no more vanilla ever! and SWMBO has no respect!

[LSDracula]

Yesterday I cracked one of my brews.
My second recipe ever! A vanilla amber cream ale. A house recipe from the LHBS.
I thought holy crap this is way better than my first brew!
Now I am drinking it a day later and I can hardly stand it. The vanilla flavor is way too much for me.
I tried Breckenrigde Vanilla Porter a few weeks ago and I almost poured it out even after I payed $9 for a 6 packer. It was almost undrinkable to me and I once drank vodka mixed with root beer... yuck lol!
I guess I just can't stand vanilla.
I recall getting into an incense burning phase in high school and vanilla always gave me a headache.
Anybody else have an utter disgust for vanilla.
Apparently I do!

The weird thing is that yesterday the beer had only 2 or 3 hours in the fridge and was nice and crisp. It had a distinct flavor of the flaked corn. Now 24 hours later it is more rich and vanilla flavored.

the really F***** up thing is that I brewed this beer specifically for SWMBO. Thinking she would like it (BTW she hasn't tried it and I don't think she will) also a few days ago I asked "Hey babe, what if I made a blackberry wheat do you think that sounds good?" she said "I don't know why you keep asking me. I don't drink beer!"

Maybe it's a good thing she stays out of the whole process. So far she hasn't asked any questions about how much money I have invested in equipment. My money is my money. Maybe I have the perfect relationship, but a little appreciation for my new found passion would be good too!

I guess I'll stick to making what I like from now on: stout (the darker the better) IPA (the more IBUs the better) and in the future barley wine (the higher the ABV the better)

 

[fastricky]

You gots to age that baby!

 

[double_e5]

Give it some time. Forget about those puppies for a month and then try one. The vanilla flavor will mellow with time.

 

[Donthoseme]

Vanilla sucks...PERIOD. It does not belong in beer. But if you age it it's going to mellow out significantly. If you wife doesn't like beer she hasn't drank beer. try looking here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/looking-good-beer-brew-108581/
A framboise will change her mind. If she doesn't like one then she's lost and appreciate the fact she's not against it.

I've seen a lot of threads on the classifieds pages of this site and others about guys selling stuff because SWMBO wants it to end. My wife doesn't drink a lot (she keeps in great shape!!) but when she's not pregnant (now 7 1/2 months) she loves my IPAs and IIPAs. It will take some work but you can do it man!!! Keep it up.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

I made a vanilla porter that was the same way last year. I gave it month at it was a lot better. I just opened one last week and it aged nicely, the toastyness and the roastyness married quite nicely with the vanilla.

Oh and as for your girl, give her time, she may come around.

Moral of the story, let them both age

 

[Yooper]

I made one beer with vanilla. It tasted like cream soda with beer added. Since then, I haven't put fruit or spice into a beer. Yuck!

If your wife doesn't like beer, she probably doesn't like beer. We enjoy beer, and can't understand it if our partners don't like it. But, I don't like chocolate. I've had sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate, etc, and I simply don't like it. Not one bit. If my spouse kept trying to get me to choke it down, it would really get annoying after a while. We like what we like.

(Sorry for the mini-rant! I see alot of threads saying "my girlfriend doesn't like beer- what should I make? and it bothers me. Make hard lemonade, wine, root beer, etc, but maybe give up on beer for that person! No one enjoys being coerced to try something.)

 

[cheeseshark]

There was another thread about this a couple weeks ago. I agree with Yooperbrew - why convince her to like (or pretend to like) something that she never really will? You have your hobbies and likes/dislikes, and she has hers. Best to just leave it at that.

When I first starting brewing, I kind of felt the same urge to brew something for my wife, because I think I felt a bit guilty about spending time on something just for me. But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a hobby on your own. We still spend lots of time together otherwise.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

If you really want to make something for her, try apfelwein. Its very easy and very versatile: you can vary the yeast for a drier or sweeter product make it still or sparkling, etc. I agree with everyone else that you can't force someone to like what they don't like. I ask my SWMBO to taste each new brew (with the exception of the stouts) and she generally has no problem doing so. She is more of a wine drinker now and is a huge fan of apfelwein. Anyway, definitely be happy she is accepting of your new hobby; not so many are so lucky!

BTW, I absolutely love vanilla! I love the smell of it, the taste of it, sugar cookies, french toast with plenty of vanilla, vanilla bean ice cream... However, I cannot stand it in beer! It seriously makes me want to hurl. You should let that batch age for a good long time and come back to try it. If you still don't like it, label them up for Christmas gifts!

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

(Sorry for the mini-rant! I see alot of threads saying "my girlfriend doesn't like beer- what should I make? and it bothers me.

Don't apologize. While it doesn't bother me, it does cornfuse me. Many times these threads pop up in the beginners forum. I think that not only for beginners, something that is important for anyone is to not brew something that "sounds" good because it has the words vannila, strawberry, honey, oatmeal, chocolate, coffee, watermellon, or the like in the title. Brew the styles of beer that YOU like. Brew something that you have sampled the particular style of and can measure your results off of. After that, experiment away.

My wife doesn't like IPAs and I don't like wine. We just leave it at that.

 

[david_42]

I lean towards beer-flavored beers myself. Blueberry wheats are about the only exception.

Ask yourself this simple question: "What does she drink?" Then: "Can I make that?"

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I made one beer with vanilla. It tasted like cream soda with beer added. Since then, I haven't put fruit or spice into a beer. Yuck!

