Do you like your beer better?

[Tobor_8thMan]

Any hobby has initial startup costs. Similar to a business. Think of any hobby. Over time, the costs come down as initial expenses are amortized over the (fill in the blank), in our case brewing sessions.

Also, IMO, breweries around here are all the same. For example. On the train ride home I see Port City in Alexandria, VA. Not close to my home by any means, but we, wife and I visit. What a PITA trip. Nice tap list. However, most of the brews are IPA. Sorry, don't like them.

Go to any brewery in this area and most of the brews are IPA or other brews available at other breweries. No one want to take a chance.

Several years ago, Winchester, VA had decent breweries and prices. Unfortunately, the price creep ($6.50, $7 per, etc, glass) has made its cancerous way there too.

What we need is a German Beer Garden. Anyone what do go into business with me? We'd kill it.

 

[mygar]

Any hobby has initial startup costs. Similar to a business. Think of any hobby. Over time, the costs come down as initial expenses are amortized over the (fill in the blank), in our case brewing sessions.

Also, IMO, breweries around here are all the same. For example. On the train ride home I see Port City in Alexandria, VA. Not close to my home by any means, but we, wife and I visit. What a PITA trip. Nice tap list. However, most of the brews are IPA. Sorry, don't like them.

Go to any brewery in this area and most of the brews are IPA or other brews available at other breweries. No one want to take a chance.

Several years ago, Winchester, VA had decent breweries and prices. Unfortunately, the price creep ($6.50, $7 per, etc, glass) has made it cancerous way there too.

What we need is a German Beer Garden. Anyone what do go into business with me? We'd kill it.

Ok we are on the same wave length here. Yep, most LOCAL places it's all IPA. Now, don't get me wrong, I am starting to enjoy more IPAish beers.. but literally there are places where all are IPA … and maybe a stout. (pretty much don't bother going there) Like you, I really appreciate German beer... and of course, Belgian. So my main hangouts are 2 Biergartens and a Belgian place. The Belgian place is pretty cool, as they do open vat fermentation in a sanitized room that you can observe. The beer is really, really good. Yes, all the beer here is 7.50 +. Now for these places I don't mind that too much. But here CA, we really do have some amazing breweries... im just speaking about what is local to me.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I'm envious as we have neither German Bier Gardens nor Belgian beer here (at least not at breweries). One of the reasons why I brew my own.

Local Manassas brewery, don't get me wrong, are nice people. However, they charge $7.00 for a cream ale. My cream ale kicks their a*s.

 

[davidabcd]

Extract w/grain brewer. Sometimes.

 

[mygar]

I'm envious as we have neither German Bier Gardens nor Belgian beer here (at least not at breweries). One of the reasons why I brew my own.

Local Manassas brewery, don't get me wrong, are nice people. However, they charge $7.00 for a cream ale. My cream ale kicks their a*s.

Yea 7.00 seems to be the norm no matter what it is. Also, I am not a fan on driving afterwards either. So, if I go out try to have my wife go with me at least. My wife's pretty good cook, so to ty my first batch ever (hefe) she did some homemade Bavarian pretzels. They were pretty good!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

My wife's pretty good cook, so to ty my first batch ever (hefe) she did some homemade Bavarian pretzels. They were pretty good!

Sounds very good.

We've even visited breweries where they charge $10.00 for a (not even close) Bavarian pretzel. BTW, Lidl Grocery Store has good pretzels.

 

[mygar]

Sounds very good.

We've even visited breweries where they charge $10.00 for a (not even close) Bavarian pretzel. BTW, Lidl Grocery Store has good pretzels.

Dont think we have Lidil here. One Beigarten here sells a pretzel for 7.00 that will feed 2 people. It's like a medium sized pizza lol. So, there are some deals here and there I think!

 

[NGD]

If someone wants $10 for a pretzel and I’m not in a stadium of some kind then I’m going elsewhere. Havent been to a brewery yet thats worth those prices, and I’ve been to several very good breweries. For the most part I really like a majority of styles I’ve made. Some much better than a few Sac and San Diego area breweries. There are some styles I have yet to get past mediocre and appreciate brewers that can do it well.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

If someone wants $10 for a pretzel and I’m not in a stadium of some kind then I’m going elsewhere. Havent been to a brewery yet thats worth those prices, and I’ve been to several very good breweries. For the most part I really like a majority of styles I’ve made. Some much better than a few Sac and San Diego area breweries. There are some styles I have yet to get past mediocre and appreciate brewers that can do it well.

Visit around here...

 

[mygar]

This is why... if I can brew a quality 5 gal batch for 30 ... it's a good deal!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Absolutely. Read my tag line...

 

[Snark_Wolf_Brewing]

Charlie Papazian once said 'The best beer in the world is your homebrew. In this case, I'm going to have one of mine!'

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I once personally received a reply from CP. One that I will always respect and cherish.

 

[mygar]

I once personally received a reply from CP. One that I will always respect and cherish.

I dont know who that is ... will look him up

 

[Snark_Wolf_Brewing]

I dont know who that is ... will look him up

Charlie's one of the biggest pioneers of modern day homebrewing.

 

[mygar]

See... that's how much of a newbie I am. Exciting how much there is to discover

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Yep, without Charlie Papazian we'd all probably not be here.

 

[thefigure5]

I went to U of A in Tucson, and there was a decent sized microbrewery there, "Gentle Bens" … my first introduction to a craft brewery. Loved the oatmeal stout back then!

Gentle Ben's brewing operation moved off site years ago and became Bario Brewing Co., a fun warehouse district place, owned by the same folks that started Gentle Ben's. It (Bario) had and may still have 1/2 price beer whenever a train is going by, and recently became employee-owned.

 

[mygar]

Gentle Ben's brewing operation moved off site years ago and became Bario Brewing Co., a fun warehouse district place, owned by the same folks that started Gentle Ben's. It (Bario) had and may still have 1/2 price beer whenever a train is going by, and recently became employee-owned.

Very interesting. That place was the introduction to beer that was not "Coors Light"! haha
I have not been back for many, many years... have many fond memories of Tucson and U of A. So, is Bario by OMally's now? If that's still around?

 

[mygar]

Interesting looked them up. Looks like they sold out of Gentle Bens as it is still there. The fact that they are employee owned is pretty cool

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I dont know who that is ... will look him up

Here's a link (to a /r/homebrewing post) with some ideas for additional people to be aware of.

Many of these people have web sites, write books, create or appear on podcasts, present at conferences (HomeBrew Con, etc). It can be interesting to hear about how these people brew (e.g. Gordon Strong in Brewing Better Beer and Brew Your Own Magazine articles) as it's generally a well thought out approach. One can certainly disagree with the approach (and hopefully one has a solid reason for taking a different approach).

 

[mygar]

Here's a link (to a /r/homebrewing post) with some ideas for additional people to be aware of.

Many of these people have web sites, write books, create or appear on podcasts, present at conferences (HomeBrew Con, etc). It can be interesting to hear about how these people brew (e.g. Gordon Strong in Brewing Better Beer and Brew Your Own Magazine articles) as it's generally a well thought out approach. One can certainly disagree with the approach (and hopefully one has a solid reason for taking a different approach).

Thanks man!

 

[NSMikeD]

I like what I like.

Some of my beers are meh, and some I love. The reality is I tend to brew what I like and avoid brewing styles I can live without or require skills or equipment I don't have. So it's no surprise that I tend to like my beer better that some commercial beers. On the other hand I strive to replicate beers like Sierra Nevada, Dog Fish etc. I do try to push my skills and try new styles.

One thing to keep in mind that with all these styles parameters, there are great beers that are totally outside the parameters. Anchor Steam, West Coast IPAs and NEIPAs all started outside the box and led to new beer styles. Thank goodness for those folks that didn't let others tell them what was good beer.

As a brewer we are artists. Like the painter who can see the landscape on a blank canvass, we too see a finished beer in a pile of grain. Like painter who learns skills through experience to achieve effects, we do the same with each brew.

There are two distinct stages to this art.

Firstly, did we achieve what we set out to make? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We learn from both and sometimes our mistakes surprise us favorably and we add that to our repertoire. We do this for ourselves.

The second part of the art is whether or not others will like an appreciate what we made. That is totally different from whether or not we like what we made,

If you brew for others, then the second part is more important. If you brew for yourself, then the first part is important.

Of course it's very nice when it all comes together.

 

[mygar]

I like what I like.

Some of my beers are meh, and some I love. The reality is I tend to brew what I like and avoid brewing styles I can live without or require skills or equipment I don't have. So it's no surprise that I tend to like my beer better that some commercial beers. On the other hand I strive to replicate beers like Sierra Nevada, Dog Fish etc. I do try to push my skills and try new styles.

One thing to keep in mind that with all these styles parameters, there are great beers that are totally outside the parameters. Anchor Steam, West Coast IPAs and NEIPAs all started outside the box and led to new beer styles. Thank goodness for those folks that didn't let others tell them what was good beer.

As a brewer we are artists. Like the painter who can see the landscape on a blank canvass, we too see a finished beer in a pile of grain. Like painter who learns skills through experience to achieve effects, we do the same with each brew.

There are two distinct stages to this art.

Firstly, did we achieve what we set out to make? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We learn from both and sometimes our mistakes surprise us favorably and we add that to our repertoire. We do this for ourselves.

