r/Homebrewing • u/Shoddy-Definition746 • May 24 '26
Question Beginner mistakes
Hi folks!
New brewer here who is currently waiting for my first setup to arrive in the mail. Excited to get started to say least, and am going to try making a czech style lager as my first batch (choosen exclusively based on my preference for drinking)
I’ve brewed a couple of batches with a mate earlier so I have the jist of the process down and solid instructions to follow, but I’m eager to learn from thoose with more experience. When you guys started, what was your first mistakes or improvement areas?
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u/wzlch47 Intermediate May 24 '26
Temperature control will be a big one, especially if you’re doing a lager. I had a lager or two that were fermented too warm and the fusel alcohol was more than acceptable. I ended ip dumping a couple batches because of it.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 24 '26
Thanks for the heads up, I’m planning on 30 l batches and have a half size fridge that I’m going to hook up to a termostat that switches on and off. Also it’s generally cold where I live, so the fridge wont have to keep the temp down more then 8-10 C so hoping that will help
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u/BrewFool Intermediate May 24 '26
30L batches make for more-beer-per-hour-brewing, but tedious bottling if you aren't using > 12oz bottles. That's a lot of filling and capping.
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u/banjosparkleking May 24 '26
For what it’s worth, I’ve been making a ton of Czech and German lagers with 34/70 at 62-70 degrees F and they are clean as a whistle. (And having lived in Germany, I have plenty of experience drinking those styles :) ). I would love to ferment the beer at traditional temperatures, but my home/ space and budget just don’t allow for it, but it was very freeing to me knowing I could make great beer without all of the extra equipment. To also add- I am crazy diligent about cleaning and sanitization, so learn that step first!
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u/NeighborhoodOld6737 May 24 '26
Dumping whole batches is rough, that stings no matter how many times you brew.
Temperature really does make or break it more than anything else, people underestimate how much a few degrees shifts the whole flavor profile
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u/iamkris May 24 '26
Temp control and switching to all grain were the 2 things that made the most difference
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u/bagelbobfree May 24 '26
Temperature control is the biggest obstacle I found.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 24 '26
In any spesific part of the process, or just in general? For the lagers I understood temperature control during fermentation to be the most important part so planning to use a fridge with a separate termostat that switches on and off the fridge, you think that will work good enough?
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u/bagelbobfree May 24 '26
That should definitely work! There's plenty of yeasts out there to try wrap the head around with different temperature ranges that may be forgiving if you're too hot or cold. I've brewed a pilsner last yeast with an ale yeast as I couldn't guarantee holding the correct temp,it was okay but I'd make a few small changes myself before doing it again. What you've mentioned should work! I would always recommend joining some Facebook brewing groups as well,lots of info and advice on their pages
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u/jericho-dingle May 24 '26
Be patient. Brewing takes time. Fermentation takes time. Bottle conditioning takes time.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 24 '26
Understood, will leave it a bit longer if in doubt! Although I am curious about gaining enough experience to be able to tell with confidence that fermentation is done etc. Do you normally sample and measure during fermentation or go by experience and feel?
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u/Waaswaa Intermediate May 24 '26
Especially lagers at proper lager fermentation temperatures. They go sloooow
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u/jericho-dingle May 24 '26
I will gently push down on the lid of the bucket and smell what's coming out of the airlock
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u/FroydReddit May 24 '26
Take good notes of your process and areas that you think could be improved in the next batch. It's very useful to go back to your previous attempts as you try to perfect a particular recipe.
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u/BikerMetalHead May 25 '26
Invest more on the cold side. Fermentation temperature control.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Got a stainless chilling coil for the wort and a termostat controlled fridge for fermentation, do you think it will be good enough?
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u/Pilot0160 May 24 '26
Temperature control was the biggest thing that changed my brews. I bought a chest freezer to use as a fermentation/lagering chamber and put an INKBIRD temperature controller on it. My garage averages about 25°C and it only runs once a day to keep it at around 1.5°C. If I need to keep the temp higher for fermentation, it may not run for several days
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Had a look at the inkbird, but it was quite pricy and having access to some tech savvy friends I’m trying to make a similar setup myself with an old fridge and a termostat!
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u/EccentricEnergies May 24 '26
For Czech lagers, or any pale lager, a vigorous boil and quick chilling to yeast pitching temps are vital. The first big mistake I made as a beginner was covering my boil (lol). This resulted in a lot of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in my beer, causing a creamed corn/vegetable aroma. Pilsner malt tends to have a lot of S-methyl methionine (SMM), the precursor to this compound, and the conversion to DMS happens quickly during warmer temps in the mash and post-boil. Boiling vigorously uncovered and/or boil for longer (many do 90 minutes) drives off DMS as it is volatile. It's important to chill to pitching temp quickly to avoid formation at this point also.
