Brewing without a degree

[evanvine]

I have just read this thread and have had the greatest difficulty comprehending that we are talking about Home brewing!
It was more like a course on Genetic Engineering.
I can’t believe that I can make a damn fine pint of beer without a BSc.
When wort cool pitch yeast directly from packet or thawed out frozen phial.
Wait, transfer to keg, wait and then drink.
Works every time!
PS. What is a slant, apart from spin or bias? :wha:

 

[Aleman]

Jim a simple search on the forum for 'Stuck Ferment' will show you that for a lot of brewers it does not 'Work every time'. Then when you start looking at Funky Flavours and Smells, again it indicates that it has not worked as expected.

When something goes wrong, that is when you need to start looking elsewhere and in greater depth, to try and understand why. As Jamil and Chris say in the yeast book if yeast are responsible for 70% of the flavours the brewer that takes the utmost care in producing healthy yeast cultures to make his beer will make better beer more often than a brewer that just 'wings' it

PS. What is a slant, apart from spin or bias?

It's a method of culturing and storing yeast, basically a tube is 1/3 filled with hot wort agar solution and then rested at an angle. The agar sets (Like Jelly) leaving a slant. the surface of which is then inoculated with yeast using a loop. . . . Yeas colonies grow on the surface, and can be picked off to culture up to make a batch of beer.

P.S. Trust me this is nothing like a course on genetic engineering (I studied it as part of my first year biochemistry degree course )

P.P.S. "The more I know about beer and brewing, the more I realise there is to know"

 

[mr_spin]

all part of the steep learning curve, JIm. IN pursuit of repeatable quality. A long way to go!

 

[TheMumbler]

Horses for courses EV! I have (non-relevant) degrees and I bet you make better beer than me :)

If you have a process that makes the beer you want every time why mess with it? The problem comes when the process doesn't work and you need to work out why. I guess it is more important for the big boys who have a lot of money tied up in it and need their beer to be the same every time as well as good every time.

Other than that it I like to know why stuff works and I have a (distant) background in biology, so i find it interesting to muddle around the area. I think that is part of the beauty of full mash brewing, it is a genuine craft where art and science meet somewhere around the middle and you can take the approach to the hobby that you prefer. Something for everyone, so long as you like beer...

 

[adrianmole72]

I agree with the mumbler - When I first read some of the posts on here, it did scare me a bit - all I wanted was to brew beer !!

Personally, some of the harvesting/slanting/ inoculting things are a bit beyond me at the minute..

Stephen

 

[YogiB]

I am right at the beginning of that steep learning curve in more ways than one.
New to forums and having read some of the posts - clearly new to brewing.

I am bound to make plenty of errors and faux pas - in the first few weeks inter-web/forum ones, and, in the next few decades brewing ones!

Hope yeast is forgiving or it could end up an expensive relationship :lol:

I’ve read a couple of brewing books; for the beginner- they vary greatly. I have a book by John Parkes on order and am looking forward to that.

Seriously considering just jumping in and cobbling together an AG set up -to gain enlightenment through sampling rather than library books!!!


YogiB

 

[unclepumble]

The big boys (with lots of people with degrees running the show) make plenty of mistakes without trying, (you just don't hear about it & the errors are blended away).

So don't worry about it if it works for you do it. Why try to tie yourself up in knots or get super educated If your only ever going to do 5 gal a time. If it goes wrong it's no real traincrash.

Get to a level your comfortable with and stick with the same process at that level, what ever level that may be.

And most of all enjoy what you do, brewing is for fun, not an extension of work or education.
UP

 

[markp]

The big boys (with lots of people with degrees running the show) make Get to a level your comfortable with a stick with the same process at that level, what ever level that may be.

& most of all enjoy what you do, brewing is for fun, not an extension of work or education.
UP

Amen

 

[adrianmole72]

I like that Shane.. after all, we all want the same thing ! I do like reading all the complicated stuff, and I'm looking forward to meeting the more technical members of the forum at The Spring Thing !

Stephen

 

[unclepumble]

The Most important Thing you can do in brewing to get consistent brews is control the temperature of your fermentation. (easy enough to do what ever method you choose & there is plenty of info on here and the tinternet, the is a method for all levels)

Secondly try to follow the same process each time. and make sure you are accurate with temperatures if AG brewing (or pitching yeast)

Thirdly use the best yeast you can afford, dried or liquid and if liquid make sure its not old, or has been made up into a starter.

Last but not least read read read, the threads on this forum, you will learn plenty :thumb: :thumb:


UP

 

[rickthebrew]

:clap: Even when a brew goes a little wrong it can still be more drinkable than some of the stuff on the supermarket shelves :thumb:



:drink: I prefer the homebrew to most (not all) bought beers, I will strive to brew ales that can match bought ones that i enjoy

 

[evanvine]

Well damn me!
I’m gob smacked!
What started out as a tongue in cheek comment in another thread, suddenly become a new topic – Author, me!
I think I have been extremely lucky in my “Home Brewing”, in as much I’ve never had any go wrong that I couldn’t explain (my own stupid fault).
Aleman as always hits the nail on the head (thanks for the “slant” info Tony) also Unclepumble is bang on the button with temperatures.
All above withstanding, I still standby a laid back approach.
Basic hygene is essential, but I still take the lid off my FV to monitor progress.
I also pour my trial jar contents back.
I’ve just built my HERMS mkll (2 ltrs as opposed to 10 ltrs) so am on a new learning curve.
The two brews I did with the mkl (stepped mash) were immeasurable superior to the compromise 66C.
I think my yeast harvesting, rinsing, washing, freezing method is totally out of the window, but it works for me.
So if I’ve rocked anybody’s boat, you’ve just got to accept I don’t know what I’m talking about, no malice intended.

PS. There isn’t a commercial beer that comes anywhere near what I want from a brew, hence I will continue in my own (frowned upon) way.

 

[luckyeddie]

You won't find me frowning, EV.

Some view brewing as a science and there is a place for that, but I view it as a creative art - and there is a place for that too. Also, just occasionally, I like to wing it, following the philosophy of the great Indian brewer, Chukkitan Chansit.

 

[artyb]

i have a degree of stupidity.....

 

[graysalchemy]

So has most of this government and I the last one.