What sort of a brewer are you?

[Aussiekraut]

We all like beer, some more some less. We’re all fairly over what is thrown at us by Interbev and Asahi, we all like brewing our own beer. So far, so good. But what sort of a brewer are you? I’m not thinking along the lines of K&K, K&B, Extract or AG, I am thinking about how seriously you take brewing beer. I know some of you are happy to just throw a can of kit and a kilo of <insert favourite fermentable here> Into an FV and are happy. I also know that some of you go the whole hog and get their mash PH perfectly right for the style and go through great length to create the perfect beer. So what are you? 

I myself am just happy to brew beer. I have advanced to a stage where I think I am capable of making some good beers and I’ve had enough positive feedback to know I am doing something right. But I am not a scientist, I don’t care about mash ph, I don’t examine my brewing water, I don’t add bits of this and bits of that to my brews. I add water, malt, hops and yeast, plain and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I admire those of you who pursue the perfect beer, I really do. I just don’t have the time and nerve to go the whole hog. I am happy with what I am making and that’s what counts.

So what sort of brewer are you and more importantly, why? It’ll be interesting to hear your thoughts and stories.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Aussiekraut

[ozdevil]

I say i am a bit of an all rounder when it comes to brewing beer

I mainly do A.G  but will dable in an extract brew here and there as well as a fresh wort kit

I mainly brew for myself so i like to brew beers to what i like and occasionly brew something that is a bit out of my comfort zone

i have a ph metre but have never used it yet.  some people are religious and want ph  and the water chemistry 
but i think this can lead to disaster if you dont know what ya doing

I like my ipas and xpa  neipas etc  so i like to brew these when i can as  it can be pricey buying  these type by the ctn to enjoy at the shop

I just love the process of brewing

[RDT2]

I do AG and love the process. I brew mainly for myself but keep a Neipa style of beer on tap for my wife especially now we have a keg orator  

I love all beers pretty much anything from Pilsner to Stout, smoked porters, Hefeweizen IPA’s, Saisons and would like to try Belgium style beers and building the courage to make a raspberry sour with the Philly Sour yeast. I have a PH meter which I have used a few times but not religiously. I would get into water chemistry but can’t find a water report for my area and my beers taste good anyway (IMO) and had great reviews so haven’t really followed it up. 
 

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

I'm a bit of both. The vast majority of the time I am precise in my brews. Water, add minerals, pH check and adjustment, accurate yeast pitching etc. Then some times if I want a keg filler it's just 4kgs of grain and whatever hops I have to get rid of and a slurry pitch. Still very drinkable and the occasional beauty which I struggle to replicate

[Shamus O'Sean]

I am a 60% extract/kits and 40% all grain brewer.  An all grain batch still takes me a full working day, but I am a bit of a dawdler.  Plus I mill my grain and set-up the brewery the night before.  If I could do it quicker, I might do it more frequently.  I will be trying no chill this weekend with a Stout brew, that might speed things up somewhat.

I like kit brewing because it is quicker and the Coopers ROTM give me plenty of inspiration.

When all grain brewing I am into pH readings and water adjustments.  Not very scientific though, I just use what the Brewfather software says.

I like a variety, everything from a Kolsch to a Russian Imperial Stout to Berliner Weisse to IIPA's. 

I do not have the patience to take a recipe and fine tune it to perfection.  Maybe once I have brewed one of every type of beer, I will return to repeat one of my favourites.  Although, from my posts, you know I like side-by-side taste tests.

I really enjoy most aspects of brewing.  I especially like helping out other folks on the Forum and building my knowledge from what other brewers post on here.

[Classic Brewing Co]

Well I better have my two bobs worth, good topic Herr AK, I am an extract brewer who likes to add this & that to improve the quality of his beer. Having said that the experiences & advice on this forum have motivated me to go beyond normal practices & now in my opinion my beer is pretty good.

I have a lot to learn, I think we learn everyday but I don't take PH levels on the water, I just use the Puratap,  tastes fine. I clean, sanitise & generally are very & precise & careful with every step.

There are so many variations & paths to travel but I am inspired by the posts & stories by some of the great brewers on this forum, we even have guys who have won competitions, but I think we are all controlled by our limitations, budgets & the absolute willingness to further our journey.

