{"id":6,"date":"2013-08-26T22:41:46","date_gmt":"2013-08-26T22:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/?p=6"},"modified":"2016-12-13T18:59:54","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T18:59:54","slug":"top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 40 Ways to Improve Your Homebrew"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Admit it: No matter if in a DeLorean, TARDIS, or a hot tub, we&#8217;ve all thought about what advice we might give our younger selves if we could go back in time. Aside from handing your past-self a copy of <\/span><em><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Gray&#8217;s Sports Almanac: Complete Sports Statistics 1950-2000<\/span><\/em><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"> (#1.21gigawatts), you&#8217;d probably want to know what you could have done to improve the quality of your beer from the very start of your burgeoning homebrewing career. (Obviously.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Below is a list that would have been a veritable goldmine to me when I first started brewing, so past-self, if you get this, you owe me&#8230; And you can start pay me\/us back by investing in Apple stock, anything under $100 a share, and then sell when it gets to around $650&#8212; no need to get greedy. \u00a0Then, not only could we brag about getting in on Apple before its historic run-up just like all the other dime-a-dozen fish story tellers of the modernized hipster Gordon Gekko variety, but we\u2019ll also finally have the start-up capital we need to open our very own, well funded, state-of-the-art super brewery. \u00a0<em>But we\u2019ll need some inspiration first&#8230;<\/em> \u00a0Got it. \u00a0Book us a brewery tour of, say, Europe (Belgium first, please), where we can undertake extensive &#8220;research&#8221; into the finer points of beerology. Thanks past-self, you\u2019re the best!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">So without further ado, here are the top 40, yes 40, ways to help any homebrewer improve upon their craft. And for those of you just getting started, consider this article a giant life hack into the wonderful world of homebrewing. [A little disclaimer: By no means is this list the end-all be-all of tips to becoming a brew god, nor is tip # 15 necessarily better than tip # 20, so please don\u2019t get irked that \u2018Always use Glass Carboys instead of Plastic Ale Pails\u2019 or \u2018Kegging is Better than Bottling\u2019 didn\u2019t make the list.] Alight, so without further-further ado\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/2\/\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Read more&#8230;<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @beersyndicate<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" data-count=\"none\">Tweet<\/a><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a040.\u00a0<\/strong><b style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">RDWHAHB.<\/b><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0Come on, you knew this was coming.\u00a0 When all else fails, consider pouring yourself a tall cool glass of RDWHAHB- the world will be alright.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a039.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Read this article.<\/b>\u00a0<b>\u00a0<\/b>Ah, you\u2019ve gotta love a good self-reference, endless loop, meta quip \u00e0 la Douglas Hofstadter.\u00a0<i>I feel like this tip should be higher on the list\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a038.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Complete a formal brewing program.<\/b>\u00a0Granted, these programs often come with a hefty price tag ranging anywhere from about $8,800 for a Professional Brewer\u2019s Certificate from\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/extension.ucdavis.edu\/unit\/brewing\/\">UC Davis<\/a><\/span>, on up to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.siebelinstitute.com\/courses-a-programs\/online-courses\/details\/39-wba-international-diploma-in-brewing-technology-program\">Siebel\u2019s WBA Master Brewer Program<\/a><\/span>\u00a0with a tuition cost of around $27,750, and are probably not viable options for the average homebrewer, which is why it\u2019s not higher on the list.\u00a0 Not to mention, these types of programs are primarily intended for the homebrewer looking to turn pro, but I can pretty much guarantee you that at the very least, the quality of your homebrew will almost certainly improve after completing one of these brewing programs!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><b>37.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><b>Use a Secondary Fermenter.<\/b>\u00a0Not always necessary (think German Hefeweizen), but racking your beer to a secondary comes in handy when you\u2019re looking to clarify and condition your beer, or if you\u2019re dry hopping with anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a036.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Use Your Local Homebrew Store as a Knowledge Resource.<\/b>\u00a0 If anyone is going to know about their product and have a passion for brewing, these guys should (usually).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a035.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Brew more.<\/b>\u00a0 Experience trumps theory, and perfect practice makes perfect. So get yourself on a regular brewing schedule and stick to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a034.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Watch online brewing videos.<\/b>\u00a0 In addition to a list of helpful brewers on youtube, I always enjoy\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/brewingtv.com\/episodes\/\">BrewingTV<\/a><\/span>; informative, intelligent and helpful advice, all with a good sense of humor- it\u2019s the homebrew way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a033.