Brewing Techniques Progression and Equipment Upgrades

[crazytwoknobs]

I was listening to an old show and decided to write it all down.

Colin Kaminski’s Brewery Tweaks/Upgrades in order.
Via The Brewing Network: The Session 2-27-2011 Live at Downtown Joe’s

1. The Boil
_____ a. Boil is extremely important - Boiloff rate specifically
_____ b. Learn your boil - Measure by volume
1. Use a stick with markings or refractometer.
_____ c. Can calibrate hop timings by %boiloff and Specific Gravity
_____ d. Get your boil measurable and adaptable and consistent.
_____ e. Full boil is assumed.
2. Sanitation
_____ a. If it’s not clean, you can’t sanitize it.
_____ b. Listen to the sanitation show for more.
3. Yeast Performance
_____ a. Yeast Starters
_____ b. Temperature Control of Fermentation

NOW YOU CAN ALL GRAIN BREW
You should now be issued a homebrewer’s license. Or you can make your own.

4. Carbonation
_____ a. Wrong carbonation? It’s an error that shouldn’t happen if you’re brewing to style.
_____ b. For Competitions - over carbonate. 0.2 volumes extra.
_____ c. Carbonic acid has an effect on Mouthfeel.
5. Mashing
_____ a. Grist/Grain, proper water ratios.
_____ b. Mill Gap - crush has to match your screen.
_____ c. Get your temperatures right. 142? 148? 154?
_____ d. Learn your mash tun. How much heat is it going to lose?
6. Water Chemistry
_____ a. Hard to talk about: “You have to understand some stuff.”
_____ b. Listen to the water chemistry shows: Number 1 and Number 2
7. Recipe
_____ a. “Unless you can do all of the above properly: Don’t FUCK WITH THE RECIPE.”
_____ b. Find a local beer you can copy or someone who will mentor you.
_____ c. If you have a problem with a beer, look to the process first, then recipe.
_____ d. Don’t kid yourself. It’s probably not the recipe.
8. Aging
_____ a. Style/recipe dependent - Do your research
_____ b. Temperature of Aging
_____ c. Hop characteristics change dramatically early in aging.
_____ d. “Reductones” Darker beers have more.
_____ e. Learn what will fade and what will be accentuated by aging.
9. Clarifying
_____ a. The Clarification show.
10. Off Flavor training
_____ a. Gives you the vocabulary to properly identify off flavors.
_____ b. Allows for greater corrections in process or recipe.

[BDawg]

Good list.

Biggest thing missing is fermentation temp control, though.

I might move a couple things around, but overall, I like this.

[Klickitat Jim]

Its number 3b steve

[Kbar]

Was about to write the same thing - I missed that as well.

As JZ says - Section '3B' above, is the most important part of brewing.

[BDawg]

DOH!

It deserves its own category.

[Klickitat Jim]

Agreed, sort of. I would organize the list by the actual steps you take when brewing. For example...

Sanitation
Yeast selection and starters
Fermentor selection, setup, and temp control
Mash and sparge
Boil, chill, whirlpool, and oxygen
Gravity, fining, dry hopping, and fruit
Packaging

So you wouldnt do a starter until you bought some starsan
You wouldn't buy a mash tun until you had fermentation temp control
Etc

[Colin Kaminski]

I am sure I rambled inserted lots of uh's and was not as succinct.

Thank you for taking the time to write it up.

If you think of fermentation as a plot of temp vs time and specific gravity vs time on one chart it will help you create lots of flavors. I don't have that level of control. I can get some of the data points when needed. Real time analysis would be better and is available.