I see brewing as a whole lot of science mixed in with a whole lot of art and, quite importantly, its mixed up by different people, in different ways, all over the world ! So, how to approach the subject ?!
Well, I view brewing as a fairly complex process which man could never have invented on its own, yep, mother nature has dealt a marvellous hand with this one !
You see, the big and small commercial brewers out there have beers that they make and they scarcely throw these things together ! In fact, they have some fairly complex processes involved in their production and, even though we may not always appreciate what they do, they do have a process that works and works and works !
And in this context, I see the majority of homebrew practise as a compromise on this process. No matter how we kid ourselves, homebrewing is often about compromising the "real process" . . . in order to make something we enjoy . . . in as simple a manner as possible. Well, at least, that's how its starts out . . . how else would we get new people interested in our hobby if we didn't try and make it as simple as possible ?!
The question is :
"How much have you, as a homebrewer, learned about the process of brewing and how well have you been able to implement it in the home environment." ?
Your answer determines your degree of compromise !
And when I talk about the process of brewing I don't mean how well have you read the instructions on the kit ! I'm referring to the full brewing process so that you can see the differences and deficiencies of your chosen approach. Now, this doesn't mean that you can't make a reasonable beer from kits, its just that you will make a much better kit beer if you spend some time fitting the process you use into the overall picture, identifying the differences and weaknesses and making a plan !
The difference between people's brewing often comes down to a combination of factors, most notably, whether they have other interests that keep them busy . . . family for instance, or work committments or sporting interests . . . and hence how much spare time they have left for making beer.
Like it or not, to get really in to any interest takes time and, with brewing, the more time you give it the more it grows on you . . . it becomes a hobby ! That's to say, not just a pastime where people spend five minutes here and there and hope to make great beer but something that genuinely grabs you and says . . . "I want more" . . . and we're not just talking more to drink . . . . I get odd looks when I explain how a lot of the thrill is really in the actual brewing, the nursing along the path to finality . . . the drinking is quite a bonus though !
And of course, the amount of time you can give to any hobby, particularly at the start, when you are learning the most, setting up those imaginary boudaries of what's possible etc, that determines how far you can take it.
At our club, we were quite taken with an article from an issue of Brewing Techniques in which it was claimed that you could . . . "outbrew your favorite micro-brewery". Some believed, others didn't. I was certainly sceptical . . . but as it turned out, my enquiring mind eventually led me to the same conclusion.
When the brewers of the world start out with malted barley, fresh from their suppliers, hops of a well documented spec, water of known quality, equipment with calibrated readings etc, they do so for a reason . . .
THEY'RE BREWING BEER !!! And brewing beer requires that you follow the process
Now, the process varies between breweries and the beers they make and even the ingredients they have access to. The trick is to learn enough about all of these aspects so that you can implement as good a copy in your own home as is possible and befits you !
Now, all this talk of 'process' doesn't mean that you can ignore other factors, say ingredients, quality of water, state of repair of equipment etc but, given the same ingredients its possible to brew a wealth of different beers . . .try giving a few brewers the same ingredients and same process (nominally at least) and see how results differ !
Brewing Techniques had a lovely project on that shortly before their demise, they showed its almost impossible to EXACTLY replicate a beer between breweries when we have to consider the different brewers, their equipment and preferred methods of operation. Not to mention the different bacteria that lurk in all our brewhouses ! So, should we lose hope of creating great beers at home ?! OF COURSE NOT !
One of the beauties of homebrewing is that the same beer can be brewed repeatably and with slightly different results !
I strive to make a great beer every time I brew but I can't kill myself worrying about whether or not the source of my barley changes occasionally, or I have to work with different hops, or our local water supply suddenly comes from a different dam or I can't always have my preferred yeast ready at the right time.
The 'controlled variability' of homebrewed beers is one of its fascinations !
You're a homebrewer, you're not brewing for commercial gain . . . so enjoy it !
You'll read elsewhere on this site of my Trelawney Ale . . . I'm presently on the 26th batch, the early versions were malt extract based with hop extracts, the majority have been fully mashed beers with varying degrees of process sophistication . . . at some point they became drinkable . . . at a later point they became worth sharing with my friends and brewing colleagues . . . . at some later point still I received warm comments from just about everyone who drank it ! People supped away and . . . . well, smiled ! "Now this is it they would say" ! And what was different ?! PROCESS !
On the Trelawney Ale page I gladly give you my recipe for this beer . . . it couldn't be simpler in design, it couldn't be simpler in terms of ingredients, it really couldn't be better as a light drinking English ale. From Trelawney batch #1 to Trelawney batch #26 all I've changed is the process.
Now, after all these seven years of brewing I still can't claim to have achieved the sophistication of the commercial brewers or even that of many homebrewers around the world but I can claim to be enjoying one of the best hobbies on this earth !
Please go out and learn a little about the process . . . you'll thank yourself !
Click the Professor for some learning suggestions !