I trust that makes sense.

Cheers. 

[Norris!]

I am both(liar), as most have said. I am not as precise with water Adjustments as I like the wodonga water and the report is actually pretty good and leads to dry beers, which I prefer, but I am pretty exact with my recipes. If something goes wrong, I want to know why and adjust later, except PH, I go by Brewfather and what I put in, as per the report. I have used gypsum but kind of prefer, water, malt, hops, yeast approach. Not knocking anyone else's approach but I like to keep it simple but sometimes the acid malt addition is big, just saying. 

I Enjoy the process and the different adjustments that can be made with the same ingredients and get a totally different beer, well different enough. But I prefer really hoppy beers and try to make those. I have 3 recipes that I consider solid and can brew on any given day, an XPA, Hazy and an APA, all ales...I am branching out to blonde ales , that one is solid so I guess 4.

Ok, I guess I am kind of not both. I take it fairly seriously to the extent that I want to understand what I am doing, why I am doing it, what I expect the outcome to be and how I can make it better. But I guess the reason for this is because I enjoy the learning and process side more than the outcome. I would make smaller batches but there isnt really any time saving. I enjoy what I am making and how others react to it, good or bad. I dont like all beers but like to try most at least once to understand malts and hops I would probably never buy. I
 guess I am the golfer with a golf cart.

[iBooz2]

I simply love the science of brewing or making wine and have done since I was introduced to it way back when I was about 16 – 17 years old as a school project.

It’s not the alcohol production or consumption side of it like most bystanders would think.  It’s basically the ability to do something that few of my friends or peers have the ability to do.  The understanding of the science/chemistry of it all, and to know how one part affects another and how it may get you far away or be very close to “right on the money”.

Unfortunately I was born a perfectionist with unlimited patience and those traits will no doubt kill me.  You probably know the type, set the bar high at 13 out of 10 then only achieve an 8 and then have to give myself uppercuts as an incentive to do better next effort and get frustrated when I cannot.

I have all the gear and being in the profession I am/was, digital data is good and I revel in it.  Now if only I could understand water chemistry properly.

It is so satisfying when you do get a brew nearly right, inspires you and impresses your friends but most of all its good, damn good, just to relax and sip your creation, even if it’s on your own, because it is yours.

Some photos posted on here by much more skilled and masterful brewers than I, make me as jealous as hell.  I not only do I want to drink them I want to swim in them all as they look so good. 

Kudos to all.  Brew big tubs of the stuff and take some elevated drone pics for me.

Cheers - AL

Edited May 24, 2021 by iBooz2

[Malter White]

Hi. I'm Muzzy and I'm an alcoholic.  
I'm an inherently lazy bloke and like to keep things simple, so it's extract brewing for me.
I started home brewing because I wanted to make beer cheaply but this forum and all the info available on the internet has shown me I can actually make pretty good beer cheaply.
From what I've read I could make even better beer if I went all grain brewing but that lazy streak in me just won't let me do it. Likewise for kegging my beer but I'm always considering doing it. Maybe one day.
I've been a slow and steady learner during my 3 & 1/2 year brewing journey. If I make a change to my processes, I'll usually only change one thing at a time to each brew because I want to be able to pinpoint what difference each change brings to my beers. For example, I wouldn't try a new hop variety and a new yeast variety in the one brew. If the beer is good or bad I want to know who to blame - the hops or the yeast.  
I admire many of you fellow brewers who get into the science of beer making because it's your knowledge that allows the lazy buggas like me to jump on the info bandwagon but doing the scientific work is not my scene. I'll leave PH, refractometer, attenuation, flocculation and all the other brewing words I don't know the meaning of to you guys and gals.
Well done @Aussiekraut. This is a great thread you've started.




 

[stquinto]

6 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Hi. I'm Muzzy and I'm an alcoholic.

You and me both Muzz mate! Jokes aside, I think there’s something to be said about “making” something. I reckon blokes like that ( and women too of course. ). Of all the jobs I’ve done in my life one of the most demoralising was stripping asbestos before the building was demolished. Couldn’t look at it and say “I made that” ‘cause the next day there was a big hole in the ground

With the beer it’s more a case of 1) something halfway decent to drink, 2) save a bob or two, 3) prove to yourself you can do it.

