Below is a table of every completed Brülosophy xBmt that can be sorted by title, type, date published, and significance level. It is also searchable.
List of Completed xBmts
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242 thoughts on “exBEERiments”
So how about doing a xbmt on cold steeping vs. mashing, maybe on your schwarzbier? Just to see if it reduces the astringency, I have seen articles on that it does but does it affect other variables and how would you change the recipe to account for these.
It’s on the list!
How’s about doing xbmt on 2 packs of yeast vs 1 pack starter in high gravity beer. It’d save a lot of money for me, Thanks
I ask this question back last year: https://brulosophy.com/exbeeriments/comment-page-1/#comment-22993
I’ve just discovered your website and it’s amazing! It would be awesome if you did again “roasted barley vs. black malt” with stout.
Fantastic site, thanks!
Hello, have you considered doing an experiment for 60 Minute vs 90 minute boil?
You mean something like this?
https://brulosophy.com/2015/09/14/boil-length-pt-2-pilsner-malt-exbeeriment-results/
Hi, was wondering if you had ever considered doing an Xbmt on double drop fermentation vs regular fermentation on an English style beer. Love the website by the way and I look forward to the start of the podcasts.
Man, I haven’t heard the term “double drop” in years! I’ll definitely add it to the list. I’ll likely use my Ss Brew Buckets so that after 16-20 hours I can “drop” the fermenting wort vigorously from above the initial cake into a new bucket.
I’ve never used this method and am curious how it impacts beer flavor!
How about same day ground grain vs. 2 week or month old ground grain?
It’s on the list!
Cool! I was just searching for that one. I’ll look forward to it, and thanks!
I am also looking forward to this one! All of my brewing friends have vastly different opinions on this one.
Hi! I’ve been wondering (due to the frequent talk of the ‘juicy’ IPAs), of a comparison of lactic vs citric acid for mash/sparge. Maybe it could fit in your Water Chemistry theme? I’ve been reading about how citric acid can help get a ‘juicy’ aspect from hops… just a thought!
Added to the list!
What about BIAB vs 3 vessels?
It’s sort of on the list… none of use a traditional 3-vessel system, but we can replicate a fly sparge 🙂
Hey Marshall just gotta start off with saying I love reading xbmts. I’m wondering if you could do a sous vide vs rims mash? It looks like a possible cheaper viability to rims but not sure. Thanks
It’s on the list!
XBMT about hop bittering. First wort hop vs late 15 minute addition for hop bitterness. FWH claims smoother bitterness with more aroma but wouldn’t you get the same if not better results if you added a late bittering charge (15 minute) to get the same amount of IBU’s for bittering?
If FWH made any difference at all, I think this xBmt would have returned significant results: https://brulosophy.com/2015/07/06/the-first-wort-hop-effect-exbeeriment-results/
I notice several xBmt related to hop stands and dry hop, but what about a hop stand vs whirlpool? I think most commercial brewers will hop heavily for IPAs these days in the whirlpool, where the hops are being continuously moved during the extended cooling time. As homebrewers, we often replicate this by just dumping hops in after flame out for 20min without much stirring. I’ve done a few batches where I was bored and stirred often during the hopstand, and others where I just let them sit, and I seem to like them more the more I stir. Adding some more statistics to this would be interesting.
I read in one of the xbeeriments about using a same-day yeast starter. I can’t find it now, of course, but would like to try it.
Can you tell me which xbeeriment it was?
Perhaps it could be added to the “Methods” category?
Thank you for your help
https://brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/yeast-pitch-rate-pt-2-viable-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/
Always wonder what rye can give to a beer… How bout a 20% rye vs 100% pilsner malt? Maybe in a saison…
Yes! I’ve been thinking about doing an ingredient series just like this, though I’d be inclined to ferment with a clean lager strain to ensure any differences were readily apparent.
I love your experiments. I never miss reading the details and check back eager for the new one.
I am really enjoying reading through all the experiments. Suprising how many things don’t make much difference. I wonder if a brewer was to disregard a number of variables together whether the effect of not complying with numerous aspects would have a compounded affect on the quality of beer. I.e. Not hit one usual target and it not make much noticeable difference but not hit a few and it make much more considerable difference.
