What makes a recipe yours?

[Swifty]

I've been thinking about this a ton. What makes it your recipe? We all have used someone's recipe and put a few changes on it. Does this make it your recipe? How many changes are required for a recipe to become mine? I know some people can get very weird about these kinds of things.

There are only a few brews that I've done that have been truly mine from scratch and that was a product of our brew club's weird ingredient competition.

It's all good right?

What are your thoughts?

 

[brewbama]

I think it's should be based on a foundation of a tried and true but changed at least 51% for it to be "yours". It's like music - it's been around forever but the notes can be rearranged is so many different ways that a new rif makes a new song.

 

[grathan]

Unless I start from scratch, I always leave the name the same no matter how many changes I make. So it would be something like "Pliny (ver 32 with coriander)". Mainly this just helps keep organization.

So if I show up to a brew meeting with a version of another member's porter recipe... It would be something like "Bob's Baltic recipe with american hops".

 

[MarcusKillion]

Not sure but I always give credit to the person that the original recipe came from when I post about the one I made from it . I think that is just common courtesy .

 

[unionrdr]

I'd say when you change the flavor & color enough to where it's a different style,at least half way anyhow. Like with a Midwest pm stout kit where I added bourbon soaked oak chips. I re-named it Queen Anne's Revenge,after Blackbeard's ship. I've taken many basic kits from AE to PM & used them as a base for other styles entirely. Then I'd say it's really yours. They'd also sent me two of the PM Traditional stout kits by accident,& I changed the dark LME for amber DME,different hops & more chocolate malt. I added vanilla as well,making it a Robust Porter with vanilla by BS2.1 standards. So I'd say that's mine,but I do often mention what the base was.

 

[Nightshade]

I think it's should be based on a foundation of a tried and true but changed at least 51% for it to be "yours". It's like music - it's been around forever but the notes can be rearranged is so many different ways that a new rif makes a new song.

In music 20% change makes it legally yours.

 

[Beernik]

If it comes out of my head, it's mine. Sometimes I check against other recipes or guidelines to make sure my ratios and stats are close to where they should be.

My Vienna lager is Pete's Wicked Ale but with Vienna malt, lager yeast, and different hops. So I left "Wicked" in its name as a tribute.

 

[Calder]

If I brew it, it is mine. However, I don't think i have ever done an exact copy of a recipe. As far as names, i often retain the name of the similar recipe, or use a similar name.

 

[b-boy]

When I get the recipe I just call it what it is (red ale, ipa, etc...). I don't give it a name until I've brewed/tweaked it enough that it feels like my own recipe.

I almost never use the recipe's recommended yeast.

I like swapping out different hops in a recipe to get slightly different results.

I usually don't mess with the grain bill too much. Although I will substitute grains if I don't have the exact grains in stock.

Once I've brewed something 3-4 times it doesn't bear much resemblance to the original.

 

[bajaedition]

what makes it yours

making it taste more like you want it to

if that means changing 1 item, then so be it

but

I do not consider a recipe mine unless I developed it from svratch
and it hits a style profile

but then that is just me, I do not claim other peoples work, I admit over half the recipes I use I copied from others

 

[iaefebs]

Or you can go the Vanilla Ice route.

 

[Nightshade]

Or you can go the Vanilla Ice route.

Yeah you could but then it would be theft because that tick he mentions is simply a beat on the loop point to clean up the sound, not a 20% change of the music.

So yes they sampled it and by not getting it cleared it was a shot at stealing the sample hoping not to get caught.

I do sampling and production as a hobby as well.

 

[LovesIPA]

What about when you stumble upon a great recipe, brew it a few times and it's fantastic every time, and then when you go to submit the recipe to the HBT database, you see an almost identical version of your recipe that someone else posted three years ago.

 

[bajaedition]

What about when you stumble upon a great recipe, brew it a few times and it's fantastic every time, and then when you go to submit the recipe to the HBT database, you see an almost identical version of your recipe that someone else posted three years ago.

I think that unless you are doing something totally new
most recipes are pretty down pat
it has been to many years with to few ingredients to really change things up much.
how many times can you try to get such a color, such a mouthfeel, such a taste and such a hops profile?

I think hops is where most changes will be made

oh well

Want my chocolate porter recipe?

 

[Swifty]

I feel all of ya to different degrees. I'm always changing something out of curiosity or necessity.. Take 10 different recipes for a cream ale and I'll bet the grain bills are darn similar and the hop's are low alpha acid that are added early in the boil. I want all of the recipes I can get! I learn a ton just from reading others "first tries" through their "this is it!" Posts.

Thanks for the responces guys,

 

[ianw58]

Many years ago, longer before he was "famous", I had the good fortune to brew with a brewer whose products are often mentioned on this forum. He got me thinking about ingredients differently than I was, particularly hops.

He told he that I could brew with his ingredients on his system using his recipes and people who knew his beers could tell ours apart in a heartbeat.

Another brewer sampled one of my IPAs for whichI had developed an odd hopping schedule. We discussed it. He asked if I minded him playing with the idea. Awhile later, a very recognizable beer came out using the same hopping. Is it "my" beer? Hell, no! I'd like to think that I might have had an influence in the creation of it, though.

Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew. Call it whatever you want.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

There is no ownership of a recipe.
Call what ever brew you want whatever you want.
The brewing police have retired.

 

[Braufessor]

I think it's should be based on a foundation of a tried and true but changed at least 51% for it to be "yours". It's like music - it's been around forever but the notes can be rearranged is so many different ways that a new rif makes a new song.

