Bettering oneself ('s beer brewing)-the biggest improvement

[chrisbuck10765]

Hi

This is my first post on this excellent forum - apologies if I'm treading on someone else's toes and please redirect me if so but.....

I've been AG brewing for a couple of years and so far (touch wood) all my brews have 'worked' and have varied in taste from okay to really not too bad at all (if I do say so myself). Obviously brewing beer is a little like playing chess in that it can never be totally mastered and there's always room for (much) improvement.

I just thought I'd throw open the idea of;

'What's the single biggest improvement that you made to your brewing process' ?

This would be really useful as I've started reading a few books about improving brewing and if I lived to 1000 I'd never get a chance to do everything suggested !!

Mine, I think, was constructing a 'temperature controlled fermenting area' (old fridge conversion) which seemed to improve brews no end.

Let me know your thoughts, and regards to all,
Chris

 

[Aleman]

Temperature Control

Ferment
Store
Mash

 

[Stone Cold]

is controling fermenting temps really a big improvement in the finished beer? I just have blankets wrapped around the fv in the shed, i imagine it gets cooler at night although there is a very big freezer in the shed which seems to help keep a steady temp in the shed.

 

[Muddydisco]

Yeah Fermtation temps is always a winner. I wouldn't say you notice it much in the finished beer but I got consistant ferments after using temp control, I know how long they will take and what points they should drop too.
Water Treatments was a big step for me too that was much more noticable in the finished beer. I'm not talking campden tablets that should be a must for any brewer.

 

[craigite]

I was going to answer - 'taking notes'

But now I think it's time I built a temp controlled fermentation box :wha:

 

[graysalchemy]

The first thing I built was a temperature controlled fermenting cabinet as were I brew gets really cold in winter. So I am able to maintain a stable temp for fermenting and bottle conditioning.

I would now like to build a herms and controller for my HLT even though I have only completed 2 AG's. I have had problems with maintaining temps in the mash and getting the right in the sparge.

:

AG

 

[jamesb]

I was going to answer - 'taking notes'

I'll add:

Remembering where the hell you put all the odd notes when you're trying to design your next beer.

 

[markp]

Two; can I pick two?? :lol:

Temperature control and water treatment.

 

[Stone Cold]

what is the best way to treat the water?

 

[Muddydisco]

Too long winded to start here
Try here first clicky

 

[graysalchemy]

what is the best way to treat the water?

Try this thread also
click

 

[Brewmarc]

what is the best way to treat the water?

Iv just treated my water today for my brewday tomorrow, Boiled all water required for mash & sparge for at least 30 minutes (good rolling boil)to get rid of Chlorines & Calcium carbonate (chalk) then added Gypsum as soon as it was boiling 10g / 25 Lts, after switch off allowed to settle & cool rack off deposits, then added 1g of epsome salts. :

 

[highwayman]

I have two as well. Temperature control via my HERMS...and Getting the Water Treatment right using this kit off ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TMC-SALIFERT-...6?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item27aa57bbee

 

[dennisking]

I`ve always been very strict with both mash and fermentation temperature control so for me the biggest leap forward was switching to liquid yeast about 10 years ago. Big improvement.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

CRS and chlorine removal. :thumb:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

what is the best way to treat the water?

Iv just treated my water today for my brewday tomorrow, Boiled all water required for mash & sparge for at least 30 minutes (good rolling boil)to get rid of Chlorines & Calcium carbonate (chalk) then added Gypsum as soon as it was boiling 10g / 25 Lts, after switch off allowed to settle & cool rack off deposits, then added 1g of epsome salts. :

Buy some CRS, no need to boil

 

[critch]

got to be temp control for consistency ive seen major differences in the same recipe with the only difference being ferment temperatures

when i was a noob?

water treatment, every time. first 20 ag's didnt even bother, turned out some good beers.after getting water profile and treating the water i made the same recipes and made some great beers!

 

[Brewmarc]

what is the best way to treat the water?

Iv just treated my water today for my brewday tomorrow, Boiled all water required for mash & sparge for at least 30 minutes (good rolling boil)to get rid of Chlorines & Calcium carbonate (chalk) then added Gypsum as soon as it was boiling 10g / 25 Lts, after switch off allowed to settle & cool rack off deposits, then added 1g of epsome salts. :

Buy some CRS, no need to boil

Thanks :thumb: Just looked this up on my local HBS website & they have got some so I will give it a go next time. Cheers :

 

[Aleman]

Buy some CRS, no need to boil

Only if you actually know the alkalinity of the water in the first place!!! Randomly throwing acids and water treatment salts at a liquor is not water treatment! It is more akin to witch craft!!!

The benefit of boiling is that it will reduce the alkalinity down to a bearable level . . . even if you don't know what that level was in the first place . .. . just rather wasteful on energy

 

[Brewmarc]

the biggest leap forward was switching to liquid yeast about 10 years ago. Big improvement.

I have to agree with this also :thumb: if you are brewing something special or a spacific style of beer, liquid yeast or even culturing from the bottle (providing the same yeast strain is used for fermentation & bottle conditioning)is the way to go. :grin: