Is Your Brewery A Lab Or A Kitchen?

[ForkBoy]

I thought it would be interesting to find out how people view and approach the art and science of home-brewing... so here's a poll

Do you carefully plan your recipe's grain bill, hop schedule, salt additions, mash profiles well in advance? Do you have your procedures repeatable and recorded? Do you measure and control as many brew variables as possible (or at least you would like to if you had the equipment)? Do you see brewing as a series of chemical reactions? Do you, in essence, view your brewery as a laboratory?

or...

Do you only use the recipe as a rough guide and improvise on the day? Feel like today this one should be a hoppy monster so throw in a handful of hops here and there? Do you see brewing a beer more an like a master chef would create a fine meal? Do you rely more on your senses and experience to guide you than a recipe? Do you, in essence, view your brewery as a kitchen?

 

[domonsura]

Kitchen here. I try to adhere loosely to recipe most of the time, but sometimes have revelations during the brew. No time like the 'present' while you're brewing to try an idea out if you're feeling adventurous.

 

[big d]

I went middle ground but try and be as accurate as possible.At the end of the day its all about the enjoyment of brewing and the final product.Works for me

Cheers
Big D

 

[Brewtus]

I brew like I cook. Recipes are to read for ideas, not directions. I'm a kitchen man.

 

[Keifer]

I plan ahead but am not worried if things change on the day.
What are fark are pocket protectors!!??

 

[Doogiechap]

I plan ahead but am not worried if things change on the day.
What are fark are pocket protectors!!??

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Its as close to a lab as I can get it! Hell, I've got a microscope in the brewery and I'm keeping my eye out for a cheap gas chromatograph...... but,

who says people in labs dont exercise creativity?? We would all still be coughing our lungs up from TB and communicating via carrier pigeon if the pocket protector/thick glasses brigade were frightened of trying new, unusual or even downright crazy stuff.

Also remember that the creativity part of the fine chef's kitchen is all for the head chef, every other bugger better follow the damn recipe. Try ecxercising your own creativity in someone elses kitchen and see how fast you loose a finger. I'm still a 2nd year apprentice brewer, I'll mainly stick to the recipes from the senior chefs, learn the craft, and every now and again try to come up with something new.... Eventually I too will have an assistant that I can lock in the cool room until he bloody well learns that finely chopped means finely...whack...bloody...whack...chopped... whack

Thirsty

 

[Tyred]

Kitchen for me.
I normally have a recipe that I start out intending to follow but I don't think I have actually followed one completely. Still, I try to keep track of everything I do so that I can recreate anything I create.

 

[mobrien]

Where is the shed option?!

My Brewery is definitley a shed. Don't get me wrong - I've got all the scientific gear (I am a scientist!) - but at the end of the day I don't sweat the small stuff. The only thing I am completley scientific about is cleanliness. The rest? Well, I record any deviations, and work out how they effect the brew - its how I have learnt a fair bit on how to finess my brews.

M

 

[mobrien]

I've gotta add - I have done one "suprise chef" brew. Found all the hops I had lyinga round, all the left over grain packets, an old morgans kit and did the lot. Turned out very well, and used up everything I had lying around

Now thats one brew I couldnt' repeat!

M

 

[major]

I would like to think of my brewery as closer to lab, but it is probably more like a kitchen.

I try to be as organised as I possibly can and plan everything only because my experiences in the lab have shown that if you haven't planned it something WILL stuff up and cascade through everything else wrecking bloody havoc along the way. See SODS LAW (also known as Murphys Law) and its Corollaries

SODS LAW (MUPRHYS LAW): If something can go wrong it will
O'TOOLES COMMENTARY ON MURPHYS LAW: Murphy was an optimist
THE FIRST COROLLARY TO SODS LAW: Anything that is to go wrong will do so at the worst possible moment
LAW OF SELECTIVE GRAVITY: An object will fall so as to do maximum damage
THE UNSPEAKABLE LAW: As soon as you mention something, if it is good, it goes away if it is bad, it happens

On top of that I'm not a very naturally organised person so I have to make myself do it to prevent chaos.

Recipes are to read for ideas, not directions

Absolutely. Inspiration is the mother of strange bedfellows...

 

[lucas]

I dont think I've strictly followed a recipe since I make the coopers larger kit that came with my brew kit. every kit, partial and ag since then has been me seeking inspiration from others recipes but making up my own recipe for the brew. probably not a good thing if I were trying to brew competition beers, but in terms of working out what I like, I think it's worked great thus far.

 

[Fents]

Kitchen here. Buggerd if i care if i'm out by missing ten minutes for a hop addition or somthing like that.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I dont think I've strictly followed a recipe since I make the coopers larger kit that came with my brew kit. every kit, partial and ag since then has been me seeking inspiration from others recipes but making up my own recipe for the brew. probably not a good thing if I were trying to brew competition beers, but in terms of working out what I like, I think it's worked great thus far.

That's been my approach too

Experimentation, learning from mistakes it's all great fun!

Cheers

 

[devo]

It's still a hobby for me, one I'm passionate about and willing to dish out the odd $$$ from time to time but getting overly scientific about it kinda takes out the fun/chaos of it all.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I've bought a few bells and whistles for my setup and believe me - the fun and choas have not been reduced even by a little

Cheers

 

[arsenewenger]

Plan and measure and set up well in advance but really cruise through the brew . I know that I could be alot meticulos and I say I am going to be everytime but My beers are always effin great to me and frieds who drink it .

I do promise one day to be super carefu about every single step I really do h34r:


AW

 

[KoNG]

I'd love a Lab...!!!
i research every beer and create a recipe over a week or 6..
and always follow it closely during the brew.
(i am guilty of weighing my base grain a little loosely)

 

[warrenlw63]

Mine is a very crappy and often untidy garage. After years of kitchen (and laundry) conformity with SWMBO watching my every move threatening to kill from the slightest spill I'm enjoying the freedom and non-conformist nature of being able to spill wort all over the garage floor and just pour water over it to clean it. :beerbang:

It's also a great aerobic workout jumping over empty cubes, fermenters, crates, spanners, buckets full of sanitizer etc. Then no pump means constantly climbing a stool like a monkey to check the mash.

BTW I reckon March Pump owners due to convenience and ease probably wind up fatter than 3-tier, gravity brewers. :lol: h34r:

Warren -

 

[bugwan]

I brew in the world's dustiest shed. The roof doesn't meet the walls, so there's a constant breeze running through the rafters, shifting spider webs and dirt around. Tea-towels sprayed with Iodophor, draped over kegs keep wort/beer transfers safe from microscopic prey.

If I owned the place, I'd render the walls and clean it up a bit...but I'm brewing great beer under the circumstances (if I do say so myself!), so no complaints.

I tend to stick to recipes, but I don't stress if miss an addition or forget to add Irish moss...