What about an experiment testing the efficiency of “underletting” (adding water to the grains from the bottom) vs doughing in by adding grains to the water…I’d love to underlet to avoid dough balls, but I’ve heard some people get reduced efficiency with this method
Hi, great website and podcasts. I really appreciate what you are doing. Do you think you could do an xBmt on overnight/ extended mashing….60 min vs 8 hrs. It’s a technique some people use to split the brewday in 2.
It’s on the list!
I would love to see this xBmt too. I often mash overnight to save time on brew day. I have often wondered if I’m hurting my beer by doing this. Although my beers seem to taste fine when mashed overnight.
Have you ever thought of doing something like an all of the above experiment for fermentation? You’ve isolated several variables and illustrated that maybe they don’t matter as much as we thought, but when a lot of us first started, we probably didn’t control temperature well, didn’t oxygenate, the yeast wasn’t as healthy back then, we were likely underpitching….etc. and I made some pretty bad beer.
You’re good brewers, so you can probably cut one corner, and still make good beer, but do you think there’s any value in replicating some of the things I described above all at once, if nothing else to show (or maybe not show), that these things do/don’t matter in the aggregate?
Have you considered investigating what the impact is of double batching into a single fermentation vessel? I.E. 2 batches of wort, 2.5 gallons each, separated by a brew cycle/day and then fermented in one 5 gallon fermenter
Interesting idea, added to the list!
One thing I always hear about making Helles, German Pils, etc. is that you should use the highest quality continental base malt you can get. I would love to see an experiment with using Weyermann Pils Vs. Great Western Pils malts to see if there is any discernible difference in a delicate lager like a helles.
It’s on the list!
How about those new cryo hops? I did a red IPA with 2oz of them in the dry hop and noticed very little change from pellets on aroma but did notice a 3-4 bottle gain from my usual yield. They have been purported to give better yield with half the necessary weight. . . I’m still skeptical. . .
On the list!
How about one to compare a beer made with floor-malted malt with the same beer made from the non-floor malted version of the same malt (i.e. floor-malted Maris Otter vs Maris Otter).
Definitely on the list!
I’ve heard that [5Gallon] recipes can be modified, by adding (or subtracting, but why!) a pound of DME and it won’t effect the general outcome all that much. I brew a lot of pale ales and IPA’s and was wondering how much different it would be (other than an extra 1% ABV).
This is a good idea:
The Impact of Adjusting OG with Malt Extract
Consider it added to the list!
I met you guys at NHC this year and can’t thank you enough for everything you do. Here’s my contribution to your exBEERiment section. I would like an experiment done where you split a batch of wort and first wort hopped them but made one boil over and not the other, in order to compare the final outcome on a boil over’s affect on first wort hop flavor/bitterness and potential loss in ibu’s in the final product. Cheers!
How about comparing sterilization with one of the usual sanitizers to a bleach solution (rinsed off of course) to see if you can actually taste a difference. A Petri dish culture would bee cool additional evidence to see if anything survives the sterilization process.
I’d also be interested in seeing a comparison of natural carbonation methods e.g. corn sugar vs table sugar vs unfermented wort.
Lupulin powder is the next big hop product on the market…what about an experiment that compares lupulin powder to traditional hop pellets?
How ’bout an experiment comparing fermentations of wort with and without yeast nutrient added?
It’s on the list!
How about an experiment to see if 2 brewers can create an identical beer from identical ingredients. You and a buddy each start with the same recipe kit, kitted on the same day from the same mfr. to ensure identical ingredients and freshness. Then each brewer is to follow the recipe steps of the kit as written, to see if certain quirks in your processes result in any differences in the final product. (I also wonder if different brewers interpret the recipe instructions differently?)
We did something similar with 5 brewers:
https://brulosophy.com/2014/11/27/a-brewers-thumbprint-investigating-the-idiosyncrasies-of-brewing-exbeeriment-results/
Please do a kegged IPA vs. bottle conditioned IPA exbeeriment!!
If you want to do a meaningful experiment that will be relevant to the vast majority of homebrewers just starting out, some serious light needs to be shone on the flavor improvements with kegging over bottling, not just the often cited convenience factor!
Not IPA, but…
https://brulosophy.com/2016/09/26/carbonation-methods-pt-2-force-carbonation-vs-bottle-conditioning-exbeeriment-results/
ARRG! I remember this one. Belgian and/or Saison yeast doesn’t throw awfully weird flavor compounds during bottle conditioning because they ALWAYS throw weird flavor compounds throughout the entire fermentation. You virtually picked the one style that doesn’t suffer from amateur bottle conditioning methods.
