BeerBorg

This post is making me question many of things I have learned! My head hurts now!

I think I enjoy learning, building and geeking out on the brewing equipment and processes more than actually drinking the beer! Weird, I know!

Good! Without questions/challenges no progress is made (IMO).
I went by the book for quite a while being a bit scared to branch out or try new things. I will tell you, having a pipeline helps so you aren't too worried if you screw up a batch!

RayF wrote: My head hurts now! :raz

Bud light makes my head hurt. why I try not to drink too much of it at a wedding or something eventhough it might be free and all you want............ I refrain........

"Geeking out" on the science of the process is part of the hobby that I really enjoy. I don't consider it overthinking, I guess some could take it that far but for me it's just part of process. There is a lot going on, keeping tabs on things and keeping them in check produces the results I planned for the beer I have in mind. I have spent some time dialing in my system and process, I can now get a little more lax on things. I can do a little more brewing "for me" and be comfortable playing around a bit more now that I understand the other half of things.

But here's one for ya. I don't drink and brew. I have, but brewing isn't exactly relaxing for me. There's no cigars and lounging on the patio, I'm there to get in, get out and get on with other things I have to do. Don't get me wrong I truly enjoy it, and I take it back it is relaxing as a hobby since it's a chance for some me time but I can't necessarily just sit back and relax while doing it. I'm too busy multitasking and there's a lot of back and forth. There's a lot going on during the mash, and then the boil...I'm not exactly just waiting around in the meantime.

I'm not sure if "irked" was the right word. Or maybe it is within a context that I might not have included. Let me try to explain by using another example.

When I was in high school, my English teacher got around to diagramming sentences and having us learn the parts of speech. I had no use for any of this. I still don't. I have no idea what a gerund is, or a past participle, or a bunch of other things. My teacher was very frustrated and wondered how I could write at all (let alone as well as I did) without knowing these rules. Another English teacher heard him, and said, very calmly, "Well, he reads a lot, and he's intelligent, and he just knows what sounds right."

So yeah, I'm irked by the implication by some that you absolutely MUST know the x and the y and the chemistry and all that or you simply cannot make good beer.

Now, MadBrewer gets a kick out of geeking out on the numbers and the science. It's part of what makes brewing fun for him. I wouldn't denigrate that, much less take it away from him, for anything. Because this is HIS hobby, too, and that's how HE gets enjoyment out of it. And it adds another layer to it that I miss out on (although I actually don't really miss it). Just don't insist that I do the same. Not only do I not want to, I actually am incapable of it. And I'm making good beer, so it seems evident that I don't need to anyway. Just like knowing how to adjust the timing on my engine isn't necessary for me to drive my car.

This may be the most unpopular opinion.

I brewed for the first time in our new house. A simple batch of my old cheap ass beer recipe. Well, my induction burner tripped the breaker twice, I almost had a boil over and the hose to my immersion chiller did not fit on my laundry tub sink. Luckily, we had enough ice to chill the wort in an ice bath.

With all that, my son came home from class and said how'd it go? I said, "this is a #%$#$ pain in the ass. I'd rather just go to the store and buy beer."

/end rant/ I'll be better prepared for batch 2

What can I say, I am guilty of all of the above. I try not to be bored by newbie questions, everyone knows how many I asked when starting out. The only thing that comes to mind right now, it is early in the day, are experiments that always end in a maybe.

mashani wrote:Airlocks are over rated and unnecessary.
Traditional bittering additions are over rated and unnecessary if you use the right hops.

Boiling for the full duration of a traditional boil is over rated and unnecessary unless you need the boil to develop malt character.

If you can get DMS or HSA to happen, more power to you.

Do you do a lot of short boils? I know you brew a lot with extract and partial mashes but Im refering to all grain.

I don't really have any strong opinions but do say, it's your hobby, your money, your time, brew beer you like and the way you want to.
I don't see it as stressful as I try to achieve a better quality water or yeast but that's me. I wouldn't be doing it if it were causing me stress. Sure a 4 hour brew day can sometimes be taxing on the mind and (old) body but it's just different to me. Like my mediocre guitar skills, I know I'm not a pro, don't pretend to be one and know my limitations and keep my expectations to match it. Like music, brewing has become a huge part of my life and I'm not going to change much at all as I wander away in age.
I thoroughly like how we have so many ideas, thoughts and modes of brewing and we all make good to great beer. What else can one ask for?

FedoraDave wrote:Just like knowing how to adjust the timing on my engine isn't necessary for me to drive my car.

How old's you car? Engine timing is controlled by a command to the VVT solenoids from the ECM based on inputs from the O2 sensors, knock sensors, injector pulse width, the engine RPM and load, road speed, engine and external temperature and so on and so on. Adjusting the timing of an engine is a thing of the past.