<\/strong><b>\u00a0Listen to brewing podcasts.<\/b>\u00a0 The\u00a0<i>Brewing Network<\/i>\u00a0(<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thebrewingnetwork.com\/\">www.thebrewingnetwork.com<\/a><\/span>) is a fantastic resource when it comes to homebrewing podcasts, and the best part is they\u2019re free and downloadable so you can educate yourself on the go.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/thebrewingnetwork.com\/shows\/The-Jamil-Show\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>The<\/em>\u00a0<i>Jamil Show<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/a>anyone?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>\u00a032.\u00a0<\/b><b>Follow your recipe and be precise.<\/b>\u00a0Remember what happened in Kindergarten art class when you added all the colors of paint together? Sure, you got firsthand experience discovering \u00a0all the shades of brown, but then you eventually learned that careful application of color made for better pictures. This may sound obvious, but adding a couple extra pounds of DME that was\u00a0just laying around the house to your 5 gallon batch of homebrew will definitely change how your finished beer turns out&#8212; and probably for the worse. Granted, experimentation is great, but precision and process control equals more repeatable, consistent results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>31.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><b>Read brewing magazines and online articles about brewing.<\/b>\u00a0 Homebrewing and the world of beer are developing faster and faster all the time, so it\u2019s a good idea to keep yourself informed on the latest trends and techniques. Get yourself a subscription to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.homebrewersassociation.org\/pages\/zymurgy\/about-the-magazine\">Zymurgy<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/byo.com\/subscribe\">BYO<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(Brew Your Own), or both.\u00a0 Low on funds?\u00a0 No problem. \u00a0BYO posts a ton of their articles online fo&#8217; free\u00a0(<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/byo.com\/\">byo.com<\/a><\/span>), and there many other talented and altruistic writers (ahem) from the homebrew community all over the web. While you\u2019re at it, why not get a subscription to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/draftmag.com\/subscribe\/get\/\">Draft<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/allaboutbeer.com\/the-magazine\/subscribe#top\">Allaboutbeer<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/checkout.subscriptiongenius.com\/thebeermag.com\/350\/\">Beer<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imbibemagazine.com\/subscribe.php\">Imbibe<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beerconnoisseur.com\/catalog\/91\">The Beer Connoisseur<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/beeradvocate.com\/mag\/\">Beeradvocate<\/a><\/span>, and any other craft beer mag you can get your hands on. \u00a0 And no, I don&#8217;t get a cut from any of those guys if you do pick up a subscription, but I wouldn&#8217;t say no if they wanted to kick a free magazine or two my way&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/3\/\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Read more&#8230;<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @beersyndicate<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" data-count=\"none\">Tweet<\/a><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a030.\u00a0<\/strong><b style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Become a Certified Beer Judge.<\/b><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0In order to become a BJCP (<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"line-height: 1.5; color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bjcp.org\/index.php\">Beer Judge Certification Program<\/a><\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">) judge, you really have to prove you know how to brew.\u00a0 Study the BJCP guide, review their test-prep info, and find a study-buddy. Move up in the ranks within the BJCP, and watch your homebrew knowledge and skill grow.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a029.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Ask to apprentice\/volunteer in a brewery.<\/b>\u00a0Ask around- many microbreweries would be happy to show you the ropes in exchange for some help (lifting, cleaning), especially those breweries just getting started.\u00a0 Remember, most professional brewers today started out as homebrewers, and the best ones do what they can to help a fellow brewer out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>28.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><b>Enter Homebrewing Competitions\/ Get Peer Feedback.<\/b>\u00a0Just like Canadian intellectual rapper Baba Brinkman said, the key to your (beer) evolution goes like this:\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hod20AzYB4o\">Performance, Feedback, Revision<\/a><\/span>. There are few better places to get that\u00a0<i>feedback<\/i>\u00a0than from competition, where beer goes through a sort of natural selection: the fittest rise to the top while others could probably stand to benefit from some revision. \u00a0All competitions should offer you feedback, whether it\u2019s a club competition within your local brew club, a state homebrew competition, or the Grand Puba (Maxwell Dixon)\u00a0of them all, the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.homebrewersassociation.org\/pages\/competitions\/national-homebrew-competition\">National Homebrew Competition<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a027.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Join a homebrew club.