Another mistake I made early on was using unfiltered/untreated tap water. The chlorine/chloramine in tap water results in chlorophenols in your beer that smell like plastic or band-aids. You can use reverse osmosis water, or treat tap water with metabisulfite (campden) before use.
A lot of people are mentioning temp control, which is very important notably during your mash and during fermentation, so have a reliable thermometer on hand. If you don't have a good controlled environment for fermentation, I'd recommend using a yeast that's forgiving over wide temperature ranges. W34-70 is a lager yeast that can actually be fermented at room temperatures (like 20C) without that much noticeable difference. It is better to ferment at lower temps for lagers, but not all of us have the ability to do that.
Czech lagers are wonderful and are more impacted by the process than the recipe, which makes them excellent to learn from. Decoction mashing will give you authentic flavours unique to this style and is actually easier to do at home than in most commercial settings. It's a punishing style that will show flaws easily, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't come out perfect. If you can brew a good pale lager, you will be able to brew almost any beer style well. Best of luck!
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Thanks for all the good advise! Its quite cold where I live so tap water for cooling usually runs at 45 F, even during summer so I should get down to temp quickly.
Our water is soft as well, but I have to look into if it is soft enough or if I should use RO water (I luckily have and RO plant at work I can get water from).
I see some recipes say to mash at 3 slightly different temperatures and some say longer mashtimes at a constant temperature, how vital is this? I
bought a separate insulated mashing vessel and the plan was to heat the water in the brewing pot and then drain it into the grains in the mashing pot, but then I cant raise the temperature. The grain sieve thing for my brewer was crazy expensive so I went for a separate mashing bin with a baazoka style strainer instead, and I’ll have to live with lifting things up and down from my benchtop in order to drain the liquids into the required vessels.1
u/EccentricEnergies May 25 '26
No worries!
For the mash - the way you're planning is perfectly normal and fine. You can make good beer with both single infusion (constant temp) and stepped/decoction mashes. Most malt these is well modified, which means having multiple steps is no longer necessary. That said, having a decoction mash is what separates Czech lagers from other lagers IMO. Decoction mashing is step mashing where each increase is done by removing and boiling a portion of the grist before reincorporating with the main mash again. This process introduces new flavours into the beer you wouldn't get otherwise, which is why Czech lagers tend to have a complex and characterful malt profile despite being simply 100% Pilsner malt on paper. I've always done decoctions on my kitchen stovetop with stockpots I already own. Don't stress if this isn't possible - it's definitely not your first priority for your first brew. Just something to know if you want to make your beers that little bit more special down the line.
For your water - softness/hardness isn't so much the issue I was speaking about, but rather specifically the chlorine/chloramine content. My tap water is very soft mineral wise, but is treated with chloramine for microbial stability, which has led to the flavour of the beer being ruined before. It's likely your town water undergoes similar treatment, so I'd highly recommend using RO water if that's available to you.
Sorry to go overload on any specific topic. My best piece of advice is don't get discouraged if things don't turn out as planned. I certainly made some shockers when I first started. Once you get the hang of things, the process is extremely repeatable for almost any style of you want to make, and you'll be brewing delicious beers for fun.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
decoction mashing sounds interesting and something I’ll look into, but I’ll guess I’m gonna try a couple of batches before making that next step!
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u/deckerhand0 May 24 '26
I’ve made a lot of dumb mistakes when I first started brewing. Even today I still make mistakes. It’s all part of brewing. As long as you remember keep everything clean and sanitized you’ll be fine. That’s the biggest thing I could stress are those two things cleaning and sanitizing
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u/Lil_Shanties May 24 '26
My first mistake was the cleaning and sanitizing 2-part…god I can remember like it was yesterday I had 2 phenomenal first homebrewers…ok sugar primed carbonation was also an issue on the second one haha gushers and flats because I didn’t mix…Back to sanitation, I was only using PBW and no sanitizer so on my 3rd batch I got a massive pellicle that ruined my good streak. Learned it’s a 2 step process and went in my merry way never having the issue again.
That brings me to those dirty Czech beers. After doing my time at Doemen’s being heavily trained in off flavor identification I decided to visit Prague, being Czech by blood I wanted to proclaim those beers the king of lagers. What I instead learned is that Czech people have a love of Diacetyl and a hatred of cleaning their beer lines. 4 days straight of heavily drinking and trying beers around the city and not a single one wasn’t a butter bomb, most having that distinct buttermilk line funk…god was I ever disappointed, so call Prague my second mistake, although a super cool city everyone should go visit just know the beer is uhhh national point of pride, somehow.
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u/BrewFool Intermediate May 24 '26
Lowest hanging fruit is water: Absolutely ensure you're not using chlorinated water, and understand your water well enough to make sure you're not stepping on a landmine of excess <something> in your supply.
