Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Methods, ingredients, advice and equipment specific to all-grain (mash), partial mash (mini mash) and "brew in a bag" (BIAB) brewing.

Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby fullbottle » Friday Aug 17, 2012 5:26 pm

Gday Brain trust.

A few months ago I came to you asking for help regarding a thesis I am writing. This thesis explores home brewing in terms of civic participation, and is looking at the way home brewers use time and space and participate in local / global communities and markets. I was hoping you could help again.

I want to know what decisions are involved in selecting the ingredients that you use in your brews. How much do you know about the ingredients that you use, and what is it that makes them appealing?


I have to apologize to the collective cry of "use the search function": there are a few things I need to make sure everybody knows before responding. The information you guys provide me here is going to be compiled anonymously, and you can decide to withdraw anything you say at any time, just hit me a PM and I'll make sure to exclude your response from the data. This information will be used solely for the purpose of an honours thesis at the University of Western Australia. By contributing to this discussion I will assume you understand and consent to each of these conditions.

I've been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of each of the brewing communities I have contacted. It makes writing about something I am growing to love that little bit more rewarding. Please feel free to PM me any comments, queries or doubtful points.

Thanks in advance
Jim
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby warra48 » Saturday Aug 18, 2012 7:01 am

pm sent.
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby bullfrog » Saturday Aug 18, 2012 11:07 am

Geeze, I wish I could get a few letters after my name for all the study I've done on beer. Here's a bloke that thought it through first! :P

When I started brewing, my ingredient selection was based mainly on public consensus. ("Want to brew an APA? Go with pale malt, a bit of crystal and hop with Amarillo and Cascade. Use US-05" etc.)

Then I got a bit experimental and started trying out different malts, different hops and different yeasts to see what they added to a batch.

I now have a fairly good grasp on a lot of ingredients and their properties so it's fairly easy for me to design a new recipe and get it pretty close to style. Never brewed a Scottish Heavy but I know what I'd use in a first attempt.

I still do experiment here and there, not just with ingredients but with methods as well. There are so many different variations that can be made when brewing that I know I'll never get around to trying everything, and I think it's that element of constant learning that attracts me most to the art of brewing.

For instance, I know Sonny has just recreated an experimental batch I did a while back where I fused the styles of ESB and APA. I thought it turned out a winner and apparently he did too.

So, in short, my ingredient selection is based mainly on prior experience and my aim to achieve a certain result or style.

Not sure if that answers your question but hope it helps.
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby big dave » Sunday Aug 19, 2012 1:34 pm

When I started out with the kits and bits, I did what the lady at the HBS / health food shop told me to do. Then when I found this forum, I realised the health food shop lady didn't know what she was on about. So then I followed the advice I got hereabouts from experienced brewers.

My general rule now is to use Australian ingredients where I can, or NZ as a second choice. So I usually base my brews on tweaking existing recipes, and subbing in, where possible, locally produced ingredients. So rather than Weyerman Munich or Simpson's Maris Otter, I will substitute Joe White. I may be losing some subtleties in my beers by not using imported malts, but I figure I am more likely to get variation from inconsistencies in my mash, boil or fermenting habits. Local hops and yeast are a bit harder to source. I have used lots of Galaxy for bittering, but have used lots of American, Pommy or German hops when they were called for. I used a re-cultured Coopers yeast for a brew or two, but really do prefer the other imports.
Currently drinking: BIAB DrS GA, BIAB Californian lager, doppelbock of sorts
In the Pipeline: landlord?
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby fullbottle » Monday Dec 10, 2012 12:19 pm

Thanks to everyone that helped out with the thesis. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out, so I treated myself with an upgrade to BIAB :)

The thesis went so well that I am thinking of publishing two papers out of it. Does anybody have any problems with this and would like any of the data they provided excluded from the papers? Obviously everything will remain completely anonymous etc.

Thanks again
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby aliced » Monday Dec 17, 2012 4:17 pm

Awfully skinny response to write a thesis on mate?
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby Chris2012 » Monday Dec 17, 2012 9:27 pm

lol i think you missed a bit
Finish your beer!! There are sober kids in Africa
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Re: Help me write a thesis on beer: what's in your brew?

Postby Oliver » Tuesday Dec 25, 2012 2:29 pm

Hi Jim,

Sorry I missed the deadline to contribute but if there's anything I (and, I am sure, we) can do to assist in future just yell out.

Cheers,

Oliver

EDIT: aliced, you'll see that FB said he had had good feedback from other homebrew sites. Also see his previous post here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10862
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