The Stages of Brewing

[AZBeer]

So these are the stages of brewing that I have gone through. None of it is bad, all needed steps IMO. Just as FYI, I am a small batch, BIAB brewer.

Stage 1 - Proof of Concept. I started out making lots of kits...only kits. My questions was...can I make drinkable beer. The answer was yes, and the answer was enough of a yes for me to keep going. The problem I ran into was two-fold. One, with small batches, there were limited choices, and second 1 gallon is too small. The kits say 1 gallon makes "about a 12 pack." No, it doesn't. It makes about 9 beers. So I wanted to make about a 12 pack. That's worth it to me.

Stage 2 - Attack of the Clones. Have a favorite beer...clone it. Try out a new great beer...clone it. I learned a lot trying to make clones, but I almost always made a beer that wasn't as good as the original.

Stage 3 - I don't even know what to call this stage. Inventing recipes, making everything better. I came up with plenty of crazy combos. The crazier the better. Spices, fruit, coffee...you name it, I came up with a way to add it to a beer. I learned a lot, a lot of what not to do...and some good things too.

Stage 4 - Making good beer. I am making 2 recipes this summer. A Hef and an IPA. I was to dial each one in until I can make a crazy good Hef and a crazy good IPA. Porters, stouts, nut browns...they are all on the future list along with plenty more. But first, I want to really dial in my process, dial in my skill, and dial in my knowledge.


And on that note, anybody have a suggestion on where to learn about grains? What to add and why? Right now I am trying to nail my IPA grains. I am thinking of removing any Caramel, and adding in some Flaked Oats or Flaked Barley. But I would like to be more informed with the why rather than just finding a recipe online.

 

[doomy86]

Hi AZBeer,

If you want to learn more about grains, i can recommend steeping and comparing small samples of similar grain types. There is also the book from the brewing element series about malt.

When i weight my grain for brewing, i always chew a small amount of the malt, like this i get to know the taste.

 

[tgolanos]

And on that note, anybody have a suggestion on where to learn about grains? What to add and why? Right now I am trying to nail my IPA grains. I am thinking of removing any Caramel, and adding in some Flaked Oats or Flaked Barley. But I would like to be more informed with the why rather than just finding a recipe online.

If you have a good LHBS nearby that has a knowledgeable staff, talk to them. That's where I got most of my grain knowledge from. You can always search and ask here, too.

 

[woo_pig]

Try smash beers. You can add small amount a grain to each batch to see and taste what it does. Same with the hops.

 

[IslandLizard]

Look at proven recipes in our recipe section. The ones with good feedback. Some are a bit dated, but should still be fine. Or tweak a bit, like using more modern hop schedules in Pale Ales and IPAs (whirlpool hops or hop stands at reduced temps (160-190°F) after the boil is over).

Scale them down to your batch size, which is linear ingredients wise. You will need to calculate your boil volume, as small batches may boil off as much as larger batches, depending on your kettle size, oomph of your heating source, and venting setup. For example, I boil off 3/4 - 1 gallon an hour when brewing a small 1 gallon batch on the stove, almost the same as a 5.5 gallon batch in my 8 gallon kettle on my induction plate, (1-1.25 gallons an hour).

IPA malt bills are typically simple. Caramel malts should be used sparingly in those recipes, although NE IPAs can feature as much as 10% of low Lovibond caramels such as C10-C20, or rely on the lower attenuation of some yeasts to leave some residual sweetness behind.

Malt character can be tested by chewing a few grains. But that's only an indication. Once brewed and fermented their flavor contribution is much more complex. Since you do small batches, brew a variety of single malt, single hop ("SMASH") beers and taste them side by side. You're never out more than 6-12 bottles for each, depending on batch size.

For a malt presentation I brewed 8 small, single malt, low hopped beers, mashing in gallon pots in the oven, staggered over a long afternoon. The results were quite remarkable, and I learned a lot about the specific flavor of those 8 malts. However, the beers never made it to the intended presentation, as the beers weren't quite ready. I forgot to plan for the 3 weeks of carbonation/conditioning in the bottles, and didn't want to serve flat, green beer at the time. Lesson learned.

Now if I were doing small batches, I would brew 2-4 back to back, basically only one prep and one cleanup. The time to brew and wait for them to be ready vs. the time to drink them would be better proportioned, IMO.

 

[kh54s10]

My progression was a little different. A couple of kits, a couple following recipes, a couple modifying recipes and in between a clone or two, then creating my own recipes. Many of those based on tried and true recipes.

 

[Miraculix]

Try smash beers. You can add small amount a grain to each batch to see and taste what it does. Same with the hops.

This is exactly how I approach this subject. I did brew a nice Pilsener malt cascade smash with a lovely and dry taste, and from there I added different herbs and grains. Always one at a time, so I can judge what it does to the beer. Works pretty well!

Best have one of the original recipe at hand for comparison.