diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
index 369070f99..cd197f5fb 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ const NewPage = createClass({
 		}
 
 		localStorage.setItem(BREWKEY, brew.text);
-		localStorage.setItem(STYLEKEY, brew.style);
+		if(brew.style)
+			localStorage.setItem(STYLEKEY, brew.style);
 		localStorage.setItem(METAKEY, JSON.stringify({ 'renderer': brew.renderer, 'theme': brew.theme }));
 	},
 	componentWillUnmount : function() {
diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
index 64ced6072..cff8ebe32 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ const PrintPage = createClass({
 	getInitialState : function() {
 		return {
 			brew : {
-				text     : this.props.brew.text || '',
-				style    : this.props.brew.style || undefined,
-				renderer : this.props.brew.renderer || 'legacy'
+				text     : this.props.brew.text     || '',
+				style    : this.props.brew.style    || undefined,
+				renderer : this.props.brew.renderer || 'legacy',
+				theme    : this.props.brew.theme    || '5ePHB'
 			}
 		};
 	},
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ const PrintPage = createClass({
 						text     : brewStorage,
 						style    : styleStorage,
 						renderer : metaStorage?.renderer || 'legacy',
-						theme    : metaStorage?.theme || '5ePHB'
+						theme    : metaStorage?.theme    || '5ePHB'
 					}
 				};
 			});
diff --git a/server/app.js b/server/app.js
index dc4e0c8ac..de7586209 100644
--- a/server/app.js
+++ b/server/app.js
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ if(isLocalEnvironment){
 //Render the page
 const templateFn = require('./../client/template.js');
 app.use(asyncHandler(async (req, res, next)=>{
-	const brew = _.defaults(req.brew, DEFAULT_BREW);
+
 	// Create configuration object
 	const configuration = {
 		local       : isLocalEnvironment,
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ app.use(asyncHandler(async (req, res, next)=>{
 	const props = {
 		version       : require('./../package.json').version,
 		url           : req.originalUrl,
-		brew          : brew,
+		brew          : req.brew,
 		brews         : req.brews,
 		googleBrews   : req.googleBrews,
 		account       : req.account,
diff --git a/server/brewDefaults.js b/server/brewDefaults.js
index 72dc37c0a..092f7070a 100644
--- a/server/brewDefaults.js
+++ b/server/brewDefaults.js
@@ -1,30 +1,36 @@
 const _ = require('lodash');
 
-// Default brew properties in most cases
+// Default properties for newly-created brews
 const DEFAULT_BREW = {
+	title       : '',
 	text        : '',
-	editId      : null,
-	shareId     : null,
-	title       : 'Untitled Brew',
+	style       : undefined,
 	description : '',
+	editId      : undefined,
+	shareId     : undefined,
+	createdAt   : undefined,
+	updatedAt   : undefined,
 	renderer    : 'V3',
+	theme       : '5ePHB',
+	authors     : [],
 	tags        : [],
 	systems     : [],
 	thumbnail   : '',
 	published   : false,
 	pageCount   : 1,
-	theme       : '5ePHB'
+	gDrive      : false,
+	trashed     : false
+
 };
-//  Default brew properties for loading
-const DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD = {};
-_.defaults(DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD,
+// Default values for older brews with missing properties
+// e.g., missing "renderer" is assumed to be "legacy"
+const DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD = _.defaults(
 	{
-		renderer  : 'legacy',
-		published : true
+		renderer : 'legacy',
 	},
 	DEFAULT_BREW);
 
 module.exports = {
 	DEFAULT_BREW,
 	DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/server/homebrew.api.js b/server/homebrew.api.js
index 3bb7221ec..550da0ddd 100644
--- a/server/homebrew.api.js
+++ b/server/homebrew.api.js
@@ -76,17 +76,12 @@ If you believe you should have access to this brew, ask the file owner to invite
 				throw 'Brew not found in Homebrewery database or Google Drive';
 			}
 
-			if(typeof stub?.tags === 'string') {
-				stub.tags = [];
-			}
+			// Clean up brew: fill in missing fields with defaults / fix old invalid values
+			stub.tags     = stub.tags     || undefined; // Clear empty strings
+			stub.renderer = stub.renderer || undefined; // Clear empty strings
+			stub = _.defaults(stub, DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD); // Fill in blank fields
 
-			// Use _.assignWith instead of _.defaults - does this need to be replicated at all other uses of _.defaults???
-			_.assignWith(stub, DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD, (objValue, srcValue)=>{
-				if(typeof objValue === 'boolean') return objValue;
-				return objValue || srcValue;
-			});
 			req.brew = stub;
-
 			next();
 		};
 	},