Why does my LHBS make me feel like a noob?

[seefish]

Topics I've learned to stay clear of at my LHBS...

1) Don't mention the "No Chill" Method
2) Don't even think about mentioning that Pro Mash is no longer supported.

Either topic incenses nerd rage. No brewer knows everything, even the most respected pro brewer will tell you that.

 

[Qhrumphf]

However, there are lots of people in the homebrew industry and on HBT that actually know what they are talking about. For example, look at Yooper, Qhrumpf, Melana, etc. on HBT.

Appreciate the shout-out but I probably have as little clue what I'm talking about as anyone else

Topics I've learned to stay clear of at my LHBS...

1) Don't mention the "No Chill" Method
2) Don't even think about mentioning that Pro Mash is no longer supported.

Either topic incenses nerd rage. No brewer knows everything, even the most respected pro brewer will tell you that.

Pretty much applies to everything in life. Anyone claiming to know everything is showing how little they actually know.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Topics I've learned to stay clear of at my LHBS...

1) Don't mention the "No Chill" Method
2) Don't even think about mentioning that Pro Mash is no longer supported.

Either topic incenses nerd rage. No brewer knows everything, even the most respected pro brewer will tell you that.

Same with BIAB and crushing your grains finer. It'll damage the mill, you'll get a stuck sparge, you'll get too much grain particles in your mash and get tannins. You can't squeeze or you'll get tannins. If you have to chill asap or it won't taste good. I just think a lot of LHBS employees don't have enough modern technique knowledge, they're mostly informed from either older brewers that haven't kept up or from older books like how to brew.

 

[balrog]

Last I checked, the members of HBT have yet to reach a consensus on a single damned thing.

I disagree!

 

[rhys333]

I disagree!

Aha!

 

[hartlesj]

This is where my beer bug comes into play. I watch the gravity drop until it's stable for a few days, then keg. Sometimes that's a week, sometimes more, just depends on how long it takes to get to the final gravity. I get the same thing from some of my LHBS though. There's one guy that always "KNOWs" his way is better. (for him)...

 

[kh54s10]

Touchy, touchy.

You can, I have, and others have as well, kegged 1.030s beers after three days. Becccaaauuusseee.....fermentation was done. Shocker.

You need to leave the beer in primary for 3 weeks to let the yeast finish!

How did it taste?

 

[robbyice1]

Some dudes have a process that works for them, and they think it will work for everyone else. Also brewing is the type of craft that really attracts "know it all" types. Don't give it a second thought.

I have never been around a hobby that attracts more "know it all types." well said. I have a hard time even brewing with people I like. Its a personal hobby and everyone enjoys their own process/ritual.

 

[joshesmusica]

We don't.

Or rather, some people say 3 weeks. Some Say 2. Some say 1. Some say "when it's done". Last I checked, the members of HBT have yet to reach a consensus on a single damned thing.

I've a beer that's been in primary for 3 weeks, but that's only because I've been too lazy to keg it, not because I meant to leave it in there that long.

Personally, I usually shoot for ~14 days for ales, but laziness happens.

HAHAHA I'm the same way. Except mine is a Christmas Porter. My original plan was 3 weeks primary (I normally do two). But then I decided, oh hell, why not give it another week. I was thinking of cold crashing it. But now it's almost 5 weeks, and the chest freezer is being used up by a beer that actually needs to ferment at around 35C. So no cold crashing for another week available. I'm still thinking of bottling it this weekend though. Who knows. Maybe I'll find something else to do.

 

[joshesmusica]

As to the OP, I'm sure there are some really good LHBS owners/workers out there... it's just that I haven't met them yet. Early on, I wanted some Briess Golden Light liquid extract, but the LHBS screwed up their order and didn't get any in. I was planning on brewing a spring blonde ale. He said that the Briess Munich extract was pretty much the exact same thing. Nope, no, it definitely was not. That beer got it's named changed to Munich spring ale. I think it's actually like double the EBC as the golden light.

With that said, 3 weeks is definitely enough time. BUT, in a lot of average-sized ales, with the typical fermentation parameters covered, 2 weeks is perfectly adequate. So he wasn't wrong at all by suggesting that.

 

[Mismost]

When I ask for advice, I listen very carefully to what is said and say thanks. That in no way prevents me from doing things different or opposed to the given advice. I reserve the right right to do it my way.

Sometimes my way doesn't work, sometimes it does. Either way, I then have the knowledge gained from both sources.

