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Author Topic: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion  (Read 2730 times)

Offline denny

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #15 on: August 19, 2015, 10:30:01 am »
Hello AHA members, I am a beer writer working on an assignment for a leading craft beer trade magazine. The title of the article: "Is It "Cheating" to Use Technology to Home Brew?".  The purpose of the article is to compare traditional hose and bucket home brewing to that offered by some of the closed systems, such as Pico Brew's Zymatic or BrewBot. Here are some points to consider in your response.

1 - What's your own experience?

2 - If you have not seen a closed system brew, what's your perception?  Are you interested in seeing or trying?

3 - Is trial and error necessary to be a good brewer?

4 -  I'm celebrating both viewpoints, so civil comments are the most useful.

Thank you for your time and help.

John, is that you?

In response to cheating, I'd say "who the hell makes the rules and who's keeping score?".  This is a hobby, not a competition.  Use whatever equipment you like that makes your brewday fun.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #16 on: August 19, 2015, 12:53:24 pm »
Reinhheitsrobot?

Offline denny

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2015, 02:01:44 pm »
Reinhheitsrobot?

I talked with a writer about this same subject for the same mag last weekend.  Just wondering if it's the same person.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline crichards018

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2015, 04:13:30 pm »
I get the concept behind the question. The more you automate, the less you are required to know. For example, if you can program dry, moderate and sweet mash profiles then you may never take the time to learn about enzymes and how to balance temperature trade-offs.

However this is a full spectrum and most homebrewers are somewhere in the middle. When I brew, I don't have a button that says "beer" and when I push it magic happens. I also don't malt my own barley and culture wild yeast (although both would be really fun to try!)

To me it boils down to why someone homebrews and for most of us I think it is a combination of enjoying the process as well as the finished product. Long way of saying that no, it isn't cheating, but it also isn't the solution for everyone.

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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #19 on: August 19, 2015, 07:56:31 pm »
Extract Brewers can make pretty decent beer by outsourcing the mashing process. Is that cheating?
Jeff Rankert
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Offline thirsty

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2015, 08:18:17 am »
 Is It "Cheating" to Use Technology to Home Brew?

I don't see how. We use technology to brew now. Without modern technology I guess we couldn't use propane for fire. Or an oven for heat. Or a cooler to sparge, or metal pots to boil the wort, or a bucket/carboy to ferment. Or a refridgerator to control temperature, etc, etc.


1 - What's your own experience?

I'm a hose and bucket guy.


2 - If you have not seen a closed system brew, what's your perception?  Are you interested in seeing or trying?

They sound amazing. If I had the spare cash I would get one tomorrow.


3 - Is trial and error necessary to be a good brewer?

I think trial and error and experience is necessary to be a good anything. Or even a mediocre anything.




Offline toby

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #21 on: August 20, 2015, 10:28:55 am »
1 - What's your own experience?

I've been brewing for about 20 years and done everything from extract to all grain.  My current setup is a gravity-fed propane based system, but I'll probably convert to electric in the next year or so more for the dollar savings and additional control potential.

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2 - If you have not seen a closed system brew, what's your perception?  Are you interested in seeing or trying?

Seen them.  Generally I think they're overpriced for the amount of beer they produce.  I don't have any issue with them conceptually.  I don't consider them 'cheating' by any stretch.

Quote
3 - Is trial and error necessary to be a good brewer?

Yes, but any system is going to require trial and error and tweaking to dial in a recipe the way you like it.

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2015, 08:53:44 pm »
My experience is that any method of brewing is acceptable - cheating would be not making beer and claiming you made it.  The processes that involve technology may allow greater consistency, but may be matched by a tight  process. Trial and error typically is involved, but I just had a first place Hefeweizen on my first try with the style and have never medaled in many entries of pils that have received scores as high as 45.

In the end - there are no absolutes.
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Offline AmandaK

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Re: Beer Writer Needs Your Opinion
« Reply #23 on: August 21, 2015, 05:55:31 am »
In response to cheating, I'd say "who the hell makes the rules and who's keeping score?".  This is a hobby, not a competition.  Use whatever equipment you like that makes your brewday fun.

My thoughts exactly, Denny. And anyone who thinks that brewing on a semi/fully automated system is cheating clearly has not brewed on one.

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1 - What's your own experience?
I have a semi-automated system. Sabco Brew Magic from 2009. Some days it is a royal PITA, some days it is a dream. I would imagine that other semi/fully automated systems are the same way. It takes a good long while to figure out how to properly brew beer on the thing.

Quote
2 - If you have not seen a closed system brew, what's your perception?  Are you interested in seeing or trying?
I do not think it is for everyone, but I would like a PicoBrew as my "test system" for the Sabco.

Quote
3 - Is trial and error necessary to be a good brewer?
Absolutely. If trial and error wasn't important, we wouldn't have this forum. And Denny's wouldn't have his Experimental Homebrewing book.
Amanda Burkemper
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