Measurements - Old Skool Brewing.

[Orfy]

Do you tthink you could go real old skool and make beer without and measurements instruments

No weighing or measuring of any kind?

No scales.
No jugs or marked buckets.
No theremometer or hydrometer.

I think the hardest part would be getting the mash temp but that should be a simple calculation. So much boiling water with water added at ground water temp. to get the mash temp.

I think I could do it. But only because I know the volumes of equipment I have used before.

What do you think?

 

[Kai]

I've thought about this too, mainly in the context of accurately recreating historic beers.

On the one hand, we have an edge in that we know the volumes of our equipment and would probably spend the whole time doing the mental math to hit 153 etc. On the other hand, the guys we'd be emulating weren't exactly flying blind: they each inherited the cumulative trial-and-error experience of their predecessors.

So, I think a brewday sans-hydrometer and sans-thermometer, with only your rough estimation of volume, would put you on an even keel with household brewers of old.

Of course, if you're really shooting for authenticity, you should do a multi-rest mash with poorly converted malt, and inoculate it with your own dirty equipment from yesterday's brew.

I'm going to try this sometime. Maybe even go partigyle with it. Drink it fresh and yeasty. Gruit, maybe?

 

[Orfy]

I think It'd make a cool article/feature for the wiki or even a dedicated web site.

I'd like to try it someday even go for even simple eqipment and try to emulate old method. Lots of reading to do first I think.

 

[Kai]

I'm taking a course next semester on the history of brewing. I'll probably brew and document some historical ales.

 

[quickerNu]

I'm taking a course next semester on the history of brewing. I'll probably brew and document some historical ales.

That would be cool. I would love the opportunity to take a course like that. Guess I'm stuck with books for now.

 

[mrfocus]

No theremometer or hydrometer.

You do know that the hydrometer was invented in the 17th or 18th century in England. The thermometer as well. So are you saying even more old school than that? You would have to do a gruit ale to be historically accurate.

 

[Orfy]

You do know that the hydrometer was invented in the 17th or 18th century in England. The thermometer as well. So are you saying even more old school than that? You would have to do a gruit ale to be historically accurate.

I plan on doing just that. Take a look at one of my other threads.

 

[eriktlupus]

actually hops were in use as early as the eleventh century. they juswt didn't make it into beer in england till the 17th.

 

[Donasay]

I think having highly modified malt makes our job easier now a days, I wouldn't want to go without at least a thermometer using the old style malts, it kind of makes sense that they would use decotation mashing though, bring the temperature up in steps, that way you hit all the proper enzyme stages.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I think it would be manageable. For instance, beeswax melts at 146 degress. So add some wax shavings to your MLT. When they start to melt, your water is at the right temp.... Another XX minutes on the heatsource and you should be ready to add your grain... Maybe that would be cheating though?

 

[Orfy]

I'm all for making good beer with the minimum of fuss.
I like the gadgets and the science with the best of them. I keep my self in check and strive to simplify. Hence the original SMASH brews


I've done enough brews to know what I like and to know how to do it.
I've repeated the steps enough times to judge things.

So to day I'm brewing unaided.Well apart from a thermometer

No measuring of anything other than the initial mash and sparge water temperature. And the pre pitch wort temp.
No scales, no measuring the volumes not even going to worry about timing.
I'll do 3 hop additions one at the start of the boil one when the volume's reduce by half the amount I want and one at flame out

I have a chunk of hops that looks about right and I'll split it 3 ways.
No recipe formulation or calculations.
I'm even going to let the beer tell me when it's right to move on.

I'm using:

Maris otter - 2 bowls
Cara Pils - 1/3 bowl
Crystal - handful
Fuggles - handful
Winsor yeast - 1 pack

Mash at 68 for ?????? however long I feel like 30 minutes plus
Using enough water to give the correct thickness.
Batch sparge with enough water to fill the keggle to an inch under the first ridge.
Boil until it reduces to half a keggle. Just right for the fermenter.

 

[wild]

Homebrewing by the seat of your pants!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Old skool, baby!

 

[Loweface]

When you finally finish, and just before you pitch, will you take a hydrometer sample, for experimental reasons? If you pitch anyway it's not like cheating...

If it is the anticipation of finding out when you drink the first one you are after, then teach the SWMBO to take the reading and not tell you...

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Sounds like fun!!!


I like this idea too.

If it is the anticipation of finding out when you drink the first one you are after, then teach the SWMBO to take the reading and not tell you...

 

[Orfy]

I don't fancy teaching SWMBO to read an hydrometer.
I may ask her to take a picture at and show me after I've had my first pint.

When it comes down to it I don't really need to know.

 

[menschmaschine]

I'll bet this beer turns out great!

 

[LayMeister]

I'm all for making good beer with the minimum of fuss.
I like the gadgets and the science with the best of them. I keep my self in check and strive to simplify. Hence the original SMASH brews


I've done enough brews to know what I like and to know how to do it.
I've repeated the steps enough times to judge things.

So to day I'm brewing unaided.Well apart from a thermometer

No measuring of anything other than the initial mash and sparge water temperature. And the pre pitch wort temp.
No scales, no measuring the volumes not even going to worry about timing.
I'll do 3 hop additions one at the start of the boil one when the volume's reduce by half the amount I want and one at flame out

This is great Orfy. I have been thinking about minimalist brewing a lot lately and was planning to start up a thread to discuss.