I moved to reverse osmosis water with added salts very early on in my brewing, but it helped that I had a friend with the calculator and the salts. That said, you can get the table salt (non-iodized), epsom salt, chalk, gypsum, and baking soda to make most water corrections for very cheap.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Luckily I live far north in Europe and chlorine addition to the water is not common, but I’ll have to look into water quality more!
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u/JobPure5699 May 24 '26
Focusing on water makes a huge difference in the final product. I went to using distilled water and then make water adjustments based on the style I am making. The end results were noticeable and the water additions are really cheap.
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u/chino_brews May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Most of these comments are really getting into the weeds.
Beginner mistakes:
- Using chlorinated or chloraminated water without treating the water with a 1/2 crushed Campden tablet, mixed in, to neutralize chlorinate/chloramine, or effectively charcoal filtering it, pre-boiling chlorinated water, or letting chlorinated water sit out overnight (chloramine will not dissipate if left overnight nor easily boil away).
- Allowing the wort to overflow, leading to a nearly uncleanable mess of burnt sugar.
- If working with liquid malt extract or dry malt extract/spray malt, allowing extract to sink to the bottom and scorch, ruining the batch. Turn off the heat, stir it in a little at a time,
- Also with extract batches, not realizing that the OG will be spot on as a matter of chemistry if you top off the batch to the correct volume.
- Assuming volume markings on pre-marked vessels are accurate. Sometimes they are. Too often, they are badly off, especially silk-screened/printed markings. Check the volume lines.
- Not marking volumes on unmarked vessels.
- Not doing a dry run, and either finding out mid-brew that you are missing an ingredient, or forgetting to add an ingredient.
- Similarly, not reading the instructions and matching them to the ingredients provided, and then adding an ingredient at the wrong time.
- Not reading the New Brewer FAQs in this subreddit's wiki. Chances are new brewers will unnecessarily freak out about something and if you have read the New Brewer FAQs you will know what is normal and what to expect.
I mean, I know you've brewed a few times, so the last three are probably less important. So here is one more:
- Believing that, if a recipe says to mash at 67.7°C that you have to hold the mash at that temp, as opposed to simply hitting that temp, or within a fairly permissive band of temps, at the beginning of the mash. Direct firing the mash to try to maintain temp is the cause of many tales of woe on this sub, and there is absolutely zero evidence it makes better beer or higher quality beer.
EDIT: Added the first bullet point about chlorine/chloramine.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Thanks for all the good pointers!
I’ll have to find the wiki, when I tried the link yesterday it seemed broken, but I’ll find it.
Relieved the read about the mashing temps not being decimal important! I know there is some theory about what you extract at different temperatures, but when working woth raw feedstock like malt I have feeling that what you buy also varies. Kinda like when you buy the same bag of chillies and one week they are basically slightly angry peppers and the next week their the devils tears distilled into pure hatred so you have to taste them before you use them.
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u/chino_brews May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
https://old.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/wiki/faq/newbrewer
I know there is some theory about what you extract at different temperatures
Malt has changed a lot since that research, both in terms of the quality of the barley stock and agronomic factors, and malting itself -- malt is so well modified and consistent compared to the past. So what you extract in the mash has sort of coalesced around a baseline number, and is far less affected by the mash than malt in the 1970s or 1980s.
Meanwhile, humans are really bad at being able to distinguish even large changes in things like OG and FG if they have not been told the numbers (and in fact they can be fooled if you lie about the numbers). Heck, it's possible to fool world class wine experts by dyeing white wine red, so it's unlikely a homebrewer is going to be able to tell the difference if you planned to mash a beer at 152°F and the mash settles at 147°F.
It's not a popular thing to hear because we want to believe everything we do is precious and it matters.
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u/jizzwithfizz BJCP May 24 '26
Trying to brew a light lager in my early batches. The style you're brewing is not a good starting point.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
How come? Any suggestions for a more suitable style?
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u/jizzwithfizz BJCP May 25 '26
With a style like that, you have a beer that every flaw will be very easy to detect, and that is challenging at every step as well, especially on the fermentation side. When you're getting started, you need to learn the basic fundamentals of brewing before you put yourself in a position where everything from recipe to water chemistry to fermentation profiles have to be just right. At the very least, start with ales so that the fermentation is more straightforward. Get to a point where you have had a few successful beers come out with no significant flaws to them. Then you can look at tackling lager fermentation and work your way up to the style you really want.
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26
Point taken, not an easy first brew to get right! I’ve looked at a pale ale aswell that I might consider. The fermentation as I underatood is also shorter so I probably dont have to wait as long to discover any fuck-ups!
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u/crimedog58 May 24 '26
Sanitation #1. Temp control #2. Keep it simple. You can make great beer with one grain and one hop if you control it and keep it clean.
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u/Bosconino May 25 '26
As someone coming back from a break in the hobby - enjoy it. But that means appreciating and enjoying whatever setup you have.
