Top 10 Brewing MISTAKES I'VE MADE That You Should Avoid!

[@Unsub-Me-Now]

A mistake I made was starting to brew before we had theapartmentbrewer, TheBruSho, clawhammer supply, elementary brewing, party time brewing, just brewing, gnome brewing, the list goes on. I would have been making better beer faster if I had y'all to learn from back in 2010 when I started.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Add yourself to that list too!

[@Unsub-Me-Now]

@@TheApartmentBrewer ☺️

[@jeonghyeok]

So ture XD

[@tachyonpulses625]

I think plastic gets a bad wrap but for 17yrs that's how I brewed just because I'm a cheap dude. I always had the goal of "75% of what I brew to be as good or better then 75% of the retail beers and do this as cheap as possible". The older I get, the word "easy" is also used, ha! So this has been achieved. Oh, and if Home Depot buckets are used, you get that nice orange addition! ;) +1 for #10!

[@awolfejanson]

you should make this kind of video into a series! seems like ive had to learn about so many homebrewing mistakes the hard way lol

[@duanewolfe2321]

#10: Guilty. I have a notebook of all of the additions and steps from first to last with a box on the left side of each point to check off when completed. Therefore I don't miss things like the one time I forgot to take an o.g. reading after lots of beer

[@walkertexasstranger4349]

My biggest mistakes, I am embarrassed to admit I convinced myself I could burp a corny keg and use it in a pinch as a fermenter. I had to set up a keg line to a bucket. There is still splatter on my ceiling from that. Beer turned out great though. Most frustrating mistake was milling so fine that the grains lifted my flase bottom and clogged drainage. The frustration comes from the fact that I have done that twice...

[@arvidpetersson9076]

Great video man. I'm new to homebrewing and appreciate this a lot.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad I could help!

[@TwoTerriersBrewery]

All great tips to remember no matter how long you've been brewing! I'll only have a brew once the wort is in the fermenter and I start the cleanup. I also prefer brewing without others around, as distractions can happen all too easily. I would also add make sure all your gear is checked before you start, check all connections, hoses, nuts,bolts etc. A hose or clamp coming loose can really ruin your brew day! Great channel, love the content! 👍

[@thomasnovak3732]

Checking gear before brewing is huge, such a good recommendation. A while back I hadn't brewed in several years, checked my gear and had a few minor seals // grommets etc dry rotted. No bueno, but caught it before wasting time and money on brew day.

[@TheBruSho]

Love this list and that its from your experience, and I can also say I have done many of these as well. Sometimes mistakes are the best way to learn ha

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I totally agree, mistakes are the best way to learn!

[@dp5548-g1e]

Clean your equipment and tidy up the area before you start your brew day. Cords, hoses, boxes, and buckets can be trip hazards, so please be careful, especially around the boil! The planet needs more people like you! Happy Brewing!!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Safety first!

[@clubroot3383]

Best home brewing video I have seen on youtube. Made many of these mistakes myself, you’re honest enough to admit them on social media.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I appreciate that!

[@mrknaldhat]

A big problem with the "magnet trick" for dry hopping is that you blow out practically all of the aroma during fermentation. Just a 25L medium gravity beer produces somewhere around 500L CO2. Aroma gone.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Not sure if that really gets rid of most of the aroma. If anything, you're just exposing the surface of the Pellets to excess CO2, not the whole thing

[@austenbach3356]

Hot break!!! Don't walk away when the boil is almost to temperature don't even look away

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's a good one! Still really have found Fermcap S to help a ton, even to the point of being able to walk away

[@NWsmallbatchBrewing]

Preach brother ! Glad to hear someone else making these points on equipment and speed brewing. Cheers !

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you agree!

