late and I just want to be done. Also, sanitizing before using gives me the piece of mind knowing it was done and not worrying about what it was exposed to since then. I do try to give it a few minutes for the excess sanitizer to collect in the bottom of the fermentor so I can poor it out before filling.

What is really unnecessary it changing your process just because someone else does it differently.

 

[balrog]

Tally's podcast promoted clean well, sanitize just before brewing; that makes sense to me and I've followed it. I may go overboard StarSan soaking/spraying anything that touches anything after the boil cools, but it makes sense, the results are good, and I'm happy. "Brew Beer, Ponder Life, Meet Good Friends, Love Life, and for god's sake, Have fun doing it!"

 

[Epimetheus]

The dance for Invoking the Beer Gods is totally unnecessary. It has never worked for me. And the feathers are scratchy.

OTOH, record keeping is not "necessary" but it sure helps me improve the beers' consistency and quality.

 

[jdlupo]

Can I store my sanitizing solution made from Iodophor? I thought once it was no longer brackish/brown - it was ineffectual?. Anyone?