Beers you should be able to brew

[Glovebox]

What beer styles do you feel are the core of a home brewers repertoire and why?

I feel that American wheat beer is a style that I need to be able to brew. I live in the prairies of Alberta and feel that a wheat beer is something I should brew. How about you?

 

[BendBrewer]

I brew what I like to drink and that means Pale Ales.

 

[Hellfish76]

I agree with BendBrewer. You should be brewing for yourself. That is not to say that you shouldn't experiment with different styles, flavors, ingredients, etc... But your primary focus should be on brewing beer that you like.

To say that every brewer should be able to make a good IPA, as an example, is silly because not everyone likes IPAs. Unless you are planning on opening a brewery, don't worry about what styles you should brew.

 

[ErieShores]

I brewed a Belgian Ale last year, it's still sitting in my basement. Brew styles you will drink is the moral here.

 

[EoinMag]

I just brewed a cracking stout, so I am there already, what with being Irish and all.

I tend to brew bitters as I really like them, English style though, not this overhopped IPA fad that you US brewers seem to favour.

 

[unionrdr]

Dito on the pale ales. I've got two versions already,& the 1st one's getting one small mod. The second one is a bit more on the classic side of pale ales. But I do think a brewer should study the old,not brewed much if at all anymore styles. You never know what you might like that comes from that realm. And wheat beers of whatever country has a style you enjoyed at some point. They're always good for the hotter summer days.
And at least a dark ale,maybe with citrus rind & spices for the holidays. Or maybe use it as a base to make "whiskely",another colonial classic. Not too hard to update to today's methods. These are my opinions,your mileage may vary...

 

[Golddiggie]

Brew what you like to drink most... Brew what you like to drink the other times too. Brew what appeals to you...

So far, I've been mostly brewing styles from the British Isles... So British, Irish and Scottish ales. That's a wide enough range to keep me going for some time. I did brew an ESB for the second time (trying to nail the recipe)... I also recently brewed a cream ale, that's still in primary. This week I'll be putting my Wee Heavy onto some oak for a spell. :rockin: Need to taste it before I do that of course.

I am working on a breakfast stout recipe... Not sure when I'll brew that up though... I have a feeling that I'll be brewing my English Barleywine before the stout.

 

[Pilgarlic]

When it comes to choosing my next brew, I must admit, the word "should" doesn't enter into my thinking.

 

[Teromous]

I think a brown ale is another good one to know. It's a very classic simple beer. I've found that this is a good beer to practice getting the right color on because you can't really hide it if it's too dark or too light in this beer. I also think that stouts are good to learn so you get a feel for bittering with grains instead of hops. A lot of people do variations of pale ales which are good for learning to balance malt and hop character as well as what hops to use, what schedule, etc.

 

[remilard]

If you can brew an american light lager you can manage a lager fermentation and an adjunct mash. If you can brew an IIPA you can make a hoppy beer. If you can brew a barleywine you can handle fermenting strong beers. If you can make a triple you can manage fermentation of idiosyncratic yeast. So if you can brew those four, you can brew most things. So they are good skill testers at a minimum.

 

[beergolf]

In just brew what I like to drink.

I do pale ales about 2 out of three brews. I usually do wheat occasionally. and I have brewed a Saison and a Belgian Tripel. A beel I like to drink.

 

[frailn]

I brew what my SWMBO would like, since it means I can spend more on homebrewing out of the budget! We just killed the last few bottles of a Boulevard Pale Ale Clone that she loved.

If I brewed an expensive stout or a barleywine (love both styles) she wouldn't drink them - but I think I will brew them in small batches so I can keep the big fermentor open for SWMBO beers.

I think all brewers should have a recipe or two in their repertoire for their SWMBO.

 

[Zamial]

What beer styles do you feel are the core of a home brewers repertoire and why?

I feel that American wheat beer is a style that I need to be able to brew. I live in the prairies of Alberta and feel that a wheat beer is something I should brew. How about you?

Pales and Stouts because the strong flavors easily mask imperfections and they are yummy...

 

[Golddiggie]

No SWMBO over here, so I brew what I want... :rockin: I have brewed some because I knew that some family members would like them... I actually brewed my second ESB recently since I liked how the first one came out, and a few family members also liked it... It's going to be about 5 weeks before it's ready to drink, so an end of April first pop day will be in order... Maybe for Memorial Day I'll bring them some...

