I’ve been enjoying all the experimentation that’s been coming to homebrewing lately, Denny/Drew, Brulosophy, LODOers (Might need a catchy name, LoDOhosers?, and a few dozen others I’m probably forgetting. I’m wondering, what are your top 5 (or 3, or 10) experiments every homebrewer should do? I’d love to hear your thoughts and why.
Personally, considering the habits of my club (Most brew ~3-5 batches a year) I’d say (in no particular order):
I have dozens of ideas that I think would be worthwhile for everyone to try eventually. Here are just a few of those:
Split batch with two different yeast strains. This is just a no-brainer!
Mash time short (30) vs. medium (60) vs. long (90+). Anyone who hasn’t done this yet needs to!
Distilled vs. 150-200 ppm each of chloride and sulfate. I haven’t done this yet but I’m willing to bet a 6-pack that a blind triangle result for >20 people would prove insignificance. By the way… the magic of “the ratio” is scientifically meaningless. The total amount of each is what matters, not the ratio.
Double or triple decoction vs. standard single infusion. This one I have done a couple times already, but results have been inconclusive due to operator errors (someone else should brew these for me!).
Things I’ve recently found made a significant difference for me, worthy of more disciplined analysis (no particular order):
•SO4/Cl ratio, and other minerals (Na, Mg)
•Low intensity, lid-on boil (evap. rate <8%)
•COLD side O2 avoidance (closed transfers, purging, etc.)
•Mash: no rests <153°F (single conversion rest) and a good 15-20 min @170°F
Adopting these practices (I might think of more) has been inspired largely by info shared here on the forum (the mash program is more the result of my own experience and study.)
I’m coming around to your point of view actually, but still want to make sure based on some real first-hand experience. If I wasn’t such a friggin $hitty brewer, then I wouldn’t have to keep repeating the xbmt!
No, I can’t say I’ve tried that yet exactly. I have, however, mashed almost every batch for only 40-45 minutes for the past 12 years. Maybe THAT is why my beer is so $hitty on average!
I have a habit of mashing 60min, because. On my last brew, that double mash deal, I pulled samples for the refractometer at 45 min and found they had hit the numbers in Kai’s potential pppg chart. Even the second mash when I was “mashing” with first runnings. That was at 150f. It convinced me that an hour is unnecessary. My next brew day im doing it again, but the first mash will be at 160f and the second will be at 145f. It will be interesting to see what 45min readings will be.
It’s early days, but: No loss of extract yield, even a tiny increase, but better foam (and maybe flavor.) My premise was that there is still significant proteolytic activity (which of course I want to avoid) at beta rest temps , and beta itself is still active enough at this compromise temp. A slight favoring of dextrines also should give material for glycoprotein formation at mash off, where again there is still some further alpha activity to complete conversion. That was my theory, and a limited number of brews so far seem to support it. This probably really needs some real side by side trials. The fact that I’m now concentrating my efforts on improved low intensity boiling procedures, and about to incorporate BrewTan B into my arsenal means my data will be increasingly muddied. Interestingly, I should add, it appears that my final ADF has actually INCREASED by ~2-3%. Something interesting going on here, but I’m more pragmatist than experimentalist.
Dude, I SO know! I’m involved in an experiment to see if wort protein content plays a bigger role in hop utilization that boil gravity. I needed 4 different test batches to do that. I’m on my 7th. And I may just start over again.
I switched to 45 minute mashes and boils several years ago and get good results including a hellesbock that got me my second highest score in competition.
My experience is telling me it’s both on sulfate/ chloride. Obviously 2ppm:1ppm would not taste like 200ppm:100ppm, but neither would 200ppm:200ppm. There must be a minimum level to have any effect, but then ratio matters. Unless you’re just calling that the “number” of each individual ion?
Denny, my thought with this is experiments that change or inform how you brew. The boil/mash length ones are great examples.
In terms of the SO4/Cl ratio, I usually try and add as little as I can to hit my goal in BruN Water. I haven’t played a whole lot with high vs. low minerals.
When I was just treating my municipal water, for pale lagers I was obliged to have sulfate in the 40-60 range and chloride 150+, sodium around 40 and Mg 15. I did not like the results. Dull malt and Hop flavors, cloying palate. Since I’ve been building RO, I’ve tried no sulfate, chloride ~50, no Mg or Na. That beer is cleaner, brighter flavors, but still without the really crisp snap I’m looking for in a Pils. Couple of batches in the pipeline using the Bru’n Water Jever profile (sulfate 82, Cl 33, Mg 2 and Na 10) and those beers seem to be nailing it. So I’ve reduced the total mineral content from where I started, but flipped the ratio, and the impact seems profound. This is hardly experimental data, but enough food for thought to warrent experiments maybe.
Kai has a Pilsner water profile on his page that makes crisp dry Pilsners like those from the north of Germany. Many of the ones from the South are softer in the finish, so backing the SO4 off helps that.
One liter, oxygenated, no stir, starters pitched as soon as active to oxygenated wort. Compared to dry, hydrated dry, smacked pack, or stir plate decanted, I have had nothing but reliable success for about 4 years now. (Maybe 3yrs… lost track) And I’ve found the same success wether it’s 6 gallons of any ale, or lager, or gravity. So far I’ve experienced success up to 1.110 OG with just a 1L active starter. I’ve not tested the volume limit but I would not be surprised if it worked flawlessly up to 10 gallons, though I would probably just increase my ratio to 2L if I was worried about it.
Am I saying it’s the only, or best way, absolutely not. Does your beer suck if you do some other method? Nope! Am I saying it’s easy, time efficient and reliable? Yup! And more people ought to test it out.
I have 2 stir plates I haven’t used since, but for mixing agar into 5% slant medium.