[@jimmystahl6823]

1. Using glassware to ferment in. Its just not worth the risk, plastic buckets. of the right grade does just fine. 2. Not investing in corny kegs. If you plan on brewing more than once in your life a keg setup is worth it, they have good resale value if you take care of them, so no real loss if you lose interest in brewing. everything becomes easier and safer with a keg. Nobody likes bottle bombs or sediment in the beer. 3. Getting stuck in a mindset of only cloning other peoples work. Most of the fun in homebrewing is in the experimentation and your own ideas. 4. Not getting proper tools for cleaning up, personally i hate doing dishes, so any equipment that makes cleaning up quicker and easier is worth it! 5. Recipe building software.. a brewhouse notebook gets all too easily destroyed by an errant bit of water, leaving you with mystery brews that you cant recreate fully. 5. Never trust stainless steel from china.. their idea of stainless is usually " it wasnt rusty when we shipped it" , get proper stainless from a trusted source.

[@redsideburnz]

My most common mistake is forgetting to close the valve on the bottom of my fermenter after draining the sanitizer and before putting my wort in! 😩 Seems like I always lose a pint as I’m standing there before noticing a puddle form on my feet! 😢

[@enbi2499]

nice video. helps a lot to know that pitching the yeast at a bit higher temperatures can disturb more than letting it stand for longer times to cool down. had my first brew day and the filter of my grainfather has been thrown off without me knowing. when i started the pump to cool down the wort it clogged the pump and it resulted in me going braindead on what to do with it since i cant just put a electrical system into a bathtub and i was scared about oxidizing the beer so i went to bed and decided to flush 20l of wonderful caramel brune into the toilet. what a disgrace -_-

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yikes, I'm sorry that happened!

[@1TheLord1]

I like what they say at Cantillon... Time does not respect what is done without it. I agree with what you said. Don't rush things. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Amen, good things come to those who wait!

[@michaelford8494]

#10 for sure. I never crack a beer until the middle of the sparge. After I turn my burner on low to help with time.

[@SchwarbageTruck]

Definitely hitting it on the head with there always being better equipment out there. It's very easy to fall down that rabbit hole, especially in this day and age of social media. I used to think it was weird that I've personally heard several pro-brewers kinda laugh at some of the scaled down equipment homebrewers used... then I remembered how much I, a wood-fired pizza chef, tend to roll my eyes at the suburban dads who own a high-end brick oven they keep in their back yard and still make pizzas wrong.

[@NoMusiciansInMusicAnymore]

No such thing as a wrong pizza unless you put pineapple, rocket or some hipster chutney on it

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its all about process! A brewer with good process can make better beer in a turkey pot and a plastic bucket than the newbie with a $5000 turn-key system every time.

[@laurenceprantner8618]

Ya, I like to keep a spray bottle filled with Starsan to spray on things in the brewery; but I learned to LABEL the spray bottle after I mistakenly used a spray bottle of Windex instead of the Starsan. when bottling a batch of Belgian Pale Ale; the result? Really foamy Band-Aid flavored beer. My neighbors complained about the smell as I poured out the bottles in the back yard. Disgusting. This could also have been the effect of drinking too much of my own beer while brewing. I have also made a lot of the same mistakes you describe here, and I hope more brewers watch this video; it could save them time, effort, money or even a marriage. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Oof! That's a rough one!

[@Eagle1846ytown]

I agree with not trying to turn around a beer in three days…that’s ridiculous. But I’ve had really good success in turning around big beers or really any beer in 12-14 days (latest being a 12% barleywine). The key here is your process, sanitation, fermentation technique, and yeast management (starter plus enough yeast, yeast nutrient). But I never actually aerate wort. To me beers are made to be consumed rather than aged for 6 months. The flavor will change (to me, it’s just different rather than better), but if your brewing process is nailed down, you can make fantastic beer that really does not need to age. All around, great advice!

[@Scootenfruity]

It depends. Of course the beer is better if you don't turn it arount in 3-5 days. But I had "surprise" partys where 10 friends joined me on a weekend and I had only a week to prep and from my point of view... ok beer is way better than no beer. I wouldn't make the same beer if I had time though.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It certainly depends. I definitely appreciate the way the flavor changes and the beer becomes more pleasant to drink over time vs just getting beer for the sake of having beer, but its all good to have a different motivation for it.