Will Rogers once said...Some people learn by watching, some by reading, some by listening....and some of have to pee on the electric fence and find out for ourselves!

What's really important is that we learn....good or bad.

 

[Pyg]

I worry about autolysis as much as I worry about HSA.

I don't know what either of those are!

As far as 3 weeks go, i usually brew on the weekend and leave it in primary for 2-3 weeks depending on my schedule. A few days before bottling I cold crash.
My first few batches were 2 week primary than bottle.
I have not noticed either way accepted the 3 weeks tend to be a little clearer.

 

[rhys333]

Keep in mind many people passing through the LHBS don't know a whole lot about brewing so its not unreasonable for the owner to get stuck in brewsplaining mode. I'm lucky that my LHBS brings in the best of the best from around the world, so I cut them some slack if they explain something I already know.

 

[spunxter]

Mispost

 

[soccerdad]

Strictly amateur analysis ... I like shopping local and will support LHBS when I can, but the owners are often pretentious people who think they just have to know more than anyone else about brewing. Like an audiophile in a stereo shop. I like my LHBS guy a lot ... I get better ideas from listening to you all.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

From what I gathered here(still have tons to learn).We used to do shorter primarys because that's what the macro breweries do.The shear weight of wort in the mega vessels would crush and kill the yeast after it settled giving off flavors.It has since been debunked in homebrew as our little setups would never crush the yeast.Longer primaries have since been deemed ok....Feel free for anyone to correct me,but Ive read here that is the reason

Last two brews (DIPA and Session IPA), I decided that 8 days fermentation was OK. Well, it is if you like butter flavored beer, Diacetyls. DIPA was dumped, session is drinkable. As other said, I've done from 8 days to 21 days in primary, shorter is more harmful from my experience.

I don't like to open the fermentation vessel to check gravity as some suggest. I'm going back to the norm of 17 days primary. That seems to have always work for me. (From the guy who likes to pee on the electric fence, you know, just to see what happens!)

 

[Pyg]

Strictly amateur analysis ... I like shopping local and will support LHBS when I can, but the owners are often pretentious people who think they just have to know more than anyone else about brewing. Like an audiophile in a stereo shop. I like my LHBS guy a lot ... I get better ideas from listening to you all.

The owner of another nearby LHBS is knowledgable as all get out, but pretentious as heck!
He constantly tells me I am making the process harder by using a vacuum pump instead of a bottlin bucket.
But he has a great palate to figure out why a wine, cider or beer is out of balance.
Anytime I am there I just don't bring up the vacuum pump!

Last two brews (DIPA and Session IPA), I decided that 8 days fermentation was OK. Well, it is if you like butter flavored beer, Diacetyls. DIPA was dumped, session is drinkable. As other said, I've done from 8 days to 21 days in primary, shorter is more harmful from my experience.

I don't like to open the fermentation vessel to check gravity as some suggest. I'm going back to the norm of 17 days primary. That seems to have always work for me. (From the guy who likes to pee on the electric fence, you know, just to see what happens!)

I never check the gravity between pitching and cold crashing. I guess one of the reasons I do 3 weeks is that I give it all the time to clear and finish up.
I know that It is fermenting when I see all the bubbling .
With my wine making patience was always rewarded.

 

[joshesmusica]

I never check the gravity between pitching and cold crashing. I guess one of the reasons I do 3 weeks is that I give it all the time to clear and finish up.
I know that It is fermenting when I see all the bubbling .
With my wine making patience was always rewarded.

I know there are some people out there not checking final gravity, but I just can't think of any good reasons not to. It lets you know you've done things right, along with letting you know how much abv you ended up with.

Also airlock bubbling is never a sign that fermentation is either still going or is finished. You can get more bubbling just from a change in atmospheric pressure.

With some of the things you've commented on here, it sounds more like you should be listening to the advice of your LHBS guys.

 

[Pyg]

I know there are some people out there not checking final gravity, but I just can't think of any good reasons not to. It lets you know you've done things right, along with letting you know how much abv you ended up with.



Also airlock bubbling is never a sign that fermentation is either still going or is finished. You can get more bubbling just from a change in atmospheric pressure.



With some of the things you've commented on here, it sounds more like you should be listening to the advice of your LHBS guys.

I said I never checked the gravity between pitching least and cold crashing however I always check the gravity prior to adding find sugar and bottling

 

[MattyIce]

You can always split a batch and see the results for yourself. If I had more time and money, I would be doing brulosopher style experiments every week!