If your wife doesn't like beer, she probably doesn't like beer. We enjoy beer, and can't understand it if our partners don't like it. But, I don't like chocolate. I've had sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate, etc, and I simply don't like it. Not one bit. If my spouse kept trying to get me to choke it down, it would really get annoying after a while. We like what we like.

(Sorry for the mini-rant! I see alot of threads saying "my girlfriend doesn't like beer- what should I make? and it bothers me. Make hard lemonade, wine, root beer, etc, but maybe give up on beer for that person! No one enjoys being coerced to try something.)

Don't apologize. I did my ranting on this very subject in that very thread. To the OP's credit, he finally figured it out. Now he'll brew what he likes.

 

[Clayton]

i dont know! i like lots of stuff now that i did not before do to the efforts of swmbo
tomatos ,asperagus ,musterd , cigaretts and all but that last one are a good thing

i love beer , but not at first, if was forced on me with tons of peer presser the way its suppost to be

way back then ,my wife did not drink , but i fixed that now she likes hopier beers that i do
and drinks my Makers on her days off with her girl friends

I see it like this if she does not drink with any regularty then give up and enjoy for home brew , that would be like geting a vegitaran to eat beef > : )

but if she does drink then there is a chance she can aqure a tast for it
and may like it some day.
after all the would be like going from chicken to beef > : )

if she does drink ,just not beer, the best way is have her around some other ladies in a celabratory setting that do like beer and mabey she will be tempted by a baby step like red beer (clamato),, swmbo's friends love red beer but then they love most all the 10$ six pack stuff too

 

[Joos]

Funny you should say that Clayton.My wife was a vegetarian before we met.Now she eats meat all the time.(I don't eat anything that didn't walk/swim/fly at one time).That being said she doesn't like beer.And thats fine with me.I drink a lot so I don't need anyone else killing my supply

 

[SeamusMac]

...a few days ago I asked "Hey babe, what if I made a blackberry wheat do you think that sounds good?" she said "I don't know why you keep asking me. I don't drink beer!"

I get that same line from my girlfriend all the time but whenever we go to a pub that has Garrison Raspberry Wheat (local microbrew) on tap she's excited to have a couple pints! I've suggested that I could make a raspberry wheat for her birthday which is next weekend and she turned me down. I think she expects the quality of my home brew to be so sub-par that it's worth paying 4 times as much for the professionally brewed stuff

... I looked in her fridge yesterday and saw a 6-pack of Garrison Raspberry Wheat...

 

[IowaHarry]

+1 on the chocolate. Everyone keeps saying, Ooo, isn't this chocolate ymummy? And I tell them it tastes like wax to me.

Early on in my brewing experiences I made three different stouts and thought I was getting them wrong. This was when there was very little variety available in stores locally. Finally I found some guiness. I had never actually had a stout before I brewed my own. I had been dead on style every time. I just don't like stouts. Too much ashtray.

If my wife doesn't want any beer, why that's just jim dandy. More for me.

 

[Dizavin]

Vanilla sucks...PERIOD. It does not belong in beer.

uhh... yes it does. the best beer I've ever had was a vanilla winter ale from granville island brewing.

 

[Dizavin]

Vanilla sucks...PERIOD. It does not belong in beer.

uhh... yes it does. the best beer I've ever had was a vanilla winter ale from granville island brewing.

 

[Snuffalupagus]

I guess I'm lucky...

I love my cider and Apfelwiens,
when it comes to beers, I'm a Hefewizen, or wit kind of guy...

SWMBO on the other hand doesn't really like any of those.

what she does like is Big red wines (can't help that) and IPA beers (can do that) I suppose I'm fortunate that I really don't have to produce anything too exotic to make her happy. really It's the opposite - I play mad scientist with the stuff I drink - looking for the perfect drinkability coupled with a respectable punch. (apfelwien is so far the best thing since sliced bread, IMHO... Two pints, and Whoo hoo!!! fun time commences.)

 

[Homercidal]

Don't try to change her, but I think that there are so many different beer style out there, that there MUST be something she will like. That said, why worry about it? I KNOW my wife doesn't like beer. She rarely drinks anything alcoholic and when she does it's usually mixed drinks.

But they guy who's girlfriend drinks someone else's wheat beers, but wont' try one of yours?? That's cold, man. She should give you more credit (if it's deserved). Jus tgo ahead and make some and offer it to her. She might actually like it.

And Yooper, I find it very hard to believe that anyone in this world doesn't like chocolate. It's just so good!!

Forgot to add that I also don't care much for vanilla. It's ok in baking, but the smell gives me a headache and can easily ruin a good beer. The best vanilla beer I ever had could have been much better without it IMO.

 

[EddieWess]

uhh... yes it does. the best beer I've ever had was a vanilla winter ale from granville island brewing.

Hey, my daughter goes to school on Granville Island. We had lunch there one day at the brewery, good beer.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Picked up some RO water today to make a wine kit for SWMBO tonight. About eight bottles into the first batch I made her she said (over the weekend): "I think we should make that other wine kit so it'll be ready for patio sipping in the summer".

Wine kits aren't cheap but SWMBO on the patio is priceless.

 

[IrregularPulse]

My SWMBO was a mixed drink girl when I met her in College, now she loves trying all my beers and always talks how much she likes them. I'm a little hard on myself judging my own beers so it's great that she likes them so much. She loved my Chocolate hazelnut Porter that I didn't care for. I do love porters though. I got her drinking beer when I started drinking craft beer. And in return I used to be a very bland eater until I met her. I hated all peppers and onions and big tastes due to my mother's cooking style pre-college (More country homestyle). Now I love huge flavor in food and onions and peppers due to her cooking style of "hey there's a spice, throw some of that in too".