What One Single Thing Improved Your Beer In 2006

[Barry]

Good Day
Maybe the best thing over the last few years. Pay the money for the grain, hops, yeast etc that best suits the beer you are making. It might put the price up 20 to 30 cents a long neck at the most but you probably end up drinking the beer you want to drink.
Merry Christmas :beer:

 

[Kai]

AG. I've only been doing it for a year.

 

[Tony]

Barry.

Very true.

You are a distinguished brewer and looked up to by most.

You have just given great advice that i have been following for the last year or so.

if you want to make a great german beer.... buy great german malt and hops.

There are some fantastic substitutes out there but the real thing is always to die for!

cheers

 

[Whistlingjack]

Good Day
Maybe the best thing over the last few years. Pay the money for the grain, hops, yeast etc that best suits the beer you are making. It might put the price up 20 to 30 cents a long neck at the most but you probably end up drinking the beer you want to drink.
Merry Christmas :beer:

I've got to agree with that, Barry.

Economy is not the sole reason we brew at home.

WJ

 

[TidalPete]

Not one but two things helped me improve my beere in '06.

1 --- Improving my AG experience, thanks to all brewers contributions on this forum.

2 --- correctly adjusting the mash pH.

More improvements to happen in '07 :beerbang: You can be sure of that.

:beer:

 

[sah]

There are lots of things that has improved my beer aside from going AG just over a year ago.

Probably the biggest area has been, liquid yeasts, good aeration before pitching and temperature control.

Scott

 

[Doc]

Dual Hopbacks. mmmmm aroma and hoppy

Doc

 

[hughman666]

going AG has been the single biggest improvement i have made. kegging was good but kegged AG just kills what i was kegging with kits.

 

[Screwtop]

AG had improved my beers, but sanitation let me down. Was making good beers which were often infected, not much joy!! Had been using Phos Acid for sanitisation but this was not enough to control the superbugs here in SEQ. Fermenters are now always stored with 2L of 1:20 bleach solution (1 cup in 5L of cheap woolies 3.7% bleach without surfactant or perfume) until required. Fermenters are given a shake every now and again and when required the bleach solution is tipped into the next required fermenter for re-use, economic as well.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Going AG. Seems to be the most common reason given!

 

[sah]

AG had improved my beers, but sanitation let me down. Was making good beers which were often infected, not much joy!! Had been using Phos Acid for sanitisation but this was not enough to control the superbugs here in SEQ. Fermenters are now always stored with 2L of 1:20 bleach solution (1 cup in 5L of cheap woolies 3.7% bleach without surfactant or perfume) until required. Fermenters are given a shake every now and again and when required the bleach solution is tipped into the next required fermenter for re-use, economic as well.

Hi Screwtop,

My mind is cast back to Palmer's "How to Brew". I think he mentioned that chlorine and stainless don't tango, particularly when there is a chlorine solution / air boundary. Whether that be the fill mark of the 2L or just a small puddle in the bottom.

I recall he wrote that it isn't fatal but the damage will accumulate over time.

I don't think I'd be concerned if the corny's were made of the same stuff as my kitchen sink but I don't think this is the case.

regards
Scott

 

[sah]

Going AG. Seems to be the most common reason given!

Yet I believe (at this time) that you can make pale ales and bitters from extract and steeping as good as you can from AG. Is it that when the brewer decides to go AG they also get serious about other aspects of the process?

regards
Scott

 

[peas_and_corn]

Yet I believe (at this time) that you can make pale ales and bitters from extract and steeping as good as you can from AG. Is it that when the brewer decides to go AG they also get serious about other aspects of the process?

regards
Scott

I've been thinking about that myself. While there was an improvement from partial to full AG, it wasn't a huge one. I did take more notice of things like temperature of the mash once it became full rather than mini. I suppose that since it takes longer to make AG you have longer to make sure you have everything right. Also, my appreciation of what I make goes up- so even if the quality of the beer hasn't increased, I'm enjoying it more just on the ground that I made it from a bag of grain and some hops. This satisfaction combined with the quality increase to make going AG extra special.

 

[sah]

Also, my appreciation of what I make goes up- so even if the quality of the beer hasn't increased, I'm enjoying it more just on the ground that I made it from a bag of grain and some hops. This satisfaction combined with the quality increase to make going AG extra special.

I'm the opposite to some extent. Now with all this control I get disappointed when the brew doesn't turn out exactly as I was hoping for. Even though it is a damn site better than what I was brewing before.

regards
Scott

 

[Peter Wadey]

Good Day
Maybe the best thing over the last few years. Pay the money for the grain, hops, yeast etc that best suits the beer you are making. It might put the price up 20 to 30 cents a long neck at the most but you probably end up drinking the beer you want to drink.
Merry Christmas :beer:

And if you won't do it for yourself, then do it for your 'victims'

Nothing has really changed over the last few yrs, but I think the continued meeting up with fellow 'ghosts' on a regular basis for inspiration, cheap, classy beer & terrible jokes makes me a more 'rounded' brewer
I guess it also has the side benefit of turning over the product quicker & so keeping the ingredients fresh.

Ditto.

Pete

 

[Hargie]

...joining the Canberra Brewers...


...went from kits to AG to kegging to beer in the Nats inside 6 months...



...accumulating the gear is good , but accumulating the experience, the advice & the encouragement from

the top blokes i now know shits all over everything else....

 

[Chris]

For me it was an all round refinement of my brewing processes. Allready AG and Kegging, so worked on improving these and gaining extra experience. Understanding water chemistry, airation, temp control and ingredient properties have improved my beer and enjoyment.

 

[Uncle Fester]

...joining the Canberra Brewers...

I guess I should bite the bullet and take Col's advice and do the same....

For mine, Cold Conditioning lent itself to the clearest of clear beers out of the tap.

Also finding Muntons kits didn't hurt either.......

I'm sure that next year, the best thing I did in '06 will change to buying a 50l boiler off of EBay. Just have to make that AG beer first!


Festa.

 

[Screwtop]

Hi Screwtop,

My mind is cast back to Palmer's "How to Brew". I think he mentioned that chlorine and stainless don't tango, particularly when there is a chlorine solution / air boundary. Whether that be the fill mark of the 2L or just a small puddle in the bottom.

I recall he wrote that it isn't fatal but the damage will accumulate over time.

I don't think I'd be concerned if the corny's were made of the same stuff as my kitchen sink but I don't think this is the case.

regards
Scott

Fermenters are now always stored with 2L of 1:20 bleach solution

Yet I believe (at this time) that you can make pale ales and bitters from extract and steeping as good as you can from AG.

If you believe that SAH - you believe in the tooth fairy!

 

[sah]

If you believe that SAH - you believe in the tooth fairy!

Hi Screwtop,

I believe it because he is a metallurgist and he has explained the mechanism here. He also sites anecdotal evidence "Many brewers have experienced pinholes in stainless-steel vessels that have been filled with a bleach-water solution and left to soak for several days."

Now I suppose you are going to tell me that Santa doesn't exist?

All the best.
Scott