Slightly awkward situation

[cweston]

I had an impromptu brew session with a friend in late April: we did an IPA.

We did it as two seperate 5-gal batches, from a recipe we had that used Centennial, Columbus and Cascade, gravity in the mid 60's, IBUs in the low 60s.

He wanted to use Willamette, so he substituted it for the columbus (which was added at 60 and at 5, if I remember correctly). I didn't pay too close attention to what he was doing. He is Finnish and speaks softly and with an accent, so I don't always understand what he says if I'm not giving him my full attention. Apparently he substituted Willamette for Columbus ounce for ounce, which is clearly not a very good idea.

Anyway, mine tastes great (I dry-hopped w/ columbus and used bourbon-soaked oak chips), and his is pretty lame: way too low on the bitterness and hop flavor. Since it was a pretty generic grain bill (light LME + 1 lb Caramunich) and fermented with WLP001, there just isn't much there other than the hops.

I offered to swap cases: he said just a couple six packs would be fine. I don't really want to swap any of my good IPA for his crappy IPA, but I feel like a should. He set up this session and bought the ingredients. (I am going to be reciprocating some time soon.)

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Yeah, I'd say YOYO...but if there's politics to be played, maybe it's a good swap. Afterall, you didn't do something kooky like swap Willamette for Columbus!

 

[Glibbidy]

I certainly wouldn't remind him again about it. Stash those two six bangers away and if he doesn't bring to topic up for discussion again, or show up with his 2 sixers of Crap within a couple months then bust them out in Septmeber and enjoy them yourself.

 

[kornkob]

You offered, he accepted (and even reduced it to a couple sixers). Sounds to me its really a question of what your word is worth.

 

[cweston]

You offered, he accepted (and even reduced it to a couple sixers). Sounds to me its really a question of what your word is worth.

Yes, to clarify: I will definitely swap the 2 sixers he suggested.
because I said I would and because it seems like the decent thing to do. I'm wondering if I should be happy with that or insist on the case swap I originally proposed.

 

[todd_k]

If he looks to you for brew advice and guidance then I would swap the whole case since it is sort of your fault for not clarifying what he was saying.
If you are "brew-equals" together for a brew day and you were both doing your own thing then screw him, he made a bad decision and needs to live with that.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Just pour one of his and one of yours into a glass and call it an APA

 

[cweston]

If he looks to you for brew advice and guidance then I would swap the whole case since it is sort of your fault for not clarifying what he was saying.
If you are "brew-equals" together for a brew day and you were both doing your own thing then screw him, he made a bad decision and needs to live with that.

Ah...interesting angle! He has been brewing longer than I have, so it's definitely not the case that "he looks to [me] for brew advice and guidance." More like "brew-equals."

I think I'll show up at his house sometime soon with the two sixers. Perhaps the next time I see him after that I'll offer to swap a sixer or two again--if he declines, I'll leave it at that.

 

[kornkob]

yep-- trying to 'force' him to take a case might strike him as 'chairty' and make him feel bad about even accepting the sixers.

Nah--- sounds like you had your heart int eh right palce-- you both worked together, his didn't turn out so instead of damning your friend to drinking crap till the next batch is up, you're extending some of your own to tide him over.

All in all, sounds like you're a good guy like the rest of the fellas I've met from Kansas (all 4 of them).

 

[Cheesefood]

Don't be so stingy with the homebrew. He made a mistake and he's admitting it. He's asking you for help to get him through the dry-period until he can get a freshy made up. What you can do is to donate a few sixers to him on the hope that he'll hit you back once he has a good batch.

Remember the old "What goes around comes around" mantra. Sit with him and clearly formulate a batch prior to brewing, then stick with your formula. He'll have a delicious batch in no time and you'll have a couple of sixers coming your way.

 

[Brewpastor]

Remember the golden rule.

Jeez, I sound like a preacher. Never mind.