Variables???

[MarkBowie]

I agree with...... everyone! I enjoy reading he scientific processes and trying to understand whilst in the infancy of my brewing career but I use the “what works for me” a lot more for my processes for now as I don’t have the understanding to connect the two yet. Everyone discusses brewing at the level they feel comfortable and because this forum is so well subscribed, it’s easy to find your level amongst the hundreds of how to’s and threads or just ask.

 

[Dutto]

Sorry I've not responded before but I've been away enjoying taking my great-granddaughter to the German Market in Edinburgh. An awesome experience! :thumb:

Some of the comments made whilst I was away have recalled the memory of an occasion when a pressure control valve (PCV) on a gas plant I was helping to commission froze up due to hydrates.

I used a portable methanol injection system to free the valve and stabilise the plant before going to the site Process Engineer to discuss exactly where we needed to install a permanent methanol injection point to prevent a recurrence of the problem.

The Process Engineer dug out a Pressure/Temperature Chart with a thick black line drawn across it and explained that, at the operating pressure and temperature of the gas plant, it was impossible for hydrates to form.

The methanol injection point was installed about a week later; after the PCV had twice hydrated up and caused the plant to shut down and the pressure relief valves to lift!

So much for the people who know everything and have charts to prove it. :whistle:

I try to never lie, nor do I consider myself to be an idiot, so any advice I give on this Forum works for me and it is based on nearly fifty years of home brewing both beer and wine.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Good post Dutto, you are right in many aspects but wrong in others. It's made for some good discussion though.

I put a kit on (Wednesday), it was from a Tesco sale around a year ago that needed using. I boiled some water, sterilised my gear, put a kilo of sugar in and mixed everything. It took me 30 minutes while I bottled an AG Stout that was in another FV.

Brewing can be as simple or as complicated as it needs to be. I've never water treated but there's a thread where many people have. I make rough numbers but if I miss them so what. I'm not trying to create a brand, I want to brew what I feel.

I think that's the beauty of this hobby. It's a rabbit hole but it's not one you have to jump into.

 

[terrym]

Good post Dutto, you are right in many aspects but wrong in others. It's made for some good discussion though.

I put a kit on (Wednesday), it was from a Tesco sale around a year ago that needed using. I boiled some water, sterilised my gear, put a kilo of sugar in and mixed everything. It took me 30 minutes while I bottled an AG Stout that was in another FV.

Brewing can be as simple or as complicated as it needs to be. I've never water treated but there's a thread where many people have. I make rough numbers but if I miss them so what. I'm not trying to create a brand, I want to brew what I feel.

I think that's the beauty of this hobby. It's a rabbit hole but it's not one you have to jump into.

+1 on that.
You can either feel relaxed about what you do in a manner that suits you to create beers that you enjoy, or you can be driven to perfection with lots of kit and a seriously structured approach based on brewing theory. And there are shades in the middle. In the end its what you feel comfortable with on a personal level. There's no right or wrong way, provided you are happy with what you do.
As for advice given on here, I hope people have the maturity to be able to sort through what is provided to establish what works for them best, since their needs might not match what they are being told, especially if stuff is overly complicated or they are receiving different messages.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I have a fairly relaxed approach. I'm still trying to get my rudimentary 3 vessel kit to perform at it's best. I like the idea of yeast harvesting, water treatment etc. I read up on these types of things now and again to build up a base of knowledge for if I ever do go down that route.

If I see advice that sounds like it'll work me I'll follow it and if it works, great, if not, try something else.

After various mishaps I've always had good beer to drink at the finish line.

And thanks to everyone for all the advice I've taken from the forum both browsed upon and asked for. Things keep getting better and better.

 

[Duxuk]

I drifted away from this forum a few years ago but am now happy to be back. I think it's the best forum around. In the "old days" there were several all knowing contributors who would gladly tell you that if you did THAT the result would certainly be THIS. They wanted no discussion because they knew it all. I'm thankful they seem to have disappeared.