This channel is a highlight of what the internet offers -straight forward, no nonsense, free advice from an expert with very well produced and informative videos. From zero brewing experience I jumped straight into all grain brewing last month when I bought a standard Brewzilla 3.1and have followed several of David’s recipes - the ones I did not stuff up due to my own inexperience have all been great beers. As a complete novice learning from your videos the only thing I might suggest is a little more detail on the water quantities - or maybe i missed it. Thank you Mr David Heath I’m now milling my own grains, temperature controlling my ferment and drinking the British style beers that are not commercially available here in Australia. Happy Days!
Great to hear, you just hit many points that make up the aims of the channel. Water quantity will vary from system to system and brewing calculators are the easy way to figure out what to add volume wise and when. Water volumes are planned as a topic though for the future.
@@DavidHeathHomebrewI suspect the brews I stuffed up were due to a lack of strike water in the brewzilla which caused inaccurate temperature readings by the machine. The next brew I checked with a long thermometer in the mash and it was 7c different than the display but then on a further brew I inadvertently added what I thought was too much water but the inbuilt thermometer became accurate. I only learn by doing, so after jumping in the deep end I am managing to keep my head up and experiment with technique. Look forward to more of your content. Thanks David.
Brewfather can be used for free and will figure out volumes for you. Like all brewing systems the BZ measures temps at one point. The whole liquid will vary in temperature from top to bottom. This is normal.
Although I've been brewing for a few years now, I still learned from, and enjoyed this video. Thanks David, its so good to have such an in depth, objective and fun channel to turn to. Your "tried and tested" recipes have never failed me.
Excellent guide thank you. As you went along you ticked the boxes I have found important and got me curious about others. I hope present non-brewers will stumble upon this video, get their interest piqued and become brewers in time. You will have done them a big favour.
5 years partial mash/extract brewing and experimented with 1 gallon (biab) all grain, and four brews into 5 gallon BIAB system. I feel like I get better flavors and quality with all grain. But what I like most is feeling connected to my brews. Like, "I actually really put the work into that!" Can't go back to extract/partials because all strain is so much cheaper once I had the equipment. Love your channel, BTW! Thank you for all the wisdom!
Glad it was helpful! This series will gradually move up into more advanced topics. The next part is all about yeast,fermentation and equipment choices.
Thanks for the great overview of methods. I brewed ‘partial mash’ for decades (since the 70s) and results were excellent. I moved to all grain a few years ago, what I like is I can tweak the recipe to achieve the end result a lot easier. The first brew I did in the Grainfather was partial mash, since I had some extract left and figured it was a good way to learn the new system.
Well...i spent months watching every video i could get my hands on and i just found out there's a partial mash technique. This is going to be a VERY enjoyable series. I watch all that you make and i thank you for the effort it takes, including the stop motion in this one ;)
How about the no chill method? There's a large community that don't use a chiller and allow the wort to chill naturally. A considerable time & water saver that every potential grain brewer should be aware of.
I use the partial mash method and find it is half the time of all grain. A brew day is about 2hrs. As I only use 12 litres of water the time to boil is significantly reduced. I also use the partial boil method (boil half the fermentables and at the remainder at the end to pasturise).
@@DavidHeathHomebrew very true but it's important if only boiling half the volume, to only add half the fermentables for the 60min boil. Too high a gravity in the kettle because of using all the fermentables) interferes with the isomerisation of the hops and will not bitter the wort correctly. So aim for the same starting gravity in the kettle as you want in the fermenter after topping up to the final volume.
I am just starting my brew journey: this is perfect - thank you so much! I've many questions, many of which have been answered in your other videos ... but many remain still! Thanks again ... a consistent and definitive voice of reason and wisdom.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks for your time! Two burning questions (perhaps I'm trying to run before I've learned to do the Brew Walk?): I'll be using a Grainfather G30 (+Conical fermenter with Glycol chiller). Q1: to fly sparge or batch sparge (your GF videos show batch sparging I believe?) ... it seems "easier" to set up a fly sparge process directly flowing from the sparge kettle? Q2: I live in south Oxfordshire - the tap water here has a lot of calcium (you should see the condition of my kettle/steam iron etc) ... how much should I worry about getting the brew water "right"? Thanks again!
