Are you a perfector or an explorer?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

progmac

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
1,878
Reaction score
286
Location
Cincy
It seems that homebrewers either brew a couple of recipes until they get them just perfect or they brew something different almost every time. The first group seeks the perfect beer, the second group wants to try new things, explore, and perhaps brew styles that are uncommon.

I haven't brewed a lot, but I'm already recreating an earlier brew, because it is so close to perfect. I want to see if I can get it just right. In the back of my mind, I have some ideas for crazy beers, like bacon stouts, but I wonder if i'll ever get to them. I'm afraid I'd have 5 gallons of something I didn't like and none of the beer that I know that I do.

Perhaps there is a third way. But I believe the third way requires twice as many carboys and a more understanding spouse :)
 
I'm an explorer I guess. I have rebrewed one recipe with tweaks to it, but I did 11 gal instead of 5. And 6 of those gal were experimental. I have ideas for so many beers that I want to try and just don't have the time to do them. Next up is either a new hoppy amber type thing, or a sour (still haven't decided on sour mashing or to wait it out for the real thing(if I do this I'm just gonna pitch every dreg I come across and hope for the best))
 
I think most brewers are both. I flail around, brewing all sorts of odds and ends then when I find I've got nothing but sour beers and belgian quads, I go back to repeatedly trying to perfect my german pilsner. Then back to sours. I've settled to a resonant period about 6 months.
 
I think most brewers are both. I flail around, brewing all sorts of odds and ends then when I find I've got nothing but sour beers and belgian quads, I go back to repeatedly trying to perfect my german pilsner. Then back to sours. I've settled to a resonant period about 6 months.

Agreed. I am mostly an explorer, but have two brews I brew on a consistent basis.
 
Explorer here, I've never brewed the same thing twice. That will change shortly though.
 
Our homebrew club has a "competition team". Each member has chosen a specific style that he will brew again and again, tweaking and perfecting for competition. We come together monthly to share results and samples and discuss what we're working on next. We've met just twice but it's going well. That's the perfection part. We each, of course, continue to explore with different brews!
 
I'm an explorer till I find a recipe really I like. I then work on getting it right or on improvements, mostly using technique.
 
Perfecter... I've got 7 or 8 "flagship" recipes that get brewed often. I usually only try one or 2 new recipes per year.
 
I'm still in the explorer phase. Once I have tried everything, I might go back and repeat. I'm the same way at restaurants, always ordering something I haven't tried yet.
 
Both. I brew standard beers and ridiculous experimental beers. I try to perfect them both. I typically bottle the fancy beers and keg the standard ones.
 
Like many who've already posted, I'm a combination right now. I'm new to this as of January, and so far have made or am making an ordinary bitter, an American stout, a Kölsch, a Düsseldorf altbier, a dry cider, and a medium-dry traditional mead. Up next is a strawberry blonde ale. So in terms of products, I'm definitely exploring.

Technique-wise, I'm working a bit more on perfecting. Since the beers follow essentially the same process (though I've transitioned from all-extract to partial mash after the stout), the recipe is not so critical. Of course it's hard to evaluate the results from batch to batch, but I'm still at the level where I can use direct measurements on most of my errors (e.g., right now I'm working on hitting mash temps). There's still an exploration component to this because I haven't settled on the best process and sat back to dial it in, but I'm not varying my equipment as widely as the recipes.

So far, though, I've been fortunate in that there hasn't been a whole lot of tuning needed to produce solid results. I've only gotten final product on the bitter and the stout, and both were just about what I was looking for. Obviously they could be improved, but this has made it easier to explore the recipe landscape. I think I'll probably tone things back if (when?) I get a bad result. As long as things are going well, though, I plan to be fairly adventurous. (But no bacon beer.)
 
I'm mostly an explorer although I do have two beers that I brew frequently. A BIPA and a Chamomile Wit. Although I would consider myself back to exploring with these as I recently started brewing all-grain. Have only brewed the chamomile wheat once as an all-grain and I'm going to try brewing it again this weekend with a lot of tweaking involved.
 
Explorer, though if I had time there's a couple brews I want to make regular. I find it interesting how when people hear I brew beer they assume I have one recipe that I always make. Their eyes get huge when I tell them I haven't made the same thing twice.
 
I'm an explorer, never brewed the same thing twice, i like to tinker too much.

however, my somewhat recent Chocolate Stout recipe MUST be re-brewed!
 
Drinker. Oh, that isn't a choice? :mug:

Of 27 batches in the past 9 months, most have been single time batches (so far) just doing beers I want to have. I've done repeats of two beers:
Blue Moon clone - 3x - but changed up each time, this time the original recipe. Interesting as it isn't one of my favorites, but other people like it.
SN Celebration - 2x - How could you NOT want more of this one!

My typical sequence is IPA, something else, IPA, something else, IPA ... and I've been trying to brew as frequently as possible. As I type this, I have 4 kegs chilled (a couple are still being carbonated), and one batch in the primary (I've been lazy the last week), and a bunch of cases of bottles (moved from keg to make space for newly kegged beer).
 
