Ten Steps to Better Beer

[clibit]

In order of importance...

http://beerandwinejournal.com/10-better-1/

http://beerandwinejournal.com/10-part-2/

Cleaning is straight in at number 1, ahead of sanitation, fresh ingredients and fermentation temperature! Hitting the right mash PH sneaks in at number 10.

 

[HisDudeness]

Like that cleaning has been listed separately to sanitising, it is easy to be a bit flippant at the end of a long brew day and give things a quick hosing down leaving lots of crap hidden away in nooks and crannies!

 

[Hoppyland]

Nah, for me cleaning and sanitation are just two sides of the same coin.
Next most important for me:
Fresh ingredients. You just couldn't get decent hops years ago, and malt only if you ordered sacks. Garbage in, and it doesn't matter how clever you are with the rest of it.

Type (and quality) of yeast. I really struggled to find an alternative to "beer kit" yeast until Brewlab came on the scene, and I got hold of a genuine, vigorous top-fermenter. what a difference! Plus, you really do need the right yeast for the style, why isn't that right up there?

Fermentation temp - definitely, especially that it's not too high.

Clearly, oxygen (or air) is also to be avoided after initial fermentation, but pretty well anything else, I reckon you can get away with (at least for my preferred beer, which is basically a light, hoppy english bitter). It may not turn out quite how you think if the mash temp, water chemistry or pH is a bit out, but it's still likely to be a very tasty brew!

 

[MyQul]

I've mostly always tried to be meticulous about cleaning since I read something by the bole who invented starsan saying often home brewers don't get the dilution rate right on whatever sanitising fluid they're using but are saved from getting an infection because they cleaned their kit properly (basically, the old HB adage, 'you can't sanitise dirt')

I've often read that along with proper cleaning and sanitation the next most important thing is decent fermation temp control (although the linked article states fresh ingredients is of higher import). Up until now I've never had any fermentation control and have always 'free fermented', choosing my yeast with the apropriate temp range for the time of year I'm brewing at. I don't have room for a fermentation fridge or fermentation chamber so,at hideous expense, I've just bought one of these:

http://www.morebeer.com/products/cool-brewing-insulated-fermentation-bag.html

From all the reviews I've read, I'm expecting good things from it. I'm brewing this weekend so will report back and put a full review in the review forum

 

[LarryF]

Great post clibit, it really shows how deliberate and precise we need to be leaving nothing to chance. I'll certainly have a re-read to try and ingrain the ten steps in me.

MQ, I've looked these before, looking forward to your review.

 

[clibit]

I think the author has a good point in making cleaning number one. Infections ruin beer, and sterilising is pointless if you don't clean well. All the rest of the ten things won't prevent drinkable beer, probably. Seriously high fermentation temperature might.

 

[McMullan]

Agree, cleaning and sanitising should be considered priorities. Infections don't just ruin beer, some bugs found in beer could potentially ruin your health too :-?

 

[Rincon]

thanks for posting this, really good read!

 

[clibit]

Another similar article by the same chap, entitled "What Separates The Best Home Brews From from Rest?" Based on his beer judging experience.

http://beerandwinejournal.com/best-rest-ii/

Maybe I need to be more determined to reduce the trub going into my FV!

 

[Redron]

Excellent articles, thank you Clibit.
From a personal point of view I shall be looking at my cleaning and sanitation procedures, they are not bad, but on reading this, could be better.
The rapid boil too, I can just about get one on 28L in a 50L pot on my gas burner in the shed, but could be tricky in the winter.... I always assumed a steady roll boil was sufficient !
The trub point is good too, even though I have a hop filter fitted, I still pour the last drops through a sieve and into the FV thinking I'm getting all the goodies. On that last point, it's probably why my finished beer is never crystal clear, I usually have a good inch and a half of trub in the FV .

