How many batches before .......

......I venture out with my own idea? :rockin:

if you're making good beer, go for it.

if you're still getting off flavors, i'd hold back.

my one piece of advice: keep it simple. like, real simple.

the two previous beers I designed myself were.....interesting. so on my "home-designed" i kept it real simple: maris otter and simpsons medium (esb).

hydro samples were great, i'll let you know how it is in a month

cool keep me informed.

I started writing on my second recipe. Half the fun for me is writing the recipes. Of course, I've researched a lot, read a lot of books (a ton), drunken a lot of different commercial beers/styles, etc.

If you think you want to try your own recipes you should go for it. If your technique is not perfect, that will be okay. Just keep it simple so that if there are faults they will be easier to track down. Make sure you run all the numbers on the recipes you make. When I started making my own recipes I made a Red Ale with Columbus hops, they were super high on the AA and I just threw them all in without running the numbers to find my IBUs, it was a face melter and I'm not a big fan of that. The best tip I can give is to keep track of your BU:GU ratio. BU is bittering units, the same thing as IBU. GU is gravity units, so 1.057 will be 57 gravity units, 1.042 will be 42. I find a BU:GU ratio of .6 to be very balanced, but that is on my palate, you'll have to find your number and orbit around it.

Go for it... I don't follow recipes at all. I just make beer. To me, it's more of an adventure that way.
So far I've only made one batch that I didn't care for.

Cool. I like really dark and really bitter ales. I also find that 7.5 to 8 % to be my preference..........

I plan on making a "Devil Dog Ale" something like a bastard ale but with a kick.

I have never followed a recipe or try to clone a beer. I always just make my own up. But I have found that the more simple you keep your recipe, the easier it is to distinguish certain flavors and aromas from certain ingredients. I have found that my best AG beers have been using 2 different malts and 2 similar style hops.

Keep it simple and write your own recipes. It is quite simple to create beer of your own design. The trick comes when you try to make the perfect beer. That will only take time though, so don't sweat the small stuff. If you like dark, go with tradition of a Dry Irish Stout. If you like hoppy, then do a really simple style of IIPA. Check out the one in my dropdown for a good example and then just play from there.

brewagentjay said:

I plan on making a "Devil Dog Ale" something like a bastard ale but with a kick.

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Yeah, I don't know how anyone can drink that fizzy piss.

TO the OP, I went a bout 3 batches before I trie my own. I second the simple at first plan. I made a MO/Citra SMaSH that is killer. My next SMaSH plan is Munich/Hallertau. A great way to really taste what's in your glass.

I have done a total of 0 batches that were not self-designed. I think recipe creation is a fun part of the brewing process. If I make something bad, I chalk it up as experience and try to figure out how to make it better next time.

I'd like to make my version of a Trappist ale at some point but I need a lot more batches under my belt before I attempt that.

Well, I think my third batch is going to be my own creation "Devil Dog Ale". I have been pushed into it since somone on the board doesn't approve. Funny thing is I don't recall asking for approval and didn't know I needed one.

My first batch was OFlans Standard Stout. Second was a Gluten Free Extract batch I came up with, 3rd was my Extra Stout in my dropdown. The only one that hasn't been mine was my first. I like coming up with new things on my own, but that's just me.

10.2 but only if you are brewing on a Tuesday.

FYI, Laughing Dog Brewery has a Devil Dog IIPA, if that matters to you.

http://www.laughingdogbrewing.com/ldb/brews/devil-dog-imperial-ipa

My first batch 6 some years ago has been the only time I followed a recipe. Making your own recipe requires that you get to know the grains, hops, and yeasts far better than following a recipe ever will.

Crave said:

FYI, Laughing Dog Brewery has a Devil Dog IIPA, if that matters to you.

http://www.laughingdogbrewing.com/ldb/brews/devil-dog-imperial-ipa

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That's cool but their devil dog has nothing to do with Marines. I'm planning my devil dog ale to be my Marine "Devil Dogs" brew.

Also I'm not doing a IPA. So all is good.

So after all the suggestions I think I'll go with "Do what you enjoy doing" approach. I enjoy brewing and I'll love creating my own brew. So Third batch is going to be self creation.