Cheers Paul. I manually sparge personally. To me its more about what you feel gets the best result, so experiment for your own taste. When it comes to water I suggest you try some adjustments and judge it for yourself. Your hard water will lend itself naturally to darker beers. For lighter you should consider adjustment for sure for a marked better end result.
A great first part to a series that I really look forward to seeing develop. This first part will be gold for people looking to get started. I love the style that you have used here too, really fun yet clear and informative.
Obviously the extract tins is a lot preferable for people who are only occasional drinkers because it delivers affordable results with very little effort and memorization of theory. I agree that the ingredients are cheaper for allgrain brewer but this is off-set by the price of the equipment in the initial capital outlay. I would definately recommend extract kits for occasional drinkers and allgrain for moderate to heavy users.
Hi David, a very nice start for homebrewers. Good video. Question, I see a lot of starsan sanitisers. I use most of the time Oxy from Chemipro. Very easy to use and handy to stock. Only the small package and some water needed. I don't know why I don't see this in the instruction videos of you or others. Why?
Cheers Chris. In terms of those sorts of products personally I am careful to mention brands that are sold worldwide (five star products) but I am quick to mention that there are cheaper versions out there too.
Hi David, as a beginner brewer i just wanted to ask do you , is beer finings a good idea with lager and ale , i worry about the effect on the carbonation..Thank you sir, i love your work
David, you've excelled once again. Even though I've been brewing all grain for 12 years, your share of knowledge has certainly change my outcomes, but I still fail in understanding. An example of this is, using identical recipe, brewed in 2 different systems, mine is an electric BIAB, the other is a 35l Brewzilla, the same brewing characteristics were followed, and yet the results were very different. We share the same cleaning and sanitation regime, so no off flavours were detected, mine very drinkable, the other not so. It would be very much appreciated if you include information about the affects of a result knowing the times and temperatures have been maintained as per recipe. Cheers Michael
Many thanks Michael. Lets see if we can figure this one out but first I need some more information. Did both brewers use the same ingredients from the same source? What about water profile?
Thank you so much@@DavidHeathHomebrew we live 2 km of each other and use the same supplier. I critically looked at this because of the extreme difference in the result. Denis, just said he threw it out, just couldn't continue drinking/mixing it. Although it didn't have an obvious off flavour, it didn't present as a nice drink. I have brewed this recipe more than 20 times, it usually ends up similar, but no matter how hard I try to replicate the mash profile, I do experience some slight variations. This recipe is what got me into brewing, because the Brewery "Matilda Bay Brew Company" based in Melbourne Victoria was bought out and the beer "Fat Yak" was turned into rubbish. The recognised clone recipe isn't all that close, so I have brewed probably 30 variants as an attempt to get closer. These results are still better than the current commercial offering. I'll continue experimenting, based on a distant memory. Cheers Michael
@@DavidHeathHomebrew OK thanks so much for getting back, yes that sounds like a strong possibility, based on the vast differences. I will follow up with him. Cheers Michael
Awesome video once again! I have only recently started brewing and all of your content is very helpful. I have done 6 or so extract kits from my LHBS all came out drinkable but missing something for me, my last batch was a FWK and that blew me away, was awesome. So now I am leaning towards all grain in the near future. My question is would you recommend BIAB or Brewzilla as a starting point for a beginner?
Great info as always David. Just have to mention the fancy video work with unpacking the All Grain kit, well done!! :) Questions I have been meaning to ask for some time now, sorry its a little long. When calculating hop amounts, I notice you mostly add different hops to the same IBU total per addition rather than weight. Is this specifically for ease of IBU totals or is there a reason? Meaning, you would use less of a higher AA hop and thus not get as much of that hops flavour in to the beer as it is less by % of total weight.
