What one thing transformed your brewing?

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
chrisr

What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by chrisr » Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:21 pm

As of last month I've been home brewing for 2 years. I started as I meant to go on, with all grain.

I admit it, the first 12 month's efforts were bad! There was an occasional brew that just managed to creep into the 'drinkable' category, but the next was back to 'awful'. I guess there are other people who've had a similar bad start. I persisted and have got to the state where every brew is OK and some are quite good. (I hope.)

So for curiosity, entertainment and possibly to help newbies, it crossed my mind to ask members if there was any one thing that really transformed their brews; the thing (equipment, ingredient or process) that really started their being able to reliably make 'proper' beer.

To kick it off, mine was the acidification of the brewing liquor.

User avatar
Dennis King
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4228
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:52 pm
Location: Pitsea Essex

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Dennis King » Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:29 pm

Moving to liquid yeast, I now also get live yeast from a local brewery, was the biggest single improvement I have made.

User avatar
barneey
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5423
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:42 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by barneey » Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:34 pm

Temp control of fermenting beer.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

User avatar
Dennis King
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4228
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:52 pm
Location: Pitsea Essex

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Dennis King » Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:39 pm

barneey wrote:Temp control of fermenting beer.
Very important but I've done that from the start, even before I bought a fermenting fridge.

User avatar
oz11
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 757
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:57 pm
Location: Tonbridge,Kent.

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by oz11 » Sun Apr 14, 2013 4:02 pm

Reading "Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation".

User avatar
Beer O'Clock
It's definitely Lock In Time
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:30 am
Location: An Aussie in Oxfordshire.

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Beer O'Clock » Sun Apr 14, 2013 4:22 pm

Ignoring clones and simply producing beer styles that I like.
I buy from The Malt Miller


There's Howard Hughes in blue suede shoes, smiling at the majorettes smoking Winston cigarettes. .

User avatar
Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7701
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
Location: Derbyshire, UK

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Kev888 » Sun Apr 14, 2013 4:52 pm

barneey wrote:Temp control of fermenting beer.
+1 for me too.

It depends on what else is wrong though: years ago sorting the Mash and sparge temperatures (and to a lesser degree PH) also made noticeable improvement. If there were any sanitation issues post-boil, then I guess that would be one of the most fundamental things too.

With respect to yeast then for me its partly yes and partly no: moving to wlp300 was a significant benefit to my hefe (especially combined with a ferulic acid rest), and wlp028 has also improved most of my beers that aim for a higher FG as it seems to respond very well to wort from warmer mashes. But where a similar strain is available in both I've not personally noticed any great difference between liquid or dried.

A bit left-field but also, experimenting to find out which hops and grains and combos you like takes time and effort but can really pay off. It can be quite surprising too - only when I started brewing/tweaking strong mild recipes that used a lot of it did I realise that I don't like crystal malt as much as I thought, which in retrospect has probably been there in a number of darkish ales.

Cheers
Kev
Kev

User avatar
Horatio
Under the Table
Posts: 1214
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:07 pm
Location: Stanford le Hope, Essex. UK

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Horatio » Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:10 pm

Water treatment! Made the biggest difference to my beer years ago by analysing and treating my water for different beer styles. :D
If I had all the money I'd spent on brewing... I'd spend it on brewing!

Dave S
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2514
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:38 pm
Location: Wirral, Merseyside

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Dave S » Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:53 pm

Horatio wrote:Water treatment! Made the biggest difference to my beer years ago by analysing and treating my water for different beer styles. :D
+1. The next thing for me is fermentation temp control. Got everything I need, well almost, just need to do it :roll:
Best wishes

Dave

mysterio

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by mysterio » Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:54 pm

Liquid yeasts and re-pitching fresh yeast

barney

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by barney » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:04 pm

Jims Beerkit.

Muddydisco

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Muddydisco » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:44 pm

Liquid yeasts, Temp control of fermentation, Temp control of beer storage, Learning off tastes and why they appear, Water treatments, every single one improves beer you brew, I wouldn't say one, they are all needed it's just the order you can go about them.

fisherman

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by fisherman » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:28 pm

Water treatment without a doubt.
I have given up with one size fits all water mineral additions such as Brupacks. I have bought acurate scales to weigh individual minerals. What a difference in my beer.
Happy Brewing
Also I have stepped up to 50 litre batches and it seems easier, any small mistakes are small because of the volume.

User avatar
TC2642
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2161
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:11 pm
Location: Somewhere between cabbaged and heavily cabbaged

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by TC2642 » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:42 pm

Water treatment for me too, this is mainly because I brew pale beers and I live in a hard water area.
Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA

Steve B

Re: What one thing transformed your brewing?

Post by Steve B » Sun Apr 14, 2013 10:12 pm

Water treatment for me too - or when being lazy going for bottled water with known characteristics.

Post Reply