"BrewHacks"

The "problem" with this idea, as others have noted, is that there just aren't hard and fast rules to be followed in brewing. And looking for short cuts and "tricks" (which is how I interpret "hacks") will usually get you in trouble.

But I suppose you could say this:

Don't rush.

Plan ahead.

Either follow directions absolutely to the letter, or understand exactly what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it by deviating from the original recipe/procedure.

 

Some essential brew hacks:

1. When brewing a beer using whole pies, it must be open fermented in a turkey roasting pan to obtain that classic ethyl acetate aroma.

2. When brewing a spontaneously fermented p-lambic in ones rat and bug infested shed, one must prop the lid to the fermenter open with apples, to ensure maximum extraction of rodent and insect borne pathogens/vectors.

3. Chocolate stouts should only be made using Yoo-hoo as a sparge water replacement. Any other methods of obtaining chocolate flavor are just silly because they lack the essential flavor compounds dipotassium phosphate, xanthan gum, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, and sodium caesinate.

4. Reading "How to Brew" is a waste of time. Instead, irritate long time forum members with stupid questions and irrational freakouts that could have been easily answered or completely avoided, respectively, by reading "How to Brew".

5. Oxygen is good for yeast propagation at any stage of the brewing process. Purging vessels with CO2 to prevent oxygen pickup before racking just increases the time delay between brew day and pouring your delicious homebrew into your gullet.

 

As a homebrewer, I can't get past the "old" definition of "hack" :
hack
2 /hæk/ Show IPA
noun
1.
a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre work in the hope of gaining commercial success in the arts: As a painter, he was little more than a hack.
2.
a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment: a political hack.
3.
a writer who works on the staff of a publisher at a dull or routine task; someone who works as a literary drudge: He was one among the many hacks on Grub Street. Synonyms: scribbler.

 

always put salt in your eyes

 

i think everyone here has spoken pretty well to the immense amount of variables that come up in homebrewing, but if there are two things you're going to take away, they're:
1) make sure everything is clean and that everything that comes into contact with your wort/beer after the boil is sanitized.
2) fermentation temp control will make or break your beer.

if you're looking for more suggestions/"hacks," i'd recommend reading, following podcasts, and just learning the process. making beer is giving life to an organism, not manufacturing a product. be patient.

 

A classic.

 

Can we make this into a sticky?

 

"BrewHacks!"
Sounds like the name of some poorly made reality TV show about making beer...

 

I thought it was a re-make of Taxi, set in a brewery with Danny DeVito as the tyrannical dispatcher/brewmeister . . .

 

Put a shirt over your glass carboy. It blocks light and has a convenient neck/airlock hole built in.

 

"Hacks". I hate that. "Tips and tricks".

Always use a yeast starter, you might need, you might not. Never hurts.

 

Jim would have to be the Head Brewer. His laid bad attitude and "experimentation" with substances would allow him to come up with the most inventive and original beer recipes....but his IQ makes him bumble at least one thing in every batch...let the hilarity ensue.

 

Seriously?

 

Best. post. ever.

 

I'm kind of surprised at the (somewhat) negative responses to this idea. There are some clever people out there doing clever things that could make anybody's day easier....I'd like to hear about them.

edit: waits for Crazy Russian LifeHacks homebrew edition

 

I think the idea for a true "Brewhack" thread is a good idea. I think the issue was the way the OP was initiated. I think all homebrewers could benefit from clever solutions to typical homebrew problems. I doubt everyone would benefit a listing of "best practices" like "make sure you sanitize".

One that I do resulting from a lack of space for a full fermentation chamber. I use a plastic storage tub and an aquarium heater to keep fermenting beer warm enough in the winter. I use the same practice for saisons when ramping up the temp into the high 80's. Is cheaper than a brewbelt and gives you more control.

 

Agreed.

I also realize that the OP's examples listed made him lose creditability but I think this thread began with good intentions.

 

"made him lose creditability"...now, THAT was the best thread of all time

...seriously, spigots on primary fermenters would be my "hack"...if I weren't a "hack"

 

I was a little surprised too, but every now and then the mob just gets a little unruly. I think what's at issue is there is already a whole forum devoted to homebrewing tips. It's kind of what we do here. The closest thing to one-stop shopping for homebrew advice is still a good book like How to Brew, as referenced in Vikeman's earlier post.

 

References to some memorable threads have been posted all up in here.