"Cheating" at homebrew?

Vanilla extract -- not cheating.
Flour in boil -- of questionable value.

 

One truth about homebrewing is that there are some purists in the hobby who don't like non-noble hops, vanilla extract, non-Reinheitsgebot brewing, artificial ingredients that are chemically identical to natures', wood that isn't in barrel form, table sugar, force-carbonated beer, non-cask beer, non-spontaneously fermented beer, etc.
RDWAHAHB

 

Some people just like to feel superior to others.

With that said, adding flour sounds like a bad idea from a quality point of view. I would not regard it as cheating, but I would not do it either.

 

True confessions: I've added flour to a Lambic

 

All of my vanilla additions were technically extracts. I better give my medals back... yeah right.

 

You forgot blended beer!

 

Cheating in homebrewing boils down to passing off something you didn't make as your own. This is the equivalent of theft or plagiarism. Competitions frown on that. Most competitions don't want entries that were prepared in a commercial brewery either in whole or in part*. But you can use commercially prepared non-beer products in a homebrew, like vanilla extract, hazelnut liqueur, bourbon for a bourbon barrel stout. You have to own the beer part -- the wort production and fermentation.

*One exception I can think of is using bottle dregs as a fermentation agent. Also, there are occasionally special competitions based on using commercially produced wort in your homebrewery.

 

I think this phrase comes from a very competitive person, there are people that compete on everything in life . I do prefer to feel free of adding whatever could help me to build a tasty beer regardless any kind of an imaginary competition .

 

By this person's sentiment, using malt extract would seem to be an extremely egregious form of cheating.

Homebrewing is a hobby and the whole point is relaxation and enjoyment. Don't diminish the experience by worrying about adhering to anyone else's opinion about your process.

 

I think I would have said " F___K off! "

 

My understanding of this practice in sours beers is that it provides some starches that serve as a long-term food source to one or more of the organisms in the culture that you hope to nurse. I get the logic.

I worry about providing lots of starches that could act as a food source for organisms you don't want in, for example, a non-sour beer. If the yeast don't eat those starches, eventually something else will - the bacteria that sanitation efforts failed to kill.

 

Jim, you da man!!

Cheers!

 

Not sure what this has to do with home made vanilla extracts, but preach on brother!

 

You probably figured out that I meant to aim my mouse at the post above you :

To your post, I meant to reply "Yes, you should give back those medals and let us honest homebrewers have a chance at the glory."

 

You can do whatever you want to with your homebrew. That is part of the fun. Now in regards to the Milkshake IPA. In an interview the Tired Hands owner actually states that they used wheat flour and Apple puree in the boil for their Milkshake IPA collab with Omnipollo. I wouldnt use the wheat flour myself but the apple puree is an interesting idea for a permanent pectin haze. Also most juice blends, smoothies, etc. Have an apple juice base so the flavors could help you get closer to the smoothie/milkshake flavor range.

 

I have thought about adding pectin (like the stuff used by people who make homemade jam) to the boil in an attempt to get a lasting haze. Haven't tried it though.

 

Honestly, I felt my vanilla flavor in a porter I made was very weak.... used two beans for a week in secondary and was kind of meh about it. Also 4 weeks after having my first one, it was almost gone. The beer it's self was a kit from the LHBS and was meh to start with. I feel a little extra would of been nice and would not call using an extract cheating. Also 8oz of cocoa nibs wasn't enough to do anything....

 

Here is where fresh matters. I use 2 beans in an imperial stout and after a week it was very present. A year later, vanilla was still there.