Back on topic. Leaving hops in the keg too long will cause grassy flavors. Yeah.....right. Scored a 44 in the IIPA category with beers bottled off a 4 month old keg with 3oz of hops in it.

60 minute boil. Nope, not necessary either.

Inkleg wrote:

FedoraDave wrote:Just like knowing how to adjust the timing on my engine isn't necessary for me to drive my car.

How old's you car? Engine timing is controlled by a command to the VVT solenoids from the ECM based on inputs from the O2 sensors, knock sensors, injector pulse width, the engine RPM and load, road speed, engine and external temperature and so on and so on. Adjusting the timing of an engine is a thing of the past.


Back on topic. Leaving hops in the keg too long will cause grassy flavors. Yeah.....right. Scored a 44 in the IIPA category with beers bottled off a 4 month old keg with 3oz of hops in it.

60 minute boil. Nope, not necessary either.

We do need a Like button on the BORG

Inkleg wrote: Adjusting the timing of an engine is a thing of the past.

[/quote]
I still know how to do it and adjusting points also...............Points can be viewed at a automotive museum Sorry for the de-rail I just couldn't help myself on this one......... and now back to the regularly scheduled Thread...............

mashani wrote:Airlocks are over rated and unnecessary. I'd brew sometimes in a Yorkshire square if I didn't have dogs and cats.

Traditional bittering additions are over rated and unnecessary if you use the right hops.

Boiling for the full duration of a traditional boil is over rated and unnecessary unless you need the boil to develop malt character.

I'm chill with nochill.

If you can get DMS or HSA to happen, more power to you, and you will have to teach me how to do it.

Random Brett infections are a good thing.

Glass Carboys are evil.

I only make water adjustments for very specific kinds of beer. 90% of the time I just use my tap water treated with Campden.

I generally could give a crap if I clone a beer exactly, and rarely even bother to try at all because really I could give a crap about that sort of thing. If I wanted a clone, I'd just buy the beer.

In other words, RDWHAHB!

I don't know how "unpopular" my opinion is here on the Borg but I know that on some other homebrew websites where there are a lot or "purests" my opinions are not popular. So here it goes.

1. You can make good and even great beer using Mr. Beer or BrewDemon recipes and when pressed for time it's a great way to get a brew day.

2. There's nothing wrong with using an aluminum brew pot! I've used my 10 gal aluminum pot for several years and never had any or the problems/concerns that have been brought up in the past.

3. You don't have to spend a lot of money to brew good beer. My brew pot w/ lid was less than $50, my propane burner was a garage sale find for $10 and the bags I use for BIAB I made from a curtain shear I bought for $5. Remember that craigslist is a great resource for good, cheap brewing equipment.

4. There's no wrong way to brew as long as you end up with beer in the end.

MadBrewer wrote:

mashani wrote:Airlocks are over rated and unnecessary.
Traditional bittering additions are over rated and unnecessary if you use the right hops.

Boiling for the full duration of a traditional boil is over rated and unnecessary unless you need the boil to develop malt character.

If you can get DMS or HSA to happen, more power to you.

Do you do a lot of short boils? I know you brew a lot with extract and partial mashes but Im refering to all grain.

Often I will do 40 or 45 minute boils even with BIAB AG with most malts. I've gone as low as 30 without any issues. I do boil vigorously. Such AG batches are 2-3 gallons boiled in a smaller pot the most folks use, I don't know if that matters, but maybe more stuff can escape easily, I dunno. I have not tried it with Pilsner, I tend to just use MoreBeer Pils LME instead when I want to use Pilsner, because it makes good beer and long mash + long boil = too much time for me to spend most of the time. And also since I don't pressurize my fermenters (no airlock, just lid or foil covering hole enough so nothing can "fall in"), I think this might help, as DMS is blown off by vigorous fermentation, and I pitch a hella-lot of yeast and get very vigorous fermentations where anything that wants to blow out of my fermenter has an easy time of it.

alb wrote:In other words, RDWHAHB!

Pretty much!

Inkleg wrote:

FedoraDave wrote:Just like knowing how to adjust the timing on my engine isn't necessary for me to drive my car.

How old's you car? Engine timing is controlled by a command to the VVT solenoids from the ECM based on inputs from the O2 sensors, knock sensors, injector pulse width, the engine RPM and load, road speed, engine and external temperature and so on and so on. Adjusting the timing of an engine is a thing of the past.


Back on topic. Leaving hops in the keg too long will cause grassy flavors. Yeah.....right. Scored a 44 in the IIPA category with beers bottled off a 4 month old keg with 3oz of hops in it.

60 minute boil. Nope, not necessary either.

You've just proven my point. I don't know a single thing about the workings of cars. Doesn't stop me from driving. Don't know much about the chemistry of starch conversion. Doesn't stop me from brewing.