How do you decide what to brew?

Most frequently I make beers "to style". That is, I pick or design recipes based on historic beer styles. My focus is generally on brews rarely available in my area. The last such beer was a Belgian Triple and the next one will be Düsseldorf Altbier. Researching styles and their individual brewing techniques adds to my enjoyment of the hobby. I page through back issues of BYO and Zummurgy, and read the Classic Style book if it is available.

Less often I devise an experimental, outside guidelines batch. My inspiration in these cases comes from an ingredient that I want to spotlight or become more familiar with. The nettle beer is a recent example. Some of these recipes, like Rye of the Hurricane, even make it into the brewing rotation. I would like for the nettle beer to become a regular recipe, but after tasting it today it will need much work.

Finally, I enjoy making traditional seasonal beers. The only current example of this is a barleywine that has been conditioning since May. I will tap that one on my birthday in late October.

Original blog post here.

I usually go the simple route and just make brews that I've tried before and liked. Started off with a few batches of a basic PA, moved on to an IPA (bottle conditioning at the moment). Planning on a pretty damn good Xmas recipe I found on Beersmith next.

Edit: also thinking about a clone of Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous ale around New Years' time...

i usually just pick things at a whim. usually try and have one session beer at all times though.

I usually see what I have on hand and DON'T make one of those...

I also look at many recipes and try to narrow the list doan to a couple form each book then decide from there.

I didn't set out to create a pattern, but I seem to make an IPA or APA every other brew (if not more often), and various stuff in between.

I enjoy designing a recipe and then drinking it as I read the guidelines comparing it. Most of mine are close. I have like five recipes I do over and over unchanged except to what ever subs I have on hand and I usually have five or so other recipes I'm working on for future brews. There all on hopville.com.

i rarely follow a recipe , i usually just pick a style i feel like and go to the recipe section and read the ingredients and create something of my own this is my way of being creative it works for me.

I pick a few styles out of what I have been thinking about and start cobbling together recipes. Eventually one of the speaks to me and I brew that one

One home brew shop here in Houston, always has three spouts ready to go. I used to go with the one that I liked of the three. Now I am All Grain, so it is wheat, until I get it down to freezer size containers. Then I will have a few pounds of Pale 6 row, a few pounds of Wheat, ready to find a recipe that I can buy a bag of grain and go another type of beer for a while. I like em all!

Right now 10 gallons of wheat, one secondary 5.5 pounds of cherries, one secondary with 5.5 pounds pumkin.

Plain Wheat (or whatever) in the kegerator, 4 gallons of the original 10 gallon batch. Built grinder setup, testing the grinder out, and before I knew it I had 21 pounds of Pale ready, so I added 6 lbs. Wheat to it, oz of Cascade (bittering) oz Tetnager (flavoring). This Home Brew stuff is great, I can't even screw up...I like this crazy recipe

I usually brew higher gravity brews (7%+) of styles I like. I always like to have an RIS and an IPA on hand, but those are my beers of choice. I like brewing higher gravity beers because, with all the time and effort invested in brewing, I get better bang for the buck. I like to have a session beer on hand, but 5 gallons tends to go quickly. I also always have Apfelwein going.

BJCP syle dartboard?
Forces you to extend your horizons and challenge your pallet. Then there is the problem of finding good recipes for it.

BJCP syle dartboard?
Forces you to extend your horizons and challenge your pallet. Then there is the problem of finding good recipes for it.