The Rules of Homebrewers

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Cregar

Cregar

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Not sure if this has been posted before and thought it would be nice to list "The Rules of Homebrewers"

The first one I picked up from TexLaw on another thread. Post your rules here...

Rule 1. Buying ingredients for the brewer only entitles you to half the batch brewed with another guy's gear. (courtesy of TexLaw)
 
Rule 2. If you're brewing a joint batch with someone else at their house, you can't leave without helping to clean up.
 
Rule # whatever.


DON'T BREW BEER LIKE THIS GUY. :D

bumbrewerne2.jpg
 
Thanks for picking up on that, Cregar. If we are throwing out some homebrewing etiquette, here are a few more I see less of than I used to:

- If you are invited to a group brew-in, respect the host's schedule (i.e., if your host asks everyone to mash in by 10am, don't show up at noon and start setting up).

- Respect new brewers, those that do not brew, and those that know little beyond BMC. There were times when you were all three. You do not have to educate such people, but there is no good reason to be rude.

- If you are in a club, no matter how informal, do more than your fair share to support it.

- No one owes you anything for you teaching them anything about brewing. However, you owe everything to those that taught you even the tiniest tweak to your technique.

- A corollary to the last one: Share, at least, nearly all your recipes. Yes, you spent a lot of time developing them, and you should be proud. However, unless you are Ninkasi, herself, you took a lot of things from a lot of people. If you feel you absolutely must, you can be vague about a couple of your techniques, but share your knowledge. This ain't the Savannah Social Club, so you don't need to guard Granny's special peach pecan biscuit pie recipe to keep getting invited to parties. Besides, no one will ever be able to brew it like you do.


TL
 
Rule #12 Some people strive for precision and accurracy in their methods while others seek enjoyment in immersing themselves in the magic ritual that is brewing. We all have different motivations for being in this hobby and we should always be respectful of that.

Each oine of us has a different definition of what this hobby is.
Sometimes, I think some people find more enjoyment out of making the equipment than making the beer.
 
Rule #13. Be respectful of the beer that you're making. It's ok to get sloshed on occassion, but remember to ENJOY the double IPA as you're slamming it back.
 
Rule 14: Primum non nocere
"First, do no harm" as far as new brewers are concerned. Answer the same question 30 times the same way as the first. You see it a lot on the new brewer's board here. Condescending jokes don't work to answer questions.
 
Rule 16: Use the proper yeast!

If you're brewing an English Mild or a Belgian, don't use Nottingham just because you happen to have a pack or a yeast cake sitting around. Yeast makes a beer. By using the wrong yeast you completely changed the profile of the beer, probably making it out of style.

I'll admit that there are times that I experiment and don't worry about styles. I'm not professing that everyone should be a style nazi all the time but by and large, you will produce much better beer by using the proper yeast for the style that you are brewing (and pitching the correct amount of it).
 
ohiobrewtus said:
Rule 16: Use the proper yeast!

If you're brewing an English Mild or a Belgian, don't use Nottingham just because you happen to have a pack or a yeast cake sitting around. Yeast makes a beer. By using the wrong yeast you completely changed the profile of the beer, probably making it out of style.

I'll admit that there are times that I experiment and don't worry about styles. I'm not professing that everyone should be a style nazi all the time but by and large, you will produce much better beer by using the proper yeast for the style that you are brewing (and pitching the correct amount of it).
Click to expand...

Rule #17" Remember that rules are meant to be broken

Sorry Brutus, I just can't get down with what you are prescribing unless it specifically applies to competitive beer. I have made lots of "stylized" brews while experimenting with Notty and they usually came out better thant a award winning commerical, IMO (of course).

Now, if you change that to something along the lines of "Know your yeast....." I can completely agree. Notty at the top end of it's temp range as compared to it at it's bottom end makes for two completely differenmt yeast. Not to mention the variation in between.
 
One of My Rules, which may or may not belong in any list, anywhere:

"If you ask a question, don't get pissed off if you get an answer."

It happens from time to time hereabouts, and usually goes like this:

"What do you think of my American Pale Ale?"

[reads recipe with 4oz of roasted barley, dry-hopped with Saaz and fermented with Ardennes]

"It ain't American Pale Ale."

