Am I expecting too much ?

[Chris The Masher]

Hi All,

Happy new year to all members !!!!

Please do not thinki I am being negative; I love this hobbie as much as anyone else on this site but would like to know other Honest opinions on the following..........

I hate to say this, but I'm starting to loose some confidence with regards to achievable standards in Homebrew.

I only do A.G (so cannot improve there) and work to very strict standards in terms of temp, times, cleanliness etc.

I have just tasted one of my latest brews and yeah it is ok, but that's all. It does not have that 'wow' factor that many talk about. And, infact I have yet to achieve such standards ! My brews have the classic homebrew taste !

I wish I could find a way of sampling 'alleged' great brew by someone else and see if it really is achievable to get great results from your kitchen.

I will keep on trying to improve, but just have no way of knowing whether my 'okish' beer is as good as it can get from your kitchen.

Each time I brew I try to change different perameters to eliminate the problem. For example, I have always used Sodium Met to sanitise and I will try a different sanitiser next time.

Anyone else share the same thoughts ?

Maybe I'm just a rubbish Brewer !!!!!

Thanks,

Chris.

 

[Mark1964]

do you treat your water before you brew??

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

do you treat your water before you brew??

That's the biggy........CRS, Campden?
I'd also dump the sodium met and use a proper cleaner.

 

[Dunfie]

Where do you stay Chris? It would be worth looking out a local CBA group where you can get other brewers to try your beers and get an honest critique. There are a few around the country

The other thing that a few of us do is swap beer via post. It costs about £4 or £5 to send via Royal Mail but you will also get an honest opinion that way too (you should also get a bottle in return ).

Finally, don't loose the faith. We are all hyper critical of our own beer so its probably not as bad as you think.

:

 

[taity]

hi mate i am new to the hobbie realy but the mistake i was making was trying to compare my home brew to shop bought. its cider i drink but have now clicked my cider is better and tastes more of apples than my 3lts morrisons dry cider @ £2.95 and feel well chuffed . my point is maby we are trying too hard to copy what we have got used to
sorry if am going half cut with some nice home brew turbo

happy new year when it comes too all

 

[dennisking]

As Dunfie says where are you, sure someone here can help one way or another.

 

[robsan77]

Let us know what you do with your water, that could be the key.

 

[Aleman]

Come to the spring thing in May . . . . Some of us are brewing up a storm for it.

 

[unclepumble]

It could be the water it could also be poor temperature control of your fermenting wort, If you put the fermenter in somewhere to warm such as an airing cupboard you are going to make funky tasting twangy beer.

Best to brew it bewteen 18-20 deg C and ensure the temp is stable.

Let us know your area and we will find someone who can help you.

UP

 

[Chris The Masher]

Hey thanks for all the replies....

With regards to water treatment, yes I do treat, but it seems that every different book / post you read offers different advice on this subject. As a minimum, I boil for 10 mins or so and then put in some Gypsum with some Epsom Salts, but I suppose without me analysing my water this is all a bit 'guessy' to say the least.

I live just outside Uxbridge (West London), if anyone is local to that woild be great to here from you.

I have recently contacted a group (Durden something ???) through the CBA who get together once a month in Perivale (West London). They are a group of individuals who specialise in recreating old traditional Beers that are mostly now non existent. I have been invited to the next meeting in January and this will be my first meeting at any type of Homebrew association, so hopefully this could be a good start to a good set of contacts.

Be nice to know a bit more about this Spring thing Aleman, this is the first I have heard of it, please tell me more....

The key with all this has to be getting to know other like minded people !

Hey look, must still be keen, an hour before the new year and am on the Forum !!!

Thanks..........

 

[Moley]

Be nice to know a bit more about this Spring thing Aleman, this is the first I have heard of it, please tell me more....

Try here.

 

[unclepumble]

Hey thanks for all the replies....

With regards to water treatment, yes I do treat, but it seems that every different book / post you read offers different advice on this subject. As a minimum, I boil for 10 mins or so and then put in some Gypsum with some Epsom Salts, but I suppose without me analysing my water this is all a bit 'guessy' to say the least.

I live just outside Uxbridge (West London), if anyone is local to that woild be great to here from you.

I have recently contacted a group (Durden something ???) through the CBA who get together once a month in Perivale (West London). They are a group of individuals who specialise in recreating old traditional Beers that are mostly now non existent. I have been invited to the next meeting in January and this will be my first meeting at any type of Homebrew association, so hopefully this could be a good start to a good set of contacts.

Be nice to know a bit more about this Spring thing Aleman, this is the first I have heard of it, please tell me more....

The key with all this has to be getting to know other like minded people !

Hey look, must still be keen, an hour before the new year and am on the Forum !!!

Thanks..........

If no one from the Durden Park group can help you,with your problem, you may as well give up, you will be joining one of the most well respected craft brewing groups in the UK.

With your location you are probably on thames water I would suggest you get a water report of your water company the info is usually on their website, you will probably need to phone them to get alkalinity, either that or use a salifert water test kit.

Use the forum water calculator link at the top of the page, this will give you a more acurate measure of what to add to your water according to beer style, the calculator will also tell you what information you need from your water quality report.

Its not difficult once you get your head round it.

UP

 

[Chris The Masher]

Thanks for all the great replies and show of support.

I am looking forward to my first first meeting at Durden Park (sounds like they know what they are doing !).

I will keep all updated once I have been along, I'm sure it will be the start of a great set of contacts.

Thanks again !!!

 

[Trotters]

Im kind of similar, BUT if you follow the manufacturers instructions, then what else can you do?. I cant see what I can do to make a BIG difference?.

Id like to experiment with water & sugar ratios, but IF something goes wrong then ive wasted 40 pints of beer & time.

 

[Moley]

I think you may have misunderstood the question, Chris the Masher was asking about improving his All Grain brewing, so there aren't any manufacturers' instructions to follow.

If you are kit brewing then you might be able to make slight improvements by water treatment or distinct improvements by throwing away the kit yeasts and using something decent instead, but your only way to make a BIG difference is by switching to the two-can Premium kits where there is no sugar required.