So you’ve fine-tuned your recipe as we discussed in “Dialing in a Recipe,” and you just brewed exactly what you were hoping for. Celebrate that success, but understand that next time, it probably won’t turn out quite the same. For one thing, it can be hard to resist tinkering, but the truth is that, on our scale, relatively small differences in process can have a big effect down the line. For example, if you brew outside, variations in weather can impact how well your mash holds its temperature.
Inconsistency is what separates brewing enthusiasts from solid professional-grade brewers. Think about your favorite commercial beers that you’d have no problem recognizing. Would they be as good if they weren’t quite as dependable? Plenty of homebrewers will settle for each batch being a unique little snowflake as long as it’s tasty, but you worked hard to nail down that recipe and it shouldn’t be a one-off.
The good news is that, with some effort and attention, you can tighten your process and achieve some of the same predictability that you demand from an established brewery. The details of your recipe will get you to the right neighborhood, but reliably brewing the same beer takes control and active adaptation. Standard recipes list out the measured ingredients, starting and finishing gravities, and probably some basic process details such as mash steps and fermentation temperature. Brewing software such as BeerSmith or ProMash make that easier to manage, but let’s take a closer look at your process.