Home brew twang experiment

[Jason s]

Just came across this guy doing an experiment trying to nail down where the home brew twang comes from.



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I'm going to follow this with interest as sometimes I don't have time to do a full day all grain brewing. I consider a kit but then remember the twang and give it a miss.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Not seen the vids but my experience was all down to fermentation temp control. Once I started doing that I noticed a step improvement and when people tasted my homebrew they started saying 'thats as good as you get in a pub...I'd be happy to pay for that'. Wether people were being overly polite or not there was a significant difference in feedback once I started fermenting properly.

Then to a lesser extent (probably last percent or so of where I am now) further improvements came from water chemistry, taking more care about yeast pitching rates, and being more patient post fermentation to give time for the beer to 'clean up' even with ales.

Amongst those in my local homebrew club almost all of the off flavours and odd flavours I get form their beers are associated with poor fermentation temperature control, usually too hot in the summer.

 

[Jason s]

I may give a kit a go again. Now I have improved my processes. Also I have temp control and learnt to be patient. I used to follow the 2+2+2 rule to the letter. I have now learnt its just a guide. It takes as long as it takes.

 

[hoppyscotty]

I may give a kit a go again. Now I have improved my processes. Also I have temp control and learnt to be patient. I used to follow the 2+2+2 rule to the letter. I have now learnt its just a guide. It takes as long as it takes.

Yep...I hate it when you see instructions like...do this on day x of fermentation, then that on day y...it's the most unhelpful and potentially damaging advice that can be given. Much better to talk in terms of percentage of the way through fermentation as some fermentations can be pretty much done and dusted in a couple or few days, and some take ten days.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yep...I hate it when you see instructions like...do this on day x of fermentation, then that on day y...it's the most unhelpful and potentially damaging advice that can be given. Much better to talk in terms of percentage of the way through fermentation as some fermentations can be pretty much done and dusted in a couple or few days, and some take ten days.

I get your point, but kits need to cover absolute beginners without putting them off. There is no way a beginner getting a kit and brewing for the first time will know what it means to be a certain percentage through fermentation. Much easier/safer to put a number of days: Beginners can understand it, and more advanced brewers know to ignore that part of the instruction and brew with their own method.