I firmly believe the vast majority of homebrewers start out with bottle conditioned IPAs (for obvious reasons) and get discouraged early on because they are SO hard to do right, when compared to kegged and commercial IPAs.
Do a kegged vs. bottle conditioned IPA, and finally put to rest the whole ‘can you even brew bad beer’ nonsense!!
Lots of conjecture here! We chose Saison because it’s a style commonly said to benefit from bottle conditioned. We’ll likely get around to comparing bottle conditioning to force carb with an IPA at some point, but it might be worth others’ while to do the same, it’s fun and informative!
I speak from years of struggle (but its all good now, I keg my IPAs.. the struggle is over for me, and no i’m not starting a beer experiment blog).
But come on! With this whole mythos you guys have earned of ‘Brulosophy has proven that what you thought was ruining your beer ISN’T WHATS RUINING YOUR BEER’ you gotta put this one at the top of your list. I can’t think of a more meaningful exbeeriment for beginning homebrewers.
Do an extract IPA, bottle condition it. Do the same extract IPA, keg it. Present it to your tasters. This is sooo simple, and so essential to the experience of beginning homebrewers!
That is unless true ‘beginner homebrewers’ aren’t your demographic (which may be somewhat true, and I would conceed that).
Looking for an exbeeriment to determine if closed transfers via CO2 makes a difference when transferring hoppy IPAs. i.e., does oxygenation during a typical transfer effect the hoppiness?
We’ve got a strictly kegging xBmt in the works, but this sounds like something you’d be interested in:
https://brulosophy.com/2017/09/11/the-impact-of-cold-side-oxidation-on-new-england-ipa-exbeeriment-results/
Hi Guys,
Whenever I ferment ales in my garage, I’m always mad at my son when he forgets to turn the light off because, as everybody knows, light is harmful to beer. Or is it ? Have you ever done or considered doing an xbmt to verify the impact of fermenting beer exposed to light on final taste ?
Thanks
It’s not that light is harmful, but rather ultraviolet light. We have xBmts planned!
Looking forward to this!
Mike from the UK here. Just discovered your site. Huge respect to your hard work. Amazed at some of the results particularly the ones that have no apparent effect in the final beer. I guess brewing is a process of many steps and thankfully changing (screwing up?) one of those variables still allows us to make great beer. Cheers.
Some of us doesn’t have the means to do a cold crash. And on a student budget experimenting with a whole batch is a scary thing. Is it possible to achieve a decent result, with fining methods such as ising glass or egg whites, without cold crashing or is it a waste of time?
I never used to cold crash and made good clear beer. Cold crashing is useful, but not necessary. You can make beer which is just as tasty without doing it.
Marshall,
I would love to see you guys do a side by side of a high gravity beer, like 1.100 or bigger to prove the point. Only difference being: Control is appropriate cell count pitch with an extra dose of oxygen at 12hrs. Experiment is SNS active starter, with an extra dose of oxygen at 12hrs.
I’ve been pitching 1200ml oxygenated active starters in ales and lagers for a couple years now. Recently I tried it on a 1.100+ imperial stout with 1450 and got excellent results. I went above and beyond with post pitch O2 doses. One 3hrs in, and another 12 hrs in
Mr. Beer vs. all grain, which is which?
What about a experiment comparing whole pellet dry hopping vs grinding the hop pellets for dry hopping. There isn’t a lot of info on this out.
The impact of enjoying a beer while brewing. Relating to brew consistency and mash efficiency.
Seriously thought…great information here. Learning lots. Short and shoddy for the ebiab win. Thanks !
I have been wondering about something. I read all the time, best use fresh milled grains for best extraction. I see on every exbeeriment, that your team mills the grain the night before.
Well, how does that affect taste? or extraction? I don’t have a mill, the brew shop is ~15 miles away, so I buy 50 lbs at a time, pre-milled. I generally get ~76-80% efficiency on my BIAB setup and the grains can be anywhere from 1 day to 4 months pre-milled. I store them in my basement, in a clean plastic container but not vacuum/hermetically sealed or anything. Just malt in plastic bags, tied with twine.
So I guess it is a two-fold question, how does older milled malt compare to fresh milled malt, both in terms of flavor and efficiency
I have seen some things online, but me thinks Brulosophy is a bit more “scientific” in these matters
It is on the list!