[@user-jx6sk9tq8w]

My worst mistake, Equipment interaction. After purchasing an immersion chiller. Before brew day, dropped it in my kettle. Tubes set below 5 gal mark, top hung over side of kettle. Thought I was ready to go... On brew day went to insert chiller. My kettle has a thermometer probe that sits several inchs into the kettle. Less then a quarter of tubes submerged into wort. Ran water for over 90 mins then just gave up and let it sit over night to cool,

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ouch, that's a rough one!

[@LiquidCrushable]

When brewing inside, clean your exhaust fan or ceiling above the boil. I was brewing in an apartment once that had a real nice stove. I had a beautiful porter boiling away, and I noticed an orange goo dripping from the ceiling into the boil! It was so gross! I sat down and cried. That was the same apartment that I learned the hard way that you shouldn't try to pour 5 gallons of wine out of a carboy! It broke ....wine and glass .....everywhere.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That is a rough way to learn those lessons!

[@perrymattes4285]

I have learned so much from you. Every brew is getting better.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's awesome to hear!! I'm very glad to help out where I can!

[@perrymattes4285]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I watch most of the popular brew guys. But I find you and Trent ( brew Sho ). Are facts you do hi-light your trips but there seems to be a much higher fact ratio in your videos. I am fairly new to brewing so I always like to get little nuggets. To be honest my last beer was ok. But I’m going for the European tastes like Czech Pilsner or a nice German Lauger.

[@scrappybobbarker5224]

Don't ferment in 5 gallon blue water jug without an airlock under the kitchen sink.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That might cause some problems lol

[@jeonghyeok]

Haha, #10 is super critical XD I opened up a Brewzilla valve after chilling not realizing I didn't plug a spigot to a fermenter LOL. 2.5 gal wort straight to the sewage XD

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Dude, we've all been there haha

[@paskrell]

Number 1 is not a mistake 😂 just teasing. I’ve done loads of rushing never pays off. Good points there!!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha its different for different folks!

[@markcook5117]

I've made every mistake known to man kind, most happened after my 6 beer I tried to ferment for 3 days before I looked in the fridge and found my yeast.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha oof. That one's tough, you kinda need the yeast to make beer!

[@kennyrazor81]

grams ounces and pounds make sure to make sure you know your unit of measurement!

[@kalebwatts1580]

Great tips mate, I generally brew with tap water and have brewed some great beers, Campden tablets are definitely a must though.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

They are cheap insurance for good water quality!

[@gardenpondfishgreenhouse573]

By the time you heat the tap water up to brew temp, there is going to be little to none of Chlorine left and the boil will remove all plus any Chloramines

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Great tips Steve! i’m totally guilty of number one as well! I just love gadgets! Cheers

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You and me both!

[@GentleGiantFan]

Mine was definitely the excess spending when I started. I've taken a less is more approach the past year and got rid of a lot of stuff. You don't need shiny expensive bling equipment to make good beer.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

This is true! Its nice to have but not necessary!

[@afinecupofcoffee8476]

Not me drinking during the boil after Elden Ring came out and totally forgot my beer was boiling outside....

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Oof

[@lafamillecarrington]

And I thought that I'd invented the magnet dry-hopping system! Previously I thought I'd invented a magnetic visor for my cycle helmet - that also turned out to be commercially available. Still, it is fun thinking up and making these things - and cheaper.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Homebrewer ingenuity is always a great part of this hobby!

[@midknightg1]

Love the videos man! Just now getting a homebrew set up going and your videos have helped me immensely. I found a solid kegerator set up I plan on getting but still not totally comfortable on how everything gets kegged and pressurized. Would love a video on Kegging/Pressurizing basics if youre willing! Either way, keep up the great work!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Noted! Welcome to the hobby!

[@ItsBugtronic]

I would say getting distracted and rushing thru the process has caused most of my mistakes. The most notable one was not making sure all the starstan was out of a keg before filling it, ruining a bunch of otherwise delicious beer for a silly mistake. Now I realize being prepared and having a clear mind focused on what you're doing is the best practice.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You're not the only one who's made that mistake!