 

[bruin_ale]

I have recipes that my wife likes more than others, but she has similar tastes as I do - so other than perhaps a barleywine, I don't think I could brew something that she wouldn't appreciate.

 

[bruin_ale]

Also, I don't think there are styles you NEED to be able to brew. I look at it sort of like I do with cooking. I brew and cook what I like to drink/eat. For brewing that usually means APA and IPA with the occasional belgian and stout or other odd style mixed in. I always have an IPA or pale ale on tap (when I have beer, right now I'm rebuilding a pipeline).

With cooking it's similar, classic bbq/smoked food, italian, american stuff - but then I'll mix in indian/curry, thai, mexican food pretty regularly also.

 

[ayoungrad]

IMHO, If part of what you like in brewing is a challenge or feeling like an "accomplished" homebrewer, then I think something along the lines of what remilard said is a pretty good start. Being able to brew a beer in the major types of beers (however you would like to divivde them) is a fairly good indicator of being "accomplished".

But I agree with majority opinion here. Brew what you like. Or brew what is liked by the people you like.

 

[marcycaulkins]

The basics in my house are a pale, a stout, and a brown. The stout alternates between a cream stout and a dry stout, the brown I'm working on perfecting, and the pale alternates between an american pale and an ipa (sometimes i have both on hand, if i'm lucky). I also like to do "specialty" beers, such as an occasional hefe, belgian, etc. Sometimes i just put a bunch of stuff in a pot and see what I get, sometimes I meticulously work out a recipe.

I think what I'm trying to say is, brew what you like. Me, I like variety.

 

[theonetrueruss]

I should brew whatever sounds delicious and possibly things that challenge me... but always things I think sound delicious.

 

[kingmatt]

I've only been brewing a year and have been brewing different styles to get some experience and try some new things.

I think now that I have switched to all-grain, and am starting to get more comfortable with the brewing process and how certain variables will affect the quality of the beer I am brewing, I am going to spend some time experimenting and developing a signature "house" IPA and or pale ale because that is my favorite style.

I will still have to brew up a fruity wheat on occassion to keep SWMBO happy though!

 

[VoodooManX]

I like variety depending on the dinner menu, season, and what I feel like trying next. This is my first year but so far I've brewed a PM australian pale ale, 2 different extract wheats, a PM stout, a PM brown, an AG pilsner (still fermenting away slowing and coldly), and an extract Irish Red. I've got the grains coming for a AG blonde arriving today.

The stout in the keg is about 1/2 gone so I know that will be my next brew again after the blonde as I love having a stout on tap.

 

[marnel]

When I first started brewing I was more open minded to what brews other people would enjoy, now I just brew to my tastes and if others want to hang around and enjoy one of my homebrews then great otherwise more for me! :rockin:

I also love brewing beers that I cannot get in my area, for instance I've been hearing alot about a big sky beer called Moose Drool so a couple of months ago I broke down and brewed a clone. Loved it, and so did alot of other people who were around while it lasted. This was a style I would have normally not have brewed but I found great pleasure in drinking and sharing this beer.

 

[gak27]

"The Boss" likes pale ales, all kinds. As do I. ----> 5 gallon batches

"The Boss" isn't so crazy about stouts, porters, etc. -----> 3 gallon batches

Neither of us is particularly fond of wheat-based beers, so I only occasionally make one, and usually it's a Kolsch...

I love the making of the beer as much as the drinking of the beer.

 

[Revvy]

I can't stand wheat beers so I guess I'll never be a "real" brewer.

It's almost as ridiculous as saying you can't be a real brewer unless you brew ag, or you grow your own hops, or malt your own grain, or develop your own strain of yeast, or can do a double decoction while standing on your head, preforming brain surgery and singing the theme from "the way we were" in shwahili.

Brew what makes you happy, brew HOW it makes you happy, this is a hobby for chrisakes.

Except for maybe lagering which requires a little more technique, and some of the more step intensive processes like step mashing and decocting, brewing a wheat beer is no different that brewing and ipa, or a stout, or a double imperial Ipa with a twist of lime lime.....especially if you're an extract brewer...it's following a recipe, so how is brewing an America Wheat any more "brewer like" as any other style? Or more challenging to brew? Even in AG an american wheat is no more difficult that any other beer style to brew. It's grainbill + time + temp in mashtun, then boil, add hops, cool and pitch yeast.