Must.... Try.... New.... Beers.....


Explore!!!!!

That being said, every time I have tried to replicate a beer I Fuu it up.
 
i guess for now i'm an explorer, just because i'm trying to brew as many different styles as possible to have on hand (for the most part, i'm the only one who drinks my beer, so i like to have a variety)
that being said, i can see myself settling down to perfect some of the more uncommon beers to buy in my area (kolsch, altbier, quality session beers) once i have a few more done (at least one or two IPAs and an APA)
 
Both!

I have one that I am trying to perfect and one that I really liked. For that one I am going to do something similar since I don't have the same ingredients right now. I will be making it the same as the first time someday.

I also have to experiment to find other styles/recipes that I like.
 
Both.

I brew a lot so I am always trying new recipes,but I do have several recipes that I re-brew with minor changes to perfect them.
 
Both here also. Mainly an explorer trying new brews. Kind of fun to try and brew a beer that you've never even had before, like an Alt that's coming up for me.

Trying to perfect a Kolsch recipe (I'm on my 3rd). I've done 2 tripels and really enjoy those, so that'll be another. Finally I need to come back to the APA's and IPA's and develop a house recipe for both. To round it out, maybe perfect a porter recipe too. The goal is to have 4 or 5 flagship brews that friends/family seem to gravitate towards. And then mix in 3 to 4 new brews every year.
 
Agreed. I am mostly an explorer, but have two brews I brew on a consistent basis.

I start as an explorer, but once I find a recipe I like I'm a perfecter. I want to know the hows and whys of getting to the exact beer I have in my "taste imagination". I'll brew the same recipe a dozen times til I understand it and get it to where I want it to be.
 
I experiment with recipe creation and if something works well, it becomes a regular in my rotation. The most popular is a Helles that my wife requires we have on hand at all times. As long as I keep her supplied with her Helles, anything else is at my discretion.
 
Perfectionist. Almost 50 batches in the last year...30 are tweaks to my original recipe. From varying mash temps, fermentation temps and hop additions, I feel like I am finally getting close to my "perfect" recipe for my palette. Last night I actually had to drink 3, simply because I found it to be the best beer I've ever had.
 
Perfectionist for the most part. The vast majority of the beer I brew each year is something I brewed the year before, usually pretty close to the same time of year, and I will tweak the recipe slightly. Then I'll do an "experimental" beer or two each year. Experimental for me though is just doing a style I haven't done and there aren't many of those left. Barleywine is next.
 
I start as an explorer, but once I find a recipe I like I'm a perfecter. I want to know the hows and whys of getting to the exact beer I have in my "taste imagination". I'll brew the same recipe a dozen times til I understand it and get it to where I want it to be.

Denny, I'm working on perfecting your rye ipa (for my palate). I've got batches 5 & 6 fermenting as we speak (I'm experimenting with increasing the rye and subbing some table sugar to keep the mouthfeel from getting syrupy. We'll see. My last batch was with chinook only. So good. I've tried it with several different yeasts, too.
 
Explorer first, there are so many great styles and sub styles out there I want to try my hand at. I do have several recipes I have brewed multiple times and work to perfect. However I do not take brewing to the "let me change this tiny little thing one hundred times before moving to the next variable" route. I don't have the patience or resources for that kind of experimenting. But I am sure that as I progress as a brewer that this mentality may change over time.
 
I guess I'd be a perfecter as I've brewed probably 10-12 batches now and most have been APAs or cream ales, with usually slightly different changes between recipes such as a different type of hops or using different specialty malts to achieve a slightly different flavor, aroma, or color.

Still, I have yet to brew a dark beer such as a stout and I kind of want to. I've always brewed pales, so I don't know where to start since I've never been a huge fan of dark beers, but I want to try something new and different. So maybe I am mostly a perfectionist with a little flare for being adventurous.
 
100% explorer... i've only duplicated one of my recipes and have never used anyone elses. some have gotten tweaked significantly but i like variety.
 
denny, i'm working on perfecting your rye ipa (for my palate). I've got batches 5 & 6 fermenting as we speak (i'm experimenting with increasing the rye and subbing some table sugar to keep the mouthfeel from getting syrupy. We'll see. My last batch was with chinook only. So good. I've tried it with several different yeasts, too.

heresy!!!!!!

;)
 
I have my house brews that I will repeat. I also try something a little different from time to time. But for the most part, my experimentation days ended years ago.
 
i have repeated 1 recipe a couple of times but i usually try and brew whatever random style pops into my head
 
The first recipe kit I bought had these suggestions;
1. Take your time
2. Pop open a previous home brew and
3. Have fun
That's why I home brew. If you take it too serious, you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you screw up a batch, or worse have to pour it out, chalk it up to experience.

And finally, if it tastes good and gives you a buzz, mission accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Back
Top