Creating your own beer

This may be a stupid question, but I don't know the answer so I will ask. I have long dreamed of coming up with the perfect recipe of my own beer and it be good enough to market one day. I have very little experience with my own recipes, but the thought has occurred to me, "how do I know that I do not come up with the EXACT recipe of some other beer out there, and think I just created the perfect beer?" I realize this would be highly unlikely, but with limited types of hops and grains, there is still that slight chance.

It's really not that unlikely - most great beers are not highly complex in terms of ingredients - two, three, maybe four types of malt, one or two types of hops, and a yeast. Of all the commercial breweries and homebrewers out there, I'm sure many recipes have been serendipitously copied without intent. There's only so many ways to make a brown ale for example.

I am recently experimenting with my own "partial mash" recipies. I found a few websites that have calculators that help you fill in the blanks to get your OG, FG, IBU's, SRM, etc... I did the HBT Google Search and found out 3 or 4 different links.

Gary

boomtown25 said:

This may be a stupid question, but I don't know the answer so I will ask. I have long dreamed of coming up with the perfect recipe of my own beer and it be good enough to market one day. I have very little experience with my own recipes, but the thought has occurred to me, "how do I know that I do not come up with the EXACT recipe of some other beer out there, and think I just created the perfect beer?" I realize this would be highly unlikely, but with limited types of hops and grains, there is still that slight chance.

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I wouldn't worry...but if you brew any of my recipes, I will be forced to take legal action. Just stay away from anything with pale malt or hops that begin with A-M.
Just kidding, BT - just brew what you like. You and them Rats still hating on Mondays?

If you are brewing to a certain style... I would say it's likely you will be very close to some other commercial beer out there. The truth is though, I could give you the exact recipe for your favorite beer, and I bet you couldn't brew it to taste exactly like the commercial version. It may turn out close, but highly doubtful it would turn out exactly the same. So, if you are looking to create your "own" beer, I would look to a beer you really like and try something similar.

In the words of Picasso... "Bad artists copy. Great artists steal."

You're totally minimizing the biggest factor - process and equipment. Give 5 breweries the same recipe and you'll get 5 different beers. Process and the talents of those working in the brewery is where greatness is made.

Hatin Mondays like a religion. lovin all the comments on brew your own and throw care to this wind! Love the Picasso quote as well. maybe one of these days you will be drinking one of my own originals and say to yourself, "This is great! Sort of tastes like......."