How honest are you when reviewing your own beer?

[masskrug]

You think your homebrew with extract twang is better than any commercially available beer? If so I'm gonna go ahead and say you're not as honest as you think you are when reviewing your beer!

LOL! Yeah, maybe I should clarify...Better than Bud, Miller, Coors. Not as good as the $5-$10 per bomber stuff.

 

[itsme_timd]

LOL! Yeah, maybe I should clarify...Better than Bud, Miller, Coors. Not as good as the $5-$10 per bomber stuff.

Ahhh, gotcha!

 

[smccarter]

I can say without any hesitation, that the only beer that I buy that I think is better than what I brew is Innis and Gunn Original. Possibly a couple of their others as well... but I prefer my beer over just about any other. That's not to say that I don't like other beers. I do, but I much prefer mine. It's fresh and just plain good.

Having said that, I will admit that I may be a bit predjudiced toward my beer. The question was how honest I am. I would certainly say that I'm being very honest about all of the statements provided.

 

[BHebert]

I don't know enough to tell if I brewed a good beer of if the recipe was good. Some beer I like, some I don't. I mark it up to different styles. I have brewed a couple that I have had to dump. I knew they were bad beers.

 

[QuercusMax]

I'm very critical of my own beer. I generally know when something I make is really good, and my competition scores generally seem to bear that out.

When other people (generally non-brewers) try my stuff, even what's not quite up to my high standards, they generally don't notice the flaws that are so obvious to me. It's only rarely that somebody points out something that I didn't notice.

I think it's definitely the curse of the artist - I know what I was shooting for, so if I don't hit the mark, I'm acutely aware of it. Other people don't have that same expectation, so are much more open to enjoying something that isn't quite spot on.

I will say, though, that much of what I make is better than most commercial beers. My brother, who does have an excellent palate (although not yet the vocabulary to describe things) agrees - he's one of the few non-brewers I know who can pinpoint the off flavors that I pick up in my own brew.

 

[histo320]

Like most of you I am overly critical compared to my friends and family who drink my beer. One of my least favorite beers I have made actually turned a co-worker of mine from only drinking Bud Light to trying a different 6 pack of craft beer every week. He said that my beer is better than Dogfish 60 Min. I think he is just flattering me as I thought the IPA I made had a bit of an off flavor. I couldn't put my finger on it but just wasn't right to me.

Anytime I get someone one to turn on BMC I consider it a good day.

 

[chisena]

I beat myself to a bloody pulp over my beers.... Dump beer down the drain without flinching and brew more. All passion baby!

 

[Hamaki]

Like most of you I am overly critical compared to my friends and family who drink my beer. One of my least favorite beers I have made actually turned a co-worker of mine from only drinking Bud Light to trying a different 6 pack of craft beer every week. He said that my beer is better than Dogfish 60 Min. I think he is just flattering me as I thought the IPA I made had a bit of an off flavor. I couldn't put my finger on it but just wasn't right to me.

Anytime I get someone one to turn on BMC I consider it a good day.

I don't have a lot of experience with a wide variety of beers but when I bought a sixer of DF 60 I was pretty let down. I thought hop aroma & flavor were lacking & nondescript. Maybe it was old, I dunno, but I don't plan on buyng it again anytime soon. I generally like my IPAs much more than the DF 60 I tried. I've been disappointed with other craft beers (Chimay red, everything I've tried from Sam Adams) but have also found some I really like and have not yet been able to produce something in that style I like as much.

 

[JayDubWill]

I don't have a lot of experience with a wide variety of beers but when I bought a sixer of DF 60 I was pretty let down. I thought hop aroma & flavor were lacking & nondescript. Maybe it was old, I dunno, but I don't plan on buyng it again anytime soon. I generally like my IPAs much more than the DF 60 I tried. I've been disappointed with other craft beers (Chimay red, everything I've tried from Sam Adams) but have also found some I really like and have not yet been able to produce something in that style I like as much.

Sounds like you got an old bottle. The date really does matter when it comes to IPA's. Don't give up on it yet, if you can find a fresh bottle it's one of the most delicious Pale Ale's you can buy. <--That's a joke BTW, but it seems like something to be qualified as an IPA these days it's got to have a thousand IBU's and make your arm hair stand.

Back on topic the single biggest ego boost I got was from joining a homebrew club. Getting feedback from fellow brewers is priceless and when someone who's been brewing for 20+ years tells you you're doing something right it's awesome...and validating. Of course there are just as many homebrewers willing to spare your feelings and tell you it's good while choking down a gag reflex. Finding the brutally honest ones is key.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, being the bunch if temperamental artists we are, I can say I'm overly critical of some of my beers. It turns out great, color is spot on, good head,etc. But I'll always find a reason not to be 100% satisfied with it. Seems like we're always on the quest no matter the result. Other times, like the Bavarian watermelon hefe, the critique was well deserved. Using fresh made watermelon juice was good, just not adding it to the boil. Seems like secondary would've given better flavor for one. But that's the trick, isn't it? We'rer always thinking up new ways to alter the flavors to work better in a given beer. There's that quest again...

 

[venomfast]

i am very critical of my home brews if they have any flaws i will make sure some one knows and point out i need to fix it for next time and if its a good one i just say its alright and let every one else judge