 

[joshesmusica]

I said I never checked the gravity between pitching least and cold crashing however I always check the gravity prior to adding find sugar and bottling

Haha ok... Your gravity isn't gonna change much during the cold crash. So when you said that, logic says that you never checked gravity. And in fact, there's not much reason to check gravity after cold crashing as compared to before...

 

[gbx]

Called my LHBS to ask some advice about my spiced holiday ale I have brewing. During the conversation my LHBS tells me in passing to leave the beer in primary for 2 weeks and bottle.
I mention I always do 3 weeks, as I have learned from HBT.
The guy gets scientific with me and snotty. Throwing out big words about how after 2 weeks yeast gets weird and starts leaving off flavors.
I tell him I do 3 weeks and have not had an issue.
I got a "whatever it's your beer, you called me for advice".
Full disclosure, I value my LHBS advise for flavor profiles and yeast strains and tweeking recipe.
However I have made atleast 6 brews using the 3 week primary, 2 week bottle and have not been disappointed.
I won't even go until the debate about my using a vacuum pump to siphon and bottle instead of a bottling bucket.

So why is it that you folks on HBT preach the longer primary, but both of my 2 different LHBS give different advice.

I find the info I have received on HBT incredibly valuable, so I don't know why my LHBS or so by the book (Brewers best instruction book that is).
Any idea ?

People at home-brew shops get annoyed when internet experts come in and try to overturn decades of conventional wisdom. Yes a lot of home brewing conventional wisdom can be ignored but rarely will you ever go wrong by following it. I've seen it a bunch of times (and I probably was that guy too) and it must get tired fast. I see it really bad when it comes to recipes:
Internet expert: "I need .8oz of hersbruker for my hefeweizen"
LHBS employee: "Its august, the hop selection is pretty weak now. We have mt. hood, it will be fine in a hefeweizen"
Internet expert: "Ok, then I don't want that grain you just measured out, I'll order online because I NEED hersbruker for this recipe"
Don't be that guy. Don't ask questions you already "know" the answer to. If you are at the stage that you ever feel the need to ask the people at the store a process question, you are clearly not an expert.

 

[myerstyson]

They obviously don't want your business.

You know who won't make you feel like a noob? Austin Homebrew. Order from them. They're great.

(I am in now way related nor do I get anything from mentioning them. I simply have had over a year of excellent service from them.)

 

[andy6026]

Anybody that knows anything is well aware that 19 days, 13 hours and 46 minutes is ALWAYS the correct time to ferment any beer under any circumstances, excepting of course, when it's not the correct time.

 

[Pyg]

Anybody that knows anything is well aware that 19 days, 13 hours and 46 minutes is ALWAYS the correct time to ferment any beer under any circumstances, excepting of course, when it's not the correct time.

You forgot 16 and a 1/2 seconds!

 

[MaxStout]

Anybody that knows anything is well aware that 19 days, 13 hours and 46 minutes is ALWAYS the correct time to ferment any beer under any circumstances, excepting of course, when it's not the correct time.

I built a special 19d 13h 46m shot clock for my fermentation. One time it went off at 3AM and I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. My wife came down and asked, "what the hell are you doing at this insane time?" I replied, "bottling, of course!"

Some things just won't wait.

 

[j1n]

21 days is a long time in the primary.... just sayin

 

[joshesmusica]

21 days is a long time in the primary.... just sayin

Why?

I currently have my Christmas porter coming up on 5 weeks in primary.

 

[j1n]

Why?

I currently have my Christmas porter coming up on 5 weeks in primary.

Because fermentation is gonna be complete way before you hit 21 days. majority of my beers are done within 10 days. only time i ever do a long primary is with sours.

Better question is why do you have your beer in the primary for 5 weeks?

 

[joshesmusica]

Because fermentation is gonna be complete way before you hit 21 days. majority of my beers are done within 10 days. only time i ever do a long primary is with sours.

Better question is why do you have your beer in the primary for 5 weeks?

I agree most ales will be completely done by 10 days. But that doesn't necessarily mean that leaving it for longer will do damage.

I originally planned on 4 weeks, but just have been a bit lazy the last week. I wanted it to sit on the cacao nibs, cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves for 2 weeks. Since I didn't care about saving the yeast, and my secondary fermenter was full, then I let it sit in primary. It's a high abv porter, so there's no rush, as it's just gonna sit in the bottles for a couple of months conditioning anyways.