I still consider myself a novice brewer, but I've made 9 batches, now, all IPA's. Each batch gets better, and the last few have been excellent. Lately, I've simplified things greatly yet the beer continues to improve, and I find myself wondering if the things I've eliminated are more in the category of tradition.
I'm not trying to be a troll, but am interested in your comments.
- I use all malt extract--no grains.
- I put the hops in a couple of mesh bags while boiling, then remove them, so there is almost nothing in the trub except yeast.
- I don't use whirlfloc or isinglass. The beer is clear anyway (not that I personally care much).
- No wort chiller. I put the boiling pot in a sink with ice water, but it may take 30 minutes to cool down. I pour into the fermenting bucket and add water to 5 gallons and may leave it to cool more to the yeast-pitching temperature.
- I don't fool with a hydrometer. After three weeks in the fermenter it's done (high initial gravity, so three weeks instead of two).
- I no longer rack to a second fermenter, and don't dry hop. The beer is hoppy and aromatic anyway.
- For priming, I use the table sugar we always have on hand rather than buying corn sugar.
- I use both. Beer quality the same. Grains are cheaper when buying 55lb bag but take longer to make the wort. BIAB only in my case.
- Home grown hops in a bag, pellets no.
- I do use. In addition 1 campden tablet per batch.
- I use a wort chiller.
- I love my TILT. I can enter OG and FG into my BeerSmith recipe and know how much alcohol my beer has. I go for <5% in my recipes. For more I go with wine
- Only primary fermentation.
- No priming, just kegging.