Would that all home brewers and microbrewers had Michael Lewis's good fortune. Through his line of work, Lewis, brewer and brewing sciences professor at the University of California, Davis, has access to all the precision brewing equipment he requires. When questioned about his equipment desires, Lewis offered this unselfish request:
"My wish, or what I would like to see, is increased attention to quality control on the part of home brewers and microbrewers. Routine quality control methodologies and equipment are sorely lacking throughout the trade, and product consistency suffers as a result."
Lewis points out that such simple pieces of equipment as temperature control devices, a pressure cooker and wire loop for sterilizing purposes, and quality hydrometers are often overlooked or underused by novices and experienced brewers alike.According to Lewis, the lack of concern for data and precision isn't limited to home brewers.
"Brewpubs and home brewers don't maintain records to the extent they could. Calculating and recording the beer's gravity, foam, color, pH, and so forth is relatively simple and should be a regular part of the brewing process."Lewis's comments emphasize the importance of consistency in brewing; just as following a recipe and set procedure facilitates a repeatable result, the objective data afforded by recordkeeping helps brewers compare and improve their breers over time.
For home brewers interested in precision brewing methods, Lewis offers several recommendations.
"Useful tools for upgrading include a programmable temperature control device for maintaining proper mash temperatures; a counterflow wort chiller and large stainless steel or copper kettles. My advice to home brewers is for them to get out of fermenting in plastic buckets and into glass carboys. Although plastic is a good, cheap way to get started, if you find that you enjoy brewing, you should try to progressively upgrade your system and equipment. Try to get into draft; don't bottle unless you have to."Although many people associate brewing system improvements with prohibitively expensive equipment price tags, Lewis suggests that, although some pieces of equipment certainly will better one's brewing system, a superior and more predictable product can be had simply by improving sanitation and maintaining accurate records when brewing.
Says Lewis,
"Brewers need to make a bigger commitment to quality; doing this requires an investment in both hardware and knowledge."
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