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Torchiest · 09-13-2010, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daybis

That's how it went for me as well. I went for sweeter maltier beers. Now I'm on the other side of the spectrum with IPAs as my favorite style.

I was a major malthead for years, and only when I started brewing my own and smelling the hops before I through them in the wort did I start to gain an appreciation! I became a huge hophead for a while, but now I've kinda gotten back more into malt. I have a terrible sweet tooth though.

TwoWheeler · 09-13-2010, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torchiest

Wow, yeah, you don't like hops too much if you're using only Saaz lol.

No, actually, the "recipe" is from a Northern Brewer kit. I bought the first one as a "starting point" for a house beer and have been tweaking it each batch.

That's part of the reason for this post - I'm trying to figure out what I like/don't like, hop-wise, so I can play with that in future batches.

TwoWheeler · 09-13-2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bil

I would say that hop bitterness is an acquired taste.

I would think after over ten years of trying a crap-ton of craft beers, I would have acquired it by now!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bil

If you care to keep trying well-hopped beers (and you should, there's such a diversity of flavor out there!), I would guess you'll find yourself enjoying hoppy beers more and more.

I'm always willing to explore - which is what this post is all about - but I find that in beers as well as food, I prefer complexity and balance. I've found with the majority of aggressively hopped beers, it's all about "how bitter can we make it?", not "how can we use this bitter element in conjunction with the other elements in the beer?"

I've also had beers that went the other way - too sweet.

**MetallHed** · 09-13-2010, 10:42 AM

if you dont like them.... then you shouldn't drink them, eh?

brew/drink what you like, everything else is a waste of time and money.

TwoWheeler · 09-13-2010, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetallHed

if you dont like them.... then you shouldn't drink them, eh?

brew/drink what you like, everything else is a waste of time and money.

True. I'm not apologizing or trying to justify my tastes, but I'm always exploring what I like and why and always looking for new.

Hate to think I'm missing out!

lmerg · 09-13-2010, 09:40 PM

And for others perhaps the Belgians taste a bit off color? There is a french proverb that I will misremember here: There is no accounting for colors or tastes.

My brother and I are only on batch 6. But we're planning to start doing a series of kludged AG Smash recipes to learn exactly what you're asking about: hops.

Although I have to do the opposite as well: overcome my viceral dislike of Belgian / Trappish beers and learn about yeast and "fruity" flavors.

**MetallHed** · 09-14-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoWheeler

True. I'm not apologizing or trying to justify my tastes, but I'm always exploring what I like and why and always looking for new.

Hate to think I'm missing out!

Understandable, but after reading this....

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoWheeler

I would think after over ten years of trying a crap-ton of craft beers, I would have acquired it by now!

I don't like getting poked in the eyeball, but I'm not going to keep trying it for ten years on the chance that maybe someday I will.

Maybe buy an IPA or something hoppy every once in a while in hopes that MAYBE you will find something you like, then try brewing a clone. But it seems like you're experienced enough to know that you don't like it and won't like it, so it's like beating a dead horse.

Good luck to you! I didn't like hoppy beers before I started homebrewing, now they aren't that bad, and I like DogFish Head 60 minute IPA!

TwoWheeler · 09-14-2010, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetallHed

Maybe buy an IPA or something hoppy every once in a while in hopes that MAYBE you will find something you like,

I usually don't rule anything out, without trying it - I might miss something.

As an analogy, I don't like country music, but won't pass up listening to something just because it may have some elements of country in it. In this way, I have discovered several artists that, for some reason or other, even though they're heavily country influenced, I still like them. (Son Volt comes to mind). Had I just done a blanket condemnation of the genre, I would have missed out on them.

So it is with hoppy beers - I generally don't care for "bitter", but there have been a few that I DID like, and a few that were "...ok...". What I'm trying to do is figure out WHY I like the ones that I DO like, so I can add that to my "toolbox" when creating my OWN beers.

To illustrate that with yet ANOTHER analogy...(I'm full of them today...) I learned a trick from Indian cooking - toasting spices in a dry pan, then frying them in the oil you're going to cook in. Toasting the spices deepens the flavor and frying them infuses the oil. I use this trick all the time, not just when I'm making Indian food. (Works great in chili and that sure ain't Indian!)

vandeg · 09-14-2010, 06:52 PM

I'm probably like others, I can go either way. I like IPAs but I also like the darker beers as well. Its like Skittles and Chocolate to me...