Confession time: would you buy the beer(s) you have brewed in a bar?

[philipCT]

As for myself, I've brewed 45 batches of beer so far. No wonder my favs are among the last 20 batches as I've dialed in my processes.

Standing out are an Imperial Stout, a Pliny Clone brewed per Vinny's article, a humble American IPA and an American APA per Zainasheff (Brewing Classic Styles) and a Red's Rye PA clone recipe from a friend. Any of those I would reorder at a bar in a heartbeat.

My challenge is to keep pushing myself to brew new things. My tendency is to just rebrew the things I've already brewed that I like.

 

[Jimbodaman]

For my taste many of the Craftbrews are a terrible mixture of ingredients leading to a total failure in terms of "real beer"...

This, this exactly. I tend to not agree with my so called beer snob friends who want a Raspberry Coffee bourbon barrel aged Imperial dry hopped Stout. That's an exaggeration but I'd much rather have a phenomenal Wit beer or a well done dry Irish stout than any of what I call gimmicky beers.

Okay so with that said yes I would buy 4 of my recipes because I brew them to my tastes, malty, clean, and usually noble hopped. That's my style, I'm trying to brew my perfect beer, my recipes are always similar ie Maris Otter and Nottingham fermented cool while constantly changing the hops, and specialty grains.

 

[Pyg]

I make a snozzberry Coffee bourbon barrel aged Imperial dry hopped Stout that is spectacular!
Hints of coffee, bourbon & Hops really bring the snozzberry out!
I would pay double for a pint of it a bar any day!

 

[bransona]

I think it's interesting that you've come around the the lowly Pale Ale for your reckoning. I always pay attention to the Pale Ale when I'm visiting a new brewery. It often presents the brewers clearest statement about his craft.

That's often very true, and a great point. However, I'm that one odd brewer who really shines in the malt field. Hops aren't my jam. Especially since my current town has a huge thing for simcoe. I think they're disgusting, so most pale ales here are garbage to me. My favorite local specializes in accessible strange beer. My favorite to date (from Harrisonburg, specifically) is a Belgian chocolate stout from Pale Fire brewing.

 

[safedude]

Lol! How are the chances for us to meet here in this virtual place! ? Wow

I have to admit, I never been there... from what I hear it is awful

I came here from Munich so brewing my own beer is an essential of survival strategy

I've heard the same! I heard they don't brew their own beer. Have you checked out Bucks Country Brewey yet? It's just north of D-town off of 611.

 

[Braumeise]

I've heard the same! I heard they don't brew their own beer. Have you checked out Bucks Country Brewey yet? It's just north of D-town off of 611.

I was in New Hope at Triumph but disappointed... did not check Bucks County Brewery yet but have been to Free Will.

Will update you when I check out either of theses places

 

[Braumeise]

I've had a few of those conundrums. The bacon and toast ale is just horrendous, but I'm letting it age... just in case. However, a few other weird combinations have been great! A hopfenweisse made with lots of hull melon and goldings tastes like strawberry banana heaven. I'm especially proud of the dark ones though. My take on the 888 RIS is one of the best beers I've had. 10% without even a hint of alcohol flavor. Super rich and complex malt profile. I think of it like a picasso. Sometimes the best things take a little thought and understanding. I hate picking up an American stout and feeling like I've tasted everything it has to offer after two sips. English stouts don't have this problem as frequently.

All that said, there are still so so so many brewers that make beautiful masterpieces that I'm envious of. Devil's Backbone is just an hour from my place. They're some incredibly skilled fellas. Danzig Baltic porter is unbelievable.

OMG! LOL!

"letting it age" might safe you indeed....

love the Picasso comparison. Not everything "paint on a canvas" is art, and Picasso knew how to draw and paint in a very classical way before he started to go abstract.

I believe that to be true for every "Art". You MUST know the basics and you must master the classic before you are able to experiment and come up with something outstanding...

As for me I hope to figure out and master the basics at some point... that's why I am brewing exactly the same beer over and over again with only slight alteration

 

[Braumeise]

As for myself, I've brewed 45 batches of beer so far. No wonder my favs are among the last 20 batches as I've dialed in my processes.

Standing out are an Imperial Stout, a Pliny Clone brewed per Vinny's article, a humble American IPA and an American APA per Zainasheff (Brewing Classic Styles) and a Red's Rye PA clone recipe from a friend. Any of those I would reorder at a bar in a heartbeat.

