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Any of youse ever host a teaching brewday?


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#1 Bklmt2000

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 09:38 AM

My nephew and a buddy of his want to learn about all-grain brewing, so on the 22nd, I'm hosting my first "real" teaching brewday. 

 

Nephew made his first batch 2 weeks ago, a Mr. Beer kit his wife bought him, but he's already looking into jumping all-grain.

 

I'll make sure we stay fairly focused on what we're doing, and if there's any imbibing, it'll be moderate at most, so they actually learn something (I hope).

 

I almost didn't agree to do this; the last time I tried to host a brewday, for my brother and a friend of his ~5-6 yrs back, it went from my brother saying "I want to brew how you do" to him and his buddy just hanging out and drinking my beer.  :stabby:

 

They lost a lot of interest once they saw that all-grain does require some actual work, not just sitting around drinking and watching.  :mad:

 

For those of you who've hosted a teaching brewday, any advice or suggestions?

 



#2 Big Nake

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 09:46 AM

I did have a buddy over once to show him AG brewing. I think the key is to explain things on a surface level and don't go into too much depth unless they ask. It seems like a steady stream of information is good but too much and someone's head may explode. Explain what you're doing and why but keep it simple. There is plenty of downtime in a brew session and chances for questions and answers. Try to gauge what they're absorbing and what they're not and adjust accordingly. I have threatened to do this with my sister, BILs, nieces and nephews but we haven't done it yet and I only see them once a year so we just drink beer instead. :D Have fun with it.

#3 denny

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 09:51 AM

I've hosted Learn to Homebrew Day for the last 18 years.



#4 Bklmt2000

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 09:54 AM

thanks Ken, good advice there.  :cheers:  I'll make it a point to (as you said) keep it short, sweet, and simple, and let them digest things as we go without clubbing them over the head w/ too much info too soon.

 

Nephew is bringing some kind of meat to grill (not sure yet if he's bringing wings, hot dogs, burgers, or what), so I figure we'll probably do some Q&A around the grill, beers in hand, meat cooking over an open fire.  :frank:


I've hosted Learn to Homebrew Day for the last 18 years.

 

Yeah, but you're all the way across the country from me.   Will you be in SW Ohio on the 22nd?  :D


Edited by Bklmt2000, 12 October 2016 - 09:55 AM.


#5 denny

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:08 AM

Yeah, but you're all the way across the country from me.   Will you be in SW Ohio on the 22nd?  :D

 

Only if I perfect teleportation by then



#6 positiveContact

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:21 AM

I'd like to do this but I've never found any takers.



#7 Big Nake

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:38 AM

It can be fun to look at each step as you do it. I would have water filtered (and explain why I filtered it), grains measured out and maybe milled but you could also show someone the milling process. Make your water adjustments (salts, acids, etc) and explain why but keep it brief. Maybe explain what calcium chloride or gypsum do for you and what the acid does. Explain what happens in the mash (as in: the grains & water at this temp create some enzymatic activity which converts starches to sugars and all alcohol needs sugars and yeast..., etc). Maybe talk about what happens with lower mash temps and higher ones. Discuss how there are a bunch of hop varieties and discuss their various character (piney, fruity, herbal, earthy) and what happens when they're in the boil longer vs shorter, etc. There are so many things to cover but because you've been doing this so long it's hard to determine what is reasonable for a first-timer without overloading them. It's amazing how much brewing information you pickup after awhile and then take it for granted.

#8 Bklmt2000

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:45 AM

It can be fun to look at each step as you do it. I would have water filtered (and explain why I filtered it), grains measured out and maybe milled but you could also show someone the milling process. Make your water adjustments (salts, acids, etc) and explain why but keep it brief. Maybe explain what calcium chloride or gypsum do for you and what the acid does. Explain what happens in the mash (as in: the grains & water at this temp create some enzymatic activity which converts starches to sugars and all alcohol needs sugars and yeast..., etc). Maybe talk about what happens with lower mash temps and higher ones. Discuss how there are a bunch of hop varieties and discuss their various character (piney, fruity, herbal, earthy) and what happens when they're in the boil longer vs shorter, etc. There are so many things to cover but because you've been doing this so long it's hard to determine what is reasonable for a first-timer without overloading them. It's amazing how much brewing information you pickup after awhile and then take it for granted.