I’m well chuffed to have started 1/2 to full boils, same with hop additions. Thanks to Coopers and more to the point, all you stars ️ 

I’d be up for AG, but I’m not sure I have the time.  The ingredients can be a pain to source too where I am - only online so I need to get the shipping costs optimised. 

As for kegging, I’d love to, and know there’s a cost up front, but in return you’re not constantly cleaning out bottles. The thing putting me off is the risk of the keg going off before I’ve finished it, especially if you want to change beers from time to time.

What I make sure I do  now is read the threads, read the recipes, and brew the appropriate quantities.

But pretty damned happy all of you lot are there too (cue inspiring music as credits roll)

(Sigh)

 

6 hours ago, MUZZY said:

 

 

[Pale Man]

Relatively new to All Grain and so glad I took the step. Two or three of these beers have been the tastiest I've ever brewed. I enjoy traditional German and Belgian style beers. Wheats and Pilsners the top of my list. I'm not really one for big hopped beers. So with my AG beers I have nowhere to hide with bad techniques, so I'm dabbling in water treatment for styles of beer. And definitely very big on cleanliness and sanitising.

Having said that I'll still keep extract brewing around, you can make some beautiful kit beers for sure. 

I'm searching for that perfect beer. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's good fun searching.  

My great Nana on her death bed, asked for a nice glass of beer before she passed. That will stay with me until my time comes.

[Pale Man]

One thing I've started to realise though, if you enjoy your own beers that's all that matters. My wife has never been a beer drinker, so if I make the best beer I've ever made, I can't expect her to like it still. 

A bonus is if you're mates like your beer. But what really matters is that you love your own beer. I guess like loving yourself.  Then youre on the right track.

That's the sort of brewer I'm becoming. I love my own beer. Everything else is secondary. 

[Pale Man]

10 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Hi. I'm Muzzy and I'm an alcoholic.  
 

I think we stood next to eachother in yesterday's meeting. 

[Journeyman]

13 hours ago, RDT2 said:

especially now we have a keg orator

What does he say?  

I brew K&K with usually partial mash adds. I use only water from the RO system so I guess I'm fussy on that level. I bought a pH meter but that is to check on the sanitiser viability.

I like to get my results to match the recipe in the IanH spreadsheet and if I'm more than a couple of SG points off I try to work out why.

I have a couple of brews I do over & over - I'm up to 7th or 8th brews of XPA & my Fixation clone but I try others as well.

I'm content to fill a keg and not worry too much if there might be a bottle's worth left on the trub when done but I seem to have dropped my plans to brew a bottle batch every so often.  Too lazy I guess.

[Pale Man]

19 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

What does he say?  

He says he can see quite well 

[Journeyman]

5 hours ago, stquinto said:

The thing putting me off is the risk of the keg going off before I’ve finished it, especially if you want to change beers from time to time.

The solution is simple - have more kegs. 

The beer is not going to go off sitting in a fridge with CO2 gassed up. It doesn't even have to be attached to a tap - you could have (say) 4 kegs in there with only 2 taps and swap around as you feel the muse.

[Barramullafella]

Graduated from Brigalow and Brewcan + 1kg sugar in glass 750ml bottles. Tried a few experiments before Coopers came on market [where I lived]. I tried 3 stage fermenting and even cultivating yeast off fruit. Have brewed wine and ginger beer. Today I like how the big boys have done the hard work and put the required ingredients into a 1.7kg can and introduced enhancers. Happy to change a few things in the recipe but not keen on starting from scratch with grain, Cheers.  

[Worts and all]

Great topic @Aussiekraut and interesting  responses. I am a dedicated k&k brewer. ( You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “only” there because I think it is unnecessary and inappropriate. We are brewers as much as anyone.) I like to experiment with hop additions,a little wheat malt to encourage the fine creamy head that I love,and specialty grains where the recipe calls for it. My beers ,to my taste are delicious and far preferable to most commercial brews. Like @MUZZYI’m not into attenuation and flocculation and all the other technical jargon. I’ll leave that up to those who like to attenuate and flocculate, and good luck to them.Similarly I dodge around letters like Og, fb, abv, and ibu. Think I’ll stick to byo! I derive great pleasure and satisfaction from the brewing process,and,of course, it’s products. I suspect I might be typical of a large percentage of home brewers. I also get much pleasure and information from this site. Happy brewing to all!

