How do I know???

[Tonypr24]

Guys
New...I have never made beer...
I have been drinking beer all my life but it always has been the same beer (coors light). I know, I know coors light is not a beer is water...i know i know coors light is awful...I've heard it all. Thats why my question is how do I know?? if I brew a new beer how do i know is a good batch if it taste different than what i am used to. How do I know that is how that beer is suppose to taste like. Like for example and please do not kill me for this but if you gave me a Guinness and I did know it was a Guinness I would think that beer batch is bad...its just a different taste....I am looking for a smooth taste... Does anybody know of a good smooth simple beer to make? oh I almost forgot! I this beer ready for Feb 15th..if I brew it tomorrow night would it be ready for then?

 

[Stef1966]

If i were you, i would start by going to your local micro brewery where you could taste some of their stuff, this could give you an idea about how "real beer" should taste like, and also what to expect or what to aim for as a home brewer.

Because yes, Home brew is as far as Coors light in taste as home made pizza mamma used to make and one you have at the local pizza joint restaurant.

You might be in for a huge surprise.

And about it being ready for a definite date in time, beer has to decide that for itself, if you rush it you will hurt it, let it do it's thing and the reward will be a much better beer in the end.

Some yeast ferment and finish faster than others, so choose a fast yeast or a fast brew kit to begin with.

Brewing beer = patience and love for your craft.

 

[JoeMama]

You would have a relatively green beer by the 15th, but theoretically it can be done. (You would be rewarded for letting it go longer) The purpose of homebrewing is better beer - not more beer or faster beer.

What tastes good to you is all a matter of YOUR opinion. I would suggest trying something not too exotic for your first brew. Maybe a pale ale or a brown ale of some sort.

Do yourself a favor and next time you are at the grocery store pick up a couple of other different brews. If they have the mix and match option for 6 packs that would be your best bang for the buck and if you didnt like one of the 6 you have 5 mroe to experiment with to see if you like it or not. If they have the 22s of specialty beers that is an option as well.

I too am a beer virgin and I honestly didnt know what I would like or not like. I quickly learned that -
I hate bocks or true hefe's (way too malty for my tastes)
IPAs are VERY heavily hoppped but they smell pretty good and are rather hop spicy. Not exactly my cup of tea but different IPAs have different flavors that I like and dont like.

Its YOUR pallette dont be afraid to try new things and hopefully go from there!
Good luck and welcome!
-Me

 

[Yooper]

I would say that February 15 is not a realistic date. The beer will take a couple of weeks to be ready to bottle, and then take about 3 weeks to carbonate in the bottle. So, I think 4-5 weeks would be the quickest turnaround for a low alcohol beer. "Bigger" beers take a bit longer to taste good, but lower ABV beers can be drinkable in a shorter period of time like a month. Some of us keg, and we've actually had a beer swap with 10 day old beer. That was a lower alcohol British style mild ale that was kegged and sent out on day 10. That's unusual though- most beers at my house are served from the keg at about the 5th week after brewing.

I'd suggest trying craft beers and microbrews and see what you like. Some people love hefeweizens, but some others (like me) don't like them at all. Some people love wheat beers, which seem to be a favorite of newer craft beer drinkers. I don't like them, though. Some love pale ales, and others find them too hoppy.

If you live in an area where you can buy a mixed 6 pack of craft beers, then you can sample all different styles and see if you like that type of beer before you commit to the time and energy to make 5 gallons of it.

 

[0202]

I also found the BJCP style guide a good reference for different styles,
especially if you plan on brewing one.

+1 to the mixed 6 pack. I love stores that allow that.

BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Index

 

[XXguy]

There are lighter colored & lighter flavored beer recipes listed in the recipe section. Some of the lightest beers that wouldn't be a shock to your taste buds would be pilsners & lagers, but they also take the most time & the lighter the flavoring, the more exact your procedures and processes have to be. Plus, if you do a lager, you're going to have to "store" the beer for extended periods of time at low temperatures. More patience = better beer.

This is just my guess - without knowing what ingredients you might have, or what part of the country you are in ( so we could guess the temperatures available to you for fermentation and/or lagering) I'd recommend something like a Nut Brown Ale. It's a darker beer than Coors Light, but easy on the palette, and has a smooth flavor that has some different tones, without being too bold. It would ferment quickly ( but 3 weeks is REALLY pushing it ) and you could ferment & bottle condition at 65-70 degrees.

Like Stef said - maybe the best bet is to go buy some different commercial beers and find out what tastes good to you. Some people like wheat beers, porters, or lagers. There's 1000 different recipes you can make. Figure out what tastes good to you first.

 

[Tonypr24]

Thank you to all of you for holding my hand thru my brewing..Alot of you have answered allot of my questions…I wish I could brew you all a nice batch of beer….

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

+1 on trying some good commercial brews
+1 on looking at the BJCP guidelines

I'd take it one step further and drink your commercial beer while looking at the BJCP guide for that brew. Taste carefully, and take notes. That way you will at the very least get a start in understanding the descriptions of flavour, tones, mouthfeel etc that you will see discussed sometimes in this forum.

You won't gain a great deal of knowledge at first, but it could be an important first step into not only understanding what you like, but what the heck other people are trying to describe to you about what THEY like.

Congratulations on your virgin taste buds!

 

[0202]

+1 Hey that's a GREAT idea Laughing_Gnome_Invisible!

 

[MikeG]

Keep in mind, what you are most used to is a Lager. Ale's just aren't as popular here in the US and may take some getting used to. Myself, I always bought commercial Lagers (Grolsh, Becks, Sam Adams, etc) until I thought about making my own beer, which would be an Ale.

Before making your own beer, buy a commercial Ale. Sierra Nevada is an easy choice as it's easily found in the grocery store and is bottle conditioned. I think beer can be an acquired taste, give it a chance (and don't drink it ice cold and definitely not in a frosted glass). Good luck

 

[Madman]

Getting into beer is about having an adventurous spirit, and I know that sounds lame. I learned what types of beer I like by going out and buying a berr I'd never had every time I went out. I didn't go about the book learning until late in the game, but through experience and talking with beer guys, I learned the difference between ales and lagers, hoppy beers and malty beers, and not to be afraid of the sediment at the bottom of a Sierra Nevada.

Sure, through random selection, I bought some beers that I really didn't like, but you can't be afraid of that. You may even go back to one you didn't like after a while and find that you have a new appreciation for that flavor. It was that way for me with hoppy beers.

The best adive I've seen here is go out and try some micros. They will be closest in flavor to the homebrews that you will eventually make. If you try your first homebrew with a palate for Coors, you're going to hate your beer and drop the hobby. Ease your way into it by first sampling the micros. You may not be brewing right away, but at least you'll be drinking