How much do you value repeatability?

[The Baron]

Target a very under rated English hop as is Admiral in Ales

 

[Kerby]

Both. The first is vital in learning to be a brewer rather than learning to make a beer. In the same way that being a chef isn't the same as following a Jamie Oliver recipe. It's just a small part in learning the vast array of variables in ingredients and processes. The further into that journey the easier it becomes to be able to visualise, design and achieve a beer exactly as you want it to look, smell, feel, taste etc. Consistency shouldn't necessarily be viewed as making the same beer exactly each time, more as being each brew being predictable.

It's then possible to step back from that a say 'I'm going to brew with x, y and z, and see that happens', all with an element of control.

100% this. It’s also how I approach the kitchen. I do a huge amount of cooking and always make notes if I’m making something new so I can tweak it the following few times. When I’ve nailed the dish I write out the final recipe and stick it on the shared drive so that my wife can access it too.

 

[Jim Brewster]

I have so many interruptions and distractions on a brew day, I've never had two brew days alike, let alone recipes. I've yet to brew the same recipe twice, I've not really settled on a beer and still in the discovery stage.

 

[MrRook]

I don't worry about repeatability. I usually go a long time between brewing the same recipe again and usually change something about it like different hops or yeast.

 

[Clint]

I think I've nailed the Tribute clone and think if I get a kegerator set up it will be on permanently, together with either my Pipster pale or depends how the Punk clone I've just brewed. Then a seasonal rotation of lager,SAISON,bitter,stout...

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Out of interest, how do you store hops, individual sealed bags? I've always fancied saving left overs for a small batch, but was worried about keeping them fresh until I have enough left over to use up in a brew.

Cheap vacuum sealer machine from Amazon - used to fold the bag over and tape it up, but they were always dried out when I next came to use

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I think I've nailed the Tribute clone and think if I get a kegerator set up it will be on permanently, together with either my Pipster pale or depends how the Punk clone I've just brewed. Then a seasonal rotation of lager,SAISON,bitter,stout...

A TributeTribute then?

 

[Clint]

Exactly! In fact every repeat brew is a tribute of the Tribute tribute.

 

[Rugby Fan.]

Exactly! In fact every repeat brew is a tribute of the Tribute tribute.

It's turtles tributes all the way down

 

[Lesinge]

Out of interest, how do you store hops, individual sealed bags? I've always fancied saving left overs for a small batch, but was worried about keeping them fresh until I have enough left over to use up in a brew.

I have bags with a vacuum system and then seal them.

 

[Lesinge]

I almost always wing it & never aim to produce the same product.
I know my basic weight of grain & hops that work for me.
I vary the crystal/choc malt addition depending on what I feel like & although I hold a basic standard stock of EKG & fuggles, I will order different hops to try each time I restock.

That is basically me too. I am on Brew 289 and will brew 290 this weekend - I have changed every ingredient, hop, style and other variable to try and understand what does what. I think I would become far too bored to make the same beer over and over again..I would be thinking about a new hop combo that I haven't tried. Saying that I once made six identical beers one after the other with just the base grain changed to see what they all tasted like. I also have a few recipes that I repeat when I want a standard Porter, Stout etc but don't obsess on them being the same as a previous one.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Well I take the view that it's impossible to nail everything down. I've re-brewed no-gaarden more than any other beer (by popular demand) and it's always in the same ball park from last time. Same with california steaming. 6.1% or 6.3% pfft. far too many variables to get 100% the same but close enough to not care.

although my cheese sauce recipe is bang on the money each time.



17/02/2020 brew 56 - no-gaarden - belgian wit - silver
100g tettnanger 10 min boil - 30 mins flameout
2.5 kg wheat malt extract
750g gs
2 litres orange juice asda from concentrate
mj belgian m21 wit yeast.
21.5 litres pitched at 23c
1.060-1.012 = 6.3%

01/09/2020 - brew 63 - No-gaarden 2 - Belgian wit -
100g tettnanger 10 min boil - 30 mins flameout
2.5 kg wheat malt extract
750g gs
2 litres orange juice asda from concentrate
mj belgian m21 wit yeast.
21.6 litres pitched at 23c
og 1.059 - fg 1012
20/09/2020 - 6.17%

07/05/2021 - brew 67 - No-gaarden 2 - Belgian wit - wedding brew
100g tettnanger 10 min boil - 30 mins flameout
2.5 kg wheat malt extract
750g gs
2 litres orange juice asda from concentrate
mj belgian m21 wit yeast.
21.5 litres pitched at 24c
og 1.060 - est fg 1015 = 5.91%

02/06/2023 brew 81 - no-gaarden - belgian wit - silver
100g sazz 10 min boil - 30 mins flameout
2.5 kg wheat malt extract
750g gs
2 litres orange juice asda from concentrate
mj belgian m21 wit yeast sprinkled
21 litres pitched at 20.5c
1.060-1.014 = 6.15% after adustments.

 

[sifty]

I don't repeat too many brews but always write everything down in case I accidentally make a belter...

 

[Agentgonzo]

I don't repeat too many brews but always write everything down in case I accidentally make a belter...

I do that now .

I have a similar problem with making curries. My wife will often go "this is amazing, what did you put into it", at which point I look sheepish and admit that whilst I remember what went into it, I have no idea on the quantities as it was "a little bit of this, a little bit of that"

 

[dad_of_jon]

I don't repeat too many brews but always write everything down in case I accidentally make a belter...

I don't write everything down, just enough to be able to get close to a previous brewed batch. The alpha acid in the hops can fluctuate a bit. plus with no proper temp control there is a bit of fwementation variation there. plus boil times and flameout times may vary a minute or two either way.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

I write everything down for my brew day on an e-ink notebook. I also upload my BeerSmith Brew Steps and Taste notes to it so I have a complete record of that recipe. I have a number of favourite recipes that I like to repeat.