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reverendj1

reverendj1

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I was just wondering how do you all rotate your brews? i.e. Do you brew a new recipe every time? Do you have 3-5 beers you always brew, and that's it. 3 "standards" and 2 seasonals, etc. I am fairly new (only 9 so far) and have made a different batch every time, except we did our first one twice, so we could see the effect of all our mistakes. Did you "settle in" as you became more experienced? To clarify, I'm not looking for advice or anything, I'm just curious as to what you all do. :)
 
I very rarely make the same beer twice with the exception of my pumpkin ale. Just brew whatever I'm feeling at the time and put together a recipe. Who cares as long as you like your beer !
 
Summertime I only brew one style of beer and that is a offshoot of biermunchers 3c. But in the wintertime I brew several different dark beers like browns and porters.

I guess it is what I am comfortable with and what I enjoy. I brew pretty much for myself and I am a simple kind of guy
 
Generally, I brew what I (or SWMBO)want to drink. I have some recipes that I brew with some regularity, with minor changes or different hop bills in order to get a handle on different ingredients. I experiment every once in a while and make sure to have some solid recipes around it in the pipeline.
 
I brew a new recipe every time. I tend to brew styles over again but I just always have so many new ideas and I don't usually write down my recipes. Not that that's good advice but its just what I do. I feel like you learn more when trying new recipes.
 
I do something different every time, though I do have a stout that I do something with every year. Its my annual beer, but the recipe alway varies from year to year. Other than that, ill brew a couple IPAs a year, and then decide from there. Sometimes my brews are planned a few in advance, sometimes not.
 
I do a lot of new brews. However about one in 6 batches is one of a handful of fan favorites by request. Basically I re brew the most requested beers once in my rotation, and experiment with the other 5.
 
I have 4 go to styles of beers that I like to keep on hand. I enjoy sharing with friends so need to please a variety of tastes. I do refine the recipes over time. I brew stouts, IPA, APA, and hefs. I am working on my first lager now. A Munich Helles. In other words, I enjoy trying new recipes but do tend to brew my favorites the most.
 
I tend to have a porter and a wheat around. The third taps (I've got a kegger at both houses) can be just about anything. At the main house, it's a Bière de Garde. At the cabin, it's blackberry wine.
 
I have several fairly standard recipe's that I have refined to some degree and may change a little from time to time -
Amber
APA
British Mild
British Bitter
Brown
Oktoberfest
Pilsner
Helles
porter

I would say about two-thirds to three-fourths of the beer I brew is those beers and relatively similar recipes. I try to keep a mix of these on hand at all times, style depending on season a little bit.

Then, other beers are either "new" beers or "big" beers or things I want to age - barleywine, bourbon porter, sours, belgian Dark Strong, etc.
 
I have just got back into brewing but my current schedule to get me through summer is going to be:
Pineapple APA - in primary, will rack to secondary with pineapple next week (adding fruit simply because I've never done it before)
Redlight Ale - a simple Amber Ale, somewhat of an offshoot of Gaelic Ale from Highland Brewing in Asheville, NC
IPA
Cream Ale
IPA
Redlight again.

I always will keep my Redlight and my IPA on hand but I will slightly change the malts and hop additions to keep each time I make it different.
 
I have a few recipes that I like to keep either in stock, or brew again as needed/wanted. My MO SMaSH recipe is becoming a house brew. As is my caramel ale and brown ale. There are a couple more that are on the brew again list. Otherwise, I'll brew new recipes. I like coming up with different things. I don't have any actual season brews but I do like to have bigger brews ready when it turns cooler/cold out. Just as I like to have lower ABV brews on tap for the warmer months.

Even if you do develop recipes that people are begging for, be sure its what you want to brew. Unless they're paying your salary, then can piss-off, or learn to brew themselves if they don't like when you'll be brewing that again. :D
 
I currently have set a rotation of 2/8/16.

2 = My choice / SWMBO choice.
SWMBO choice is decided at the time, generally darker ales, and generally wants a Redhook Double Black Stout clone one out of every four.

8 = My choice = Bitter, Non Bitter/IPA, IPA, Experimental.

16 = Bitter, alternates between Redhook ESB as a base for SMaSH-like substitute, and an AHS bitter kit.
= IPA, alternates between clones, and an AHS IPA kit.
 
I make up almost all that I brew w/my own recipes. When I have something I really like I tend to brew it over again. Right now my repeaters are my Tiki Ridge Porter and my Coffee Stout. Still refining my other ideas.
 
I pretty much always brew new recipes of my own, rarely will I rebrew something and usually only if it was a fan favorite. Personally I love the hobby for the ability to constantly make something new or different.
 
Golddiggie said:
I have a few recipes that I like to keep either in stock, or brew again as needed/wanted. My MO SMaSH recipe is becoming a house brew. As is my caramel ale and brown ale. There are a couple more that are on the brew again list. Otherwise, I'll brew new recipes. I like coming up with different things. I don't have any actual season brews but I do like to have bigger brews ready when it turns cooler/cold out. Just as I like to have lower ABV brews on tap for the warmer months.

Even if you do develop recipes that people are begging for, be sure its what you want to brew. Unless they're paying your salary, then can piss-off, or learn to brew themselves if they don't like when you'll be brewing that again. :D
Click to expand...

MO smash....yummy
 
Golddiggie said:
I have a few recipes that I like to keep either in stock, or brew again as needed/wanted. My MO SMaSH recipe is becoming a house brew. As is my caramel ale and brown ale. There are a couple more that are on the brew again list. Otherwise, I'll brew new recipes. I like coming up with different things. I don't have any actual season brews but I do like to have bigger brews ready when it turns cooler/cold out. Just as I like to have lower ABV brews on tap for the warmer months.

Even if you do develop recipes that people are begging for, be sure its what you want to brew. Unless they're paying your salary, then can piss-off, or learn to brew themselves if they don't like when you'll be brewing that again. :D
Click to expand...

MO smash....yummy
 
I'm getting to where I have a regular rotation, mostly depending on the season. This time of year, I like to do Kolsch and lawnmower beers with Kolsch yeast to take advantage of the cool temps. I like a session-type IPA in the spring, a saison to take advantage of the heat in summer, and an oatmeal stout in the fall when dark roasty beers are especially good. I think I've started a new tradition, too - make a 1.100+ barleywine at the end of the year and enjoy it the following Christmas/New Year. Beyond that, I throw in new recipes throughout the year.

EDIT: Oh, and cider in the fall when the local apples are in season.
 
I don't have any seasonal beers. I usually make what I like, doesn't matter the time of year. I have three taps, 2 of which are house beers. I always have a few kegs ready to go for those beers . The third tap I rotate a couple different styles.
 
I do 2.5 gallon batches of barleywine and RIS every January and crack them come the first snowfall of the following year. After that I brew what I like, mostly pale ales. I don't take requests since I brew for myself. I do however like to give gifts and will brew for someone their favorite style and drop off a case when it's ready as a suprise.
 
I find that I really like APAs, but I also like trying something new. So my rotation will usually end up being an APA followed by a different style--stout, bitter, seasonal--then its back to an APA. Even then, I will brew the same style, but use a different hops or specialty grain for a slightly different color or taste. I've only been at this for a few years, and I have a lot of different styles/recipes I want to try. I have a keg setup right now with a mini-fridge that is just large enough to fit 1 keg. Someday, I hope to get a keezer setup and then I will just always have an APA on tap and rotate out a different brew.
 

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