If you start with a "tried and true" recipe and change it 51% - you won't even be brewing the same style anymore. It also depends a lot on the style - personally, if you are brewing something "to style" I don't think there are any real "original" recipes left.

I mean, if you are going to brew a pilsner....... there just aren't any significant options. 90% pilsner malt probably (or more), noble hops, czech or german lager yeast, ferment around 50 (give or take), low mineral water...... What are you going to change and still brew a pilsner.

I ALWAYS start with a "tried and true" recipe (brewing classic styles, NHC winners, kit recipe, recipe from a known source, etc.) I brew as close as I can to "as is" and then from there, I may start to tweak it. At best, my recipes get to the point where I would say "based on." I don't get caught up in "this is my recipe" because there is a near certainty that there are really no truly "unique" recipes out there unless you just brew something ridiculous.

For instance "my" british bitter started with Northern Brewers Innkeeper - but, I adjust the amt. of grain for my efficiency, I used maris otter instead of golden promise, I used half pound of corn sugar instead of a pound, I add a half pound of wheat, all EKG on the hop schedule and I use 1469 yeast...... But, it was all "based on" that recipe kit. Same with all my beers probably. Does that make it "mine?" On the one hand, I changed quite a bit, but, on the other hand...... not really.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is if you take a tried and true recipe, or a recipe for a style and change it a lot - it is highly likely the only thing you are going to do is screw it up.

I think recipe's are a dime a dozen. The thing that makes your beer "yours" is your process.

*Edit - That said, if you use someone's recipe, or tweak it, I think it is right to give credit where credit is due if you have an opportunity.

 

[kaconga]

I believe a recipe is mine when any changes that are made to it are to actually change the final product instead of just subbing things for what I have available.
For instance, if a recipe calls for special b and all I have on hand is c-120 then that would still not be my recipe since I was approximating to fall into the recipe. However if it calls for Nottingham and I decide to use a Belgian strain because I want it to be Belgian than I would consider that my recipe at that point.

 

[glanville]

Suppose you take part of a recipe and then make up the rest.

I have a porter in which the grain bill is very similar to the HBT clone version of Founder's Porter (which i LOVE). I invented my own hop schedule, using different hops from the original and used my own mash profile. Even with the grains, I don't really know if the clone is the same as Founder's.

Is this a copy, a partial copy, or something new?

 

[Beernik]

There really isn't a whole bunch that is "unique" with a recipe. Every time I come up with an unusual idea and google it, I find at least a dozen references and/or recipes for the same thing.

Changing a mash schedule really is an underrated way of changing a recipe. My Vienna and Dort have the same yeast and were fermented at the same temperature for the same amount of time. The Dort mash was Decoction with rests at 123F and 141F. The Vienna mash was Step with rests at 141F and 151F. The Dort got 82% attenuation and the Vienna got 76% attenuation. The Dort is so much drier in character and mouthfeel.

With my Wicked Vienna , the only thing I kept from the Pete's Wicked Ale clone recipe was the 60L Crystal and the Chocolate malt. Everything else is different. However, for me it is unusual to copy even that much from a recipe. But it isn't Pete's anymore. Nobody will mistake it for Pete's Wicked Ale. But because I went to the recipe, copied it, and then made some changes to make it work with the yeast I was using -> I decided to add the "Wicked" to my name for it as a tribute.

 

[LovesIPA]

Want my chocolate porter recipe?

Please! I just finished kegging mine. The only catch is that I use tap water and I haven't tested the water so I have no idea what the mineral profile is.

Mine:

47.1% 2-row
32.4% maris
7.8% chocolate malt
7.8% flaked oats
2.9% crystal 40
1.0% carafa III
1.0% crystal 80

Mash @ 154

16 AAU Warrior @ 60 min
9.8 AAU Willamette @ 20 min
9.8 AAU Willamette @ 5 min

US-05

 

[Beernik]

There really isn't a whole bunch that is "unique" with a recipe. Every time I come up with an unusual idea and google it, I find at least a dozen references and/or recipes for the same thing.

Changing a mash schedule really is an underrated way of changing a recipe. My Vienna and Dort have the same yeast and were fermented at the same temperature for the same amount of time. The Dort mash was Decoction with rests at 123F and 141F. The Vienna mash was Step with rests at 141F and 151F. The Dort got 82% attenuation and the Vienna got 76% attenuation. The Dort is so much drier in character and mouthfeel.

With my Wicked Vienna , the only thing I kept from the Pete's Wicked Ale clone recipe was the 60L Crystal and the Chocolate malt. Everything else is different. However, for me it is unusual to copy even that much from a recipe. But it isn't Pete's anymore. Nobody will mistake it for Pete's Wicked Ale. But because I went to the recipe, copied it, and then made some changes to make it work with the yeast I was using -> I decided to add the "Wicked" to my name for it as a tribute.

 

[Swifty]

I'll change my signature.. I do really like that Pusifer song though. It's "Conditions of my parole" if anyone would like to get a listen. Youtube the video.

Love this forum and want to be a appropriate!

I feel all of ya to different degrees. I'm always changing something out of curiosity or necessity.. Take 10 different recipes for a cream ale and I'll bet the grain bills are darn similar and the hop's are low alpha acid that are added early in the boil. I want all of the recipes I can get! I learn a ton just from reading others "first tries" through their "this is it!" Posts.

Thanks for the responces guys,