<\/b>\u00a0True story: I joined my local homebrew club before I brewed my first batch of beer. In fact, I think I joined before I ever really thought I\u2019d want to brew.\u00a0 So, in my case, I might not have ever become a brewer if it weren\u2019t for my local homebrew club. One of the great things about a homebrew club is that every homebrewer in the club usually specializes in a certain branch of knowledge, or has a particular style of beer that they brew really well, and can offer their expertise on that subject.\u00a0 Many homebrew clubs have a formal educational part of the meeting where they discuss various topics relevant to brewing, and many clubs do beer style reviews where they feature a certain beer style, taste it and discuss it.\u00a0 And usually club members will bring their homebrew to the club meeting to share and receive feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>26.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Brew with other brewers.<\/b>\u00a0 Not only does it build comradery, you also get to learn and bounce ideas off of your fellow brewers. Many times it\u2019s a fellow homebrewer who gives you that one little tip you were missing in order to perfect a certain process or recipe you&#8217;ve been struggling with.\u00a0 The more advanced the brewer, the more you\u2019ll be able to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>25.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Join an online homebrewing forum like at\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/\">beersyndicate.com<\/a><\/span>. (Told you we were shameless.).<\/b>\u00a0Essentially a virtual homebrew club, online brewing forums enable the homebrewer to learn and share ideas with fellow brewers to help one another share their knowledge and experience.\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.homebrewtalk.com\/\">www.homebrewtalk.com<\/a><\/span>\u00a0is one of the best, but check out the forums at <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Homebrewing\/\">www.reddit.com<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.brewingnetwork.com\/\">www.brewingnetwork.com<\/a><\/span>, \u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.northernbrewer.com\/\">www.northernbrewer.com<\/a><\/span>, and even\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beeradvocate.com\/\">www.beeradvocate.com<\/a><\/span>\u00a0has a forum too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a024.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Mash Temperature Control.<\/b>\u00a0 For those all grain brewers out there, controlling the mash temperature is key to determining the fermentablity of your brew, and thus key components in your final beer such as thickness, thinness, residual sweetness, dryness, and alcohol content. This topic is debated a bit, but the general rule of thumb is the lower the mash temp, particularly in the 148-152F range, the more maltose conversion takes place during mashing, which produces a higher gravity wort, and generally results in a cleaner, thinner beer with a bit more alcohol.\u00a0 The higher the mash temp (154-160), the less fermentable the wort becomes due to some unfermentable sugars produced in that temperature range which results in a less attenuated (sweeter) beer with more body and less alcohol.\u00a0 There\u2019s even the medium body range of 150-152, which gives you a little bit of both worlds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a023.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Don\u2019t introduce oxygen into your beer once fermentation has begun.<\/b>\u00a0 Yes, I know, I added this tip in the &#8220;Don&#8217;ts of Homebrewing&#8221;, but it&#8217;s important, so it gets a little more attention. \u00a0As with almost everything we eat, exposure to oxygen causes our food to spoil faster.\u00a0 Ever wonder why the flesh of a sliced apple quickly turns from a juicy milky white to an unappealing rusty brown?\u00a0 That\u2019s oxygen at work, and it can have negative consequences in your beer too.\u00a0 Though beer doesn\u2019t exactly\u00a0<i>spoil<\/i>\u00a0in that it won\u2019t make you sick if you drink old beer, it can become unstable and begin to deteriorate and lose its character given enough time and leave you with what I describe as a semi-sweet, apple juice\/apple cider\/squash, carbonated drink often with notes of wet paper or cardboard.\u00a0 These off-flavors are the tell tale signs of oxidized beer and is a problem that effects both commercial brewers and homebrewers alike. Do your best to limit splashing your beer around while it\u2019s fermenting and when bottling in order to reduce the mixing of oxygen in your beer.\u00a0 Use airlocks when fermenting to prevent oxygen from entering your fermenter, and make sure your fermenter is sealed tight.\u00a0 If bottling, use a bottling wand and oxygen barrier caps to help increase the stability and self-life of your beer, and reduce the chances of stale oxidized notes appearing in your beer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a022.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Serve your beer at the proper temperature.<\/b>\u00a0Isn&#8217;t it annoying when you order a tasty craft beer only to have it brought to you ice cold?\u00a0 Not only do you run the risk of brain freeze if drank too quickly, what\u2019s worse is that you can hardly taste what the brewer worked so hard to create for you!\u00a0 Every style of beer has an ideal serving temperature, but a good rule of thumb is to serve ales around 48F, and lagers just slightly cooler. You\u2019ve made it all the way from grain to glass; don\u2019t stumble at the finish line.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a021.\u00a0<\/strong><b style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Give your beer enough time to age before drinking.<\/b><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0 Yes, we\u2019re all anxious to see how our beer turned out, but there are very few examples of beers that are in their prime just after a week in the bottle; German Hefeweizen and\u00a0<\/span><i style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">possibly<\/i><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0a big fresh hopped IPA are the only exceptions I can think of.\u00a0 A good rule of thumb is allowing your beer three weeks in the bottle in order to drastically reduce many of the off-flavors you might find in newly bottled beer, a.k.a.\u00a0<\/span><i style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">green beer<\/i><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">.\u00a0 What\u2019s a \u2018green flavor\u2019 you ask?\u00a0 The answer is that green flavors really just refer to a lack of balance, or a particular off-flavor that would be eliminated with some aging, and these off-flavors\/off-aromas depend largely on the style of the beer. For example, in higher gravity beers, you might get an overly alcoholic character as its green flavor, while lighter beers usually exhibit an overly yeasty quality, or in the case of some lagers, sulfur.\u00a0 Some other beers can be overly sweet, overly hoppy, harsh, sharp, grainy, bitter, you name it, and these off-flavors can present themselves in the aroma, flavor\u00a0<\/span><i style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">and<\/i><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0aftertaste. \u00a0However, a very common compound found in young beer is acetaldehyde, which is often described as green apples, sometimes apple cider, or fresh pumpkin slices. \u00a0Just remember, with a little patience, you too can avoid the\u00a0<\/span><i style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Green Giant<\/i><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/4\/\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Read more&#8230;<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @beersyndicate<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" data-count=\"none\">Tweet<\/a><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>20.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Make a yeast starter.\u00a0<\/b>Ok, let me make a caveat here: A single vial of liquid yeast is enough to pitch directly to a normal gravity (1.040-1.065), 5 gallon batch of wort without making a yeast starter. Generally speaking, I would only make a\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=32\">yeast starter<\/a><\/span>\u00a0from a single vial of liquid yeast IF I\u2019m adding it to a 10 gallon batch, making a high gravity beer (1.070+), brewing a lager, brewing a really clean ale, or the liquid yeast is a little old. That\u2019s it. I know, the old brewing wisdom was that a starter will always help your beer, but things keep getting better in the world of homebrewing and the good people at White Labs and Wyeast have scientifically designed their liquid yeast vials with enough yeast cells to adequately ferment your standard gravity 5 gallon batch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a019.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Use online brewing calculators, programs and apps.<\/b>\u00a0 Stop with the guesswork.\u00a0 There are so many free, easy-to-use brewing programs out there from\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tastybrew.com\/calculators\/priming.html\">priming sugar calculators<\/a><\/span>, to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rooftopbrew.net\/abv.php\">ABV<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tastybrew.com\/calculators\/recipe.html\">recipe calculators<\/a><\/span>, it\u2019s insane not to use them. Heck, it\u2019s even worth throwing down a few bucks for some kick ass brewing software like<a href=\"http:\/\/beersmith.com\/\"><i>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">BeerSmith<\/span><\/i><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>18.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><b>Aerate your wort just before or at the time you pitch your yeast.<\/b>\u00a0Yeast will benefit from an oxygen rich environment at the very beginning stages of fermentation.\u00a0 That said, let me stress: DO NOT shake the fermenter long after you\u2019ve pitched the yeast. Let\u2019s put it this way: It\u2019s best to shake the hell out of your fermenter and then pitch your yeast immediately afterwards. Second best is to pitch your yeast and then shake the hell out of your fermenter immediately after pitching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a017.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Create and\/or add to your brewing library.<\/b>\u00a0There are too many great books to mention them all, but the bottom line is that there\u2019s no need to reinvent the wheel. Many of the missteps you might make in brewing have already been encountered and remedied, so stand on the shoulders of giants and enjoy the view.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a016.\u00a0Chill your wort quickly.<\/strong>\u00a0The faster you chill your wort after the boil, the better cold break you achieve which not only helps to clarify your beer, but can help extend the shelf-life of your homebrew by better stabilizing it and potentially prevent certain off-flavors such as sulfur\/ cabbage.\u00a0 Not to mention, the quicker you chill your beer, the less risk you\u2019ll have of infection as you\u2019ll be that much closer to pitching your yeast instead of giving some uninvited bacteria time to set up camp.\u00a0 Personally, I use a copper\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=18\">immersion wort chiller<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in combination with an ice bath, but there are several other common approaches to quickly chill your wort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a015.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Brew all-grain batches.<\/b>\u00a0 True, about half of award winning homebrews are extract recipes, but the other half are all-grain.\u00a0 And when it comes to brewing exactly what you want and not someone else\u2019s\u00a0<i>\u2018malt from concentrate\u2019<\/i>, all-grain is the way to go.\u00a0 Usually more cost effective than extract batches, all-grain brewing offers the homebrewer more complete control over their recipes and the brewing process.\u00a0 Just remember that all commercial brewers brew all-grain recipes, so if you ever start thinking about taking your recipes and turning pro, you\u2019ll already have one foot in the door with quality all-grain recipes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a014.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Boil full-volume batches.<\/b>\u00a0Boiling full-volume batches of wort can help with hop extraction, prevent caramelized or scorched malt and the accompanying darker colors that come with scorched malt, and prevent you from unintentionally infecting your beer if back-adding water to your brew.\u00a0 Oh, and when I say \u2018boil\u2019, I mean a rolling boil.\u00a0 Not a volcano boil, but not a few bubbles here and there either.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a013.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Be creative and experiment.<\/b>\u00a0Most homebrewers are curious and creative by nature.\u00a0 Whether it comes in the form of recipe development, in the equipment and gadgets we use or build, or the processes we implement, the true homebrewer is driven by a passion for beer to innovate and explore. Try brewing a batch of beer, then splitting the batch into two fermenters and changing just one thing about the beers, like using one yeast strain in one batch and a different one in the other, or maybe dry hop different ingredients like two different types of hops, wood, chili, fruit, whatever. Maybe age one batch longer than the other, secondary one batch but not the other, or prime with different types of sugars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>12.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><b>Remember the \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d of brewing:<\/b>\u00a0Don\u2019t rack your beer off of the yeast during primary fermentation too soon (give it at least a week), or you may end up with popcorn butter beer (diacetyl). Don\u2019t bottle with any color of bottle other than brown; if you do, keep your beer out of the light, or you might \u201cskunk\u201d your beers. Don\u2019t bottle your beer before fermentation is complete, or you may end up with malty sweet beer, or worse yet, bottle bombs. Don\u2019t ferment your beer much higher than that yeast&#8217;s ideal fermentation temperature as recommended by the manufacture, or your homebrew could come out with strong fruit and\/or rubbing alcohol characteristics.\u00a0 Don\u2019t steep or mash your grains at temperatures exceeding 170 degrees F, or you may end up with harsh astringent beer. Don\u2019t cover your wort when boiling, or your beer may take on noticeable amounts of DMS which is described as cooked vegetables such as creamed corn, tomato or cabbage. Don\u2019t over mill your grains, or you may end up with dry, husky grainy notes in your beer.\u00a0 Don\u2019t splash or otherwise oxidize your beer after fermentation has begun, unless you\u2019re looking for wet cardboard tasting beer. Don\u2019t keep your beer in the primary fermenter for long periods of time (usually three weeks is ideal), otherwise you could end up with beer that exhibits yeasty and soapy characteristics and a lack of head retention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>11.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Brew with quality water.<\/b>\u00a0Water makes up the vast majority of beer, and, pound for pound, it\u2019s probably the cheapest of all your ingredients, so it only makes sense that you would want to brew with quality water.\u00a0 Brewing with over chlorinated water can lead to the development of possible chlorophenol compounds (think plastic or vinyl), and sometimes medicinal flavor components in your beer.\u00a0 Not convinced water makes a difference?\u00a0 Try this experiment: Buy a bottle of bottled water and line it up next to a glass of tap water, a glass of water from a garden hose, and a glass of water from a drinking fountain, and compare.\u00a0 Make sure to serve all the different samples at the same time at the same temperature, and see which one you prefer.\u00a0 Even in the off chance you don\u2019t taste the difference, why would you want to skimp on the least expensive ingredient of your beer? That said,\u00a0<i>in some cases<\/i>, tap water is ok to use, but for the most part, you\u2019ll want to use some sort of filtered water, either store-bought filtered water, or water from your own home filter or purifier. \u00a0For all you hydro-heads* out there who really want to get into the topic of water and brewing, check out John Palmer&#8217;s book<em>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Water-A-Comprehensive-Guide-Brewers\/dp\/0937381993\">Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers.<\/a><\/span><\/em>\u00a0[*hydro-head: equally as annoying a term as &#8220;hop head&#8221;, used to describe a beer enthusiast whose idiosyncratic flavor fetish is water.]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/5\/\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Read more&#8230;<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @beersyndicate<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" data-count=\"none\">Tweet<\/a><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><b>10. <\/b><\/b><strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Use fresh ingredients.<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Just like any food product, malt, hops and yeast (especially liquid yeast) will deteriorate in quality over time.