My challenge is to keep pushing myself to brew new things. My tendency is to just rebrew the things I've already brewed that I like.

I find nothing wrong with brewing the same beer I like over and over again

I am obviously a very typical "female beer drinker" as most of my friends like exactly what I like, not too much hops, light, not too much smell of yeast ( a lot of women, me included, do not like the smell of many beers) if spiced, than it must blend in and be complex and full bodied...

I just had New Belgiums Snap Shot from the tap and found it very pleasing.
I absolutely do not like their Fat Tire though...

Did like most of Lost Abbeys witbeers, not a huge fan of porters and stouts so, so I did not like the Serpents Stout BUT I loved their IPA amd to my Knowledge Merry Taj was their first IPA...

so, why am I saying this? I do not see any reason to brew something I wont like anyway.
I will try to make a perfect wit beer, than advance to Lager and maybe... somewhere down the road try to make an IPA I like...

and then there is sour beers I really what to try to make...

 

[Braumeise]

This, this exactly. I tend to not agree with my so called beer snob friends who want a Raspberry Coffee bourbon barrel aged Imperial dry hopped Stout. That's an exaggeration but I'd much rather have a phenomenal Wit beer or a well done dry Irish stout than any of what I call gimmicky beers.

Okay so with that said yes I would buy 4 of my recipes because I brew them to my tastes, malty, clean, and usually noble hopped. That's my style, I'm trying to brew my perfect beer, my recipes are always similar ie Maris Otter and Nottingham fermented cool while constantly changing the hops, and specialty grains.

I can sign this! Sounds like my attempt mostly and yes, yes and yes again to the raspberry, barrelaged, coffee... (add 100 other ingredients that come to mind) Porter...

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Since a major reason I like to make the styles (or lack of style) I make is their (relative) lack of availability commercially, yes I would buy it in a bar. Find me a Dark Mild, simple malty 30 IBU Pale Ale or Rye/Munich/Special B/Centennial "whatever" beer in a bar I would absolutely pay for it.

Like a couple other posters, 75% of the beer I make is very much made just for my taste so unlikely to be commercially viable. Besides, I do not go to bars much anymore because I would rather have my beer at home hanging out with my dogs than deal with the general public.

 

[myelo]

If I was unknowingly served one of my beers in a bar, I would like it... but I would think to myself "I would have made this better."

 

[Braumeise]

If I was unknowingly served one of my beers in a bar, I would like it... but I would think to myself "I would have made this better."

LOL!

Thanks! That was exactly one of the points why I started this thread... are we biased in terms of approving something because we take pride in making it?

I was thinking, if I was served my beer, would I think: I can make this better OR would I think: nice, but not nice enough to re-order, while at home I rate the exact same beer "higher"...

 

[brewcat]

OMG! LOL!

"letting it age" might safe you indeed....

love the Picasso comparison. Not everything "paint on a canvas" is art, and Picasso knew how to draw and paint in a very classical way before he started to go abstract.

I believe that to be true for every "Art". You MUST know the basics and you must master the classic before you are able to experiment and come up with something outstanding...

As for me I hope to figure out and master the basics at some point... that's why I am brewing exactly the same beer over and over again with only slight alteration

Also, having a solid base makes it easier to experiment because you have the understanding of what should work and where to start.

 

[bionut]

Sure i would but the beers i make, but some of them only once :LOL:

 

[jlinz]

Finally, I think I would, but it took awhile to get here. In fact, I find myself enjoying mine and my buddy's homebrews better than most microbrews I pick up. Of course, I'm getting to the point that I can taylor them to my tastes.

 

[Nico93]

I'm prone to be more finicky with my beer than with pub's beers, because mine need to be evolved!

So to respond to the question , i I'd like to buy some of mine at the pub and really enjoy it, others I may prefer to buy something else

 

[BuglessDuster]

Most of them I would buy, but I've made a few that were god-awful.

