Reelale

Recipes 

Don't buy any beer. Just drink your homebrew. Soon, it will be the best beer you've tasted in a long time.

day_trippr

Recipes 

Well that's just a sad assessment. But, if that's the best you've done, I guess you'll just have to be happy with it.

Still sad, though...

Reelale

Recipes 

I brew pretty good beer. I also buy pretty good beer. I'm just stating what I've found to be the case. I'll be the first to admit that most, if not all of my beers don't equal the quality of some of the finer craft brews I've tried. Close, but not quite. So, when I want my beer to taste better, I simply don't taste any other beers. It works.

cluckk

Recipes 

So denying yourself good beer makes your homebrew better? This is not improving your beer but lowering your standards. I buy the best beer I can find and then strive to brew beers to that level. I'm not there yet but getting close.

__________________
"Cast your bread upon the waters for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land." Ecclesiastes 11:1f

Who knew there was an ancient recipe for beer in the Bible?

My paraphrase: "Since you don't know what disasters might befall you , when you make beer share it with friends. Someday you might need them to share with you."

Reelale

Recipes 

It's too hard to explain.

Akali

Recipes 

I buy commercial beer when I dine out. Local only. Too frugal. I love my beer. Most times I knock it out of the park. Not always. But even my worst attempts I've felt like i have bought worse. Brew on!

Jbird

Recipes 

That works for me.

julioardz

Recipes 

My approach is quite the opposite. I get an idea for a future batch and try a few commercial samples of a similar style. Then I think to myself, how can I make something better?

Just as I thought I had perfected my IPA recipe for my liking, I tried a commercial IPA I hadn't tried before and instantly wondered how I could tweak my recipe to create the same level of smooth bitterness as that one.

Personally, I would never stop drinking commercial beer. I do buy it less often, and it's mostly for research purposes. Or at least, that's what I tell my wife

brewinginnc

Recipes 

Add more hops

STB

Recipes 

My Favorites column on untappd has 2 commercial brews and the rest are my brands of home brew.