Hop Dad

Hop Dad’s Brewing Tips

November 18, 2011 at 8:26 am 2 comments

Hop Dad’s Brewing Tips

Here is a short list of tips I’d like to share for having a better brewing experience.

• Start with a clean space*. Wherever you’re going to brew make sure the space is clear of clutter before you start. You will need to have complete access to a hot stove or open flame, and gallons of boiling wort. A mess will be made, for sure. But if you start with a clean space then nothing will be in the way when you move about during brewing.
• Practice mise en place. You are cooking, after all.
• Eliminate distractions. Once you’ve started brewing stay at your brewing station if you can. Never leave a boiling pot unattended. That can be hard for Hop Dads to do sometimes because kids will demand your attention at any moment. When brewing you have to manage hot things so distractions can create a dangerous environment.
• Make copious notes while you brew. Keeping track of unexpected changes to the recipe, troubles with the process, and even successes can help build your body of brewing knowledge.
• Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Keep a bucket of sanitizer nearby. once that wort begins to chill anything that touches it needs to be sanitized.
• Aerate the heck out of that wort prior to pitching the yeast. I use a paint stirrer attached to a cordless drill and buzz the wort for at least two minutes.
• Be careful not to let anything abrasive touch the sides of your plastic fermentation bucket. Bacteria can hide and build up in the scratches.
• Have a beer while you brew. It helps ward off panic attacks and reminds you why you’re doing this in the first place. When I brew I try to have the same kind of beer I’m brewing. If I’m making a Belgian, I’ll have a Belgian. I have no idea why I do it that way. It just seems like the right thing to do.
• Share you beer. It makes the world a better place.

* Sometimes Hop Moms get annoyed when Hop Dads use the kitchen for brewing. Be respectful of the space and clean up after yourself. If you leave the place better than when you started, your ability to brew there in the future will likely increase. You get to brew and she gets a clean kitchen. Win-win.

Entry filed under: Brewing. Tags: Beer, Brewing, cooking, Dad, Fatherhood.