Need suggestions

Hey everybody,

I'm planning on brewing my first few batches of beer this summer. I'm a true hop head, but I wanted to use my first batch to make a beer that most of my friends and family would like.

Does anyone have suggestions of beer types/kits that I could make, which would be the most likable to others?

I plan on diving into some true IPAs for my second and third batches.

Thanks!

 

Most of my family doesn't really like heavy craft brews. A good light summer type beer might be a good start. Perhaps a wheat?

 

Or maybe a cream ale. It's a bit more exceptable to the BMC crowd. Or maybe the Brewer's Best Summer Ale kit. It's a lot like Shock Top,if any of them like that.

 

My vote goes to a wheat beer, especially in the summer. I think it's something that the fam might enjoy, or maybe a lighter type pale ale? Nothing overly hoppy, but something to get them into it to see if they'd like it.

 

Cream of Three Crops in the recipe forum, It 's appealing to anyone who actually likes beer.

 

Thanks for the input, everybody! I can't wait to get started!

 

Brew what YOU like, you'd be surprised how many folks will like it. If they don't, oh well. We put too much blood sweat and tears in our brews to try and replicate Coors light!!

 

I brew what I like, but you will be better served going with your idea to train your family away from yellow fizzy. Brewer's Best makes a very nice red ale kit, that a friend of mine started with, nice and malty, with a bit of hops. You could even throw an ounce of amarillo or cascade in at dry hop to add flavor without bitterness.

 

Belgian Blonde. Got one in the fermenter right now.

 

I ended up choosing Hank's Hefeweizen from Midwest.

It had great reviews and I know my family will like a good wheat ale.

Next up will be a hoppy ipa.

Any thoughts?

 

I did a Stone IPA clone for my first beer that I wanted, then a blonde ale that came out more of amberish ale that I thought my non-beer drinking friends would like. After conditioning I liked them both, two completely different beers, but my friends liked the IPA. Good beer is good beer, if you do it right, people will like it regardless of what style it is.

 

My friend did a BB ipa that I thought was pretty damn good. Good kit for starting out.

 

I just brewed this Double IPA and it was amazing! Definitely a beer that any hop head will enjoy. I put in a little too much honey and ended up getting it to be 10.6% ABV.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/happyloons-hophaven-honey-double-ipa-284740/

 

This recipe looks great!! Gonna put it on the "must brew" pile.

 

I did a similar ag beer like this, I used 1lb of wildflower honey, the wildflower honey is amazing, but I thought too little flavor, maybe 1.5lbs would be perfect, mine is 9.5%, would meet this halfway at 10% with 1.5 lbs

 

I used to buy raw wildflower honey. Amazing aroma & flavor of wild flowers. I just had a thought that if you used the raw version,it'd be pasteurized only once-in your brew kettle. Added near the end of the boil to dissolve it might preserve the flavor a bit more having been in it's raw,unmolested state?!...

 

I add after primary fermentation no heat drive off flavors/scents

 

I wondered about this being ok with the raw version though? Even though it contains bacteria that are benificial to humans,it might have an adverse effect on the beer? What say you?

 

I do it all the time, honey also will prevent/clear up infections. I use it on cuts all the time (a/c coils are like razor blades)

 

Good point. I hadn't thought of that aspect of it. Cool!