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

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

3 of them I would definitely buy, the other 20 or so were decent, but nothing mind blowing.

1) Post Punk Pale Ale
2) Northern Brewer's St Paul Porter (technically not my recipe)
3) White Wine Oaked Pale Ale

 

[fnord]

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Depends on cost..I've made a couple that I'd pay $4 for a pint.

Gotta look at the math. I'm a small spender, $10 for a 2 hour movie is a waste of time for me. I'd rather spend $5 for a day at a state park or $20 for a day at a renn fest than $10-$100+ for an hour of more active/modern/adrenaline-based recreation. I'll consider my cost of recreation very cheap, say $2/hour. Now consider my brew days normally become full on outdoor relaxation days. Last brew day was Sunday, 90 minute mash & 90 minute boil for a saison was a long brew day, but I stretched brew & cleaning to 9 hours. Grilled salmon for lunch, car was at some point, steaks for dinner, chilling outside for a while. Cost of propane + ingredients + food is about $35, rec value at my $2/hour is $18, net cost $17 for 40 pints. To me this saison cost me $0.42/pint. But if it turns out good (and you bet your ass it will), I'd gladly pay $4-$6 at a bar for it, but need to figure that I could subtract my ingredient/consumable cost from it, so say $3.50 - $5.50.

I've lost my train of thought, but overall yes. Motueka + Citra IPA I made a couple years back was flatout passionfruit & awesome and a taste I've never gotten elsewhere, raging bitch clone got me a bronze a few years back & was also amazing, then a couple of saisons that have gotten me golds that I'd easily pay $5 for a drink. Now if I were asked to pay $8, that would be a different story.

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[bobeer]

- would you go to a bar to buy the beer you brew?
Yes, I would buy the ones that have turned out to what I was shooting for. They are usually very good tasting and look good in a glass.

- Have you ever brewed anything, that, if offered in a bar you would not order again, yet you drank it anyway?
For sure! New recipes I come up with that are sub-par I drink because I try to only drink the beer I brew so I know going into it that I have to drink the whole batch if it turns out weird. It's still beer and "free" beer always tastes good! If it's infected or just tastes like there's something bad with it I'll dump it but this has only happened to me 2 times. Once from bad water and once from fermentation temps that got out of control.

- how do you rate your success in general in terms of "great beer"
I think I brew pretty darn good beer which is why I can just drink the beer I brew. I've been at it for over 4 years now and I have a pretty good idea on how to make good beer. I'd say 8/10 batches are great and could probably be sold. The other 2 are still drinkable but are prototypes and wouldn't give it to someone who's never had my beer before.

 

[user 204491]

The first few beers I brewed, no way would I pay for those. In fact I kinda feel bad that I asked folks to drink those at this point

Since then though things have steadily gotten better. I feel like I've gotten my pale ales and IPAs down to the point that I'm actually disappointed oftentimes when I go to the bar and wind up with something that doesn't taste as good as what I could make at home.

Both my long-term and short-term sours are really good, but I feel like I've still got a ways to go there with lots to learn.

Stouts and saisons I still feel like I've not brewed something that I've been really wowed by at this point, but that doesn't keep me from trying again.

I also try really hard to drink all of the beer I brew, even if it's not really stellar. It gives me plenty of opportunity to try and figure out where I went wrong or what I could do differently the next time.

 

[jwalk4]

No, I wouldn't buy my beers from a bar.

I'm working to develop a recipe that I would, though.

 

[smokinop]

Without a doubt, I would absolutely buy some of the beers I have brewed. IMO, some of my beers are the best beers I have tasted. I brew mainly for my enjoyment & if friends/family enjoy it too, all the better. I don't brew for competitions so I'm not very objective in my assessment but again, I brew for me. I have been brewing for 5+ years & although I have brewed many different styles, my first priority was brewing something I wanted to drink and with careful note taking, I work through issues & problems to try & produce great tasting beer.

 

[MarkZ56]

Not yet, no. I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor but I'm biased because I've created it. I'm only grading my beers as "Drinkable" at present.

 

[jonny24]

I'm 8 batches in, tasted 6 of them. So far only the pale recipe has had me go "this is actually pretty good beer" an been willing to share beyond my brother and dad. The rest have had detectable off tastes and one possible infection. The Pale was fruity and delicious and disappeared so damn fast.

It also helped that pale ale is my favourite style. My next favourite, Irish Red has gone terribly, the most recent being the possible infection- I dumped a six pack because I needed bottles the other day. I'll try to drink the rest by cutting it with some commercial beer, or I may give up on it if it gets worse.

 

[davidst]

I've been brewing for almost a year and have done about 20 batches, out of those there are 3 I'd pay money for in a bar.

1. The Heady Clone (my most recent batch). It's a pretty solid DIPA with a wonderful aroma and hop character, the only thing I'd change is add a little more bitterness.

2. Ol' Bitter Bastard ESB (about 3 batches ago) -- I somewhat changed the recipe based on the malts and hops I had and upped the gravity quite a bit, but when this Gleneagles floor malted Maris Otter brew was in it's prime, I had to pace myself on it or I might have drank it exclusively.

3. Apfelwein -- I made this 3 months ago, instead of using corn sugar, I upped the ABV by adding a few cans of apple concentrate. The result is a very tart and dry apple wine which I absolutely love. Although I might be alone on this one because everyone who's tried this batch hated it.

Beyond these three I wouldn't brew again or pay money for any other batch I've made.

 

[jackers252]

When I stopped focusing on crazy beers and went back to brewing traditional styles my beers went to another level. Now not all of my beers are perfect but rarely do I have to pour any out!

Some of the better ones lately would be a honey wheat, Vienna lager, Bock, and a saison. Those would all be worthy of a local pub.

 

[spittybug]

Absolutely, as would the people who try them. People know me to be brutally honest and know that I respect the same. They tell me if a beer isn't up to snuff. I've had beers that I don't particularly care for style wise, but others have loved. I always try to separate personal taste from competence. We brewery hop around the country www.twobrewdogs.com and I have therefore tasted many different brews at their source. I would put mine up against them any day and would honestly say mine are better than half.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Most of the APAs and IPAs I've brewed I would definitely buy. Most Porters as well. The one Old Chubb clone I did for sure. Out of the Belgians, I'd say maybe just 1 out 5 or so I've made. Finally my El Camino strong black ale is priceless:rockin:

 

[Malty_Dog]

Full disclosure: I wouldn't spend a dime on my recent imperial red ale. That's one experiment gone wrong for sure.

 

[hifidelity]

Bars wouldn't be able to keep my Dry Irish Stout in stock...I think and I've been told it's that good. A couple of my MO SMaSH APAs (Centennial and Mosaic) have been outstanding.

The rest...probably not, but they're still typically better than a lot of the swill that's typically on tap around these parts.