Sorry, I finally found that someone else asked about it about 1 year ago 😀 Didn’t mean t double post…
How bout a xbmt on 3 step decoction mash as opposed to single infusion on something like a Munich Dunkel.
Something like this?
https://brulosophy.com/2016/12/12/mash-methods-pt-3-decoction-vs-single-infusion-exbeeriment-results/
So here’s a interesting thing I read on BeerSmith, use 1mg of olive oil per 25 billion cells of yeast instead of aerating your wort. You can do this in your yeast starter. The idea behind it is,” Yeast requires oxygen to produce sterols and Unsaturated Fatty Acids (UFAs). These UFAs are needed by the yeast cells to form cell walls during fermentation, and if not enough oxygen is present the yeast can’t produce enough sterols and UFAs needed for healthy cells. This can result in high ester producetion as well as other off flavors. But if you can add the UFA’s directly without the use of oxygen then you can limit oxygenation. Thought you might be interested in giving it a shot!
I see I’m not the only one that was thinking about olive oil. I was wondering if it was on your list already too :-p
Also I recently came across malt conditioning and although it seems to be mostly about being able to give a finer crush to increase efficiency without having problems with lautering but I’d be curious if it had an affect on taste, especially as I’ve heard some condition the night before but don’t crush until the following day.
I’ll probably experiment with both these myself but figured I’d throw them out there as it could be interesting to other’s. Thanks for what you guys do!
I was reading in Designing Great Beers about how traditional aroma hops improve with age.Hersbrucker, Tettanger, Fuggle, Hallertau Mittlefruh, willamette, Styrian Golding and Record all start low in aroma but finish high after aging. Was wondering if you tried an exbeeriment with this?
Haven’t yet, but sounds interesting.
It could take a while to develope an exbeeriment like this but would be interesting to see the difference between a beer made with all fresh hops and one with aged hops of the same variety! Unless you can buy aged hops .
You can buy hops by harvest year, though suppliers do not always let you know that, especially on small 1-2 is sizes. If you ask they will often tell you. If you buy larger quantities it’s on the bag as well.
Hi all
I have recently cultured a heffe yeast from the dregs of a bottle of Czech brewer Herold (the heffe was incredibly nice, banna and vanilla, was perfect for a summer evening).
So I thought, great, new yeast, lets take it for a spin…i start me strike water, get the grain ready…and opps, I am all out of wheat….hmmm I wonder, what about an all barley beer with this heffe yeast? so, when I look it up, I find this is a style, called Dampfbier (german for steam beer).
So my question is, can you do an experiment heffe vs dampfbier,
same hops and yeast, except the dampfbier would receive only barley instead of 50/50 barley/wheat. See how different they are, if people can tell the difference.
I brewed mine with a 70/30 ratio of Pilsner/Vienna and czech Agnus hops for OG = 1.051 IBU rating of 16 and color of 4 SRM. I do not know what this yeast AA will be, so I cannot tell you the FG yet.
I’ve already started to think about brewing for the fall with the first round being a pumpkin ale. From reading online there seems to be varying opinions on when to add pumpkin with the majority split between: add it to the mash vs add it to the boil. I’d love to see a lightly spiced pumpkin ale testing the two methods and comparing the results.
Can the various levels of Candi syrup be tasted in the final product? Make one beer with D-45 and one with just regular sugar? Is there a noticeable difference or preference?
Took an interesting dive into a forum tonight and left me thinking of a few interesting exbeeriments. The post was about double mashing which in itself would be an interesting exbeeriment compared to a single mashed with the same grain. But the really interesting concept that came out of that was you could reverse step mash with your first mash temp high, say around 160 but then the 2nd mash would be at a lower temp 147ish. The idea behind this is the less fermentable sugars from the first high temp mash could hypothetically be broken down by the beta enzyme during the 2nd mash. I’ll definitely play around with this myself but in case you were interested wanted to pass it along. Cheers!
have you guys considered doing a greatest hits showdown. choose say the top 5-10 experiments you have done and compare doing all those in one brew and none of those in the other? id be very interested in that. cheers
I recently read in a Facebook page a discussion about the carbonation of beer.
They explained that carbonating with the method crank and shake the quality of the beer decreases with respect to the set and forget or the burst carbonating method, specialy in very hopped beers.
Did you hear someone comment on this? Maybe it would be a matter of experimenting
Cheers