The second part of the art is whether or not others will like an appreciate what we made. That is totally different from whether or not we like what we made,

If you brew for others, then the second part is more important. If you brew for yourself, then the first part is important.

Of course it's very nice when it all comes together.

This is a really good post! Of course, I am in the learning of the basics phase, and if the brew turns out enjoyable to me than that's fantastic! I like creating things, so I think brewing will be a good hobby for me. At this stage of the game, I recognize their are styles outside of my abilities and equipment and am concentrating on the more forgiving beers. Having said that, I picked up a Pliny the Elder clone! Now I bottle, so l plan on purging head space (grolsch bottles - quickly seal) with wine preservative. Saw that technique here... will give it a try.

 

[seatazzz]

Let's do some math. There are 640oz in 5 gallons, which equals 40 pints. I can brew a 5 gallon batch for less than $20; granted I buy my grain and hops in bulk, and re-use yeast as long as it's viable. 20/40 is 0.5, or $.50/pint. A 24 pack of CL (about the only commercial lager I can stomach) averages about $22 around here. Two 24-packs is still only 588 ounces, or about $1.20/pint. What I brew tastes bazillion times better (most times) than CL. If I were to go for something better, say a 24-pack of something craft, the price is much higher per pint. Notice I'm not even mentioning going out to a taproom/craft brewery, I'm speaking only of home consumption; since we are still in the midst of the whole covid-19 lockdown, with not a lot of opportunities to visit taprooms/breweries, most of my brewer friends are still depending on their own output for beer.

Is my beer "better" than what I can get commercially, or in a taproom? Matter of opinion, mostly mine, since competitions have mainly been cancelled, and I'm selfish enough to want to keep my production to my own home. I'm fairly good at judging what tastes good, detecting off-flavors, or just knowing when a beer is crap. Even my "meh" creations (one of which I'm sipping on right now, a lager that didn't do as well as I wanted) taste better to me because, hey, I made it. A lot of OP's first question can be answered by that; I made it, therefore I like it better than some unknown brewmaster's creation. And for those of us who keg, we have the supreme opportunity to drink our beer when it's super fresh, and hasn't sat around in a warm warehouse staling or oxidizing beyond recognition.

TL;DR; but I like my beer better than commercial/taproom beers, mostly. And when I do find one that I like, that is stellar beyond comparison, my first thought is always "how could I brew this at home?".

 

[RevDroz]

If I may offer my opinion....
I much prefer my own beer even though I know it is not top shelf or to everyones liking. I brew beer that I can drink everyday and if a friend comes over and doesn't care for it, they best be bringing their own beer to drink.

I am still learning how to improve my beer and things have already drastically changed. I find myself deliberately trying something that most say you shouldn't do just so I can experience it first hand. I prefer (as my mother calls them) knowledge bumps when I am brewing, the mistakes tend to sink in and root faster in my brain over having someone just say 'don't do that'.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[mygar]

I know a lot of attn to the details contributes to quality beer. Looking back when you guys were new, what were the one or two biggest things that raised the quality of your beer do you think?

 

[RevDroz]

Time. I tend to get impatient and realized I was kegging too early, not letting the beer clean itself up.

 

[grampamark]

If you don’t like your beer better than a commercial equivalent, why bother?

I don’t brew “trendy” beers. A stout for which the recipe sounds more like a grocery list doesn’t interest me. I don’t brew hoppy beers. 40-50 IBUs is enough to make me happy. I buy in bulk so most of my brews come in within a few bucks either side of $20. I can brew the styles of beer I enjoy drinking a lot cheaper than I can buy those beers.

Is my beer better than the commercial equivalent? I don’t really care. After 9+ years and close to 140 batches I know I’m going to make beer every time. Nobody has ever turned down the offer of a refill. I’m comfortable saying that my beer is as good as any and better than some. Would my beer be given the seal of approval by the self-anointed High Priests of Homebrewing, a few of whom can be found on this board?

I hope not.

 

[RevDroz]

If you don’t like your beer better than a commercial equivalent, why bother?

I don’t brew “trendy” beers. A stout for which the recipe sounds more like a grocery list doesn’t interest me. I don’t brew hoppy beers. 40-50 IBUs is enough to make me happy. I buy in bulk so most of my brews come in within a few bucks either side of $20. I can brew the styles of beer I enjoy drinking a lot cheaper than I can buy those beers.

Is my beer better than the commercial equivalent? I don’t really care. After 9+ years and close to 140 batches I know I’m going to make beer every time. Nobody has ever turned down the offer of a refill. I’m comfortable saying that my beer is as good as any and better than some. Would my beer be given the seal of approval by the self-anointed High Priests of Homebrewing, a few of whom can be found on this board?

I hope not.

Rock'n'Roll!!