What’s up everyone!
So yesterday I bottled my first batch and brewed my second aswell.
So what should I be trying to learn what are my next steps. I wanna make sure I’m moving forward and don’t want to depend on just following directions off a recipe kit.
What brewing books have you read? This can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be (and still make great beer) but a good foundation of knowledge is really the key. If you haven’t picked up a good brewing book we can make some recommendations.
Otherwise, focus on fermentation: yeast pitching rates, proper temperature management, aerating - these will make tremendous impacts on the quality of your beer. If you want to make beer that is as good (or better) as the stuff you can buy then that is the first direction you need to head. There’s some good books out there about that subject as well.
I’ve read The Joy Of Homebrewing and am in the middle of Brewed Awakening
Have any suggestions on some good reads?
Probably the best book with the most current knowledge is “How to Brew” by John Palmer. There are lots of other good books, but that’s probably the best one to start with.
+1
I still read through certain chapters of it every now and then. Also, I would say that the best way to improve is 1) brew as often as you can and take good notes. 2) taste at each step of the process 3) pay attention to your volumes and temperatures. 3) lots of healthy yeast -look into yeast starters 4) control your fermentation temps
+1 on Palmer’s book and I’ll throw out Brewing Better Beer by Gordon Strong as well, both will help tremendously in moving forward and improving your final product
I’ve heard good things about “How to Brew”.
I’ll have to pick that one up next.
If anyone has any other suggestions let me know.
My advice is to get pretty comfortable with the info in How To Brew first before you read Gordon’s Brewing Better Beer. The latter is a good book but is aimed at intermediate/advanced brewers. Get those foundations established from the first book and ask any questions you have here and you’ll be on your way. Good luck !
I’d add that you should also focus on cleaning and sanitizing. There’s no book to read on that, but it’s as important as anything else.
Note that he said cleaning and sanitizing. You cannot sanitize something that is not clean. Too many new brewers merely rinse and sanitize. That will not cut it for long. Get a cleaner you like and use it every time you use a piece of equipment to be sure that nothing is carried along that might cause infection of your system or beers down the road.
For example: Tubing is especially critical to rinse out, clean, rinse out the cleaner, sanitize, store (in a way that fully drains all liquid) and then sanitize before using.
Homebrew club if you have one. I was a member of one the first four years before moving to an area without one. One started up a year ago here, and i went to my first meeting in over 10 years. It was very enjoyable. Beer always tastes better with other people, and you can learn so much from tasting others’ brews and asking questions.
On a commercial level cleaning is THE most important job!
Skip the book and read this forum everyday for 6 mos. you’ll know the basics and be on the cutting edge of various topics (yeast pitch rates, experimental brewing techniques, etc). Things won’t come in a nice order as from a book but you will get al the knowledge.
Or you could read the book in 2 weeks and come back in the forum like a BOSS! 
As valuable as this forum is, I think reading “How to Brew” will give you a great foundation to start from, as long as you understand that no single source of brewing knowledge is gospel. There are many paths to good beer, and some brewing knowledge becomes outdated after time. Read the book, and then use sources like this forum to keep yourself updated, get new ideas, and also to help figure out what works for you specifically.
Read Palmer, read this forum, and bomb this forum with questions. Believe me, I have done that until they told me to shut up and brew the dmn beer. Which I did in the end, and it was dmn good.
I have to admit I have read Palmer and other books. Palmer is one of the best if not the best. I use books as reference material. I’ve never read them cover to cover, just look up the info I am wanting that day. Though, I have probably read the entire Palmer book twice or more overtime.
I do think the reinforcement through this or other forums is a great tool. I have learned a ton here. Here I learn things I don’t know to look up. In other words I learn from other people’s questions.
I agree. The book is a great place to start, but things get addressed here through questions that you hadn’t thought to ask.
You have to know what type of learner you are. Some thrive on reading every scrap of info they can get their hands on so they feel they know as much as they can and that gives them the confidence to move on. OTOH, I read Palmer before going all grain and some parts, like water chemistry kind of froze me for awhile until I just did it. I suggest reading Palmer cover to cover without any expectation that you will understand everything then start brewing using Palmer more as a reference book, re reading the parts you need to actually brew. Once you get a few batches under your belt questions and areas of interest will naturally arise and you will go down your own path.
Read the books, ask questions in the forums, join a homebrew club and sit in on brew sessions with other club members. Taste their beers and just keep asking questions.
HTH-