Is your beer better than anything you can get at the store?

[jjones17]

Some is, some isn't it depends on the beer, the brewery, my recipes, etc, a lot of variables. SOme beers I'll never come close to, some I'll never even try to brew and just enjoy the original.

BUT, I've done blind taste testing of a couple of my clones against the original, and usually my version prevails. The biggest one was yooper's dead guy clone against the original. It would win hands down, while my bell's amber clone would do about 50-50.

I think in a well made homebrew (either Extract OR Ag, btw, both clones were extract w/grains,) FRESHNESS is the issue that wins out. Homebrew just has a fresher taste than something that's travelled.

It may not ACTUALLY be better, but to the taster it is perceived as such. In fact one person said that my DG Clone tasted like they thought Dead Guy SHOULD taste like. Which I think was that it just was fresher and less travelled than the store bought version

That might be why, living in Michigan and pretty close to bell's, why going against a bell's product I only win half the time, Bell's doesn't travel far and has a higher turnover in metro detroit then Rogue does.

I've noticed the same thing in regional wines versus wines that travel a distance to get to us. Wines from local wineries just have a brightness, and freshness, that is missing with wines that may be made for

Completely agree with regards to fresh. Comparing a solid homebrew to a commercial one of its style is like trying to compare store bought bread that has a 2 week shelf life to fresh bread made at home. There is no comparison, not because one is superior, but because there is no comparison.

Just my opinion of course, but I have yet to enjoy a commercial beer with the same senses as a homebrew - they are just different. Loving the freshness, but I also dig a commercial beer quite often!

 

[jfr1111]

Hell no. We have a beer store that has around 90 different microbrews (with good enough turn around that they stay fresh) and that stocks all the Unibroue beers. A few blocks from that store, we have a microbrewery that has a milk stout on tap that I would drink at 6:30 in the morning while seriously hungover.

Same thing for cheese and bread. This is the upsideof living in a touristy, pastoral area. Great cheese, bread and beer.

 

[NorCalAngler]

Until I go all-grain, get electronic fermentation temperature control, filtering, and a quality control employee my beer won't come close to being "better" than a commercial brew.

That being said, I definitely enjoy my homebrew more. Wrap your head around that.

 

[BulldogBrewer]

That being said, I definitely enjoy my homebrew more. Wrap your head around that.

That's my take. I can't imaging consistently making a beer better than what I have available locally, however I sure as heck enjoy the satisfaction of having brewed it more.

 

[scottland]

My last couple batches have been VERY good, but falling just shy of great. They had a touch of chill haze, and weren't quite crystal clear. Filtering is one of the things I see very few homebrewers do, that I feel would improve my beers that extra notch.