\u00a0 Sure, there are limited exceptions to this rule like with recipes that call for aged hops, but on the whole, the better beer is the one that is brewed with the freshest ingredients. Old, improperly stored hops can develop stinky cheese qualities, and old unrefrigerated grains and sometimes extract can leave you with musty, grassy and sometimes moldy or metallic flavors in your finished brew. Old yeast may be too weak to fully ferment your beer, leaving you with a\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"line-height: 1.5; color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=45\">stuck fermentation<\/a><\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">\u00a0resulting in a sugary sweet malt drink and potentially open up the possibly for other unwanted bacteria to take over and generously contribute any number of potentially nasty off-flavors to your beloved homebew (re:\u00a0<\/span><em style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Sweaty Gym Sock Ale<\/em><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>9.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Steep with specialty grains.<\/b>\u00a0This tip applies more to the extract brewer, but it doesn&#8217;t hurt to steep some of the more roasted specialty malts even if you\u2019re an all-grain brewer.\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=35\">Steeping<\/a><\/span>\u00a0is one of the easiest ways to add complexity and depth to your homebrew and is a must if you\u2019re brewing only with malt extract.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>8.\u00a0<\/b><b>Choose the right yeast for the job.<\/b>\u00a0Yeast is the life of beer, and in most cases is responsible for the majority of the beer\u2019s aroma and flavor profile.\u00a0 Often times, the key to the perfect beer lies in the yeast.\u00a0 This isn&#8217;t a debate over whether liquid or dry yeast is better because nowadays both will produce excellent beers.\u00a0 That said, you will find more variety with liquid yeast, which means you might end up using liquid yeast more frequently. Take advantage of that variety, so if you\u2019re brewing a Saison, use a Saison yeast strain, not just any old Belgian Ale strain. As a matter of fact, there\u2019s so much variety when it comes to yeast, you can often find different yeast with in the same style of beer.\u00a0 At last check, White Labs [a popular yeast producer] was offering at least four different varieties of Saison yeast alone! If you\u2019re not sure exactly which strain is best for your brew, check the manufactures website,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.whitelabs.com\/beer\/homebrew\/listings\">White Labs<\/a><\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.wyeastlab.com\/hb_yeaststrain.cfm\">Wyest<\/a><\/span>, for example. There you can often find descriptions and recommendations for the various yeasts, and consumer reviews. \u00a0 However, sometimes the best yeast you&#8217;ll ever use is the yeast you re-culture yourself from one of your favorite commercial beers. \u00a0Sounds complicated, but it&#8217;s not too difficult if you practice super sanitation and follow a few basic steps for\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=31\">how to harvest and grow yeast from a beer bottle<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>7.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Research and create your own recipes.<\/b>\u00a0Developing your own recipes is part of the fun of homebrewing, but do some homework first.\u00a0 Compare different recipes you might find online, or in books. Look for common ingredients and ratios, and stay within the general framework of those recipes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>6.\u00a0Pitch the appropriate amount of yeast.<\/strong>\u00a0 Underpitching yeast can stress your yeast and leave you with unwanted estery characteristics, beer that is not fully fermented (i.e. too sweet), or even worse, allow for the potential of other bacteria or wild yeast to infect your beer. The general rule of thumb when pitching yeast is to add about 150 billion viable cells of yeast for a 5 gallon batch of ale wort with an original gravity of 1.050. White Labs states that each vial of their yeast is packaged with 70 to 140 billion yeast cells, which still leaves you short of the recommended 150 billion cells. This 150 billion cell number comes from a formula that mrmalty.com references that shows how to calculate the proper pitching rates. However Mr. Malty, in turn, borrowed their figures from George Fix who authored the book\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Analysis-Brewing-Techniques-George-Fix\/dp\/0937381470\"><i>An Analysis of Brewing Techniques<\/i><\/a><\/span>. I don\u2019t know who George Fix got his numbers from, but the gist is it\u2019s recommended that you pitch about 0.75 million viable yeast cells, or 1.5 million for a lager, for every milliliter of wort, for every degree Plato.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Here\u2019s the formula: (.75 million) X (milliliters of wort) X (degrees Plato of the wort).