50 replies to this topic

[Steve Urquell]

granted - that's not the old school method for sure! but when time is money accelerated maturation is a good thing. maybe I'm wrong here though.

The only time I've had problems with yeast related off flavors in my lagers have been from not letting them warm up. I think it's just good practice. Currently heating my latest to 71F.

[Big Nake]

The idea that a homebrewer (who we might assume has had no formal brewing training) would say that warming a beer during the fermentation process would "burn off malt character" is pretty wild. That is not to suggest that the GBF guys are just some crazed hillbillies... some of them have some very sophisticated equipment and it appears that they do a lot of homework. It's possible that they're looking at ways to make the best homebrew possible and that the comparison to commercial brewers doesn't hold water because commercial breweries may have to do things to stay on budget or schedule and homebrewers don't have that issue. I don't know for sure about "warming of the beer" issue but I do know what happened when I left the beer cold for the whole process. Maybe they have a way around that or maybe they use a yeast that won't produce sulfur, diacetyl, etc.

[denny]

The idea that a homebrewer (who we might assume has had no formal brewing training) would say that warming a beer during the fermentation process would "burn off malt character" is pretty wild. That is not to suggest that the GBF guys are just some crazed hillbillies... some of them have some very sophisticated equipment and it appears that they do a lot of homework. It's possible that they're looking at ways to make the best homebrew possible and that the comparison to commercial brewers doesn't hold water because commercial breweries may have to do things to stay on budget or schedule and homebrewers don't have that issue. I don't know for sure about "warming of the beer" issue but I do know what happened when I left the beer cold for the whole process. Maybe they have a way around that or maybe they use a yeast that won't produce sulfur, diacetyl, etc.

 

No training, but he's read the books!    He can taste a 1 point difference in FG.  His beers are so good that 30 out of 30 people were correct in a triangle! 

[positiveContact]

No training, but he's read the books!    He can taste a 1 point difference in FG.  His beers are so good that 30 out of 30 people were correct in a triangle! 

 

was he comparing against grape juice or something?

[Steve Urquell]

No training, but he's read the books!    He can taste a 1 point difference in FG.  His beers are so good that 30 out of 30 people were correct in a triangle! 

No kidding here at all: Dude claims he can see oxidation in a beer just by the color. *shakes head*

[positiveContact]

No kidding here at all: Dude claims he can see oxidation in a beer just by the color. *shakes head*

I've read that it darkens but I have to think it's when we are talking extreme oxidation.

[HVB]

No kidding here at all: Dude claims he can see oxidation in a beer just by the color. *shakes head*

I am glad I gave up on that group. My techniques don't fit with them.

[positiveContact]

I am glad I gave up on that group. My techniques don't fit with them.

 

*shunned*

 

[Big Nake]

As I mentioned before, I'm more than willing to listen to someone's ideas and what they found as a result of those ideas and I'm willing to be open-minded and even try the suggestions even if I don't care for the person or their attitude. With the LoDo thing, I quickly realized that the jump from my current system to theirs was quite a bit of work and I also didn't like the idea that everything had to be done perfectly and even if it was... there was a fleeting timeframe where the resulting beer would be really good. It was too much downside for me. Factor in the condescending attitude and that's all I needed to know that none of it was for me. Schwanz was in that FB group for awhile and some other assbag started a fight with him and as a moderator there, I kicked that guy out only for someone else to add him back so that he could come back and then give me shit about it. In my 18 years of brewing I have encountered mostly great people in this hobby. That GBF group *does* have a large group of good people as well... but there are exceptions.

[denny]

What finally sealed it for me was the discussion on the AHA forum about all the yeasts and grains you couldn't use with the technique.

[HVB]

What finally sealed it for me was the discussion on the AHA forum about all the yeasts and grains you couldn't use with the technique.

I need a good laugh, I am going looking for that one.

[denny]

I need a good laugh, I am going looking for that one.

 

httpss://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=28295.0

[HVB]

httpss://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=28295.0

Thanks ... Reply #22 .. we are all being watched ..LOL

[Steve Urquell]

The whole cult leader sycophant aspect of the GBF rem9nds me of when Revvy was active on HBT. Dude would say ridiculous crap and the sycophants would follow it religiously. Any one questioning it would be attacked by the sycophants.

 

Before he left he was telling new brewers that you were wasting your time brewing if you didn't:

 

Let your beer sit in primary for at least a month.

Never taste it (never taste it in primary either) until it had been bottled for a minimum of 3 weeks--and better for 4 weeks followed by 3 weeks in the fridge.

Never use an airlock as an indictaor of activity--his apparently had never bubbled.

 

There was other ignorant crap but it eludes me.

[Big Nake]

The whole cult leader sycophant aspect of the GBF rem9nds me of when Revvy was active on HBT. Dude would say ridiculous crap and the sycophants would follow it religiously. Any one questioning it would be attacked by the sycophants.
 
Before he left he was telling new brewers that you were wasting your time brewing if you didn't:
 
Let your beer sit in primary for at least a month.
Never taste it (never taste it in primary either) until it had been bottled for a minimum of 3 weeks--and better for 4 weeks followed by 3 weeks in the fridge.
Never use an airlock as an indictaor of activity--his apparently had never bubbled.
 
There was other ignorant crap but it eludes me.

I think it's a good indicator and a confrrmation that we have a lot of variables in our hobby along with a lot of conjecture. Everybody's system is different. Everyone's tastebuds are different and everyone's expectations are different. We all do things differently in an attempt to make better beer. As a result, people will post damn near anything and think it's gospel and that there are no other ways to do it... I brewed that awesome beer on a Friday night so now I only brew on Friday nights! When I was a bottler, I did mention to others that the beer seemed to get to the kill zone right around the "1 month from bottling" date. I wouldn't tell people not to taste it but I did mention that I preferred to wait because I thought the beer was just better at that point. So many cowboys in this hobby and so much information swirling around people's heads.

[Poptop]

^^ well put.

[Poptop]

FWIW. I made 10 gallons of Vienna Lager on Sunday ~ 1.058. Half received 2 rehydrated packets of 34/70 and the other 2 rehydrated s-23. Within 20 hours the s-23 began its work but the 34/70 took about 36 hours. Both have real creamy looking krausen right now and they're chugging along at 50F. Although I should take a reading to determine if I hit half the gravity, I am going to give both batches to Thursday morning to work their magic. At that time I will increase temp to 65 for a day and then ~68 until I hit final gravity which by my past batches should be 1.010. Then I'll drop the temp back down to finish off.

Not claiming this is right or anything, but it worked wonders on my first two ever lagers.

[positiveContact]

my old packs of 34/70 got going in about 24 hours.  no rehydrating, just sprinkled them on chilled wort.

[Poptop]

^^ magic touch

[positiveContact]

^^ magic touch

 

I whispered sweet nothings to them before hand.