Why does everyone make their brewday so stressfull and expensive

[dmashl]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

 

[AkTom]

Easy peasy. Don't forget... Drink them up. Do it again.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

True if one is just a little organized. It isn't likely to be stressful.. With that said, reading the forum and the goof ups, can cause some(not everybody) to needlessly worry. Who is sanitizing and cleaning up? I do not have a helper, but I don't complain about cost, or time and the cleaning is part of it.

 

[MeanLowerLow]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

Shhhh don't tell people... When you tell someone you brew your own beer they look at you as though you have magical powers!

 

[Jaybird]

Yep! I totally agree. K.I.S.S (Keep it SPOOOOOPID simple)

Heat, mash, sparge, boil, chill, pitch and wait!

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Jaybird]

Shhhh don't tell people... When you tell someone you brew your own beer they look at you as though you have magical powers!

The back of our home brew club shirts read "I brew beer, What's your "SUPER POWER"

Cheers
Jay

 

[MeanLowerLow]

The back of our home brew club shirts read "I brew beer, What's your "SUPER POWER"

Cheers
Jay

Ha! That's amazing!

 

[lolcats]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

I agree, I think people worry to much about non significant issues. Most of the stuff people worry about aren't an issue at a homebrewer scale (like hot side aeration, mash and boil length, sparging, efficiency (who cares?).. etc)

However, there are a few important steps to follow to make GREAT beer. For me sanitization and temperature control are the only rules to follow.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

When I did AG for the first time I said to myself "that's it?" Anyone worried about leaving Extract shouldn't worry. I probably watch more TV on brew day than actual brewing.
Expensive is another story.I definitely dropped some coin on my entire system.From Electric brewing to ferm chamber to keg system and everything else it adds up.

 

[m00ps]

sounds like you got it down pat. I bet your beers are much better than all the other homebrew ive tasted

 

[FVillatoro]

After having done my fair number of batches I feel very comfortable with all the basic steps (heating water, mashing, sparging, boiling, hopping, chilling, fermenting, etc...)

However, now I use RO water and started creating water profiles before hand and testing their accuracy with a calibrated meter at 25 minutes into the mash.

I have added additional steps and stress (and lengthened my brewing day), but the end result is that I am now making the best beer that I ever have, and IMO it's worth the additional time/cleaning/prepping/stress/expense.

As much as I enjoy brewing, there are additional steps that can increase the overall quality of the beer, and at the end of that day that's what I really enjoy.

 

[jddevinn]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

I'm sure you make beer. Among others to make it better
+

• grow starter
• Adjust water chemistry for the mash
• Measure and adjust water acidity for the sparge water
• Adjust water chemistry before the boil
• Measure and adjust acidity if needed
• measure gravity, make adjustments if needed if off efficiency
• decant and warm starter
• get 'a sanitizing'
• measure OG
• measure final ph
• oxygenate
• adjust fermentation temp on schedule if needed
• measure FG until stable
• dump yeast
• dry hop
• gelatin if needed
• dump hops
• CO2 push transfer to brite
• CO2 push transfer to serving

 

[mattdee1]

Using the process in the OP will probably make beer. Making beer with an all-grain process is easy, sure, but making good to great beer isn't *quite* that straightforward.

On the other hand, the post is kind of refreshing to see, to balance the scales a bit. I'm finding it hard to make a fuss about some of the finer details of all-grain brewing being trivialized when I'll gladly spend so much time reading in such intimate detail about all kinds of factors that probably don't mean jack **** in the end product.

 

[kombat]

I've tasted a lot of very bad homebrew in my experience.

Making beer is incredibly simple. Making *good* beer takes much more attention to detail. Making *great* beer takes a very meticulous approach at every step of the process.

 

[fatherdan]

I've tasted a lot of very bad homebrew in my experience.

Making beer is incredibly simple. Making *good* beer takes much more attention to detail. Making *great* beer takes a very meticulous approach at every step of the process.

I had a homebrew from an acquaintance last week, it was the first time ive had the the chance to sample another homebrewers beer.

Needless to say I believe im doing something right because his beer was awful. Really bad, he knew it to after tasting mine.

Temperature control was not his strong suit.

 

[dmashl]

I have had shared my beer with friends and the LHBS, and have been told it is excellent, and they are wanting more. Thats all I need for knowing I am doing brewing the right way. I don't stress over rehydrating my yeast( I used to). The strainer thing seems to do the trick with the aeration. Always pitch in the low 60's, keep the vessels in the basement(cooler down there). Bottles are kept upstairs, where the ambient temp is approx 70. Makes great beer

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

That's odd, I've always found brewing to be a relaxing and cathartic experience. I mean, at first, there was a bit of frustration from having to learn how to adjust for things like missed gravity and missed volumes, but after doing it a bunch of times, it becomes almost automatic. Once you learn your system and get into a rhythm, you almost can't mess up even if you try!

I love brew day. I get to hang out at home, relax, listen to some good music or podcasts. I don't have to be anywhere, and I couldn't be anywhere even if I wanted to. I get to focus on one thing all day. It's quite liberating. Even the cleaning isn't so bad for me. I put in the earbuds and listen to some Brewing Network or something and before I know it, I'm done and having a beer.

