Anhc - What Did You Learn?

[WillM]

I was interested in what Chris White presented on yeast performance after adding Oxygen for 1 or 2 minutes to the wort, or pumping air for a couple of hours before pitching the yeast. (Namely a faster fermentation with a lower FG, resulting in a crisper dryer beer.)

Does anyone know where I can get something to pump O2 into my wort? There seems to be a thing called an oxynator for sale in the US, anyone used something similar here?

 

[Fents]

$20 aquarium pump with an airstone attached from any good aquarium.

 

[newguy]

Does anyone know where I can get something to pump O2 into my wort? There seems to be a thing called an oxynator for sale in the US, anyone used something similar here?

I bought one of these a year ago and I love it. Craftbrewer has SS airstones, but I don't see any O2 regulators on their site. If you know someone who works in medicine and has access to medical O2, they may be able to find you an old regulator. If you're lucky, they may be able to find you a tank too. If not, the tiny regulator in the link is what I have and it works very well on the 40g O2 canisters available from hardware stores (at least that's where they're available around here).

Edit: Pure O2 is great stuff. A 30 second shot for a 20l batch is all I need.

 

[oldbugman]

I learnt getting up at 4am and having a nap while flying(injuring neck) isnt a good idea if your planning on a big night that day.

I had the worst migraine during club night and was forced to duck off before the end, I then slept through the water presentation which I was really looking forward to. But atleast it meant I could stay out late on the sat night.

 

[reVoxAHB]

From Tony Wheeler's presentation, I learned the style India Pale Ale derived it's name from the East India (shipping) Company, not that it was export beer destined for India. The style was in fact, well received the Atlantic over. The higher alcohol, malt and hopping to withstand the lengthy rigours of transport at sea is no doubt true, but again has nothing to do with India specifically, as destination or naming of style.

I've been the guy at the pub telling the same old English export for troops in India story, adnauseam.

Plenty of other things I picked up.. this one sprang to mind tonight as I cracked an IPA .

reVox

 

[berapnopod]

but did you get any slickness in mouthfeel?

i found the slickness to be the dead-giveaway in addition to, and perhaps over, aroma.

I did notice the slickness. I know I am one of those people that is relatively insensitive to diacetyl. But I have certainly smelt it in beer before. From experience, I know that slickness is something I do notice, but ONLY when someone points it out to me. So on a judging table, I usually rely on the other judges to tell me when a beer has diacetyl in it.

fun presentation@gala :icon_cheers:

cheers,
reVox

Thanks! I certainly enjoyed giving it :beer:

Berp.

 

[berapnopod]

Oooohhh!!

One other thing I learnt from Chris White (I think)...

If you ferment at high temperatures, levels of acetaldehyde (green apples) go up considerably.
Much more pronounced than esters or fusels.


Berp.

 

[wakkatoo]

whilst I didn't go (damn!!), I have learnt since that all attendees either forgot to take their cameras OR photos were not allowed OR (and most probably) "what happened at the conference stays at the conference" which means any form of photographic evidence will never surface (except for that one of les and all his mates of course )

Pictures people!

 

[brendanos]

I've taken a couple of valuable things from the conference:

- water chemistry is relatively simple
- kilned and roasted malts result in very different actual beer colour
- primary yeast profile (ester/phenol production) greatly influences wild yeast performance
- Becks/Heineken/etc aren't supposed to smell like that
- wine tastes better than beer, and
- even Fosters can brew and release beers that smell like eggy farts.

(and whoever it was that declared that noone would brew a better Oktoberfest than Fosters would be eating their words now had they tasted some of those on offer at club night!)

 

[wakkatoo]

- wine tastes better than beer, and

How did the conference teach you that? Not saying its wrong etc, etc as my wife very much agrees with you.

 

[Screwtop]

For me it was good factual brewing information as opposed to internet lore.

 

[Snow]

- wine tastes better than beer

WTF? Are you sure you went to right conference?

- Snow

 

[Screwtop]

I've taken a couple of valuable things from the conference:

- water chemistry is relatively simple
- kilned and roasted malts result in very different actual beer colour
- primary yeast profile (ester/phenol production) greatly influences wild yeast performance
- Becks/Heineken/etc aren't supposed to smell like that
- wine tastes better than beer, and
- even Fosters can brew and release beers that smell like eggy farts.

(and whoever it was that declared that noone would brew a better Oktoberfest than Fosters would be eating their words now had they tasted some of those on offer at club night!)

And don't forget - "Homebrewers can't make beer as good as big breweries"

Another little gem :lol:

 

[bonj]

He actually said homebrewers can't make "mainstream" beers as well as big breweries, which is his way of saying we can't make VB as well as they can... which is probably true. But why would we want to?

 

[Screwtop]

his way of saying we can't make VB as well as they can... which is probably true.

You think ??

 

[bonj]

It's not that I don't think we can, it's that I don't think we would put the level of effort required (blending multiple batches) and exercise such tight control over the process for that end product.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

It's not that I don't think we can, it's that I don't think we would put the level of effort required (blending multiple batches) and exercise such tight control over the process for that end product.

that's right, we can't produce a product (say a production run) time after time after time such as a commercial brewery .. not that you would want to as a home brewer

 

[Andyd]

My take on what Mick was saying is that a homebrewer has to make beer that keeps him and his mates content with what they're drinking. For a commercial brewery, they have to brew a beer that millions of people are consistently content with, and happy to continue forking over cash for. If they had the same level of variability that I currently have, for example, they'd go broke!

At the same time, for me to develop that level of consistency I'd probably go broke (but I'd go down happy having bought all my brewery bling...)

Andy

 

[berapnopod]

- wine tastes better than beer, and

This was put up on a slide, all on its own, by Phil Sexton. I was waiting for him to make some very sage point, but he just reiterated the words without further explanation.

I was perplexed to say the least.

Berp.

 

[peas_and_corn]

that strikes me as being the same as going to an athiest convention, offhandedly saying "oh, and creationism is a fantastic theory..."