"Style nazi! Waaaaaaah!"

:rolleyes:

Usually, at that point I backpedal, talking about how styles aren't there to constrict you but to make life easier for the drinker, blah blah blah. But the suckiness remains that a person who didn't get the answer he wanted got his panties in a wad.

Thus the rule: "If you're gonna get angry if you get an answer you don't like, kindly refrain from asking the question."

Cheers,

Bob

P.S. TL - your etiquette is quite true, well-written and should be tattooed on the inside of the eyelids. ;)
 
Rules....we don't need no stinking rules.

Brew what you like, do this and you will find your inner brewer. Not a rule, but my philosophical spin.
 
Evan! said:
Rule 2. If you're brewing a joint batch with someone else at their house, you can't leave without helping to clean up.
Click to expand...

:off: With one minor caveat: If it's someone with whom you've brewed with a couple times before, and you've demonstrated that you CAN help fully, from strike to cleanup, and that particular Saturday, your SWMBO has called - very angrily - 14 times since the boil started, and you've asked the other brewer's permission...... THEN get your hindquarters home.

...getting back on track...

Rule #21. Don't Fear The Foam.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Rule #17" Remember that rules are meant to be broken

Sorry Brutus, I just can't get down with what you are prescribing unless it specifically applies to competitive beer. I have made lots of "stylized" brews while experimenting with Notty and they usually came out better thant a award winning commerical, IMO (of course).

Now, if you change that to something along the lines of "Know your yeast....." I can completely agree. Notty at the top end of it's temp range as compared to it at it's bottom end makes for two completely differenmt yeast. Not to mention the variation in between.
Click to expand...

We agree to disagree, then. :mug:

For the most part, you are correct, and I clearly stated that there is nothing wrong with experiments - I do them myself. But there are some beers that require certain yeast strains. It you're trying to brew a Belgian, you don't ferment it with Nottingham. You can play with the temps all you want, there just no way that you're going to get the same phenolics and attributes out of Notty as you would out of an Abbey yeast of WLP570.

You have still made beer, and it may be very good, but it's not as good as it could be because of the improper selection of yeast.
 
Brewtus, I'm down with Notty not belonging in a Belgian, what's up with the Mild? Notty in a mild seems acceptable - nay, downright recommendable. What gives? (Or was that just an example?)
 
Rule #?? - Be critical of your beer.

Some brewers think that every batch of beer that they make is the best batch of beer in the world. This is most likely not the case. Be honest about the flavor, aroma. color, clarity and palate of your beer so that you can try to make it even better the next time.

Rule #??+! - Don't blow smoke up someone's ass in a beerswap.

Just because you drew the name of a Mod or someone with eleventy gajillion posts doesn't mean that you need to write a fluff review about how perfect their beer is. Everyone involved would be much better served if you take the time to evaluate all aspects of the beer honestly and critically. You get to judge a beer, and the brewer gets honest feedback.
 
Chriso said:
Brewtus, I'm down with Notty not belonging in a Belgian, what's up with the Mild? Notty in a mild seems acceptable - nay, downright recommendable. What gives? (Or was that just an example?)
Click to expand...

Just one of the first things that popped into my head. I can see using Notty in a Mild, but I personally wouldn't brew a mild if all I had sitting around was Notty. I would still make a good beer, but it's not going to be as good as it should be.
 
Rule #??+2 If you participate in a Beer Swap, be ready to accept honest review and criticism.

If a taster says that there's a flaw in your beer, he's (or she's) not saying it because he wants to ruin your day. They're telling you this so that you know how to improve your beer and make it even better.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
We agree to disagree, then. :mug:

For the most part, you are correct, and I clearly stated that there is nothing wrong with experiments - I do them myself. But there are some beers that require certain yeast strains. It you're trying to brew a Belgian, you don't ferment it with Nottingham. You can play with the temps all you want, there just no way that you're going to get the same phenolics and attributes out of Notty as you would out of an Abbey yeast of WLP570.

You have still made beer, and it may be very good, but it's not as good as it could be because of the improper selection of yeast.
Click to expand...

Agrreable in all respects excepting that the only place that requires phenolics in a Belgian are the guidelines. They sure are tasty in that complex of style but, not even a Belgian will insist that it ain't Belgian without phenols.

