Refining you home brew method - what's made the biggest impact?

[timcunnell]

Hello chaps!

I've really got into this AG/BIAB lark, and now getting some good feedback from friends with whom I've shared samples. There's no better feeling for a home brewer than getting compliments on the fruits of your toils, is there!?

But why stop there! I am really happy with what I've been turning out, and I owe a great deal to many of you guys for all the advice you've given me as I joined HBF totally clueless! But while I am happy - I want my beer to continue getting better and better. Amongst the various things I've learned about home brewing, I can certainly appreciate that a lot of it is trial and error; finding out what works and what doesn't work. And then a lot of it is down to refining the finer details.

So what I am interested to learn is, what refinements have made the biggest difference for you guys?

I have found that moving to BIAB from kits and extract brews has made a big difference to the flavour of my beer. I've also found that fermenting is much better controlled now I have a brew fridge (wish I'd had that in the summer when it was hot!). My next refinement will be using liquid yeasts.

What have you found to make the biggest leap forward in the quality of your beers?

 

[clibit]

The biggest leap for me was moving to AG, by a long way.

Lots of other refinements, learning about malts and hops and yeasts, and fermentation, but going to all grain was the quantum leap. I've been a bit mad ever since.

 

[HisDudeness]

Changing up your yeasts is a good next step and can definitely make a dramatic difference to the final beer, I don't have a huge amount of experience in this myself but have noticed a big difference between using packet yeast and liquid or cultured yeast strains. It's not that packet yeasts are bad it's just most of them seem to be fairly neutral in terms of flavour contributions, when I have used burton ale yeast and adnams yeast on the other hand there was an obvious yeast profile with the final product

 

[Wardy]

I'm yet to move to AG. I was tempted by the Grainfather trial and saved for one but I had the blinkers on and was bypassing everything. I decided it was best to do a few kits and add things to improve it and I'm so glad I did. Adding DME and treating the brewing like cooking was the eye opener for me. I'm the chef of the house and the things I make are way off on a tangent from original recipes but taste much better. The light bulb moment was when I realised brewing was the same and that's where the fun starts. I'm looking forward to progressing through BIB to AG and all the great beers that I hope will be produced.

 

[McMullan]

Harvesting fresh yeast made my fermentations predictable. The temperature of my basement 'brewery' is too high in the summer and too low in the winter, so temperature control works for me too.

 

[timcunnell]

All interesting stuff guys! It definitely seems like "proper" yeast is the way to go next then. My next brew will def be with a liquid yeast of some sort!

The other thing I have started to look at is my water chemistry. I am wondering how much of a difference it makes? Or perhaps it depends on how good/bad the water is one starts with? I have decided that my tap water has too much of a chemical flavour, so my latest beer - and APA - has been done with bottled water (Tesco Ashbeck). Will look forward to seeing if this makes much of a difference.

What I've since learnt is that I can use one of the brilliant calculators at the top of this page to enter my water chemistry (which of course is much easier to get if using bottles and it's printed on the side) and discover what I need to add to improve it further.

So water chemistry and most importantly liquid yeast will be my main focus next. But to answer my own question (as others have mentioned) there's no doubt that switching to AG has made a huge difference and my beer is now more professional-tasting for sure.

 

[CreweBrewer]

Clibit is to blame for my serious AG habit. I don't think I've had any major breakthroughs, but I do pay close attention to mash temps and IBUs. Get those sussed and you'll never make a bad beer in my opinion.

Dave

 

[timcunnell]

Clibit is to blame for my serious AG habit. I don't think I've had any major breakthroughs, but I do pay close attention to mash temps and IBUs. Get those sussed and you'll never make a bad beer in my opinion.

Dave

Haha yes I think that Clibit has much to answer for!! :)

Mash temp is a good one actually. I need to get a better thermometer! I've found that I get pretty good control over mash temp by mashing a fairly large volume (25 litres) and then covering with a duvet. Only seems to lose about 0.5c in an hour. But I am using a cheap version of an STC1000 and I reckon its a fair bit out!

 

[Wardy]

All interesting stuff guys! It definitely seems like "proper" yeast is the way to go next then. My next brew will def be with a liquid yeast of some sort!

The other thing I have started to look at is my water chemistry. I am wondering how much of a difference it makes? Or perhaps it depends on how good/bad the water is one starts with? I have decided that my tap water has too much of a chemical flavour, so my latest beer - and APA - has been done with bottled water (Tesco Ashbeck). Will look forward to seeing if this makes much of a difference.

What I've since learnt is that I can use one of the brilliant calculators at the top of this page to enter my water chemistry (which of course is much easier to get if using bottles and it's printed on the side) and discover what I need to add to improve it further.

So water chemistry and most importantly liquid yeast will be my main focus next. But to answer my own question (as others have mentioned) there's no doubt that switching to AG has made a huge difference and my beer is now more professional-tasting for sure.

