This recipe came from a Kit, but I tend to only make Kit brews once…after which I’ve got a recorded recipe I can tweak and customize. Here is an example of exactly that, where I’ve taken a kit recipe and modified it to use existing scrap ingredients I had laying around.
My brewing notes. I don’t use this much now that my primary interest is in simple hooch-making, but beer is still delicious (and fun to make)
I like to lay out my brewing instruction a little differently than most other brewers…it’s because my brain is cooky.
I lay them out with this template every time, which allows me to convert the confusing instructions online into steps that (I think) are intuitive and readable. An important thing to note, is that I like to lay out my instructions with “Ideal” and “Actual” columns. This way I’m able to document what was supposed to happen AND what actually happened, all in the same sheet.
For the two iterations of the recipe shown here, notice that the “Ideal” columns should have the exact same ingredients/amounts. The variation takes place in the “Actual” column, where ingredients are swapped out to accommodate available supplies.
Fresh Squished IPA, as brewed in February 2020
Fresh Squished IPA, as brewed in March 2020
Both came out nicely. For me, things don’t have to be all that tightly controlled. I think it’s best when the brewing process is
loose and fun.
