In this episode of the Quality-focused Pro Brewers Podcast, Hendo from Rockstar Brewer Academy and Adsy delve into the crucial yet often overlooked aspect of brewing – water chemistry. They aim to demystify how water, which constitutes 95% of beer, influences beer flavor and quality. The discussion highlights common mistakes brewers make by focusing too much on malt, hops, and yeast while neglecting water. Key challenges such as setting clear water chemistry objectives, understanding water’s role in beer’s flavor profile, and the limitations of relying on algorithms for water adjustments are explored. They advise brewers to prioritize beer pH, sulfate to chloride ratio, and calcium concentration over historical water profiles. Practical tips include getting water tested, proper use of brewing salts, and the importance of managing pH through all brewing stages. The insights aim to empower brewers to improve beer quality significantly by mastering water chemistry.

00:00 Introduction to Brewing Water Chemistry

00:53 The Importance of Water in Brewing

03:33 Challenges and Common Mistakes in Brewing Water Chemistry

06:14 Understanding Water Profiles and Why Relying on the Beersmith, Brew Father or Brewer’s Friend Algorithm Is Bullsh*t

08:14 Historical Water Profiles: Myths and Realities

13:25 The Importance of Testing Your Water at a reputable Lab

17:18 The 3 Key “Flavour Numbers” in Brewing Water Chemistry

20:42 Understanding Calcium in Beer

21:37 The Impact of Beer Color on pH in Brewing

22:32 Adjusting pH with Malts

25:07 The Role of pH in Beer Flavor

26:09 Using Bru’n Water Spreadsheet

12:05 Controlling Beer pH During Brewing

32:00 Tips for Managing Beer pH

34:25 Avoiding Common pH Mistakes

39:04 Final Thoughts on Water Chemistry

Be sure to connect with us at https://qualityfocusedprobrewers.com where you can join our Facebook group, chat with fellow Pro-Brewers in a constructive environment and chat with Hendo & Adsy!

Get My Free Guide – “The Pro Brewer Quality Checklist: The 5 Step Blueprint That Will Help You Brew World Class Beer….Fast!” – https://bit.ly/3f6ryQB

SOCIALS:

• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RockstarBrewer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockstarbrewer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockstarbrewer
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rockstarbrewer
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@RockstarBrewer

Brewery CIP and Cleaning Essentials with Kyle Smith

In this episode of the Quality-focused Pro Brewers podcast, Hendo interviews Kyle Smith from Gorman Smith about Brewery CIP (Clean-In-Place) systems and practices. They discuss the importance of cleaning and sanitizing processes, the differentiation between the two, and share insights on effective cleaning techniques. Hendo and Kyle delve into the role of chemical agents like caustic soda, peracetic acid, and their appropriate use. They also cover the potential dangers of incorrectly managing CO2 levels during cleaning and the implications of equipment passivation. Additionally, they highlight crucial safety practices, including the use of PPE, validating chemical concentrations, and ensuring equipment like spray balls and pumps are appropriately sized for their tasks. The episode provides practical advice for both new and experienced brewers to optimize their cleaning processes and maintain high-quality beer production.

00:00 Introduction to Brewery CIP

00:45 Meet the Guest: Kyle Smith

02:32 The Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitizing

04:28 Kyle’s Background and Experience

05:33 Common CIP Challenges in Breweries

10:24 The Variables That Affect CIP in the Brewery

21:00 The Science Behind Effective Cleaning

30:42 Methods to Verify CIP Including Using An ATP Meter

34:11 Understanding Stainless Steel Tank Passivation

42:00 The Importance of Proper Tank Maintenance

42:53 CO2 and Sodium Hydroxide Safety – Don’t Implode Your Tank!

47:50 Top Five CIP Tips

56:32 Conclusion and Community Invitation

Kyle’s Quick Guide on CIP Basics – https://www.gormansmith.com/blogs/news/how-to-perform-clean-in-place-cip-in-a-brewery-a-quick-guide

This episode is not sponsored by Gorman Smith but if you need stainless steel parts for your brewery, Kyle is a legend and is your man!

Be sure to connect with us at https://qualityfocusedprobrewers.com where you can join our Facebook group, chat with fellow Pro-Brewers in a constructive environment and chat with Hendo & Adsy!

Get My Free Guide – “The Pro Brewer Quality Checklist: The 5 Step Blueprint That Will Help You Brew World Class Beer….Fast!” – https://bit.ly/3f6ryQB

SOCIALS:

• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RockstarBrewer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockstarbrewer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockstarbrewer
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rockstarbrewer
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@RockstarBrewer

In this episode of the Quality Focused Pro Brewers Podcast, Hendo and Adsy dive deep into a critical aspect of brewing that many professional brewers overlook: defining beer quality. They discuss the two lenses of beer quality—Fit for Use and True to Brand—and explain why tweaking recipes won’t deliver the consistency brewers crave. Instead, they show how focusing on process improvement and clear quality definitions can elevate your beer to the next level.

Hendo and Adsy share real-world examples of how brewers get stuck in the “black box” of wort production, and offer actionable steps to break out of it by focusing on the cold side of brewing and standardizing key phases in production. Whether you’re dealing with diacetyl issues or struggling with head retention, this episode will guide you on how to diagnose problems, refine your process, and create consistently high-quality beer.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why it’s impossible to brew great beer without first defining what “quality” means.
• The two lenses of beer quality: Fit for Use (measurable metrics) and True to Brand (sensory characteristics).
• Why most brewers focus too much on wort recipes and not enough on the cold side of brewing.
• How to create a Product Specification that clearly defines your raw materials, process, and quality standards.
• How to remove emotional responses from troubleshooting beer quality issues.
• The importance of setting measurable targets to ensure consistency and continuous improvement.

Be sure to connect with us at https://qualityfocusedprobrewers.com where you can join our Facebook group, chat with fellow Pro-Brewers in a constructive environment and chat with Hendo & Adsy!

Get My Free Guide – “The Pro Brewer Quality Checklist: The 5 Step Blueprint That Will Help You Brew World Class Beer….Fast!” – https://bit.ly/3f6ryQB

SOCIALS:

• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RockstarBrewer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockstarbrewer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockstarbrewer
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rockstarbrewer
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@RockstarBrewer