You can get the water content of tap water by contacting your supplier. This is what they sent me when I emailed Scottish water asking for a water content reading for my supply.View attachment uploadfromtaptalk1445438474529.jpg

 

[clibit]

You can get water reports off Tinternet.

 

[Joeyriles]

All Grain was definitely my moment of truth

 

[timcunnell]

Ah wow that is very useful to know about the water reports!

 

[Wardy]

You can get water reports off Tinternet.

I couldn't get mine on the Internet and that's how it started. I asked for a link to water reports and Scottish water replied saying they didn't put them on the Internet but told me which team to email to get one. I ended up with overkill and got 3 reports. The one I posted which was pdf, a excel document with the specific minerals I had asked for and a detailed report on a sample taken from a standpipe close to me.

 

[Vallyred]

Had a pop up on a popular social media site which showed my first kit being opened two years ago yesterday. Was about a year doing kits before I decided they weren't the taste I was after and got my Biab equipment.
That was my defining moment, a 19litre stockpot enabling me to throw together small batches of anything I like.
When my Dad passed away in April I was able to do a brew in memory of him (he liked a beer) to my brothers' tastes, a malty brown English style (rather than the more hop heavy light ales I prefer), labelled with a pic of him in his Welsh schoolboys cap back in early 50s. Got decent reviews too from family and friends, which as my 3rd biab I was well happy with.

 

[Covrich]

Like many have said the jump to AG if you go from kits can be daunting but the improvements are well worth it as well as the satisfaction from a hobbiest POV..

I am now in teh stage looking into liquid yeasts and reusing growing them.. All fun and you never stop learning and there is always something new to try..

 

[timcunnell]

Like many have said the jump to AG if you go from kits can be daunting but the improvements are well worth it as well as the satisfaction from a hobbiest POV..

I am now in teh stage looking into liquid yeasts and reusing growing them.. All fun and you never stop learning and there is always something new to try..

Nice one mate - yeah by the sounds of it liquid yeasts are likely to make quite a difference. I am definitely trying this with my next brew!

You're definitely right about there always being something new to try! I only started out thinking I'd make cheap, okay beer from kits. Now my setup has completely taken over my garage and I am loving it!!

With the liquid yeasts (e.g. White Labs) is it necessary to get a starter going?? Or can you just pitch the contents of the bottle straight in? That's the bit I am not sure about?

 

[Covrich]

Nice one mate - yeah by the sounds of it liquid yeasts are likely to make quite a difference. I am definitely trying this with my next brew!

You're definitely right about there always being something new to try! I only started out thinking I'd make cheap, okay beer from kits. Now my setup has completely taken over my garage and I am loving it!!

With the liquid yeasts (e.g. White Labs) is it necessary to get a starter going?? Or can you just pitch the contents of the bottle straight in? That's the bit I am not sure about?

Alot of the yeast vials and packages say if the wort is under 1060 or something like that then you can pitch just that and it should start pretty okay.. But I brew outside on a burner and my feeling is that there is always a little bit more open. To ensure I get a fast and very healthy fermentation go with a starter.. I did a starter with mine (mine was 1060 anyway) and it went off quick and a huge creamy pillow krausen.

I am no expert as I am on my first harvesting now (which I have also ended up making a starter since I had loads of trub)

 

[MyQul]

With the liquid yeasts (e.g. White Labs) is it necessary to get a starter going?? Or can you just pitch the contents of the bottle straight in? That's the bit I am not sure about?

As Cov says WL's site says you can pitch directly if its under 1.060 but you need to take into account the health of the yeast. You have no idea how it's been treated from WL's labs till it gets to you. So I'd recommend a starter

 

[clibit]

As Cov says WL's site says you can pitch directly if its under 1.060 but you need to take into account the health of the yeast. You have no idea how it's been treated from WL's labs till it gets to you. So I'd recommend a starter

I think the Whitelabs claim about pitching into wort below 1060 is a bit iffy. Especially as the yeast crosses the Atlantic before we get it. And it's geared to 19 litre batches anyway. 5 US gallons. I think wyeast say 1040. And they have at least as much yeast, I think. I make small batches so I can pitch straight into a brew usually, and use that as a starter.

 

[MyQul]

I think the Whitelabs claim about pitching into wort below 1060 is a bit iffy. Especially as the yeast crosses the Atlantic before we get it. And it's geared to 19 litre batches anyway. 5 US gallons. I think wyeast say 1040. And they have at least as much yeast, I think. I make small batches so I can pitch straight into a brew usually, and use that as a starter.

I definately agree. Have you ever bought anything from the US and tracked it using UPS. You'll see your goods will be picked up then sit in big depot to be sorted then it might go to one or two more depot's then transported to an east coast airport where it will wait again for a little while to then be flown over here to another depot before getting to your house. All of this waiting around in depots wont be refridgerated of course and the ice packs that the yeast are packed in will have melted ages ago. So no matter what the yeast labs actually say, I will always make a starter, if and when I start to use liquid yeast (my brewing corner is still 23C so I'm still waiting )