I dunno, I'm weird. :fro:

 

[schematix]

I can't tell - is the OP being sarcastic or smug?

 

[MaryB]

I will settle for good beer my friends and myself can enjoy without paying through the nose... case of Fat Tire cost me $35 out the door today...

 

[Brew_Dude41]

I've tasted a lot of very bad homebrew in my experience.

Making beer is incredibly simple. Making *good* beer takes much more attention to detail. Making *great* beer takes a very meticulous approach at every step of the process.

Not to disagree or be argumentative, but I would say to make great beer consistently takes a meticulous approach... Anyone can create a masterful brew almost by accident, the true measure of a brewer is if they can replicate their creation over and over again. In most cases that means documenting and controlling as many aspects as you can
Not a requirement, but to repeat success, you often need to know exactly what you did, and how.

 

[masonsjax]

Everyone?

 

[Saboral]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

Gary Oak hasth returned, but has he reached the required age. Did you perchance garner this knowledge from the readings of the sacred texts? We are not worthy!

 

[wilcode190]

They were making great beer before they even new what yeast was. With the quality of ingredients today and the smallest amount of research making good beer is easy. Anyone making sub par beer isn't trying.

 

[d3track]

The back of our home brew club shirts read "I brew beer, What's your "SUPER POWER"

Cheers
Jay

That would be a cool sticker for the kegerator

 

[BrewinBromanite]

That's odd, I've always found brewing to be a relaxing and cathartic experience. I mean, at first, there was a bit of frustration from having to learn how to adjust for things like missed gravity and missed volumes, but after doing it a bunch of times, it becomes almost automatic. Once you learn your system and get into a rhythm, you almost can't mess up even if you try!



I love brew day. I get to hang out at home, relax, listen to some good music or podcasts. I don't have to be anywhere, and I couldn't be anywhere even if I wanted to. I get to focus on one thing all day. It's quite liberating. Even the cleaning isn't so bad for me. I put in the earbuds and listen to some Brewing Network or something and before I know it, I'm done and having a beer.



I dunno, I'm weird. :fro:

^ Mobile like. This is brewing for me, too! I add or improve processes as I learn, but home brewing for me is as much about enjoying the whole process as drinking the final product. Brew day is drinking good brew, listening to good music, and serenity - for the most part. Granted, better beer in the final product is always a plus, but if you find yourself constantly being stressed or ending up with less than good beer, something's not right. Love this hobby! I think OP is making a great point about simplicity, but I didn't take it as necessarily skipping out on other important minutia. It's also all about personal taste. If your process is simple and you love your beer, then more power to ya!

 

[lumpher]

I can't tell - is the OP being sarcastic or smug?

I'm thinking smug, considering the thread title. He seems to think he's got it down pat, and "everyone else" still needs to figure out the process he has mastered. Brew day for me is a very relaxing time, so I guess I'm not "everyone else", by Gary's standards.

 

[Jaybird]

That would be a cool sticker for the kegerator

HA Ha Ha! They are actually on order as of yesterday. I think I got ripped on price but I had to start somewhere. I am having some 3" round ones made. Remind me if you make an order and I'll send you one when they hit my door.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Conan]

Brewing is easy. All grain is easy. Figure out how much strike water you need, heat it up. Grind your grain(if it isn't preground at the LHBS). mash the grain. Drain the wort, Sparge to boil volume. Boil, adding hops at the right times. Cool wort to pitching temp. Pour wort into fermenter, Top off if needed, pitch yeast. sit for 2-3 weeks, then bottle(adding sugar) or keg.

That's true, but the trick is in knowing how to operate your system and deal with problems when they arise...like how to manage a crusher that's not feeding, or a pump that won't prime, or a suddenly leaking chiller/ valve/ hose, adjusting boil strength for weather conditions, managing water usage for chilling, among other problems. Brewing isn't hard when it goes as expected. Kyle

 

[h22lude]

Making beer is very easy. Making great beer is much harder. Note, when I say much harder I'm not saying it is hard to do. I'm saying making great beer is harder than just making beer. To make consistently great beer you need to take good notes on all volumes and gravity throughout the process. You need to know what is in your beer and what adjustments you need to make. Some times this means you need to take mash pH and adjust on the fly. If for some reason the mash didn't convert all the sugars you now have to calculate how much DME you need to add to get to your pre-boil gravity. Taking good notes throughout this process will help you determine mash and brewhouse efficiency. Then you get into yeast starters and rinsing and reusing a yeast cake.

Heating water, mashing, sparging, boiling, transferring will make beer and can make great beer but it can also make bad beer. Brewing can also be as easy or hard as you want. If you don't care about making consistent beer then just going through the process is fine and will make a brew day easy and quick. If you like taking notes and getting everything perfect so you can make great beer, then it takes a little more time and effort.

 

[cubalz]

The beauty of homebrewing is that you can make it as simple/complicated and cheap/expensive as you want. If I was truly interested in cheap/simple, I would forego brewing my own and buy a 6 pack of malt liquor. Part of what I like about homebrewing is the project aspects of it and striving for consistency through innovation. Then again, I am a Senior Engineer and have a brain wired differently than most....