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Author Topic: 6 Common Homebrew Myths  (Read 7173 times)

Offline denny

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6 Common Homebrew Myths
« on: August 08, 2016, 09:49:37 am »
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2016, 09:52:44 am »
Nice to see these things all summed up in one place!  Nice job, man.
Dave

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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2016, 10:15:01 am »
Yep, nice work. They should pass out copies to all new brewers at the LHBS.
Jon H.

Offline denny

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2016, 10:38:05 am »
Thanks!
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 homoeccentricus

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2016, 11:19:41 am »
So, mutatis mutandis i have to rehydrate my dry yeast or else it's yeast zombie time?
Frank P.

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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2016, 11:26:38 am »
So, mutatis mutandis i have to rehydrate my dry yeast or else it's yeast zombie time?

That one, it depends who you ask.  Folks seem to still be split about 50/50 on this one.  Personally I'm a sprinkler, I think I only rehydrated once in my life and for why I don't know.
Dave

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Offline denny

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2016, 11:28:00 am »
So, mutatis mutandis i have to rehydrate my dry yeast or else it's yeast zombie time?

Nope....
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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 homoeccentricus

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2016, 11:32:05 am »
Sorry, I was just joking.
Frank P.

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Offline denny

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2016, 11:51:18 am »
Sorry, I was just joking.

Yeah, but ya never know...;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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"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 lupulus

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2016, 12:49:17 pm »
Denny,
Would you be so kind to expand your rationale on HSA/ HSO being included in your myth list?
Bamforth never said that HSA was not a problem, but that he needed to be convinced that it makes better beer; in an interview with John Palmer he told a story of how by controlling oxidation he changed the beer so much that customers sent the beer back. He also mentioned that there are many scientists who argue the evidence of HSO is compelling. See Künze, Narziss, and the chapter from Gresser in the Handbook of Brewing.
Personally, I am not yet convinced that HSO affects the final beer; but I judge there is enough evidence to call it an area of healthy debate in the brewing community.
Looking forward to your expanded review on the subject.  8)
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”  Neil deGrasse Tyson

Offline denny

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2016, 01:13:46 pm »
Denny,
Would you be so kind to expand your rationale on HSA/ HSO being included in your myth list?
Bamforth never said that HSA was not a problem, but that he needed to be convinced that it makes better beer; in an interview with John Palmer he told a story of how by controlling oxidation he changed the beer so much that customers sent the beer back. He also mentioned that there are many scientists who argue the evidence of HSO is compelling. See Künze, Narziss, and the chapter from Gresser in the Handbook of Brewing.
Personally, I am not yet convinced that HSO affects the final beer; but I judge there is enough evidence to call it an area of healthy debate in the brewing community.
Looking forward to your expanded review on the subject.  8)

I included it not because it's necessarily a myth, but because so many people think that it is. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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 BrewBama

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2016, 01:21:42 pm »
Good list.  I've been on a dry yeast kick to the point that my liquid yeast "laboratory equipment' is getting dusty.  LOL

Offline dls5492

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2016, 01:49:34 pm »
Thank you so much, Denny. I am making sure every one in our club reads it. Good information.
David S.
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Club: Cedar River Association of Zymurgy Enthusiasts (CRAZE)

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Offline chumley

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2016, 02:53:09 pm »
A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 6 Common Homebrew Myths
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2016, 02:59:30 pm »
A good list, but I would quibble with the liquid vs. dry yeasts.  I would agree that they are equivalent for neutral yeasts (lagers, American ale), but for those styles where you want the yeast to produce esters and phenols, such as Belgians, British, and German weissbiers, I find all the dry yeasts lacking compared to the liquid varieties that are available.

Probably because we all tend to overpitch all those styles, and dry yeast is just so gosh darn healthy and shelf stable.  Try just 1/4 packet for 5 gallons in future and see if you still have complaints.  Same concept goes for liquid yeasts with those styles, actually.  Try a severe underpitch and see if quality improves.  Those yeasts need a lot of stress to produce the wonderful phenols and esters that we all love.  If you pitch everything according to mrmalty.com, your Belgians (maybe) and hefeweizens (especially) will tend to turn out too clean.

Now as for the British styles.... yeah, S-04 kind of sucks.  Notty is alright but still too clean and not English enough to be a true English yeast.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2016, 03:01:01 pm by dmtaylor »
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.