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a05. Brew with the right\u00a0equipment. \u00a0<\/strong>Many\u00a0times, an artist is only as good as his tools. This holds true for homebrewing as well. \u00a0Much of the equipment you&#8217;re going to use in brewing you will be using over and over again and keep for many years to come, so spend a little bit more up front to make your brewing career a little easier. \u00a0If I had to recommend a beginner to intermediate brewing setup, I would say get a BIG pot (at least 4 gallons) and if you can brew outside I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=19\">stainless steel keg that&#8217;s been converted to a kettle<\/a><\/span>, at least two food-grade fermentation buckets or glass carboys (5 &#8211; 6.5 gallons each), a food-grade bottling bucket with a spigot, an auto-siphon and racking cane, a wine thief, a hydrometer, a bottle capper, oxygen barrier caps, a bottling brush, at least 50 brown glass bottles per 5 gallon batch of beer, a precarbonate sanitizer such as One-Step, a brewers spoon, 3 feet of tubing, airlocks, and an outdoor burner, especially if brewing with a keg that&#8217;s been converted into a kettle. \u00a0But my # 1 most recommended piece of equipment to homebrewers is\u00a0a spare refrigerator with a temperature controller. \u00a0I even show you how to do it here:\u00a0<em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=22\">Convert a Refrigerator Into a Fermentation Chamber<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>4. Sample AND WRITE about several commercial examples of the style of beer you\u2019re trying to brew. \u00a0Better yet,\u00a0WRITE ABOUT EVERY BEER YOU TASTE!<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0Buy several commercial examples of the style of beer you\u2019re interested in so you get a clear idea of what&#8217;s considered a good example of the style, and what isn&#8217;t.\u00a0 And don\u2019t just drink the beer,\u00a0TASTE\u00a0IT and WRITE NOTES!\u00a0 Write about what you like best from a particular example, what you might want to tweak about it, and how it stacks up to the general descriptions of the style (see the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bjcp.org\/2008styles\/catdex.php\">BJCP Style Guideline<\/a><\/span>\u00a0as a reference). \u00a0Write descriptions of the aroma, color, flavor and body, aftertaste, and overall impression allows you to refine your palate when it comes to beer.\u00a0 No need to limit yourself to just commercial examples; write about homebrews too! \u00a0In little time, you\u2019ll be better able to discern the contributions of various ingredients, pinpoint what you find desirable in a beer in order to recreate it, pick out off-flavors to know what to avoid, and get a better understanding for what is considered a good commercial example of a particular style of beer to use as a benchmark when brewing that style.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>3.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Keep a brewing journal\u2026 the more detailed, the better.<\/b>\u00a0 Ever brew a beer that you and everyone else loved, but try as you might, you haven\u2019t been able to reproduce it?\u00a0 Sloppy\/lazy note taking might be the culprit. \u00a0If you haven\u2019t heard it before, beer brewing is largely\u00a0<i>process driven<\/i>, meaning that if you follow a precise recipe\u00a0<i>and<\/i>\u00a0a specific plan EVERY time, you will end up with basically the same product (we&#8217;ll save the discussion about terroir for another day). Here are a few key things to note: (1) mash schedule [if brewing an all grain batch], (2) boil schedule and ingredients: note the quantity and variety of ALL ingredients used including any malts and hops, when you added them to the boil, boil time and pre-boil water volume, (3) fermentation schedule: note the pitching temperature, fermentation temperature\/s, how many days in the primary fermenter, gravity readings (especially the Original Gravity and Final Gravity), tasting notes, how many days in the secondary (if any) and note any dry hopping ingredients, (4)\u00a0<i>if bottling<\/i>\u00a0note the bottling date, amount and type of priming sugar used, and (5) tasting notes: jot down the date and describe the beer as it matures over days, weeks, or months if it lasts that long.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>2.\u00a0<\/strong><b>Fermentation Temperature Control.<\/b>\u00a0 Some days I seriously consider putting temperature control above sanitation- it\u2019s that important (spoiler alert!). \u00a0In fact, \u00a0I\u2019m familiar with at least one very well-known homebrewer who made only one single change to his recipe, a six degree change in fermentation temperature, which ended up turning\u00a0his ordinary homebrew into award winning beer. \u00a0Fermentation is where our yeastie friends go to work to transform our sweet malt juice into beer.\u00a0 And being that yeast are highly reactive to temperature especially during active fermentation, temperature control not only helps to avoid many of the common off-flavors you might find in a so-so beer, it can also help you fine tune and showcase the exact flavor\/aroma profiles you want in your finished product. \u00a0As a general rule of thumb, try not to ferment ales warmer than 68 degrees F, otherwise you run the risk of your beer developing unwanted esters such as banana, banana cream pie, topical fruit, gumball, and potentially fusel alcohols which can impart notes of rubbing alcohol or ammonia into your beer. \u00a0Yum. Remember that during the first three days of active fermentation, the beer inside your fermenter can be as much as 10 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature outside of your fermenter which means that if you&#8217;re fermenting in your house at 68 degrees, the temperature inside your fermenter could be fermenting in the upper 70s (bad idea). \u00a0Homebrewers \u00a0use several different methods to try and control their fermentation temperatures. \u00a0Many find a room in the house that maintains a relatively steady temperature, an approach that is better than nothing, but not by much. Others\u00a0employ the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=30\">ghetto bucket method<\/a><\/span>, but for my money,\u00a0adding a temperature controller to a spare refrigerator and using it as a dedicated\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/learning_resources\/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=22\">fermentation chamber<\/a><\/span>\u00a0is the best way to go.