One would argue that the most difficult style to nail is the American Light Lager, because there's no real margin for error. But everyone's not gonna want to brew a budlight clone or something similar to that style.

But what we "should" do???? We should be able to make great beer. or at least make beer that makes up happy, that we and our friends enjoy drinking.

 

[Valcarde]

What 'should' you be able to brew?

A beer you like to drink.

If you find one thing you like, then make only that if you want. Or experiment with new beer types and recipes.

So far, I haven't made the same thing twice, but that's going to change soon I think! Going to start keeping a carboy of apfelwein and graff going (two of the things I really liked so far), and if the current hobgoblin clone works, and if people like Biermuncher's centennial blonde, well...

... I'm gonna need more fermenters.

 

[Weizenwerks]

I brew what I like to drink. I always have a hefeweizen and dunkelweizen around. I also rotate through the other German wheat beers. For brewing, that's all I brew is German wheat beer.

For drinking, I might get a feeling for a pale ale, bock, or brown ale. I'll just go buy a six pack or so and be done with it.

 

[heywolfie1015]

What 'should' you be able to brew?

A beer you like to drink.

+1 Great answer.

 

[PanzerBanana]

I just brewed a cracking stout, so I am there already, what with being Irish and all.

I tend to brew bitters as I really like them, English style though, not this overhopped IPA fad that you US brewers seem to favour.

Over hopped fad?! America finally has beers with a distinct character. With growing numbers favoring hoppy beers. So now when "Ameican" is on a particular style you know what to expect.

 

[bernerbrau]

When it comes to choosing my next brew, I must admit, the word "should" doesn't enter into my thinking.

You've never had a sip of something at a bar and gone "wow, I should really brew something like this!"?

 

[Weizenwerks]

Over hopped fad?! America finally has beers with a distinct character. With growing numbers favoring hoppy beers. So now when "Ameican" is on a particular style you know what to expect.

Any fool can cram hops into a beer and get a high IBU. To make a great beer it takes balance. Americans love to take things to the extreme, but there is more to be said about balance of hops and malt. Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale. 63 IBU but the balance of malt makes it a very drinkable beer so much that you think the IBU are a lot lower. That's balance.

 

[edb23]

I agree 100 percent that you should be able to brew beers you like and that's it.

That being said, if you can brew a great pilsner with nothing to hide behind, you can brew pretty much anything.
Unfortunately, i'm not quite their yet but working on it

 

[bovineblitz]

I've discovered that my water kinda sucks for hoppier beers and is phenomenal for stouts and porters, so I've been doing those a lot. It does fairly well with English styles too.

I'm diluting my water for hoppier stuff but I think that the water should be a part of the consideration.

 

[bovineblitz]

Any fool can cram hops into a beer and get a high IBU. To make a great beer it takes balance. Americans love to take things to the extreme, but there is more to be said about balance of hops and malt. Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale. 63 IBU but the balance of malt makes it a very drinkable beer so much that you think the IBU are a lot lower. That's balance.

Nugget Nectar is nice and balanced too at 93 IBU.

Plus, it's a matter of taste.

 

[boo boo]

Any fool can cram hops into a beer and get a high IBU. To make a great beer it takes balance. Americans love to take things to the extreme, but there is more to be said about balance of hops and malt. Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale. 63 IBU but the balance of malt makes it a very drinkable beer so much that you think the IBU are a lot lower. That's balance.

Balance is the word. Either balanced toward the hops or malt. There is a reason there are styles.

 

[DirtBagRob]

I'm an experimenter by nature and I like pretty much everything. When I go to a restaurant regularly, I won't order the same thing twice until I've tried everything on the menu. I've brewed about 10 batches, with 4 more ordered, and I haven't done the same style twice yet, and I don't plan on it until I've done them all. There are some beers I've never even tried commercially before (ie:Weizenbock) that I'm planning on brewing soon. But I figure, I like all beers (styles, not particular brands/labels) so why not.

 

[Stardust]

... I'm gonna need more fermenters.

+1

I'm gonna need more room, too

 

[EoinMag]

Any fool can cram hops into a beer and get a high IBU. To make a great beer it takes balance. Americans love to take things to the extreme, but there is more to be said about balance of hops and malt. Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale. 63 IBU but the balance of malt makes it a very drinkable beer so much that you think the IBU are a lot lower. That's balance.

Yeah, you know what I'm sayin.

It's the lack of balance that I get in a lot of them that I can't stand, hopped with balance, that's all good.