Cheers Craig, yes thats stop motion. It was lenghy but a fun process. It added some spice :) Yes hop contribution is really only about IBU. This is contained as oil. Some hops have a higher or lower AA% so the weight needed will vary. I stopped giving weights as a typical mistake is to copy just the weight with the hops people obtain. This leads to a totally incorrect use of hops for the recipe. This can end up meaning the end beer in undrinkable.
Is partial mash at a disadvantage due to a longer total boiling time? By this I mean the boiling time needed to prepare the extract by the manufacturer + boil time by the home brewer. I assume the total would add up to over 60 minutes. Should we boil for less time at home in this case (e.g. 30 minutes) and would this negatively impact hop utilisation?
Hi Ohaya. A longer boiling time is not a disadvantage as such, if you disregard the actual time. There would be no real reason to boil longer than 30 minutes these days other than for taste effect.
This channel is a highlight of what the internet offers -straight forward, no nonsense, free advice from an expert with very well produced and informative videos. From zero brewing experience I jumped straight into all grain brewing last month when I bought a standard Brewzilla 3.1and have followed several of David’s recipes - the ones I did not stuff up due to my own inexperience have all been great beers. As a complete novice learning from your videos the only thing I might suggest is a little more detail on the water quantities - or maybe i missed it. Thank you Mr David Heath I’m now milling my own grains, temperature controlling my ferment and drinking the British style beers that are not commercially available here in Australia. Happy Days!
Great to hear, you just hit many points that make up the aims of the channel. Water quantity will vary from system to system and brewing calculators are the easy way to figure out what to add volume wise and when. Water volumes are planned as a topic though for the future.
@@DavidHeathHomebrewI suspect the brews I stuffed up were due to a lack of strike water in the brewzilla which caused inaccurate temperature readings by the machine. The next brew I checked with a long thermometer in the mash and it was 7c different than the display but then on a further brew I inadvertently added what I thought was too much water but the inbuilt thermometer became accurate. I only learn by doing, so after jumping in the deep end I am managing to keep my head up and experiment with technique. Look forward to more of your content. Thanks David.
Brewfather can be used for free and will figure out volumes for you. Like all brewing systems the BZ measures temps at one point. The whole liquid will vary in temperature from top to bottom. This is normal.
Although I've been brewing for a few years now, I still learned from, and enjoyed this video. Thanks David, its so good to have such an in depth, objective and fun channel to turn to. Your "tried and tested" recipes have never failed me.
Great to hear Paul. This series is going to gradually develop over this year and perhaps beyond that.
Great intro and advice into homebrewing David.I think a lot of people will benefit from this series.🍻
Thank you. Yes I really hope so. It will gradually move into advanced, so hopefully something for everyone.
I just started brewing this year and have been waiting for you to make a video like this. Thanks and cheers!
The first of many. I have much planned for this series.
Excellent guide thank you. As you went along you ticked the boxes I have found important and got me curious about others.
I hope present non-brewers will stumble upon this video, get their interest piqued and become brewers in time. You will have done them a big favour.
Cheers James. Yes I certainly hope so.
5 years partial mash/extract brewing and experimented with 1 gallon (biab) all grain, and four brews into 5 gallon BIAB system. I feel like I get better flavors and quality with all grain. But what I like most is feeling connected to my brews. Like, "I actually really put the work into that!" Can't go back to extract/partials because all strain is so much cheaper once I had the equipment. Love your channel, BTW! Thank you for all the wisdom!
Cheers Abby. Yes all grain certainly is not something you go back from 🍻🍻🍻
Content SPREEE!!!!
Back to the one a week 🍻
Brilliant! I’ve done all three methods and can concur with your comments David.
Cheers Ken 🍻🍻🍻
Great! Thanks. This series is exactly what I need now. I am personally the target group. 😄
Glad it was helpful! This series will gradually move up into more advanced topics. The next part is all about yeast,fermentation and equipment choices.
I Will also love seeing next video 👍🏻
Thanks Per, its about a week a away.
