Beer types for big summer reunion - what types?
 

Hi all,

Just looking for a little advice. I will be soon brewing about 5 batches of beer for my family's upcoming summer get together. We have a good group of all ages, and most like to "put em down" while we camp at the lake. We usually get a pretty good variety of beers, but most people are still stuck on the mass produced beers or the "I wanna pretend to be a craft beer" types.

I usually like bolder types, such as Stouts or solid American types IPA's, but know that I may like types which are a little too far for most to enjoy.

What types of beers would you recommend I brew? I would really like to have an assortment that people who normally don't drink craft, let alone homebrew, beers would taste and go "wow - that IS good!" Assuming the brewmaster doesn't screw up (and I will have my beer stash at hand for the cool people!), what would you recommend? Beers will be kegged, at least 4 will.

Thoughts? Any advice would be appreciated, even experiences that you have had. I really would like to introduce people to the joy of drinking homebrew. About 40 people will be there.......

Thanks!

Can you lager? If most people are more into the BMC thing, you might want to play it safe and stay with lighter beers. Maybe a pilsner, a wheat (possibly with fruit), and an amber. Then you can have a keg of stout for you and something else. How long do you have to put this all together?

I have the last week of April off (furlough), so I plan to brew all week for this event and myself. LHBS will be happy! Get together is the week before and through the 4th of July, so I should have plenty of time.

To re-phrase: most people are fans of American light and adjunct lagers, or international lagers, german pilsners, dry stouts, american pale wheats, and pale ales.

Now it's up to you how much you want to brew what they like vs. what you like.

Pilsners, Cream Ale, Blonde Ale,

If it was me, I wouldn't brew anymore than 2 lighter beers. I would go with a wheat and and an APA on the lighter IBU side. The other 2 would be what I felt like brewing at the time and not care what "everyone" else might like.

Hmm. IMO, an APA counts as a high-IBU darker beer in a crowd like this. I'm on board with doing some things you like, but no sense doing something that isn't your favorite and isn't well-received by the lighter lager fans. Now if there are a fair number of Sierra fans there, that's another story.

Brew BierMunchers cream of tree crops. From what ive read it is a real BMC pleaser.

I agree make 10 gallons of what they might like and then brew the rest what you enjoy.
I would do the cream of three crops and a lighter irish red for the sure fire beers, maybe a Kieran Irish Immigrant American Amber for a middle of the road and then whatever you want. I would make all of the beers very quaffable though, you will be at the lake, in the summer after all.

Guess what? I don't care. Never have, never will. If they don't like it, they won't drink it, and I'll take it home. I just don't see the point in brewing a pilsner, cream ale, wheat, and a blonde.

I agree. But if I were going to brew 2 for them, I'd pick a cream ale and a wheat or something like that (2 of the ones on your list), not a pale ale or a mild or something else that isn't my favorite but also isn't all that likely to be something they really like.

Basically, I'd brew stuff for me unless I was really just brewing it for them, in which case I'd pick something right in their wheelhouse. No point in making something that's halfway in between my tastes and theirs, and winding up with a beer that isn't a huge hit with either of us.