Todd has said that he could support a Sticky Note in this forum to help combat the frequent threads that ask the same basic questions. http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/homebrewing-faq.338661/#post-4103637 Is it likely that we as a 'committee' can come up with the necessary text that would do the job and get it approved? How about let's try to create some suggestions in this thread? First one: Perform a Search of the forum using 'equipment' or 'beginner/newbie/noobie' as search words to find the previous threads on the topic of 'What equipment to purchase' or 'What is a good starting recipe?' Reading back 8-10 pages will accomplish the same thing, but if the sticky note works, these threads will eventually be pushed back beyond that. Maybe the sticky needs to have the answers to these questions in detail? Any other thoughts/suggestions?
I think the obvious start would be a couple recommended books and a description of a good starter kit. It would be very easy to include a couple basic/starter recipes as well. Maybe something about extract&steeping vs. partial mash vs. all grain.
If it's possible, I think it would be a good idea to have links to the most common books people recommend, i.e. How to Brew, The Joy of Homebrewing, Designing Great Beers, etc. If not links, at least we could have the titles and authors posted so people can seek them out to buy at the outlet of their choosing.
beginner gear extract brewing all grain brewing water sanitation yeast fermentation fruit/spice additions dry hopping bottling kegging Maybe a combination of FAQ and concise how to's for each topic. Created by volunteers and edited by the Homebrew Moderators. Ideally a subforum unless you want half the front page to be stickies.
Absolutely . . . and because of your high rank in the pack (due to having kiwi-fruit sunglasses) you would make a credible SNC (sticky note coordinator). Off hand I can think of a few topics that could be handled admirably well in a sticky: a) no airlock activity, b) blow-off tubes, c) which labels peel off easiest, d) need for secondary fermentation . . . and probably some more if I wasn't drinking. To equalize workload, maybe the SNC (you?) could assign "stickies" to regular posters. I voluntary to take on "don't post when you are sloshed" . Of course, BA would comp the SNC with tickets to GABF and ACBF, 'cause those guys are mopping up on ad revenue based on our activity . .
Stopping the chatting/typing with other users of this forum is not what the sticky note is aimed at. The sticky note is aimed at stopping the repetitive questions from mainly the new users about basic brewing-related questions. There are many users who don't know where to go to get an answer, instead they look for a personalized response as if their problem is unique. Ignoring these threads or providing short, curt answers as a means of a response does not sit well with me for a new user of this forum, so I at least feel that giving some direction via a sticky note will give some initial help. Doing a search for prior threads is my recommendation for Sticky Note #1, and doing a search is probably also a better learning experience to read multiple threads that may contain more info than what that user's thread might develop. If we can slow down or eliminate these topics, this forum can then be used more exclusively to discuss new ideas, debate old ideas, etc. from which we can all learn more about this homebrewing hobby.
I dunno, I visit a few forums which utilize stickies (not just homebrewing related forums), and as far as I can tell they don't do much to stave off the repetitive n00b questions. Who knows, though, maybe without them there would be 100's of those posts per day rather than dozens, lol.
Frequently Asked Questions http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/frequently-asked-questions.233266/#post-3019383 Forums How do I post a new thread in the forums? Search for similar posts. If any exist, reply to them vs starting a new thread. Ensure ... your thread title and message is [sic] clear. This will make it easier for others to find, understand, and encourage more participation.
This is what I said in the original conversation as well. I think this is too much, and overwhelming for newbies. I think the big reason why so many people do not read t he sticky, and FAQ is because they accumulate too much info, and it seems difficult to the new user that thinks they have a simple question. I think it should be short, simple, and concise. I would only cover a few topics and recommend books. Topics that come up all the time: "What kit should I get", "should I brew extract, or all grain". If you wanted to make a how to section, you could even link existing you tube videos. NB may or may not be a big fan of that, but others I'm sure would. Like beer geek nation. But again, I would keep it simple and only cover the most basic of things that someone would need for their batch or so.
But I admit I'm looking at this through filtered eyes as I only do extract at this point. I don't have to worry about water chemistry, diastatic power, etc.
Airlock activity has to be on the sticky, as well as how long to ferment. Two most common questions I see. When I first started brewing they were my personal biggest questions. Something about airlock activity makes a new brewer feel good or feel like they just f'ed up their first batch.
How is this any different than this: A long sticky may take a few minutes to read, a book will take days... I agree that How To Brew should be mentioned, but it's not the sole solution here.
I think it's a great idea to have a sticky thread for new brewers at the top of the forum. IMO, it should propose a 3-step process, where the first step is to search for similar threads, the second step is to consult the stickypedia for information and the 3rd step is to post a new thread about the newb's question if they can't find what they need. As for how much to cover, I'd maybe stick with the things you need to make a good extract brew, from equipment to sanitation to fermentation and packaging. Stuff like water chemistry and mashing are complicated enough that specific threads are often warranted, so it might be harder to write a generalized guide that doesn't end up at book-length. But with a fairly economical FAQ, we could at least cut down on the "my airlock isn't bubbling??" threads.
Because a book is good reference material, and it's already been printed. No need to be redundant and duplicate info. Tripple, quad, etc. But don't take what I said too literal. The sticky should not be one line of : read book x. But, it should probably be the first line.
I posted in the original thread that I would be down to help facilitate this. As a mod I can edit and update the existing post (sticky) with new info when need be. I can also delete the noob threads and point them to the sticky. Honestly, I was thinking of compiling links to the best past convos on said topics from the forum and using them to answer the questions. With that we could do: Question #5 Airlock activity/lack there of: Link to thread 1 Link to thread 2 Link to thread 3 Question #6 Using A Secondary Link to thread 1 Link to thread 2 Link to thread 3 using the most informative posts where the experienced among us have already answered the question. This would alleviate having to have someone write up an entire response leading to a massive # of stickies or an 11 page thread.
Then you (and a guest) should also get comp tickets to GABF and one other beer competition of your choice. Of course the Matriarch Waterfowl should be equally rewarded for having the courage to display sliced fruit on his face.
I would suggest a basic/rudimentary answer and then point to a couple good threads with a lot more detail. For example, "My airlock is not bubbling, is my beer ruined?" No, your beer is probably fine. Airlocks are a terrible indicator of fermentation because... and then link to a couple threads that give a lot more detail for those who want more info. Then all we need are a couple good threads dealing with this issue, which should not be too hard
