Developing my palate

[angle228]

I started my beer carrier like a boss (bud light + waking up next to a chick 6'1" 200lbs with scratch marks on my back...:rockin:)

Then, not long after, a friend of my introduced me to the real pleasures of beer and of course I was hooked.

So naturally I got into home brewing and I love it!

So, this is where my question begins. How do I develop my pallet for home brewing? I know what different varieties of beers taste like etc... But how can I work on developing my pallet for the specific ingredients in beer? How do I get to the point of writing a recipe and knowing what to expect from it before I even brew it, or knowing what I’m tasting when I drink my beer?

 

[C-Rider]

Good question. Perhaps you are born w/it. I for one have never gotten any citris, graphfruity taste from any beer. All I can tell is if it's good or bad. Well I can taste coffee sometimes. Made a smoked porter and I can taste something different so I guess that's the smoked malt.

 

[DeafSmith]

Maybe try making some SMASH brews (Single Malt and Single Hop).

BTW - it's palate, not pallet. I see this word misspelled about 10 times more often on HBT than correctly spelled - I know they are pronounced the same, but still.....? It's starting to bug me.

palate
[pal-it]   Example Sentences Origin
pal·ate
   [pal-it] Show IPA
noun
1.
Anatomy . the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate) and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate) that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
2.
the sense of taste: a dinner to delight the palate.
3.
intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation.


pal·let
2    [pal-it] Show IPA noun, verb, -let·ed, -let·ing.
noun
1.
a small, low, portable platform on which goods are placed for storage or moving, as in a warehouse or vehicle.
2.
a flat board or metal plate used to support ceramic articles during drying.
3.
Horology .
a.
a lever with three projections, two of which intermittently lock and receive impulses from the escape wheel and one which transmits these impulses to the balance.
b.
either of the two projections of this lever that engage and release the escape wheel.
4.
a painter's palette.
5.
(on a pawl) a lip or projection that engages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel.

 

[tpitman]

I think it changes with experience and somewhat with age. At the moment I'm completely out of homebrew (too busy at work) and to save some money I bought some Yuengling, which is my go-to when I'm feeling cheap. Meh. Bought a 4-pack of Murphy's Stout, which I had once about 5 years ago. Back then I thought it was pretty heavy on the roasted/coffee side, but was looking forward to something with a little bite. Cracked one last night, and there's no dominant roasted barley taste to it . . . all chocolate and quite smooth. I have to say I enjoyed it, but was shocked at the difference in taste. That head on it was almost like merangue it was so creamy and thick.
I made a Newcastle clone back in December, and after sampling it, thought it was missing some flavor until I followed it up with a Newcastle. Mine was noticably darker and had more taste, so while it was a failure in the clone department, I had some good beer that I'm regrettably out of. Everything I've made so far has had more flavor than the stuff I usually buy at the store. I've been making 2-1/2 gallon batches to sort out technique and to avoid gallons of beer I might not want to choke down, but from here on out it'll be 5 gallons because I keep running out. 7 batches to date, including the Coopers kit that got me started, and the last 4 have been all-grain.

 

[mvcorliss]

Do like chefs do ... Taste everything! Steep a little bit of every grain you buy in a little hot water, let it cool a bit and TASTE it. Nibble a bit of each grain dry. What does it taste like and how is that different from the tea. Keep a notebook and try to describe what you taste and SMELL. Smell every hop you use and write down what it reminds you of. Make a little tea from a pellet and taste that.
It will be very tough but ... buy a ****load of beer ... good beer. Look up reviews in Beer Advocate or RateBeer and see if you can taste the flavor notes people describe. Remember that everybody's pallet ( I couldn't resist) is different. Maybe you can taste chocolate where someone else doesn't. That's OK.
Try to taste beers made by other people where you can look at the recipe and see what it was made with. Can you tell a PA made with American 2-row from one made with Maris Otter. Eventually you will.
Just like when brewing .... keep notes when tasting.

Brewing lots of small batch SMASH beers will help too. Vary one ingredient at a time and compare. Something I've been planning to do for a while.

 

[Ramitt]

Good advice mvcorliss.

 

[TravisT]

I have been trying to buy beers that i can go on there website and see there ingredients. Rouge beers are a good example of this. They tell you the type of hops and grains, just not the quantities

 

[jsled]

BTW - it's palate, not pallet. I see this word misspelled about 10 times more often on HBT than correctly spelled - I know they are pronounced the same, but still.....? It's starting to bug me.

My mnemonics for these are that "palate" is spelled really close to "plate" like what would have food on it. "Pallet" has two l's, like the boards in a pallet. And pallete has an extra 'e' on the end, viz the effete artist holding it.

 

[mvcorliss]

My mnemonics for these are that "palate" is spelled really close to "plate" like what would have food on it. "Pallet" has two l's, like the boards in a pallet. And pallete has an extra 'e' on the end, viz the effete artist holding it.

I tried using mnemonics to remember things I kept forgetting ....

you guessed it .... I couldn't remember my mnemonics.

The knees were the first to go but the mind followed closely. Growing older sucks! Good thing I refuse to grow up! :fro:

 

[angle228]

Totally forgot I even posted this. Thanks for all of the replies!

 

[dantheman13]

The thing that helped my palette (and nose) grow to the point where I can pick out different flavors and aromas was going to craft beer tastings. Get a club going, or join a club. I've been tasting craft beer for the last year on a weekly basis. I've tried so many beers, that I can't remember half of them! Of course, you could do the same thing with a homebrew club.

It is all about exposure to as many different beers as you can, especially in the same style.

As far as ingredients go, that also comes with homebrewing experience, but it helps to have a good palette to begin with. I still can't pick out individual grains (hops are easier), or yeast strains (really hard). But as I homebrew with different malts, I am quickly getting better at it!

 

[jakesz28]

I remember when I would buy miller, twenty plus years ago. Now if it isn't a craft beer I usually won't buy it. Variety is nice and I now enjoy strong hops when before I wouldn't finish a beer like that. Strong malty beer goes down so easy.
Last night I bottled a trappist. It was so good I drank a glass at room temp with no carbonation.
Not sure why but I would do it again.