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Heriot-Watt Brewing and Distilling course
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Once the submission deadline has passed, I'll post some of the text - it's not that great so it's not really at that much risk of being copied!We want to know!
I am so fed up with the detail on fermentation and boiling that unfortunately the last thing I want to do is a brew day
. It has though made me feel like I should get a basic yeast analysis lab set up for viability counts and properly repitch my yeast. A few take away from the essay is that oxygen is bad even really late on in normal beer (as opposed to the IPA delicate flowers of this world), and microbial contamination is lurking around every corner 
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Sadfield
Landlord.
We all get by, though. 
couerdelion73
New Member
Have you enrolled for Jan yet?
Not yet as I need to wait till pay day this month to afford the course fees for this semester!
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Do we though? If you have a homebrew swap with a local homebrew club you can rate your beers against other homebrewers and if its anything like me I rate my beer pretty highly amongst my fellow small homebrew club members, usually coming out well in any club competition, and have even won a couple, but there are a couple or three guys who's beer is on a whole other level, and from a headline process point of view I'm doing nothing different than they are, but they are just getting better results somehow. Why is that? the answer is alot of small differences...the attention to detail...stuff like being more careful about O2 exposure maybe?...better yeast pitching rates perhaps? It's the marginal gains thing. If you look at F1 cars and visually compare the Red Bull car to the Mercedes car they both look very similar, but yet the Red Bull car is in a completely different league, and it is not because of some large magical secret sauce design feature...its because of a thousand small differences that accumulate that deliver the difference.We all get by, though.
If it's within your control then you should seek to control it. And regarding oxygen exposure it doesn't require alot of kit or expense and not that hard to keep O2 out, so why wouldn't you?
But I guess it depends on why you're doing it.
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
Sadfield
Landlord.
Totally agree with all of that @hoppyscotty, I've used the marginal gains analogy numerous times myself.
It was more a response to @DocAnna not being motivated to brew, after taking on more knowledge. Learning something new doesn't devalue what we were already capable of. We get by.
I hope @DocAnna does get to post the paper eventually, it sounds like an interesting read.
It was more a response to @DocAnna not being motivated to brew, after taking on more knowledge. Learning something new doesn't devalue what we were already capable of. We get by.
I hope @DocAnna does get to post the paper eventually, it sounds like an interesting read.
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Ah yes. I can understand...It's not the brew day itself its the planning and prep and the planning for packaging. I don't know how anyone can hold down a full time job and a time consuming hobby or two and brew beer.
Hi all, Ok attached is a version of the essay on Acetaldehyde that I hope is still within guidelines. I have removed the executive summary and question part. I've also removed all the citations, which with some of the inline citations being removed a couple of sentences have obvious gaps. It's not my best and I felt all the way through I was missing something about the use of pilsner malt as a contributor cause but couldn't see why this might be the case. If I receive any messages about advising removal of this then I'll edit this message to remove it.
I've read this over far too many times.... and every time I read it I see something else grammatically or otherwise I wish I'd changedSome light reading for later
Cheers.
. I have some time in the New Year when I'm not working as much as usual and really really want to get back to brewing up some batches of beer. Things have just been so busy of late I just really haven't had the time.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Added to the ever growing reading list. Cheers.
Yes, you get word blindness and when you let someone else read it they say "why have you got three 'the's next to each other' or something similar.I've read this over far too many times.... and every time I read it I see something else grammatically or otherwise I wish I'd changed
That's me signed up for the next mandatory module "Filtration and Packaging", which I'm looking forward to as I'm hoping it has a graphic design element to it. The plan is to do as much as possible on the course while I'm in Orkney for 2 weeks of the month, so I can spend more time with the family when I'm back on the mainland.
I read that as "Flirtation and Packaging"...
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Come upstairs and see my coolship/cooler some time...
Well that’s a tasty six-pack you have there, let’s see what that protective box is hiding. I’ve only this flimsy cover slip which seems to show everything included.
Oh dear think I might be lowering the tone of an academic thread.
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Just so long as you're not into the heavy stuff like having hot wax dripped over your cap...
I'm constantly trying to get my keg over.
I've been a bit quiet here, new job, lots of travel and a learning curve that feels like the last travelator in Gladiators . I've also been finding it a challenge to keep up with my studies this term on Filtration and packaging. I have an interest in design and printing so was hoping we'd spend a bit more time on this. However it's been lots of information on surface, depth, cross, powder and other forms of particulate removal such as centrifuges (disc and decanter) and use of adjuncts, enzymes. It has felt a bit repetitive and I've not got into it the same way I have other modules. The final essay though is due on Monday, which I should have written weeks ago, but am only now finishing.... still have the executive summary to write .
As for applications for home brewing, we don't usually use filters, but I'd be much happier to use things like glycerine, PVPP or silica gels to speed up cold conditioning than I would have before. Not to overuse kettle finings as too much can make hazes worse. I'm increasingly paranoid about oxygen pick up with handling steps. Oh and cold conditioning at -2.5°C will remove insoluble (permanent) chill haze a lot faster than at 0°C. I really can't see myself installing a sheet filter frame or a centrifuge!
. I've also been finding it a challenge to keep up with my studies this term on Filtration and packaging. I have an interest in design and printing so was hoping we'd spend a bit more time on this. However it's been lots of information on surface, depth, cross, powder and other forms of particulate removal such as centrifuges (disc and decanter) and use of adjuncts, enzymes. It has felt a bit repetitive and I've not got into it the same way I have other modules. The final essay though is due on Monday, which I should have written weeks ago, but am only now finishing.... still have the executive summary to write .As for applications for home brewing, we don't usually use filters, but I'd be much happier to use things like glycerine, PVPP or silica gels to speed up cold conditioning than I would have before. Not to overuse kettle finings as too much can make hazes worse. I'm increasingly paranoid about oxygen pick up with handling steps. Oh and cold conditioning at -2.5°C will remove insoluble (permanent) chill haze a lot faster than at 0°C. I really can't see myself installing a sheet filter frame or a centrifuge!