Edited May 26, 2021 by Worts and all

[Classic Brewing Co]

3 minutes ago, Worts and all said:

Great topic @Aussiekrautand. Interesting responses. I am a dedicated k&k brewer. ( You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “only” there because I think it is unnecessary and inappropriate. We are brewers as much as anyone.) I like to experiment with hop additions,a little wheat malt to encourage the fine creamy head that I love,and specialty grains where the recipe calls for it. My beers ,to my taste are delicious and far preferable to most commercial brews. Like @MUZZYI’m not into attenuation and flocculation and all the other technical jargon. I’ll leave that up to those who like to attenuate and flocculate, and good luck to them.Similarly I dodge around letters like Og, fb, abv, and ibu. Think I’ll stick to byo! I derive great pleasure and satisfaction from the brewing process,and,of course, it’s products. I suspect I might be typical of a large percentage of home brewers. I also get much pleasure and information from this site. Happy brewing to all!

I agree with most of what you are saying @Worts and all I try not to get too technical but do seem to try & squeeze as much as I can out of our craft, there is a lot of helpful information on this site & I also concur that the majority of brewers would be K & K but the list of the converted seems to be growing.

Cheers

[Norris!]

I know a lot of people who tried brewing and stopped. They all have various reasons but the one that comes up, if you dig a little, is that the beer didn't taste like they expected. So kit n kilo or AG or something in between doesn't matter as long as you are making something you like to drink. I think that anyone can pour goo into a fermenter but to get it taste right is what makes us a brewer.

It could be simple things like fermentation temp, adding more yeast or different ingredients you have worked out that works. Sounds simple but many have failed. While some of us may delve into the technical/specifics and others are happy to skip that, we all work out a process and make adjustments. I consider all of us brewers and knowledgeable on the subject enough to make beer that is liked.

let's have a drink tonight for those who couldn't do what we do and be thankful for what we can do and will do, when we do the do.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Norris! said:

I know a lot of people who tried brewing and stopped. They all have various reasons but the one that comes up, if you dig a little, is that the beer didn't taste like they expected. So kit n kilo or AG or something in between doesn't matter as long as you are making something you like to drink. I think that anyone can pour goo into a fermenter but to get it taste right is what makes us a brewer.

It could be simple things like fermentation temp, adding more yeast or different ingredients you have worked out that works. Sounds simple but many have failed. While some of us may delve into the technical/specifics and others are happy to skip that, we all work out a process and make adjustments. I consider all of us brewers and knowledgeable on the subject enough to make beer that is liked.

let's have a drink tonight for those who couldn't do what we do and be thankful for what we can do and will do, when we do the do.

Well said @Norris! I would agree with all of that, we have all had times when a brew hasn't been as good as we expected but delving into the problem & understanding the science & making changes to correct it will pay off.

Cheers. 

[Norris!]

I should add that anyone can add some crushed grains to water and then boil it with hops. AG isn't hard but it is time consuming. I won't say it makes a way better beer but it provides consistency and ways to tinker if your so inclined.

[jamiek86]

none of ya businesses ya nosy kraut 

[Aussiekraut]

31 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

none of ya businesses ya nosy kraut 

Foin then 

[BrewLizard]

I've done 37 all-grain batches, and 4 extract batches (1 scratch extract + 3 kits and bits).

The extract recipes from scratch can be quite nice, and convenient if you can't use a weekend day for brewing. Steep your grains and put on a yeast starter overnight. Make your recipe use a half-volume, 30-minute boil with half the extract. Add the rest + chilled water, and pitch yeast. Can be done in 2 afternoons after work.

The kits and bits I've made (Mr Beer), all have a twang to them, but I've learned it's okay, provided you don't use too many steeping malts (or use them inefficiently, rather than doing a fine grain crush). I think it might be the isohop or whatever pre-bittering hops they use that I don't like.

Kit and kilo is undrinkable.

Ultimately, all-grain is the only method that makes me feel like I'm brewing, and relieves my cravings to brew beer. When I've made the time for it, getting up on Saturday morning is like being a kid on Christmas again. The fact the beer tastes twice as good (while costing half as much) as extract is icing on the cake.