 

Agreed on all points. 

 

I'm glad to show my nephew the ropes of AG brewing as i know them, as I didn't know anyone who brewed back when I started in 2001, so I had to learn on my own.

 

I feel like this way, he can see for himself what goes into my typical AG brew day and decide if AG is what he wants to do, without laying out a chunk of $$$ first.



#9 Bklmt2000

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:53 AM

And since I'm a nice uncle, I let my nephew pick what we are brewing, and he opted for a vanilla porter.  Nice.

 

And this beer will be kegged, and if he likes how it turns out, I'll be nice and CPF two or three 6-packs for him, since i'll be putting him to work on brewday.  :D :devil:



#10 neddles

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 10:58 AM

I'd like to do this but I've never found any takers.

I'm not dying to do it but I have offered. Like you they all take a pass. Look at me like I'm a complete geek if I explain the slightest thing about the process. Never seem to mind the pint I hand them or the random growler that shows up on a Friday afternoon tho.



#11 HVB

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 11:00 AM

I have done it before but it was for a homebrew club and it was mainly showing how I brew on an all electric system. I agree with others to touch on the high points and wait for questions before going further in depth.  There is a lot of down time in brewing so I would make sure to have something though out to kill that time.



#12 Big Nake

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 11:18 AM

I'm not dying to do it but I have offered. Like you they all take a pass. Look at me like I'm a complete geek if I explain the slightest thing about the process. Never seem to mind the pint I hand them or the random growler that shows up on a Friday afternoon tho.

I hear this. I don't offer any information unless they ask about it. Sometimes someone comes over and tastes the beer and will say, "Mmm, good beer" and then talk about something else which is fine. Other times people come over and want to know. I take them into the beer bunker and show them grains, hops, etc. and they can't seem to get enough of it. Or someone will ask about it and when I say, "Okay, come on... let's take a look", other people will say, "Hey, I want to see that!! Wait for me!!" which is hilarious. I've had kegs burp in the middle of a gathering and I say, "Oh, time for another keg..." and when I go back to the bunker 3 or 4 people will say, "Hey, I want to see you change the keg!". :D

#13 MakeMeHoppy

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 01:38 PM

I did three at AHA Teach A Friend days and three others in my home. My advice is have everything prepped and organized. Realize there are long periods of time where nothing is going on like waiting for the mash, waiting for wort to boil, the long boil, and waiting for cooling. Fill these gaps with some discussion.

 

I usually make a simple pale ale with the 3 hop additions. After milling the grains and starting the mash I'll bring out the grains that I would use for a porter. Explain about malting and kilning and have them taste the difference in the grains. Then I can talk a little about recipe formulation. During cool down I'll explain about the fermentation process that is going to occur. Stress cleaning and sanitation of course throughout the day.



#14 Big Nake

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Posted 12 October 2016 - 01:53 PM

I did three at AHA Teach A Friend days and three others in my home. My advice is have everything prepped and organized. Realize there are long periods of time where nothing is going on like waiting for the mash, waiting for wort to boil, the long boil, and waiting for cooling. Fill these gaps with some discussion.
 
I usually make a simple pale ale with the 3 hop additions. After milling the grains and starting the mash I'll bring out the grains that I would use for a porter. Explain about malting and kilning and have them taste the difference in the grains. Then I can talk a little about recipe formulation. During cool down I'll explain about the fermentation process that is going to occur. Stress cleaning and sanitation of course throughout the day.

Tasting the grains is a good idea. It's one of the first things I learned and I'm not sure that many people do this.

#15 realbeerguy

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Posted 14 October 2016 - 06:57 AM

I second just making a simple Pale Ale.  Simple grain bill, 3 hop additions.



#16 HVB

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Posted 14 October 2016 - 07:31 AM

I second just making a simple Pale Ale.  Simple grain bill, 3 hop additions.

good idea!  Here is a nice one :)

 

https://www.brews-br...ookcitrasimcoe/

 

I do that one with a 30 minute boil and 20 minute whirlpool these days though.




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