Wow, GABF was a ton of fun. I had a blast meeting up HBT'ers, drinking good beer, and generally walking around a rainy downtown Denver. Hope to see more HBT'ers next year. Now, I need to get brewing. Summer's over and the fall/winter brewing season is upon us.

Like the title says, I think brew kits and books do beginners a disservice by including hydrometers. After all, this craft has been around for thousands of years, mainly without hydrometers. In my experience, a hydrometer in a beginner's hands is an excuse to open up a fermenter and dig around in it.

Even though that's not normally a problem, it does increase the risk for something to go wrong. To what end? I honestly think most kits / beginner guides could just as easily dispense with the hydrometer and give instructions more along these lines:

1) Boil the wort
2) Add the hops during boil
3) Remove and let cool.
4) Put it in a sanitized fermenter.
5) Pitch yeast, add airlock.
6) Ignore it for a month.

So, sure, that's heresy to some, but I think a lot of beginners would have a better first batch if they were taught to leave it alone and let the yeast work its magic.