I may be off base here but, IIRC, Stella is "Belgian" but lacks of these phenolics you speak of. Certainly it is no Dubbel, Tripel, or Quad but then those 3 do not make up the entire "Belgian" line.

And yes, I humbly agree to disagree.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Agrreable in all respects excepting that the only place that requires phenolics in a Belgian are the guidelines. They sure are tasty in that complex of style but, not even a Belgian will insist that it ain't Belgian without phenols.

I may be off base here but, IIRC, Stella is "Belgian" but lacks of these phenolics you speak of. Certainly it is no Dubbel, Tripel, or Quad but then those 3 do not make up the entire "Belgian" line.
Click to expand...

But that's comparing chalk and cheese. Stella Artois is a benchmark example of 1C. That makes it compare to Michelob and MGD, not Orval and Chimay.

Stella is Belgian only because it is made there. It is not what springs to mind when one says, "Belgian beer" or even "Belgian-style beer".

There are hundreds of different Belgian beers, each somewhat unique, each much more flavorful than Stella. That distinction comes primarily from the microflora used to ferment it.

Bob
 
Rule #π: It is easier to present results than to ask for comments or criticism for a different recipe/apparatus.

Just an observation here, but it would seem to be easier to represent your findings for something out of style or repurposing some random garage find.

Example:

" I just had the thought of lagering a stout!! What do you think??"

VS.

"I just lagered a stout and am amazed by the flavor profile, but it needed 4 months just to ferment!"

Now I agree that it is best to search this site for prior posts on your new idea, but maybe something is different and deserves a shot. Just expect comments or criticisms if you haven't tried your thought before asking for advice.

Rule #2xπ: Present your results after you post with info or for advice!


BTW, as a newb, I have violated this rule. :)
 
Chriso said:
Rule #??+2 If you participate in a Beer Swap, be ready to accept honest review and criticism.

If a taster says that there's a flaw in your beer, he's (or she's) not saying it because he wants to ruin your day. They're telling you this so that you know how to improve your beer and make it even better.
Click to expand...

It was, in fact, a very EXPLICIT rule of the beer swaps when we began them that you not only had to accept honest constructive criticism, but you were obligated to provide it. It's of no interest to me to just hear "Good beer, dude!"
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Agrreable in all respects excepting that the only place that requires phenolics in a Belgian are the guidelines. They sure are tasty in that complex of style but, not even a Belgian will insist that it ain't Belgian without phenols.

I may be off base here but, IIRC, Stella is "Belgian" but lacks of these phenolics you speak of. Certainly it is no Dubbel, Tripel, or Quad but then those 3 do not make up the entire "Belgian" line.

And yes, I humbly agree to disagree.
Click to expand...

Stella originated in Belgium, but it is not a 'Belgian style' beer as the term is generally used today. It's a lager, technically in 1C, Premium American Lager.
 
Chriso said:
Rule #??+2 If you participate in a Beer Swap, be ready to accept honest review and criticism.

If a taster says that there's a flaw in your beer, he's (or she's) not saying it because he wants to ruin your day. They're telling you this so that you know how to improve your beer and make it even better.
Click to expand...

+1,000.

I had some issues with this initially because like a lot of people, I thought that all of my beers were freaking fantastic. Only though a lot of brewing and a lot of tasting of other homebrews and commercial brews have I discovered that I still have a lot to learn about brewing, and now I welcome an honest evaluation by others.
 
@OB: :D Case in point: The AIPA I should have never sent out. I graciously accepted the negative reviews because, well, I haven't been able to stomach that beer myself! No word on what caused the off flavors though. Ferment temps were good that month (late Jan - early Feb, I keep the heat at about 65*F), adequate yeast pitch....just came out tasting like crap.

@The_Bird - I wasn't going to drag in swap rules because, well, those are their own rules. But still very valid indeed! RIS swap is proof, there are still reviews missing/trickling in.

I guess we could add another to the list, "No welching!" but that falls under TBN's rule. Don't Be A Dick!
 
Rule# ?????

Accept the fact that some people are BMC drinkers and nothing is going to change that. Stop trying to find that magic recipe that will "convert" them.
 

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