Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn  (Read 11339 times)

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #90 on: February 23, 2016, 04:44:57 pm »

"MAKE BREWING GREAT AGAIN!"
My old club was like this. By old I mean mostly retired. Near everybody couldn't get over batch sparging as it wasn't the "right" way to do it. I dumped wort from a bucket to a kettle once and they all flipped out telling me that my beer was already ruined so I shouldn't waste the time an propane finishing it. Some had a tough time accepting the new style guide, but not nearly as much as I expected.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #91 on: February 23, 2016, 04:55:52 pm »
I dumped wort from a bucket to a kettle once and they all flipped out telling me that my beer was already ruined so I shouldn't waste the time an propane finishing it.


Ok, I give - that was gonna ruin it how ? 


Edit -  HSA ?
« Last Edit: February 23, 2016, 04:57:31 pm by HoosierBrew »
Jon H.

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #92 on: February 23, 2016, 04:56:46 pm »
Hot side aeration!!!!!

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #93 on: February 23, 2016, 04:59:08 pm »
I just edited as you posted. Of course, because HSA is so prevalent.    ;)
Jon H.

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #94 on: February 23, 2016, 05:09:07 pm »
I mostly kid and there were some great brewers in that group. Most were open to new ideas, and they understood that they needed fresh blood to keep things interesting and lively.

One amazing aspect to this group was the willingness to spend club funds on taxi rides after club events if somebody needed it. I never had the need, but I was always very impressed with this policy.

All that said, there was a very vocal minority that couldn't handle anything outside of secondary fermenting their fly sparged step mashed Reinheitsgebot beers.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #95 on: February 23, 2016, 05:15:41 pm »
I ran into some of the same when I switched from fly to batch. it was like all of a sudden I was using prehopped extract kits as far as these guys were concerned. I served a couple batch beers and squelched that. Just silly. And that's pretty cool about the taxi cab rides .
Jon H.

Offline skyler

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 956
  • Hmm. Human music. I like it.
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #96 on: February 24, 2016, 10:48:52 am »
Water chemistry is another one. I've lost count of the homebrewers I have known who couldn't believe I used barely-treated tap water (when several excellent local breweries have done the same thing) and then were stunned by the quality of my beer made without complex recipe-specific water profiles.

BTW, I used to fret about my water until I moved and lost all my salts and just had to "wing it" for a couple brews. I have seen little evidence that a complex water profile improves anything over "get the right pH range and be done with it."

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #97 on: February 24, 2016, 11:22:12 am »
Water chemistry is another one. I've lost count of the homebrewers I have known who couldn't believe I used barely-treated tap water (when several excellent local breweries have done the same thing) and then were stunned by the quality of my beer made without complex recipe-specific water profiles.

BTW, I used to fret about my water until I moved and lost all my salts and just had to "wing it" for a couple brews. I have seen little evidence that a complex water profile improves anything over "get the right pH range and be done with it."
I can believe you experience, based on what water you have. Most around here say you don't have to do anything, but they are on the water system that uses Water from Lake Huron. My town uses well water that tastes chalky, and is only good for stouts and porters.

So I am that guy who buys RO water, adjusts and checks with a pH meter. Many thought I was a geek, until my beers improved. I have coached many in the club on how to make their pilsners really shine by getting rid of the alkalinity that gave a muddy finish.

So yeah, I have an experience where people said you don't have to do that, then it became "How did you do that?".
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #98 on: February 24, 2016, 11:30:07 am »
Yeah, my water sucks and comes from multiple sources. Multiple city wells plus two outside water districts. I could never use it straight.

Calcium 25-260ppm
Chloride 0-80ppm
Sulfate 130-470
TDS 430-920

I've measured the TDS from my faucet and it has drifted from week to week.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #99 on: February 24, 2016, 11:53:54 am »
Yeah, my water sucks and comes from multiple sources. Multiple city wells plus two outside water districts. I could never use it straight.

Calcium 25-260ppm
Chloride 0-80ppm
Sulfate 130-470
TDS 430-920

I've measured the TDS from my faucet and it has drifted from week to week.

That is more variability than I have.

Ca=114
Mg=33
Na=58
Cl=132
SO4=48
HCO3=364
TDS=630


RO water is what I use, mostly.

Edit - is that TX water, or did you move to CA?
« Last Edit: February 24, 2016, 11:55:36 am by hopfenundmalz »
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #100 on: February 24, 2016, 11:59:18 am »
I'm in Southern California.

My North Dallas water wasn't bad compared to this, though not great.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #101 on: February 24, 2016, 01:10:59 pm »
I'm in Southern California.

My North Dallas water wasn't bad compared to this, though not great.
Now I can see why the content can be all over. As they use Colorado River water to make up for the fraught shortfall, it will load it up with minerals. On river trips you can't get clean, though you try. You always have a layer of minerals on you, and silt. I have been through areas where the minerals come up to the surface - I remember going through a layer of gypsum.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #102 on: February 24, 2016, 01:18:04 pm »
I'm in Southern California.

My North Dallas water wasn't bad compared to this, though not great.



I know water supplies can vary in water composition through the year, but that's the worst variance I've seen. With the water situation in SoCal I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Jon H.

Offline dbeechum

  • Global Moderator
  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • *****
  • Posts: 2914
  • Pasadena, CA
    • Experimental Brewing
Re: Be A HOMEbrewer! | An Open Letter From Denny Conn
« Reply #103 on: February 24, 2016, 05:03:50 pm »
It does make things interesting at times.
Drew Beechum - Maltosefalcons.com
- Vote in the AHA GC Election! - http://bit.ly/1aV9GVd  -
-----
Burbling:
Gnome is in the Details
*Experimental Brewing - The Book*
Tap:
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
Tupelo Mead
Farmhouse Brett Saison