 

[Sailingeric]

I think I would buy almost all of my beers. I have a couple that I thought were less than great but when sharing my beers those two have been other peoples favorites- a chocolate milk stout that I think is too chocolaty and could have had more body and a pale ale brewed with a new hop- Armadillo not Amarillo hops- info found here http://brulosophy.com/2015/12/17/the-hop-chronicles-armadillo/

I think it comes down to we are too critical on our beers versus the general population

 

[Braumeise]

I think I would buy almost all of my beers. I have a couple that I thought were less than great but when sharing my beers those two have been other peoples favorites- a chocolate milk stout that I think is too chocolaty and could have had more body and a pale ale brewed with a new hop- Armadillo not Amarillo hops- info found here http://brulosophy.com/2015/12/17/the-hop-chronicles-armadillo/

I think it comes down to we are too critical on our beers versus the general population

or maybe I am so proud of myself, that I drink it, even though I would not touch it, did it come in BMC Bottles

I very much question my perception all the time anyway

 

[BNolt17]

Really interesting thread. I am a beer drinker that will try anything that I haven't had before in a bar, but when I brew, I brew recipes and styles for me. I would say that about 80% of the beers that I have made, I would buy in a bar, but I have not made the same recipe twice to date. I made a Gingerbread Brown ale that ended up tasting exactly like it was supposed to, but I didn't like it. That was the one beer I brewed for the season and not to my tastes. Anyone who tried it that liked gingerbread thought it was really good, but I wasn't a fan. I also did the Strawberry Alarm Clock recipe that is on here but got diacetyl and struggled to get through that keg.

I made a Peach Habanero Ale last fall that I would drink over almost any pepper beer that I have had, and I have gotten awesome reviews. I plan on making that one again this fall with a few small tweaks.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I would NOT buy the beers I brewed in a bar. I'm sure that by time they were done and ready to serve I'd be so sick of sampling them I'd not care anymore.

If someone else brewed my beers in a bar, I might buy one just to see if they got it right.

 

[agrazela]

No. Cuz that'd be illegal.

 

[beskone]

Some yes, some no. I think my Saisons have been as good or better than most commercial versions I've tried. My recent grapefruit wheat was also excellent.

I'm still working on really nailing APA/IPA's but having just moved to kegging I'm hoping the IPA I just kegged will turn out well once it's carbed up. Hopefully those will start falling in the "I would totally pay for this" camp soon.

 

[te-wa]

yes

 

[schematix]

The standard I judge my beer by is "would I pay money for this?". If it's worth money, then I did a good job making it. If not, time to refine recipe and/or process.

 

[Braumeise]

The standard I judge my beer by is "would I pay money for this?". If it's worth money, then I did a good job making it. If not, time to refine recipe and/or process.

I do the same... yet I do question my perception given the fact that I might either be to critical or to proud of my achievement

 

[Braumeise]

Some yes, some no. I think my Saisons have been as good or better than most commercial versions I've tried. My recent grapefruit wheat was also excellent.

I'm still working on really nailing APA/IPA's but having just moved to kegging I'm hoping the IPA I just kegged will turn out well once it's carbed up. Hopefully those will start falling in the "I would totally pay for this" camp soon.

grapefruit wheat sounds very appealing to me

 

[Braumeise]

Really interesting thread. I am a beer drinker that will try anything that I haven't had before in a bar, but when I brew, I brew recipes and styles for me. I would say that about 80% of the beers that I have made, I would buy in a bar, but I have not made the same recipe twice to date. I made a Gingerbread Brown ale that ended up tasting exactly like it was supposed to, but I didn't like it. That was the one beer I brewed for the season and not to my tastes. Anyone who tried it that liked gingerbread thought it was really good, but I wasn't a fan. I also did the Strawberry Alarm Clock recipe that is on here but got diacetyl and struggled to get through that keg.

I made a Peach Habanero Ale last fall that I would drink over almost any pepper beer that I have had, and I have gotten awesome reviews. I plan on making that one again this fall with a few small tweaks.

I try everything - also I can say I do not like at least 90% of what I did try.
I used to be utterly simple in my beer taste: Augustiner Helles on Tap (Period) that was it. I did not care for anything else too much. Also I drank it.
So moving to the US - who would have thought - indeed expanded my horizon...

 

[JohnSand]

Living up to my word. The latest batch wasn't good when I kegged it. I let it rest a month. It's still not good. I'll probably let it stay in the fridge until I need the space, but if it doesn't improve significantly, it's going down the back hill.

 

[muels]

I would buy all of my different pale ales, my oatmeal stout and my smoked cherry porter. They are nothing earth shattering but they are solid and very tasty. For clarification though, these are what I brew most often. Some of the cream ales, wheats and such are acceptable but I wouldn't order a second one. Not because they were bad, they were just ok beers. I've had a few dumpers as well, mostly oxidation or infection from stupidity.