The most beautiful model yet at the end of the video. :)
Haha 🍻
Thanks for the great overview of methods. I brewed ‘partial mash’ for decades (since the 70s) and results were excellent. I moved to all grain a few years ago, what I like is I can tweak the recipe to achieve the end result a lot easier.
The first brew I did in the Grainfather was partial mash, since I had some extract left and figured it was a good way to learn the new system.
Great to hear Mark. Yes, plenty of options and good results to be found with each.
Well...i spent months watching every video i could get my hands on and i just found out there's a partial mash technique. This is going to be a VERY enjoyable series. I watch all that you make and i thank you for the effort it takes, including the stop motion in this one ;)
Many thanks and much appreciated. Yes I had fun with this :) My hope is that everyone will have something to learn from this series.
How about the no chill method? There's a large community that don't use a chiller and allow the wort to chill naturally. A considerable time & water saver that every potential grain brewer should be aware of.
Good point Chris. I will think about how and when this can be added into this series.
I use the partial mash method and find it is half the time of all grain. A brew day is about 2hrs. As I only use 12 litres of water the time to boil is significantly reduced. I also use the partial boil method (boil half the fermentables and at the remainder at the end to pasturise).
Great, yes smaller batches are certainly fast 🍻🍻🍻
@@DavidHeathHomebrew very true but it's important if only boiling half the volume, to only add half the fermentables for the 60min boil. Too high a gravity in the kettle because of using all the fermentables) interferes with the isomerisation of the hops and will not bitter the wort correctly. So aim for the same starting gravity in the kettle as you want in the fermenter after topping up to the final volume.
Yes, that would be speedy. Thanks for sharing. 🍻🍻🍻
Happy new year. this is the best channel for brewing advice.
Many thanks Edd, much appreciated 🍻🍻🍻
another great video david
Many thanks Simon 🍻🍻🍻
I am just starting my brew journey: this is perfect - thank you so much! I've many questions, many of which have been answered in your other videos ... but many remain still! Thanks again ... a consistent and definitive voice of reason and wisdom.
Great to hear Paul. Feel free to come with any questions. I am happy to help.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks for your time! Two burning questions (perhaps I'm trying to run before I've learned to do the Brew Walk?): I'll be using a Grainfather G30 (+Conical fermenter with Glycol chiller). Q1: to fly sparge or batch sparge (your GF videos show batch sparging I believe?) ... it seems "easier" to set up a fly sparge process directly flowing from the sparge kettle? Q2: I live in south Oxfordshire - the tap water here has a lot of calcium (you should see the condition of my kettle/steam iron etc) ... how much should I worry about getting the brew water "right"? Thanks again!
Cheers Paul. I manually sparge personally. To me its more about what you feel gets the best result, so experiment for your own taste. When it comes to water I suggest you try some adjustments and judge it for yourself. Your hard water will lend itself naturally to darker beers. For lighter you should consider adjustment for sure for a marked better end result.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks again. I'm a big fan of dark beers ... that's fortuitous no? Experimentation and exploration ahead. Cheers.
Excellant, sure is :)
Great 👍 video I was just about to make something similar to help a friend who wants to start brewing. Much easier brewday today
Cheers Alex. This series will gradually step up over time during 2022.
A great first part to a series that I really look forward to seeing develop. This first part will be gold for people looking to get started. I love the style that you have used here too, really fun yet clear and informative.
Many thanks Alan. This will gradually build over time :)
Obviously the extract tins is a lot preferable for people who are only occasional drinkers because it delivers affordable results with very little effort and memorization of theory. I agree that the ingredients are cheaper for allgrain brewer but this is off-set by the price of the equipment in the initial capital outlay. I would definately recommend extract kits for occasional drinkers and allgrain for moderate to heavy users.
Yes, exactly. Though fresh wort is a great way to go results wise without the need for extra brewing equipment.
Hi David, a very nice start for homebrewers. Good video. Question, I see a lot of starsan sanitisers. I use most of the time Oxy from Chemipro. Very easy to use and handy to stock. Only the small package and some water needed. I don't know why I don't see this in the instruction videos of you or others. Why?