 

[TartanSpecial]

yeah...good articles. I noticed a few weeks back when I was about to start bottling that a few bottles had specs on the inside, despite being rinsed out and starsanned. I decided to stop and wash all the bottles with VWP followed by a good hot water rinse..... then I re-starsanned and got on with the bottling. Now I am always cleaning the bottles with VWP a day or two before bottling day ...then rinsing and starsanning on bottling day. Not doing so was a bad practice I got into earlier in the year and may account for a few gushers I've had. Its a pain in the backside but will hopefully avoid gushers.

 

[Redron]

Indeed, going back to my earlier point about refining my cleaning and sanitising.
I too have had recent issues with my bottled beer 'gushing' , it tastes ok but is very carbonated and 'bright' if that makes sense and gushes out of the bottle unless well chilled beforehand . Received wisdom suggests this is a sign of infection so I need to improve my sanitation.
For info, after opening a bottle and pouring I immediately rinse the bottle three times in cold water and turn it upside down to drain dry. Come bottling day I immerse my 40 bottles or so in a vwp solution in a builders bucket and rinse twice in cold water.
That said, I'm guessing any slight infection may have come before bottling because generally all the batch is infected rather than the odd bottle, which suggests my bottle clean and sanitising is good... Mmmm, food for thought....

 

[Spapro]

Indeed, going back to my earlier point about refining my cleaning and sanitising.
I too have had recent issues with my bottled beer 'gushing' , it tastes ok but is very carbonated and 'bright' if that makes sense and gushes out of the bottle unless well chilled beforehand . Received wisdom suggests this is a sign of infection so I need to improve my sanitation.
For info, after opening a bottle and pouring I immediately rinse the bottle three times in cold water and turn it upside down to drain dry. Come bottling day I immerse my 40 bottles or so in a vwp solution in a builders bucket and rinse twice in cold water.
That said, I'm guessing any slight infection may have come before bottling because generally all the batch is infected rather than the odd bottle, which suggests my bottle clean and sanitising is good... Mmmm, food for thought....

Your bottle cleaning regime/procedures sounds pretty thorough to me Ron. As you say, if the whole batch appears to be creating 'gushers' then you may need to look elsewhere for the issue.

 

[MyQul]

Indeed, going back to my earlier point about refining my cleaning and sanitising.
I too have had recent issues with my bottled beer 'gushing' , it tastes ok but is very carbonated and 'bright' if that makes sense and gushes out of the bottle unless well chilled beforehand . Received wisdom suggests this is a sign of infection so I need to improve my sanitation.
For info, after opening a bottle and pouring I immediately rinse the bottle three times in cold water and turn it upside down to drain dry. Come bottling day I immerse my 40 bottles or so in a vwp solution in a builders bucket and rinse twice in cold water.
That said, I'm guessing any slight infection may have come before bottling because generally all the batch is infected rather than the odd bottle, which suggests my bottle clean and sanitising is good... Mmmm, food for thought....

Does the beer taste ok but your getting gushers? Possibly/probably wild yeast, which I've had problems with in the past. Are you opening your FV to take a gravity sample before it gets to it's FG? This is where I narrowed my (two) wild yeast infection(s) down to

 

[McMullan]

I had a gusher batch in bottles last year. Seemed to be linked to new bottles, that I thought I'd thoroughly cleaned and sanitised. It was quite impressive. A stout ('Black Adder' clone) 'champagne'. The kids ran for cover whenever I got a bottle out. I ended up opening them into a large water jug and leaving it on the side for 30min or so. Very nice :drink:

 

[clibit]

Found this similar, but different and much older article, by the same chap, on byo.com.

http://byo.com/hops/item/1519-top-10-steps-to-better-beer

 

[McMullan]

Are you stalking this chap, clibit? :lol:

 

[clibit]

Are you stalking this chap, clibit? :lol:

Actually, yeah. :thumb:

 

[Hoppyland]

OK, I see he point that if you don't clean, then it's difficult to sterilise. Since I use bleach when I clean, I guess that's why I don't distinguish between the two!