So.. your neighbor comes by and drinks one of your beers...

[hunter306]

Personally, I'd appreciate the fact he felt like he could give you an honest opinion.

I hate sharing my beer with people and having them just tell me it was 'good'. What'd you like about it? What wasn't great?

It's pretty rare to get a straight critique from people you're giving free beer (in my experience).

 

[Billy-Klubb]

And it's a fresh keg. A simple, but very enjoyable recipe, and you say... "I think this is the best beer I brew."

His reaction.... "Really?!?!.... this isn't my favorite."

You know what went into the beer you brewed. It's a balanced beer.

What is your thought at that moment?

I had a similar situation. after reading everyone's comments, I might not have handled mine in a diplomatic manner: I kicked him in the berries, jammed the picnic faucet in his mouth, and held it wide open after bumping the pressure to 25psi. and I kept yelling, "How do you like it now?!? You like it now, don't you little piggy?!? Drink it! Drink it ALL!!! SU-EY!!!!" then I started beating him with a half thawed turkey. and that was the last time I ever let anyone try my RIS.:rockin:

 

[Braufessor]

Personally, I'd appreciate the fact he felt like he could give you an honest opinion.

I hate sharing my beer with people and having them just tell me it was 'good'. What'd you like about it? What wasn't great?

It's pretty rare to get a straight critique from people you're giving free beer (in my experience).

This^^^

I would take it as a rare opportunity to maybe get some honest feedback from someone. The vast majority of the time friends and family nod, smile and say it is "great" - even if it is not. Fish for some clarity -

*Do you not enjoy this style?
*Is it a style you normally like and there is something that you don't like about this one?
*Any honest feedback would be great.

Not saying you have to brew to please someone else's preferences, but nothing wrong with the possibility of some constructive feedback.

Worst case scenario is he is someone that only likes BMC in cans, and does not have much useful to offer. If that is the case, give him a Bud unless you happen to have a wheat, or something light on tap.

 

[Paps]

I've gotten some responces from some hardcore natty-ice drinkers.
I just view it as they don't have a clue as to what real beer is.

 

[istuntmanmike]

I made a fantastic black IPA. Most of my friends either don't drink beer, or drink watered down piss beer. Suffice it to say, they don't like 100+ IBU of my delicious blackness

I take it as a compliment that they don't like my beer, because they'd say the same things about any other IPA they'd try. It just means more for me to drink. And since I'm brewing to have exactly what I want, when I want, I really don't see the problem.

The friends of mine who also love IPAs love it. Win-win.

Also, when I brew something like a hef or Irish red, the aforementioned friends love them. So it's really just making something they're used to, or is close enough to what they drink, or is a style that newbie palates can accept.

 

[smccarter]

This board is so funny...

 

[TheBrewingBear]

And it's a fresh keg. A simple, but very enjoyable recipe, and you say... "I think this is the best beer I brew."

His reaction.... "Really?!?!.... this isn't my favorite."

You know what went into the beer you brewed. It's a balanced beer.

What is your thought at that moment?

My general process for serving a beer is to first offer choices, if any. IE: Would you like an American blonde, a German amber, or an English stout? I will describe the sytles if they give me a blank stare. This lets them pick one that sounds good/interesting or ask questions.

Once they select a beer, I'll usually pour one for me and keep quiet. This gives them the chance to comment without any bias. By saying "I think this is the best beer I brew", it could be the expectations were too high.

His response could mean a bunch of things, and I wasn't there to ask follow up questions. Asking what he likes and doesn't like would help you brew a better beer for him -- if that's your goal. Heck, we all have different tastes. I've brewed beers I had half a mind to dump, but others praised them.

Look at the bright side: your neighbor will be less likely to drink what you consider your best batch if you have something else on tap.

I wish my neighbor thought that way about my best batches. That $#@& face always drinks my best batches leaving me with the not my favorites.

 

[branman]

^^^ lol, I like the different outlooks on this thread. Gives so many perspectives by wich I all I think have truth.

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[CountryGravy]

I take it as a compliment that they don't like my beer, because they'd say the same things about any other IPA they'd try. It just means more for me to drink. And since I'm brewing to have exactly what I want, when I want, I really don't see the problem.

YES! This.

 

[Weezy]

You forgot to ask if they like craft beer before you poured.

If he says no or "I like Blue Moon," you give him a 2 oz pour and an unopened can of BMC at the same time. You let him decide if he wants more homebrew without asking. If he pops the BMC can, he wasn't that impressed with the home brew. If he liked the homebrew he might suggest a fill and to put the can back in the fridge.

 

[balrog]

I love it when I get honest feedback. I love it when someone enjoys my hobbys' results, whether homebrew, woodworking or photography. And although I try, I admit I'm miffed when someone wants to add ice to my homebrew because the American Amber is "one of those dark beers". But then, I figure it's all a matter of taste and different doesn't necessarily mean bad.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

screw all these naysayers! I say you beat him with an ax handle! then make him beer bong 4+ of this years Bigfoot Barley Wine. then beat him with the handle again.



edit: so who's coming over to try my home brew? I can take a little criticism, honest!

 

[Airplanedoc]

Hand him a coors light. Problem solved.