Cheers Chris. In terms of those sorts of products personally I am careful to mention brands that are sold worldwide (five star products) but I am quick to mention that there are cheaper versions out there too.
Hi David, as a beginner brewer i just wanted to ask do you , is beer finings a good idea with lager and ale , i worry about the effect on the carbonation..Thank you sir, i love your work
Thanks Kev. Beer finings are optional but totally fine to use alongside carbonation via sugar or co2 pressure.
David, you've excelled once again. Even though I've been brewing all grain for 12 years, your share of knowledge has certainly change my outcomes, but I still fail in understanding. An example of this is, using identical recipe, brewed in 2 different systems, mine is an electric BIAB, the other is a 35l Brewzilla, the same brewing characteristics were followed, and yet the results were very different. We share the same cleaning and sanitation regime, so no off flavours were detected, mine very drinkable, the other not so. It would be very much appreciated if you include information about the affects of a result knowing the times and temperatures have been maintained as per recipe. Cheers Michael
Many thanks Michael. Lets see if we can figure this one out but first I need some more information. Did both brewers use the same ingredients from the same source? What about water profile?
Thank you so much@@DavidHeathHomebrew we live 2 km of each other and use the same supplier. I critically looked at this because of the extreme difference in the result. Denis, just said he threw it out, just couldn't continue drinking/mixing it. Although it didn't have an obvious off flavour, it didn't present as a nice drink. I have brewed this recipe more than 20 times, it usually ends up similar, but no matter how hard I try to replicate the mash profile, I do experience some slight variations. This recipe is what got me into brewing, because the Brewery "Matilda Bay Brew Company" based in Melbourne Victoria was bought out and the beer "Fat Yak" was turned into rubbish. The recognised clone recipe isn't all that close, so I have brewed probably 30 variants as an attempt to get closer. These results are still better than the current commercial offering. I'll continue experimenting, based on a distant memory.
Cheers
Michael
Could well be contamination by the sounds of it.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew OK thanks so much for getting back, yes that sounds like a strong possibility, based on the vast differences. I will follow up with him.
Cheers Michael
🍻🍻🍻
Awesome video once again! I have only recently started brewing and all of your content is very helpful. I have done 6 or so extract kits from my LHBS all came out drinkable but missing something for me, my last batch was a FWK and that blew me away, was awesome. So now I am leaning towards all grain in the near future. My question is would you recommend BIAB or Brewzilla as a starting point for a beginner?
Cheers Tim. It really comes down to money and convenience. The Brewzilla will cost you more but will be much easier than a stove top brew.
Great info as always David. Just have to mention the fancy video work with unpacking the All Grain kit, well done!! :)
Questions I have been meaning to ask for some time now, sorry its a little long. When calculating hop amounts, I notice you mostly add different hops to the same IBU total per addition rather than weight. Is this specifically for ease of IBU totals or is there a reason? Meaning, you would use less of a higher AA hop and thus not get as much of that hops flavour in to the beer as it is less by % of total weight.
Cheers Craig, yes thats stop motion. It was lenghy but a fun process. It added some spice :)
Yes hop contribution is really only about IBU.
This is contained as oil. Some hops have a higher or lower AA% so the weight needed will vary. I stopped giving weights as a typical mistake is to copy just the weight with the hops people obtain. This leads to a totally incorrect use of hops for the recipe. This can end up meaning the end beer in undrinkable.
Is partial mash at a disadvantage due to a longer total boiling time? By this I mean the boiling time needed to prepare the extract by the manufacturer + boil time by the home brewer. I assume the total would add up to over 60 minutes. Should we boil for less time at home in this case (e.g. 30 minutes) and would this negatively impact hop utilisation?
Hi Ohaya. A longer boiling time is not a disadvantage as such, if you disregard the actual time. There would be no real reason to boil longer than 30 minutes these days other than for taste effect.
How did you like this Tanker Reloaded kit?
I thought it was pretty good for a kit. My taste in IPA is more extreme though.