[@garyelderman1229]

#10 on brewday. Especially when using propane and making bigger batches

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Definitely presents a safety problem!

[@plumpony770]

I feel like #10 was directed at me lol. NOTED. Love the videos man!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ha! You aren't alone at all!

[@jaggersbrewingco]

Very nice list!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@HuBruBrewing]

Crackin that first beer once the boil starts is what ive been doing actually.. dialing in for your mash temp can be tricky lol

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Same here!

[@coalacorey]

Just made a Dunkelweizen that I'm sure has chlorophenols in it. I couldn't taste it, but it did have a strong alcohol smell (could also be fusel alcohols?). My dad couldn't perceive it at all but I felt that it slightly 'stung' in the nose. I'm still getting the hang of it and will soon invest in a AIO RIMS system, just not sure how much I want to spend and how big I want to go. The Grainfather and Brewzilla look amazing but are way more expensive than e.g. a Klarstein Brauheld or Brew Monk (I'm from Europe/Germany).

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Hmm, sounds more like fusel to me. Chlorophenols are more like a rubber hose or band-aid flavor. I think that those issues would be solved by either throwing a cheap campden tablet in your brewing water or paying closer attention to your fermentation, not by changing up your system.

[@mutantryeff]

Given that I ferment in kegs, I chill down the wort in the kegs by inserting the keg into a garbage can filled with ambient temperature water (with some bleach in it to keep things from growing in the water). From there, it goes straight to the kegerator to bring to pitch temps.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nice!

[@ryang3610]

Appreciate your content. Helped me a out just getting started out

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad to help!

[@JohnnyReverse]

Amen to drinking on brewday. Dry brewdays only for me.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It certainly helps keep your mind clear!

[@campfiretunes8598]

Another great vid. Ive made all those mistakes as well.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for watching!

[@Fyrwulf]

Forgot a blowoff tube on a Belgian Dark Strong and it blew up on me. Thought I could save it by sanitizing the bung and airlock before reattaching, but nope.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yikes, using fermcap S can really help with those huge krausens.

[@Fyrwulf]

@@TheApartmentBrewer That was my first partial mash, so I wasn't as dialed in back then. Now I know better.

[@joshspencer1934]

No drinking until the boil. That’s my rule too. Especially for anyone joining. The last thing you need is spilled boiling wort. Might as well be napalm

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It certainly helps and yes, definitely important for safety!

[@heindaddel7074]

Budget tip: use a spoon instead of a sous vide magnet for the inside.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Just watch out for rust, if its magnetic its likely not stainless steel

[@GREEENZO]

Agree with all of these! However, number 1 is my kryptonite.. lots of buyers remorse over the years lol

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Hey, it happens to all of us! Otherwise I wouldn't be making this video!

[@downsouthtroutmouth6217]

Got about 6 beers done and I’m considering building a fermenter out of a sankey keg. Good idea over a plastic 5 gal carboy for closed transfers to corny? My last two SmAsh IPAs looked like amber ales and were hardly drinkable.

[@TheFloaterjoe]

I busted up laughing at “do you really need a can seamer, glycol chiller and stainless conical?” While standing next to all those things.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Same here though, although I don't have a glycol chiller. But my conical is gathering dust, and my can seamer gets used maybe once a month.

[@clubroot3383]

I have a glycol chiller, it’s a great bit of gear to control temperature, especially during winter to take the advantage of colder temperatures but use it to push down that temperature for lagers for isinglass and get that beer into a temperature controlled freezer for conditioning. I have 2 unitanks, which have completely transformed my beers into high quality drinks. I totally agree that we are all vulnerable to buying stuff that we don’t need, my biggest mistake was buying a 7 gallon fermenter, too small if you don’t want to brew too often, and kegs not made in Italy. I have also wasted lot of money on fancy liquid yeast, when dry yeast will do a better job at half the cost, and yes you can keep it going for months after harvesting, as well as freezing it with 15% solution of glycerin.

