5 Tips For Homebrewers Entering The Sonoma County Home Brewer's Competition

Here are some tips for creating a winning brew.

1. Beer Hygiene

It is imperative that you always be neat and clean. Don’t use bleaches on your equipment because it can cause a chemical reaction with the maltose molecules and end in a nasty flavor. Even a slight drop of bleach can destroy an entire batch of a perfect brew. There are so many cleaners and sanitizers available in the market, but you can purchase an inexpensive vodka which does the job just fine as a sanitizer. You can also use vodka in your airlock instead of water. Keep some vodka handy in a spray mist bottle so you can also use it on your equipment on the fly.

To keep you bottles clean use a large cooler that can hold as many as 48 beer bottles. Fill it with 6 - 7 gallons of water with the plug near a drain or sink. Add some no-rinse sanitizer. Sink your bottles neck up until they fill with water to the point they stop floating. You may need to add more water and sanitizer to get larger sized bottles submerged. Leave them there until you are ready for bottling process. Pull the plug to discard the water.

“JJ” Jay is the master brewer for Petaluma Hills Brewery. “ My advice is have a solid recipe, reasonable brewing procedures, and clean and sanitary space and equipment will produce an awesome beer every time!”

Click here to see the other 4 tips including master brewers from Bear Republic, Hen House Brewing, and Ken Weaver editor of All About Beer Magazine.