New to Beer

So I've been brewing meads for a long time, no expert, but familiar with them. I've been drinking ciders for a very long time, I'm an expert at consumption. I want to try beers, but I have issues.

I love the smell of fermentation, the aroma of many beers is very appealing, but two things turn me off to beer very fast.

1. that bitter taste so many pale beers have

• the fact that I can consume a dozen ciders and feel happy, but two-three beers and I'm gone

Not sure if it's something in the beer or not, or why it hits me that way. As a result, a 6 pack of beer can sit in the garage all month.

Anyway, I enjoy Killian's, it doesn't strike me as bitter. I'm a fan of Guinness (when I want a beer that's a meal) and I've tried a few other darker beers. Various Sam Adams are OK as well.

So, what I'm really looking for is some beer advice. Given the above information, I want to not only get a better appreciation for beer, but I want to try brewing a few beers that may appeal to me more in small 1-2 gallon batches.

Ideas, suggestions, advice?

A dozen ciders and feel happy but two-three beers and you're gone? If it's not purely psychological then your ciders must be really weak as far as alcohol is concerned.

That bitter taste so many pale beers have? Like pale ales? The bitter taste in pale ales is due to the large amounts of hops thrown in those beers. Both killians and guiness have relatively small levels of hops. So if you don't like hoppy beers, then don't brew them.

Brew a low alcohol cream ale or stout and cutback on the hops. done.

Well the few ciders I have made are maybe 4-6% overall depending, the cider I buy are Strongbow, Hornsby and Woodchuck.

Bocks, Doppelbocks, Hefeweisens,Belgian whites, stouts , anything belgian.

Those are all low-hopped beers that I really enjoy. However, you might be better off trying a low alcohol beer like the Hef or Belgian White first. It should be easier.

Grab a beer guide off the internet and look at the IBU's of each style of beer. Or if you have an android or iphone you can download the BJCP application and check out the standards for each type of beer. It will give you a flavor profile as well as an IBU range for each style of beer. Find one that sounds good to you and give it a try. Most pales are going to be very bitter and are sort of an acquired taste.

Why is it people always say Guinness is a meal? It has 126 calories per 12 oz serving, Budweiser has 145, and Killians has 163. Anyway, I never understood why people say that. It's practically a light beer.

rjwhite41 said:

Why is it people always say Guinness is a meal? It has 126 calories per 12 oz serving, Budweiser has 145, and Killians has 163. Anyway, I never understood why people say that. It's practically a light beer.

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Agreed. There is something that psychologically hits people when they drink a black and smooth beer. It makes them think it's heavy and thick.

I, for one, think that stuff is way too light for my tastes <ducking for cover>(And tasteless)</ducking for cover>.

I use to hate pale ales,still one of my least favorites but love ipa's. They can be very hoppy but when well balanced its a great beer,to appreaciate a good beer you should try something like Sierra Nevada's Estate Ale or Dogfish 60 min pretty hoppy but balanced to make an incredible beer. I still choose these over pale ales.
IBU's arnt neccesarly an idicator of bitterness, if its balanced its really not.Also helps to pair them with food also.
Try good craft beers if you can get ahold of Two Brothers in the Chicago area they are great or Bells,Darkhorse,Founders,Boulevard Brewing-Nutcracker is awesome.