things i want to do differently next time i brew beer: original post 10/8/2009

1. be more precise measuring water for mashing

in the whole excitement of brewing my first beer i kind of lost it on the whole numbers thing. i just filled up my mash tun and hoped for the best. the result was a low mash temperature.


2. mash at higher temp

so, what i will do is try to have a better understanding of the formula that will allow me to mash at a higher temp. smaller quantities of water at higher temps will do me better than a questionable lower temp at lower quantities. john palmer will help me with this.

3. ferment at a lower temp

i fermented at 68 degrees, but i think it was more at like 70. with the fridge i aquired from craigslist.org i should have no problem dialing in the actual fermentation temp.

4. ferment at a more stable temp

see above, # 3

5. add irish moss at end of boil

i forgot to do this. next time i wont. this will help my beer to be more clear. it is pretty clear now, but...whatever



altogether, aftyer tasting the first beer tonight, the carbonation is good. the body is thin, but that will be fixed with a higher mash temp. other than that, i dont see anything that is fucking up my process.