[tesgüino]

... unless I have personally tested it out, I really shouldn't word it like a fact.

To go one step further, even if you've tested it yourself, you shouldn't word it as fact. To quote Dr George Sheehan, "We are each an experiment of one", applies to homebrewing also. There are too many variable in the process. Your results may not be the same as mine. My biggest gripe with Marshall’s exBEERiments is when they are quoted as fact. They are significant data points to help us come to our own conclusion, but are often not portrayed that way.

[dmtaylor]

I fight authority -- authority! -- always will.

(Yes I know what I did there.  That's what it sounds like when MY ears hear it.    )

Thank you so much, Denny and Marshall -- and so many others, too! -- for helping me in this fight!

[AmandaK]

Something I wrote and sent to Denny a few months ago as a 'life lesson in brewing':

Think critically and think for yourself. You can learn a lot from forums, the internet, and books but nothing is going to help you learn better than thinking critically about what you've learned and seeing how it applies to your brewery. My brewery is not the same as Denny's brewery and it's not the same as yours. Think about cooking, for instance. If a recipe says that you should bake the cookies at 375F for 20 minutes but your oven runs hotter than the recipe tester's oven, would you take the cookies out of the oven before they burn or wait the full 20 minutes because the recipe said to? That same critical thinking process should be applied to your brewing.

Wholeheartedly agree Marshall & Denny. Thank you for what you guys do - and for taking all of our comments & suggestions in stride. 

[reverseapachemaster]

Yes, but a giant one whose article has just been referenced to on the Dutch homebrewers forum. Trust me, if you're from Belgium like myself, the message is really very necessary. People stone you for not doing a protein rest.

Maybe they just don't like you? 

[denny]

Awesome writeup!

Looking forward to my next batch sparged, non decocted, 60 min boil, German lager!

One take away I got is that guys like me need to be aware of how we word things when sharing info with others. Things like "pils malt wort has to be boiled 90 minutes or you'll have a DMS bomb"... unless I have personally tested it out, I really shouldn't word it like a fact. I've read, or ive heard that, or some people say... would be better. Its like when people are talking about recipes. Often we tell people "You dont want..." how do we know what they want? Or we just assume they are trying to brew to style guidelines, and often time that means cloning the leading commercial example. We might come across less rigidly pedantic if we ask a question or two first rather than just blasting them with quoted authorized practices.

Jim.....you get it.  I love ya, man!

[pete b]

I like this: "If you’re stressing over homebrewing, you’re doing something wrong."
Great article.
I also like Marshall's point at the end about confirmation bias. Its bad for homebrewing and even worse in our culture where people are now able to consume only news that fits their worldview and google  directs people to websites they "know" they would agree with.

[beersk]

I like this: "If you’re stressing over homebrewing, you’re doing something wrong."
Great article.

Well, anything worth doing causes a little stress. I take anything I love doing very seriously, so naturally I stress a bit, if not more, over it at some point or another.

[hopfenundmalz]

I fight authority -- authority! -- always will.

(Yes I know what I did there.  That's what it sounds like when MY ears hear it.    )

Thank you so much, Denny and Marshall -- and so many others, too! -- for helping me in this fight!

Resist much, obey little. That is from Ed Abbey IIRC.

[homoeccentricus]

Yes, but a giant one whose article has just been referenced to on the Dutch homebrewers forum. Trust me, if you're from Belgium like myself, the message is really very necessary. People stone you for not doing a protein rest.

Maybe they just don't like you? 

I exaggerate. But it's much more difficult to question tradition in Belgium than in the U.S.

[oginme]

Great letter.  I have a philosophy that I apply to news articles and especially scientific studies:  "Read it as if it was published on April 1st."  This applies doubly to established dogma.  If the dogma is true, then it will suffer challenges to its validity.

Keep on challenging, experimenting, and having fun Marshall and Denny!

[narcout]

Man, being accused of ruining homebrewing is lousy payback for all of your contributions to the hobby.

Always looking forward to the next xBmt . . . .

[HoosierBrew]

Man, being accused of ruining homebrewing is lousy payback for all of your contributions to the hobby.

Always looking forward to the next xBmt . . . .

Yeah, one of most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Some people clearly don't (and won't) get it.

[erockrph]

I consider myself extremely lucky to be homebrewing at a time where brewers like Denny and Marshall (as well as their experiments) are so accessible to the community. It certainly encourages me to do my fair share of experimentation, and I'm a better brewer for it, too.

[Biran]

I am a home brewer, and while in my home I brew how I want.  I don't understand why someone would get mad at the way I choose to brew, even if for example I boil for 30 minutes longer than someone else.  So what?  I'm not in a rush on brew day.  It's a time to take it easy.  The way I brew makes good beer.  I don't care that it takes a whopping half an hour longer than someone else.

It's effin beer dude; chill out.

[mchrispen]

Did you just call me a dwarf?

You are simply vertically challenged.

Great article guys - thanks to your crew and Mr. Conn.