What's the best bit of knowledge you picked up on in 2018?

[sleizure]

Whether on your own while enjoying a pint having a lightbulb moment or via HBT, friends?

For me? Having +1 extra keg than however many taps I had to always make sure I could either swap out when the previous one killed.

 

[brewbama]

Added induction for indoor brewing as well as a pump and RIMS for step mashes. Basically, I learned how to use them.

Also simplified recipes, got a lot better at pH control and building water profiles.

 

[_HH_]

Fermenting in kegs is amazing

 

[S-Met]

Make sure the correct breaker is switched off before touching the hot wire. The $5 spent on an ac voltage detector has made my fingers happier.

 

[BarleyStanding]

Complete mash conversion of starch in many of my BIAB recipes is near complete within 20-30 minutes.

 

[Conehead]

Understanding water profiles with a lot of research.

 

[anotherbeerplease]

Water profiles which have tremendously helped my lagers, and high abv experimentation. Made a dfh 120 inspired 18%ipa that's actually quite good.

 

[Dland]

Going electric was even more of a step up than I thought it would be.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Switching to 3gal PMs from 6gal AG was not a good move. Beers suffered. Back to AG.

Also NEIPAs are a bitch to get right. Equipment purchases and additional process engineering is getting me closer tho.

 

[kevin58]

- Go electric.
- Water profiles.
- Blending base malts.
- Facebook homebrew groups are useless.

 

[Gravelscratcher]

Just ordered a BIAB set up...think that'll simplify (from the traditional 3 tier AG system I've been using).
Dry hopping in the Primary vs. a secondary...eliminating the secondary all together.
Converted beer fridge into a kegerator and just got the parts to convert my chest freezer to a keezer.
Just gearing down and simplifying in general...except for the extra keg I picked up along the way.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

What's the best bit of knowledge you picked up on in 2018?

Numerous bits of knowledge from Sachin "Chino" Darji's HomeBrew Con 2017 (solo) and 2018 (team) presentations. Many solutions to problems - like how to bottle condition in a cool (55* F) basement - that I haven't seen (yet) in home brewing forums.

 

[mongoose33]

Don't assume anything.

The most egregious example was moving water from my bk to the mash tun, I turned off the water, let it stabilize in temp, then began pumping to MT. Little did I know that I had not completely shut off the water, which proceeded to cool the water more than I wanted.

Ended up w/ a mash temp of 135, which resulted in a moment of panic followed by the usual "solve the problem" reaction. A gallon of boiling water, 2+ more pounds of crushed barley, and I ended up in the high 140s, which wasn't terrible.

I've since had a couple more "I assumed this was working, or this temp was that" episodes and have learned not to assume anything. Mostly.

I figure every time I make a mistake I learn something. This must mean I'm approaching genius level intelligence.

 

[Gravelscratcher]

I made a stout, and added too much water to the primary (because my volume was low). Ended up with an extremely low OG.
After some advice, from this forum, I added 5 lbs of LME to the already fermenting primary, 27 hours later.
Although less than ideal process, it turned out awsome....killed the keg in 1 week.

 

[buckinin]

- Go electric.
- Water profiles.
- Blending base malts.
- Facebook homebrew groups are useless.

Your last point is right on. I bought a Grainfather this year and joined a Facebook group for Grainfather users. I got a few pointers there, but now it’s mostly repeat info and people looking for recipes or pictures of hydrometers asking for readings.... Honestly who cares about 0.001 differences when they are probably not adjusting for temp anyway?

I did learn that David Heath’s YouTube channel is great for Grainfather tips on the other hand!

 

[NewJersey]

I'm just coming back to the hobby after a three year hiatus (2 kiddos) and i read a TON to get caught up and back into things. What really kept me from brewing was the 6+ hours it used to take me. That and i "upgraded" to a 3 vessel system for 10 gallon batches. what i learned is that most upgrades are not really upgrades at all.
so now I am going electric and BIAB.
this is revelation to me.
max 45 minute mash and boil. no sparge. no cleaning 2 or 3 kettles.
That and i'm gonna do closed transfers after fermentation. (I'm not goin full lodo, but this step seems worth it)

 

[PrrCabin]

Continuing to better my knowledge of BeerSmith 3

Cabin

 

[@RoyalGallon]

Kveik yeast exists.

 

[seatazzz]

Fermentation temperature control is the BOMB. Got a ferment fridge this year that has made all the difference in my beers. And Mom already fulfilled my all-my-moneys-gone (amazon) wish list which means a new dual temp controller and fermwrap on xmas morning, which will mean brewing ales in the winter and lagers in the summer.

 

[thehaze]

Adusting water profiles, adjusting mash pH and post boil pH are important to help brewing beers the way I want.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

It's not illegal to call a toddler an *******.

 

[SEndorf]

I've been obsessed lately on what my great grandfathers beer tasted like.
Been reading a lot of Ron Pattinson's and Krennmair's stuff and experimenting.
These books have been very interesting:
Pattinson's Vintage Beer
Krennmair's German Beers

 

[Sadu]

I've been really paying attention to yeast health and the results have been spectacular.
Starters every time, and aiming to have good fermentation in progress the morning after brew day.

 

[bronc72]

I joined the local brewing club, my beer and brewing knowledge is expanding much more quickly now.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

After brewing for 25 years and getting back after a 2.5 year break, what I learned in 2018 was...there is an incredible amount of information out there these days, especially with YouTube and Podcasts.

 

[50calshooter]

People will drink anything if it is presented or marketed in a cool or favorable manor.

 

[brewcat]

Yeast starters and overbuilding them. Cool. Gets me proper pitch rates and saves me money.

 

[wepeeler]

Going all grain BIAB
Water additions

Extremely happy with how my beer is turning out at the moment, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

 

[seatazzz]

Extremely happy with how my beer is turning out at the moment, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

And that to me is the real beauty of this hobby/obsession....if we all brewed perfect beers, every time, where would HBT be? I seem to learn something new with every brewday, and there's always something new to try.

 

[Tim Schmidt]

What we peeler said. All grain biab and buying an ro system with proper water profile additions.