So a little background:
I started brewing two years ago, and probably got 12 batches. Mostly extract, a couple BIAB mini mash that didnt turn out great. I dont have a lot of time and money to dedicate to perfecting my technique, which Ive come to terms with. Last year, my wife gave birth to my beautiful son. So I havent brewed in over a year now. Id like to get a couple more batches in at some point when I have some time off.
Now heres the dilemma:
My taste for high quality craft beer has gotten pretty picky over the last couple years. I could definitely tell that most of my brews were not high quality. And unfortunately, with less disposable time now with a child, it doesnt seem worth it to put in the time to brew when the end result is going to be sub par. Now Ive made a few beers that turned out pretty damn good, and really offered something that is not easy to find in stores: massive amounts of fresh hops. Ive made a few IPAs where I basically just used DME and a 15 minute boil, and used almost exclusively flame out and dry hops. The results were great in that the hops dominated the flavor. I really like that low bitterness, fruity hop juice style. So obviously I can just make one of those again, but Im wondering if there are other styles/recipes that are fairly easy to brew and also have a wide margin for error. I have a soft spot for chocolate-heavy brown ales, which are not always easy to find in stores.
Now the curve ball: Im going to be using the 2 gallon Mr. Beer barrel fermenter. I started out making 5 gallon batches but for various reasons it was much easier to use the smaller size. So any suggestion that doesnt use a ton of different steeping malts is appreciated, as I may end up having to get a Lb of each kind depending on which store I go to.
If youve read this far, I really thank you. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated!
I started brewing two years ago, and probably got 12 batches. Mostly extract, a couple BIAB mini mash that didnt turn out great. I dont have a lot of time and money to dedicate to perfecting my technique, which Ive come to terms with. Last year, my wife gave birth to my beautiful son. So I havent brewed in over a year now. Id like to get a couple more batches in at some point when I have some time off.
Now heres the dilemma:
My taste for high quality craft beer has gotten pretty picky over the last couple years. I could definitely tell that most of my brews were not high quality. And unfortunately, with less disposable time now with a child, it doesnt seem worth it to put in the time to brew when the end result is going to be sub par. Now Ive made a few beers that turned out pretty damn good, and really offered something that is not easy to find in stores: massive amounts of fresh hops. Ive made a few IPAs where I basically just used DME and a 15 minute boil, and used almost exclusively flame out and dry hops. The results were great in that the hops dominated the flavor. I really like that low bitterness, fruity hop juice style. So obviously I can just make one of those again, but Im wondering if there are other styles/recipes that are fairly easy to brew and also have a wide margin for error. I have a soft spot for chocolate-heavy brown ales, which are not always easy to find in stores.
Now the curve ball: Im going to be using the 2 gallon Mr. Beer barrel fermenter. I started out making 5 gallon batches but for various reasons it was much easier to use the smaller size. So any suggestion that doesnt use a ton of different steeping malts is appreciated, as I may end up having to get a Lb of each kind depending on which store I go to.
If youve read this far, I really thank you. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated!