Tips and Recommendations Supplied by Josh Skinner, Master Brewing Afficionado and BRBA Member. Thanks, Josh.
· Automatic Temperature Compensating (ATC) Refractometer:
o Pros: Makes checking gravity of mash/sparge/boil/Original Gravity much easier than a hydrometer. You only need a few drops of wort to check the gravity as opposed to the several ounces required for a hydrometer. Possibly best of all, you don’t have to wait for the sample to cool down.
o Cons: You really should check the calibration of the refractometer before each use. To do this, you just put a few drops of distilled water on the lens and make sure it reads zero. Refractometers are not reliable for taking readings once fermentation has begun.
· Automatic Temperature Compensating (ATC) pH Meter:
o Pros: Instant & much more accurate pH reading of mash/sparge/boil than pH strips. pH strips have been shown to be inaccurate by as much as .3 pH units. Most pH meters are accurate within .01 pH units.
o Cons: pH electrode is delicate and must be stored in special storage solution when not in use. pH meters are much more expensive that pH strips. My meter was about $80.
· Stir Plate:
o Pros: Make your yeast happy! To me, making yeast starters
o Cons: A little pricey if you don’t DIY.
· Pure O2 tank with Aeration Stone:
o Pros: Get more oxygen into your wort for better yeast health. This will directly translate to less off flavors produced during fermentation and more vigorous, quicker starting and more complete fermentations. Healthier, happier yeast make better beer! Probably best of all, getting one of these means no more shaking the carboy! Disposable pure O2 tanks can be found most anywhere that sells welding supplies.
o Cons: More equipment to clean, sanitize and store.
· Quality Digital, Calibrating Instant-Read Thermometer:
o Pros: No more waiting for the dial to creep across the thermometer face. Digital face is easy to read. Some are waterproof.
o Cons: Takes batteries.
· Water Report/Brewing Water Software:
o Pros: Know what’s in your water and how it will affect your beer. Use software to calculate water adjustments (pH, matching water to specific profiles) if needed. Most brewing water software is free; I use the Bru’N Water spreadsheet. If you are on city water, often times the city can provide a water report free of charge.
o Cons: Water reports can cost $15-$30. Some suggest getting a water report for each season for those of us on wells. Water chemistry can be a little daunting to learn about at first but there are some really good resources out there for educating yourself.
· Recipe Calculator Software (BeerSmith, Hopville.com, Beer Tools):
o Pros: Create recipes with relative accuracy. Allows to you visualize how different ingredients affect the beer you are creating. Very useful tool when trying to create a beer “to-style” as most software gives style guidelines.
o Cons: May aide brewers in bypassing some of the theory behind recipe formulation. Can be tricky getting your brew system specifics dialed in correctly. Most software is not free. Recipes can easily be lost if not backed up properly.
· Mash Out Step:
o Pros: This step will likely improve your mash efficiency. By raising the grainbed temperature to 168-170 *F, you halt all enzymatic activity resulting in a more uniform OG when re-creating beers. “Mashing out” also helps in dissolving wort sugars resulting in more efficient lautering.
o Cons: Some may find this step is not conducive to their system. Mashing out is also one extra step in a brewday. A trait some may find unappealing.
· Be careful about changing more than one variable at a time.
o I’m not going to do the pro and con thing for this one because it doesn’t really apply. When re-brewing a beer and making changes to the recipe, try to only change no more than a couple variables at a time. Say you change your malt bill and your mashing regime and find your resulting beer to be superior to the original batch. How will you know for sure what changes resulted in this brewing triumph?
· Keep a highly detailed brewing journal, documenting everything you do associated with your beers.
o In archaeology, we had to keep excruciatingly detailed notes of our excavation methods, processes and even daily routines. I try and transfer some of that thoroughness to my brewing journal. Be honest in your notes, if you hit 154 instead of 155 *F on that Sacch’ rest, note it. You might just find out that one degree means the difference between a good beer and a “Holy nectar-of-the-Gods!” beer. Record when things go differently than you planed and when things go right. Finally, don’t let the note taking end on bottling day. Note your storage temperatures and maintain tasting notes on the finished product.
