New Years resolution: As a new HomeBrewer, only drink the beer I brew

[jdb]

Hi Folks.

My brother gifted me a bunch of brew equipment, and i've just started. I'm waiting for my first two fermentations to complete now. I have home brewed once before, ages ago, and was satisfied with the results.

Question: what is the best way to use this forum? Just post a random question, or is it better to join a thread? (i'm still having trouble navigating the forums)

 

[Broken Crow]

Welcome to the Fun!!
I'm very glad you asked about how to best use the forum. About half the new members sign up and post a vague question such as "I brewed a beer, why isn't it good?" There are about as many valid and correct ways to brew as there are brewers using a wide variety of very different gear under very different conditions, so always include details:
Tell us in detail, what you are trying to accomplish and what ingredients and equipment you are using and never forget that a picture is worth a thousand words. I'd suggest first using the search option before asking, because it's most likely your question will have been asked many times before, but then again, it's nice to revisit these questions from time to time and many of the search results will yeild results that may well not be applicable to your own circumsatnce.
Have fun!

 

[Sammy86]

Alot of the old timers will say

Use the search function!

Which sure you can but like @Broken Crow said creating a new thread will bring attention to a question where you may get some updated information and responses.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[wallyLOZ]

Welcome from Missouri!

If you can't find the answer that you want, ask away. Homebrewing is rapidly evolving, techniques and info change.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Are you suggesting I should only drink the beer you brew? I'll need an address.

 

[sampling6391]

I don’t suggest ONLY drinking what you brew otherwise how to do research for styles you end up liking? How to know when a clone recipe is off/good/better?

The forum has a daily newsletter kind of email that highlights topics that have new acitvity which is nice but like another has said the search function is really handy for just about anything you could want to find out about. Just be mindful about last reply age before replying to the thread and bring it up the new post list because many can be quite a number of years old and necro threads can sometimes be problematic in forums.

 

[gunhaus]

I ONLY drink the beers that I brew . . . . Unless I screw up and run out, then I ONLY drink homebrew made by my friends . . . Unless they are home and won't open the door. In that case I ONLY drink the finest, freshest, top line craft beers . . . Unless I am not near a place that has those. THEN, i will ONLY drink what is available at the store or the bar at the time . . . But never macro, I have HIGHER standards than THAT . . . Unless that is what there is, then macro is just fine. A guy HAS TO HAVE A CODE to live by, and you must be true to it all times, that is why I only drink my own brews . . . Well you know the rest.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Question: what is the best way to use this forum? Just post a random question, or is it better to join a thread? (i'm still having trouble navigating the forums)

I would suggest posting vague questions no one understands, without helpful photos. People will post a bunch of answers which probably will not be relevant or useful. Because we are bored. If you get 10 answers and agree that one answer is right, expect several of the other guys to get mad and ask you why you asked a question if you didn't intend to listen, ignoring the fact that you actually took someone else's advice right in front of them.

When you feel a strong desire to buy something you don't really need, but you can't quite make yourself do it, post a thread asking if you should buy it. We will help you overcome your common sense. Except for a couple of guys who berate and belittle everyone who ever buys anything, because they have forgotten that hobbies are supposed to be fun. Ignore them. Credit card debt is part of a normal healthy life.

This is a good place to exercise your pedantry. Write posts in which you cite obscure, no-life-having beer scholars, as though you were writing an important paper for The Lancet instead of participating in a forum dedicated to helping old guys get loaded on good beer on the cheap. German-sounding names always impress. Learn the ASCII code for an umlaut. Pretend to know a lot more about science than you really do. Master the use of big, intimidating words you don't actually understand. This has always worked for me.

You should periodically post a photo of the beer you're drinking. Put it in the "New post a photo of your pint" thread. We can only drink so much, and once we're full, we enjoy drinking vicariously through other people's pictures.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[mac_1103]

Ignore the previous post. The two absolutely best ways to use this forum are to a) resurrect a 10+ year-old thread to ask a specific question of a member who hasn't been heard from since s/he posted to said 10+ year-old thread, or b) post your question to a new thread and then change your mind and try to delete it but realize that you can't so you just change the title to "deleted."

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Better still, ignore the last two posts.

 

[mac_1103]

Even better - lurk while chatting with your friends on a different forum and making fun of us.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Guess I've been busted.

 

[Agent]

I don’t suggest ONLY drinking what you brew otherwise how to do research for styles you end up liking? How to know when a clone recipe is off/good/better?

I just like to assume that my recipe is spot on, and my methodology doesn't matter. I've made many California Commons without once setting eyes on Anchor Steam. I proudly served an actual German my Traditional Bock beer, proudly gleaming as he commented "Eet tastes like ten-derty mörtör oil".

My recommendation to use the forums is to post a dumb question, and then lurk for a dozen years before sh%tposting responses.