How many of you quit experimenting after you found "it."

Ol' Grog · 01-08-2007, 02:28 PM

I was curious. After you've played with kits, went to your own recipes or found a particular brew that you just absolutely love, do you continue to experiment with other brews or is that it? I mean, do you continously brew the same brew time after time because to you, this is the holy grail and no need to continue on? Or keep your favorite as the stock and still continue to experiment or try different brews and/or brew techniques???

**RichBrewer** · 01-08-2007, 02:31 PM

I guess I've never found "it" yet. I never brew the same thing twice. I'm always tweaking recipes.

cweston · 01-08-2007, 02:32 PM

I very rarely repeat a brew: variety is the spice of life, IMHO.

A lot of my batches are very similar, of course: I'd say about 50% of my batches are something from the bitters/pale ale/IPA sphere.

I only brew a little more than once a month, on average, so I don't mind taking the time to formulate new recipes and try new things.

rdwj · 01-08-2007, 02:36 PM

There is no 'perfect' beer much like there is no 'perfect' food. You have a taste for different things at different times.

**the_bird** · 01-08-2007, 02:43 PM

My plan for the year is to develop a "house" pale ale that I'll always have around, but I'm sure it'll take a lot of tweaks to get right, and frankly I doubt I'll ever stop playing around with it. Besides that, though, I'm always in the mood for something different, so I can't ever see myself brewing something and not wanting anything else. It's not like "I'm a Bud man, so all I drink it Bud" - sometimes I want an IPA, sometimes I want a smoked porter, sometimes a little wheat beer is refreshing.

Once I get *good*, I'll probably play around with other things that I usually wouldn't buy, like barleywines and some Belgians. That's the fun, learning to do new things, searching for new ideas and techniques. There's no "end point."

Willie3 · 01-08-2007, 02:44 PM

I brew for the season usually. Sometimes just out of curiosity, others out of desires. I never brew the same twice, or haven't yet. There are a couple I would like to try again, but there are too many styles to brew that I get caught up in the whole lifestyle. Someday, maybe someday!!!

- WW

Evan! · 01-08-2007, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol' Grog

I was curious. After you've played with kits, went to your own recipes or found a particular brew that you just absolutely love, do you continue to experiment with other brews or is that it? I mean, do you continously brew the same brew time after time because to you, this is the holy grail and no need to continue on? Or keep your favorite as the stock and still continue to experiment or try different brews and/or brew techniques???

I'm a veteran beer connoisseur, but I'm relatively new to this hobby. As such, I want to try all of my favorite styles, and also to try some new stuff that I can't get anywhere else. As such, I've only repeated one recipe, a basil pale ale. After 24 batches, I think I am ready to do another repeat, because I love, love, love my Chocolate-Coffee stout so much, and I know it's not gonna last forever. Along with the Winter Warmer and Steffiweizen, that's about as close as I've gotten to "it"...and those are the three that I'm scheming on repeating someday. Otherwise...I love trying new stuff.

Evan! · 01-08-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_bird

Elitist A-C King!

Brilliant, mang, just brilliant!

ayrton · 01-08-2007, 03:24 PM

I'm actually trying to avoid doing a recipe duplicate for as long as possible. I want to try to make a bit of everything before I go back to try anything again. I like too many beer styles for there to be an "it" for me (although I do have some preferences).

Evan! · 01-08-2007, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayrton

I'm actually trying to avoid doing a recipe duplicate for as long as possible. I want to try to make a bit of everything before I go back to try anything again. I like too many beer styles for there to be an "it" for me (although I do have some preferences).

Hehe, once you make something that blows your mind, and you run out of it...then you'll sing a different tune.