Homebrew Beer Myths

[Cheshire Cat]

What aspects of brewing that we hold dear are really myths? For example before I came onto this forum I always mashed for 90 minutes and boiled for 90 minutes.

 

[Drunkula]

* Sugar will make your beer taste like cider.
* Scottish beers have peated malt.
* Sprinkling yeast on top is no different to rehydrating (bite me, mofos.)
* And the one that aggravates me the most - the BLANKET OF Co2. Urghhhh.

There's some really good Genus Brewing videos but I won't post them yet because the thread will develop more naturally.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

* Sugar will make your beer taste like cider.
* Scottish beers have peated malt.
* And the one that aggravates me the most - the BLANKET OF Co2. Urghhhh.

There's some really good Genus Brewing videos but I won't post them yet because the thread will develop more naturally.

I've watched a couple of their vids before posting.

 

[MickDundee]

* Scottish beers have peated malt.

Never heard that one before

 

[strange-steve]

One that pops up often, even today, is that water treated with campden tablets needs to be left overnight to work.

 

[Paul Roberts]

You mean there is not a blanket of C02

 

[strange-steve]

You mean there is not a blanket of C02

Well there will be a CO2 gradient which is more dense closer to the surface of the beer as long as it's being produced, but unless it's in a perfectly sealed environment it will gradually mix with the atmosphere, especially if the FV is opened.

 

[Clint]

A home brew is rocket fuel and blows your head off...
I get this off nearly everyone who I mention brewing to...
Then there's the "do you sell it"..
Then..."it always tastes dreadful..
Then "do you put loads of extra sugar in the BOTTLE to make it stronger?"
I don't mention brewing much now...

 

[Session]

That shiny fermenters make your beer taste better...

 

[strange-steve]

At the risk of starting another pointless debate, one of my favourite myths is "my homebrew tastes better than any of that stuff you can buy".

 

[Clint]

Yours probably does ..

 

[prog99]

Never heard that one before

Tends to come from across the pond, as I suspect does the myth its cold here.

 

[strange-steve]

Yours probably does ..

That's a myth for sure...

 

[jceg316]

Hot side aeration.

 

[Hanglow]

The myth that hot side aeration is a myth

 

[strange-steve]

The myth that hot side aeration is a myth

Perhaps more accurately, the myth that hot side aeration is worth worrying about. Using the grainfather has proved that to me, there's a serious amount of hot side aeration that takes place during the sparge, but haven't noticed any problems from it.

 

[terrym]

Your beer will become infected if you remove the FV lid.
Your beer will oxidize and become undrinkable if it comes into contact with a molecule of oxygen.
You cannot put beer into PET bottles since the oxygen in the surrounding air will migrate through the bottle wall against a pressure gradient causing it to oxidize.
All beer kits are rubbish.
All pressure barrels are reliable (sorry couldn't resist that one)
You have to spend lots of money on expensive equipment to brew decent beer

 

[Hanglow]

Perhaps more accurately, the myth that hot side aeration is worth worrying about. Using the grainfather has proved that to me, there's a serious amount of hot side aeration that takes place during the sparge, but haven't noticed any problems from it.

Have you made any beers completely free from HSA to compare though?

I'd agree it's probably one of the last things to worry about and many good beers are made with HSA, but if we were to follow best practices throughout the brewing process then we should probably try and eliminate HSA, especially considering we brew on such small scale with all the inherent problems that has regarding oxidation

 

[kelper]

CO2 will collect at the bottom of a space, just as petrol vapour does. This is how pigs are killed.

 

[jceg316]

Using the grainfather has proved that to me, there's a serious amount of hot side aeration that takes place during the sparge, but haven't noticed any problems from it.

I was worried when I got my Grainfather about the amount of splashing going on but never noticed any off flavours due to HSA.

You cannot put beer into PET bottles since the oxygen in the surrounding air will migrate through the bottle wall against a pressure gradient causing it to oxidize.

Similar to this is "you can't keep beer in plastic FVs for longer than 2 weeks". I've done this many times and the beer is absolutely fine.