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><b>1. Sanitation.<\/b>\u00a0Sanitation is first on the list for the same reason it\u2019s stressed up front by almost every \u2018<i>how to homebrew<\/i>\u2019 book you&#8217;ve ever read; it\u2019s so fundamental to good, consistent, beer that it should really just fall under the assumed, self-evident, axiom category of homebrewing.\u00a0 Some might not appreciate how vital sanitation is when it comes to brewing until they brew their first \u2018sweaty gym sock\u2019 ale and have to watch all their hard work, time, and money\u00a0<i>literally<\/i>\u00a0go down the drain. The most CRITICAL potential infection times are (1) Any time after you&#8217;ve cooled your wort to below 140 degrees F and before you\u2019ve pitched your yeast, and (2) Any time you are making a yeast starter or re-culturing yeast. \u00a0Aside from being super vigilant during these two danger zones, carefully cleaning and sanitizing your brewing equipment BEFORE and AFTER every use is the corner stone of any brewer worth his weight in malt. I can tell you that the worst homebrews I&#8217;ve ever had came from brewers who didn&#8217;t practice proper sanitation procedures; you really just have to wonder if they can\u2019t even get sanitation down,\u00a0<i>what else are they missing&#8230;<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Like this\u00a0blarticle? Well, thanks- you\u2019re far too kind. \u00a0Want to read more beer inspired thoughts?\u00a0 Come back any time, subscribe to our\u00a0RSS feed or follow us on Twitter at<span style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; color: #0000ff;\">\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit;\"><a class=\"external external_icon\" style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; color: #0000ff;\">twitter.com\/beersyndicate.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/beersyndicate\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @beersyndicate<\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-share-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-url=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" data-count=\"none\">Tweet<\/a><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+':\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Or feel free to drop me a line at:<span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit;\">\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; color: #0000ff;\">dan@beersyndicate.com<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Hi, I\u2019m Dan: Beer Editor for\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; color: #0000ff;\">Beer Syndicate<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>, Beer and Drinking Blogger, Gold Medal-Winning Homebrewer, Beer Reviewer, AHA Member, Beer Judge, Shameless Beer Promoter, and Beer Traveler. \u00a0<em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Interests?<\/em>\u00a0Beer.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-591 size-medium\" title=\"Daniel J. Leonard: Beer Syndicate Co-Creator\" src=\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1-300x258.jpg\" alt=\"Daniel J. Leonard: Beer Syndicate Co-Creator\" width=\"300\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1-300x258.jpg 300w, https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1-1024x881.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Admit it: No matter if in a DeLorean, TARDIS, or a hot tub, we&#8217;ve all thought about what advice we might give our younger selves if we could go back in time. Aside from handing your past-self a copy of Gray&#8217;s Sports Almanac: Complete Sports Statistics 1950-2000 (#1.21gigawatts), you&#8217;d probably want to know what you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[30],"tags":[84,80,85,252,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,214,94,424,95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,106,107],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Top 40 Ways to Improve Your Homebrew - Beer Syndicate Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Put your homebrewing career on the fast track with &quot;40 ways to Improve your Homebrew&quot;.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/2\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Top 40 Ways to Improve Your Homebrew - Beer Syndicate Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Put your homebrewing career on the fast track with &quot;40 ways to Improve your Homebrew&quot;.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beer Syndicate Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beersyndicate\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-08-26T22:41:46+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-12-13T18:59:54+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1-300x258.jpg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@beersyndicate\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@beersyndicate\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Beer Syndicate Blog\",\"description\":\"Shamelessly Promoting Beer\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.beersyndicate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/IMG_1089.1-300x258.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\",\"name\":\"Top 40 Ways to Improve Your Homebrew - Beer Syndicate Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-08-26T22:41:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-13T18:59:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9113e2c99fafc75818eb0ab41bb315c6\"},\"description\":\"Put your homebrewing career on the fast track with \\\"40 ways to Improve your Homebrew\\\".\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/top-40-ways-to-improve-your-homebrew\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9113e2c99fafc75818eb0ab41bb315c6\",\"name\":\"Daniel J. 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