diff --git a/server/app.js b/server/app.js
index dc4e0c8ac..c4c10a8cc 100644
--- a/server/app.js
+++ b/server/app.js
@@ -407,7 +407,10 @@ if(isLocalEnvironment){
 //Render the page
 const templateFn = require('./../client/template.js');
 app.use(asyncHandler(async (req, res, next)=>{
+
+	// Assuming we have not received a brew yet, populate with default values
 	const brew = _.defaults(req.brew, DEFAULT_BREW);
+
 	// Create configuration object
 	const configuration = {
 		local       : isLocalEnvironment,
diff --git a/server/brewDefaults.js b/server/brewDefaults.js
index 72dc37c0a..94243b275 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 = {
-	text        : '',
-	editId      : null,
-	shareId     : null,
 	title       : 'Untitled Brew',
+	text        : '',
+	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 77d19d638..506af9293 100644
--- a/server/homebrew.api.js
+++ b/server/homebrew.api.js
@@ -73,17 +73,13 @@ 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();
 	};
 };