[@TheFloaterjoe]

@@clubroot3383 I should have said it differently. But the answer is yes. The fancy stuff is the best! But I do regret buying a full pallet of cans

[@eddiane]

Mistake is not paying enough attention to the COLD side of brewing. While a glycol chiller can be expensive when bought commercially, a handy person can build one for very cheap and it will do the exact same thing as the 1000 dollar beauty. Great beer can be made by paying attention to your fermentation!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's a big one!

[@gardenpondfishgreenhouse573]

By the time you heat the tap water up to brew temp, there is going to be little to none of Chlorine left and the boil will remove all plus any Chloramines

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Not true. Chlorine needs at least 8 hours to evaporate out. The boil alone does not remove chloramines or all chlorine compounds.

[@terryt-rexhanke746]

Great information!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@intuitivehomebrew3199]

Pitching too hot and rushing a beer. Anytime I think back on what I could have done differently, those two frequently pop up. I slightly disagree on the Chlorine topic - IF and only IF you live in an area that uses plain Chlorine in the water. Chloramine is a different story... We used to live in an area of Washington that had such highly chlorinated water it smelled like a swimming pool, and I never seemed to notice the band-aid off flavor. Maybe I just boiled it off?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That will kill the beer every time. Chloramine will still produce chlorophenol to my knowledge, but maybe its not as pronounced? Its also possible you aren't as sensitive to it as others

[@skepticfucker280]

10. But brew day is my excuse to drink to much.........

[@MrMittens1974]

But... but... shiny stuff 🤤

[@mike2404]

I was right with you until mistake #10. 🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha, oof. Yeah you kinda need the yeast to make beer

[@deckerhand12]

I can back up drinking to much on brew day. Do to a boil over and me reaching over to cut the power I have a nice scar that looks like an ice cream cone

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ouch!!

[@ChaoticDesert]

Did my first brew this past weekend and I realized I didn’t strain out the wort before putting the wort in the fermenter. How will that affect the outcome?

[@MikeP350]

Trub from your kettle going into your fermenter isn't a big deal IMO. Brulosophy has done this experiment and found no flavor difference in the final beer. #1 thing it will affect is your final clarity. Going from your mash into your boil is a different story. You don't want a bunch of grain going into your boil as it will contribute tannins to your beer.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yup, nothing to worry about here

[@tommanning7337]

Yeah man!!! 😎👍🏻👍🏻🍺🍺

[@JPch108]

E eu uso o fermzilla... Para dry hop... Fecho o copo e só abro no 3 dia... Obrigado Portugal Aveiro

[@Brizzazzle1994]

Good evening! Just recently found your channel and i'm a huge fan, already. Recently i had a batch that i intend to throw out because it tastes entirely too yeasty, and very unpleasant. This was the result of the "brew day from hell" as i like to call it, cause it seems nothing went right. I'm a very amateur brewer but i'm wondering if you could tell me what may cause flavors such as that? It's worth noting that i believe my most likely culprit(as far as i know) is i had to pitch a second batch of yeast because after 4 days the original batch gave exactly zero activity.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Welcome to the channel! Most likely this flavor will go away over time - try to store the beer cold after fermentation if you can so that the yeast and other flavor producing particulates can settle out, that might help

[@Brizzazzle1994]

@@TheApartmentBrewer thank you for the tip! I'll give it a shot!

[@L4wyrup]

Did I spot a glass of mead right at the end or is that my wishful thinking there will be a mead / braggot episode coming up?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nah just regular old apple cider. Although I really want to do something like that!

[@zzing]

Too late, I already have a glycol chiller!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Still a good thing to have!

[@zzing]

@@TheApartmentBrewer that is what I thought. It is a grainfather, as the design I think is the best for apartments. I am thinking a spike flex+ or a conical might be a good choice. Just have to make a controller for it.

[@MrDgmiller]

What are your thoughts on hot side aeration

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpu5Ymdrq6uUq6s

[@MrDgmiller]

@@TheApartmentBrewer thanks

[@MinnesotaFats]

Big mistake #1: giving up brewing

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Very true!

[@MDV1982]

Are you Turkish?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

No

[@chrisparisi7291]

First