I always keep some BMC crap in my fridge because some people just don't know what good beer is no matter what I have on tap. However not everyone is going to like every beer, that's why we have more than one tap on the beer frige

 

[Remmy]

Hand him a coors light. Problem solved.

I always keep some BMC crap in my fridge because some people just don't know what good beer is no matter what I have on tap. However not everyone is going to like every beer, that's why we have more than one tap on the beer frige

"Good beer" is all relative.


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[Billy-Klubb]

"Good beer" is all relative.


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unless I make it. even my worst beers are the best you'll taste.:rockin:

 

[kurds_2408]

"Not my favorite" isn't exactly offensive or derogatory. There are so many styles of beer, and takes on each style. Maybe the guy really knows his beer, but isn't a huge fan of whatever style you poured. Doesn't mean you should flip out, cut him off, and label him a BMC drinker like that means something.

Heck, I can't stand hop bombs. You could hand me what turns out to be the unanimously voted best IPA of all time throughout the multiverse, and I'm not going to like it as half much as I would even a middling stout.

This exactly. I homebrew and am a craft beer beer person. I would consider myself worthy. Yet if you gave me one of your IPAs while I would drink it and appreciate what you created, my exact words would be "this is not my favorite". Because no IPA will ever be my favorite. It really upsets me that there are people in the homebrew community who are such beer snobs they think just cause their favorite isn't your favorite you must be a no knowledge BMC drinker and they will have to forever bite their tongue around you.

Not everyone responded that way, and I'm sorry I went on a rant but I haven't been brewing to long and these are the kind of attitudes that really intimidated me when I started and are unwelcoming to new/less experienced people.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

do you like Bigfoot?

 

[Photopilot]

Generally you don't make it out to my beer porch until you answer some questions.…. Starting with "what kind of beer do you like?". That is how I sometimes introduce myself to strangers.

If someone is not a beer snob and somehow I still like them I will try to find them a beer they might enjoy. If they understand the craft they can try all 8 I have on tap, otherwise I got MGD in the fridge for them.

 

[GHBWNY]

I love it when I get honest feedback. I love it when someone enjoys my hobbys' results, whether homebrew, woodworking or photography. And although I try, I admit I'm miffed when someone wants to add ice to my homebrew because the American Amber is "one of those dark beers". But then, I figure it's all a matter of taste and different doesn't necessarily mean bad.

Not that we'll please everyone with our homebrews, but neither do we like everything out there, either. So, an honest answer is always the best answer.

After my first brew and having handed it out to those I thought would enjoy it and pat me on the back until I was black and blue, the reviews were mixed. It was a bit of an ego stomp, but a lesson learned. Before brewing my next batch, I took a survey from those who were expected to be "regulars" of my product consumption. Amazing the difference in styles and tastes! Bottom line, although someone says they "don't like" your beer, it shouldn't be construed to mean it's "bad" (esp. if it has passed the brewer's palate test first), it may be their way of simply stating they enjoy another style better. That's why I'll try to keep 3-4 styles on hand in the future.

 

[drainbamage]

I think: throat punch.

Nah, really though, it's just a matter of personal preference. Could be he just didn't like the style. I would have pressed him for a little elaboration on what he didn't like. If it's something as simple as "I don't like [hoppy/roasty/wheat/etc.] beers", then that's one thing. If he has constructive criticism from a technical standpoint, listen to it. Maybe he picked up on something you hadn't noticed.

Now, if he just says, "Meh, why can't you make a real beer like Bud Light?" then you can throat-punch away.

 

[balrog]

Different styles for different folks. Might as well start a holy war like the decades old "which programming editor is better", or "walnuts vs pecans in brownies".

(It's walnuts, by the way)

 

[Manzier]

So you murdered him. Let's face it. He had to die.


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[Photopilot]

Was it a Belgian yeasted beer? That would have been my response as well. I could appreciate almost any style of a hand crafted beer but Belgians are not my favorite, which is a euphemism for "this is awful".

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[RCCOLA]

I always ask someone "What is your favorite beer?"

If it's Busch Light, I'll tell them I don't have anything like that on tap and that I don't have anything that I think they'd like.

I brew mostly lagers and will tell people what type of commercial beer my offerings taste like. I haven't had anyone not like my house Vienna that tastes similar to Modelo Especial or my Blue Moon clone(fermented with lager yeast)

I think ale yeast flavor is a big turn-off for non-craft drinkers.

 

[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

I'd move on. Personal tastes differ.

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[beaksnbeer]

Depends on how fresh is a fresh keg, might have been a little green. Out side of IPA's and Wheat beers, most of my kegs are 3-4 weeks cold conditioned then transferred to cold empty keg after clearing sediment. I do this because if I grab a keg to go I won't have to worry that it will cloud with stirred up sediment. This method needs more kegs but I don't use fining agents or filter and I consistently have clear beers.

OR the type/style is just not good for his/her pallet I have 12 taps each with a different type of beer if your new to my place you get a 3oz sampler til you find a beer you like. I enjoy most types of beer but veg/fruit/highly spiced are at the bottom MO but I really enjoy Lambics so tastes are varied.

 

[rocketsan]

Surprised no one suggested sleeping with his wife to revenge this terrible injustice...


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[Garagebrewski]

This is why I have blue light, bud light, ect. as we'll as my home brew and craft selection.


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