I have been trying to not get caught up in the tech of brewing (again) and stick to the "art." The first time around I built a RIMS system complete with a micro-controller and flow rate monitoring. Brewing became more about the tech and less about the beer. I eventually burned out as I exhausted the technology. This time I have stuck to the basics. No pumps, no PH testing, no trying to stick to formal styles. I haven't even used a hydrometer in a while. It's now more about taste, texture and smell. Is the beer better? Maybe. I am enjoying the beer more this time? Definitely!

P

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

The force is strong with you...

 

[Chriso]

Power to ya Orfy! Sounds like a great experiment!!!

I've thought to myself that I've been getting "lazier" lately with my brewing... but "lazy" isn't the word for it. Relaxed is what I've been. Enjoying my day, brewing my beer, and just RDW'ing. So major 1-ups to you for "letting it all go".

You should've seen the look on another local brewer's face when he saw how I went about my "measurements" for water. (Sure, my grain is all to-the-ounce and my hops are weighed on a digital scale. But I do those because I *suck* at eyeballing anything.) But when it comes to water measurements? I see what BeerSmith says, round to the nearest gallon, and even then, measure with an unmarked 2 1/4 qt pitcher. I just count pitchers, so if I need 4.5 gallons of initial strike water, well I pretty much dump 9 pitchers' worth into the kettle. I don't have a Sharpie "line" that I measure to, I don't even fill the pitcher to a consistent amount. It's just glug glug glug "THERE'S about 4.5 right? Moving on!" :fro:

 

[MVKTR2]

The force is strong with you...

what he said!

You Rock on Orfy... one of my next brews is your Hobgoblin! :rockin:

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[The Pol]

Just as I recieve the last of my components for my electric HERMS system and electronic controls... you come up with this! I think this is a helluva good idea. I may make ONE brew each year this way, call it my 2008 Pioneer Brew?
I started this hobby with (2) Rubbermaid coolers... now I have an electric HERMS system with controls, heating elements, thermowells, stirers etc... and you know what, my beers arent any better than they were 3 years ago LOL

 

[wildwest450]

No measuring of anything other than the initial mash and sparge water temperature. And the pre pitch wort temp.
No scales, no measuring the volumes not even going to worry about timing.

Aren't bowls and handfuls measurements?

 

[Chriso]

Only in the Pioneer sense!

 

[Choguy03]

Almost like 'Oregon Trail' Brewing.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Come to think on it, I'm already dowscaling my AG plans for a much simpler set up since watching Soperbrew brewing a batch yesterday. I had been blinded by all those pics of sexy shiny sculptures that HBT members have. I'm neither sexy nor shiny.

I'll still have to follow all the rules until I become at least competent, but my natural character dictates that as soon as I think I know what the hell I am doing the scientific precision will soon slip away in favour of organised chaos. Even now I only use the hydrometer out of curiosity and to make absolutely sure it's finished fermented. I never work out the ABV any more......Man, I'm gonna brew some crap!

 

[MCH]

It's going to turn out to be the best brew you've ever done and no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to replicate it again.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I like it.

I'm thinking about doing a real ale IPA to emulate what they would have had back in the day in India. As close as I can get to it anyway. Dump some MO on a sheet pan, bake it to toast until it looks dark enough, throw it in with some more MO. Mash at whatever for however long I can stand to wait. Bring to a boil, toss in a handful of fuggles, drink a few homebrews, throw in another fistful, drink another homebrew, cool and rack to the fermenter, let it ferment for, awhile , rack to a keg, throw in a handful of corn sugar and a couple of fist fulls of fuggles, after it's conditioned bleed the keg down to 5 psi and serve it warm. REAL old school.

 

[Aubie Stout]

My wife made the greatest main course out of some fish we caught. I mean it was fantastic. We were all bombed of course and when we woke up the next day, no one could remember exactly what she did to make it so good. From that day on, all experiments get recorded for posterity. I throw out over half of what I come up with in the kitchen or the brew room, but I manage to record the stuff I like.

If this turns out to be the best beer ever made, I'd hate to see you try and replicate it! LOL!!!

 

[Kai]

Go further - the old brewing manuals say to mash in when the strike water is cool enough to see your face in it. Do that!

 

[Orfy]

I may one day try it over wood and no thermometer. Go the decoction route to get the temps.

 

[zoebisch01]

I may one day try it over wood and no thermometer. Go the decoction route to get the temps.

I've always thought (I tend to think of odd scenarios) that if I had to, I'd just have a wood fire going outside and my kettle. Chuck in some grain and let it ride. With enough experience I think you could make beer like a champ. :fro:

 

[Orfy]

This is now (Should be) ready to keg.

Taste tomorrow I think.

 

[Orfy]

AND....................


It's a great beer, just right.

Recipe......no chance.

Sorry phone picture.


By orfy

 

[KingBrianI]

very cool, did you have your swmbo take a picture of the OG?

 

[Mutilated1]

Ah Cool - I was just wondering today how this beer turned out, I searched for the thread just in time to find your post. That looks like a very nice beer.

 

[talleym0nster]

That's cool, Orfy. That would be kind of a cool swap, if we all made our own medieval(or earlier?) brews and swapped them.

 

[KingBrianI]

That's cool, Orfy. That would be kind of a cool swap, if we all made our own medieval(or earlier?) brews and swapped them.

i had the same idea! https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f38/interest-historic-beer-swap-79964/#post844831

 

[Orfy]

Nah. No gravities.

 

[WBC]

Sure you can do it Orfy, you have all that experience to draw on and don't need to measure but the strength of the beer will vary a bit but still be a very good beer as evidenced by the outcome.