What process / technique / piece of equipment has improved your beer the most?

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JRTurner1234

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Hi All,

What process / technique / piece of equipment has improved your beer the most?!

JT
 
Not so much an improvement in the beer itself but I used to mash in two converted fermenting bins lagged with bubble wrap. This has been superseded by an unmodified cool box which make life easier. It hold the mash temp better (I now don't need a kettleful of hot water to raise it back halfway through the boil). I still use the converted fermenters as a lauter tun. hey it works for me.
 
Fermentation chamber, without a doubt.
I believe the old saying Brewers make wort and yeast makes beer, keeping the wee critters happy at a constant temperature definitely helps them to make better beer.
I also use it to cold crash which has solved my chill haze issues.
 
Definitely the fermentation fridge. I used to have a nightmare finding places in the house which were the right temperature without annoying the wife. Now I have the shed to myself and can really fine tune at what temperature the fermentation happens.
 
Grain. Be that steeping or mashing. There is just something that you can't beat about using fresh grain.

EDIT: Actually, the DIY hop spider has been a godsend. Just makes brewday that bit easier.
 
Since accidentally ordering whole grain pale malt instead of crushed, and having to get a grinder to use it, I've been amazed at the quality of the mash - instant frothy head, high efficiency of conversion, much lower FGs.
 
Fermentation fridge for me too. Set temp an forget about it knowing it will be kept within 0.5 degrees [emoji106]
 
Working in anaesthesia is like home Brewing...Check, check and double Check...if in doubt ask...leave nothing to chance, and don't rush, take you're time..
So for me......
If I don't think it can be achieved in the time allowed ..stop
and start again on another day...
So I guess Im saying, `FORWARD PLANNING' for me is the key
 
Bottle rinser and tree made a big difference to my brew days, saves me so much time. What I do is give the bottle a quick rinse when I've poured it and then fill it with water and rinse again the following morning making sure it's clean.
 
I have yet to get teh brew fridge setup.. although I probably will, I actally do really well with stable consistent fermentation temps.

Apart from going AG, treating my water has made a step up
 
Star san. Bottle rinser and bottle rack. Mini kegs. Coolbrewing brew bag (allows me to use whatever yeast I want all year round and also pseudo lager at 17C)
 
Kegerator without a doubt! Fermentation fridge is great as well but I still have trouble with yeast from time to time so hopefully stir plate and starters is going to be my next big step!
 
1. Discovering Brewlab yeast slopes (in the late 1980s??). Totally changed the quality of my beers - I'd been using **** dried yeasts up until then. Still my first choice.
2. The realisation that keeping oxygen away from my beer would prevent a lot of infections & also improve flavour & keeping quality no end. I now liberally use CO2 from a big Hobbyweld cylinder to purge air ever time I transfer beer. (works for food too - my good quality olive oil doesn't rancidify if purged, Pesto doesn't go mouldy etc :))
 
Oh, and the availability of good quality hops. The first I used were the compressed & vacuum-packed Morris Hanbury ones. What a revelation! Before these became available you could only get polythene bags of brown crumbly things that added bitterness - but only a vague aroma of something long-dead and stale!!
 
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