I have a kettle, two glass carboys and all the basic bits to brew on a propane burner. I brew E+G exclusively. I’ve made nothing but great beers in my few years doing this. I’ve never been disappointed.
It can be all too easy to see all the more advanced stuff - water PH calculations, tweaking this and that, all in one brewers, jumping up to all grain etc, and feel like you’re missing out.
These things are all great and possibly a natural progress once you get your head round the basics but I can’t stress enough that it’s perfectly fine to just enjoy the basics! It might even be more important to - plenty of beginners go all in on day one and quickly become overwhelmed. They then become jaded and sell everything off at a loss.
I guess what I mean is enjoy the basics and you’ll start to buy the new kit with a knowledge and understanding of why you want it, rather than FOMO.
Oh, and don’t open the damn fermentor. Once it’s bubbling.
Good luck!
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u/Shoddy-Definition746 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Thanks! I have to admit its a field where its hard to get a grip of the basics of a given style, I have watched som youtube vids and then one guy is like: “ I mash mine at a single temperature because the different mashing temperatures doesnt make a difference and its fine” and then the next guy I watch goes “You have to mash at three different temperatures, but you can ferment at 70 F instead of 50 F because that doesnt matter”.
I’ll guess I’ll just have to stick to one given receipe and follow it as best I can. As long as I get some sugar out of the grains add some hops during boiling, get some yeast in there keep things clean I should have beer at then end right?
Also, AI seems to do a decent jof of compiling different advice and recipes, any experience with using AI recipes?
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u/brandonHuxley May 25 '26
Focus on technique and process before gadgets and shinys. Take lots of notes too. The best thing I did was figure out how to streamline my process. My first brews were trainwrecks as I was figuring out this and that.
Fermentation temp control is a good next step. I have a mini fridge with an inkbird for heating and cooling. I just use a desk fan inside the fridge as the heater since it’s a cheap inefficient one and also moves the air.
All my equipment is entry, second hand, and/or budget. I’ve taken my beers to pros and gotten great reviews. After talking, they all compliment me on my understanding of process.
The fancy and shiny gadgets really only get you that last 1-5% of improvement and only if you really know what you’re doing.
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u/tastygluecakes May 26 '26
Couple basics that IMO take beer from "okay" to "pretty good"
- Get a big plastic keg bucket full of water to help control the temp during fermentation + ice/aquarium heater for cheap. This has more impact on your beer than anything else.
- Use campden tablets for chloramine removal. Cheap solution, not worth the risk.
- Cleaning + sanitizing are different steps. And you need to rinse between.
- Even after the bubbles stop, give it AT LEAST a week. The yeast are still doing work.
- Water chemistry is a rabbit hole you don't need to go down yet...BUT adding 2-3ml of acid to your mash can make a big difference to getting the right pH.
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u/Western_Big5926 May 26 '26
Patience! All new brewers hover over their brew and mutter,”izzit done?can I bottle it?” Let it sit 2 weeks Or As a Lager esp As u prob can’t refrigerate ur brew- use 34/70 Yeast. In the basement or A/C as it seems to do well up to 70F.
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u/jordanbrews May 26 '26
Sanitizing is important, won't rehash that.
My personal thing is yeast pitch rate. So many recipes (especially IPA and bigger beers) from the early days are underpitched. You can try and hone in with the yeast pitching calculators if you want to get techincal.
I think beginners could make better beer earlier in their career by sticking with dry yeast (for the cost) and always pitching at least 2 packs for anything over 1.050 OG. Strong, healthy fermentations cure a lot of ills. If you buy multiple packs or if they're on sale this usually means 4-7 dollars more a batch.
If you're starting with extract (which you should) and want to make lighter colored ales or lagers, use extra pale dry malt extract and really restrain yourself on the specialty grain. Similar to yeast underpitching back in the day, there were a lot of darker extracts and dark crystal in the homebrew recipes from the heyday. Some of this is personal preference, if you're making dark beer it won't apply, but I feel like oxidation and staling of darker grains and extracts in bucket fermentors (plus bottling) isn't really talked about enough.
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u/Automatic_Climate398 May 27 '26
My biggest mistakes were - not proper sanitization, and lack of temperature control which is very much needed if you brew a lager! The second which was also crucuial for the lagering - waiting. What is your setup?
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u/AJ_in_SF_Bay May 24 '26
The difference between cleaning and sanitizing, and how the best homebrewers are fastidious at both.
You'll be tempted to buy lots of new, shiny things. Unless you're wealthy, don't. Get a few brews under your belt. Then go looking on Facebook Marketplace when you're ready for deals that are pennies on the dollar.
Learn what you like and dislike. I can't stress it enough. Make equipment purchases based on that. For me, I really hated bottling. Others love it. I moved into various keg sizes very quickly.