Tell me what to brew...

[Jeeperforlife]

Ok, so heres my problem. I live in the sahara desert of beer. I have to drive over an hour to get to a place that has a good selection of beers (that I havent already had). Plus alot of the time in PA when you do find a new beer you have to buy it by the case. Expensive and risky. One thing I have going for me is that Ive enjoyed almost any beer Ive ever had. So, to keep expanding my horizons, Im just going to keep brewing different styles. Since I havent tried several styles at all, give me your input. What should I brew?

Thanks!

 

[Totes]

Go sour.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Guess I should add: I dont lager due to current equipment limitations.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Go sour.

Could you be a little more specific?

 

[Wakadaka]

english mild

 

[Totes]

Could you be a little more specific?

I was thinking flanders red perhaps, get the pipeline going.

 

[TwoGunz]

Sours require some aging, which requires some patience, which requires some alternative beers t drink, which requires a nice supply of ready to pour brews already. Do you have that?

If not, spring and summer are fast approaching. How about a wit or saison?

 

[Billy-Klubb]

what have you been enjoying the most lately?

 

[Totes]

Sours require some aging, which requires some patience, which requires some alternative beers t drink, which requires a nice supply of ready to pour brews already. Do you have that?

If not, spring and summer are fast approaching. How about a wit or saison?

....Which requires a great excuse to buy an addition fermenter\carboy:cross:

I guess You should brew a style of beer you enjoy drinking, just sayin...

Cheers

 

[Xpertskir]

You clearly don't know beer if you think western pa is the Sahara desert of beer.


With that being said vintage estates is an awesome beer store, which I'm guessing is the store you are talking about.

Brew an India brown ale. Janet's brown is a solid recipe.

Or an American wheat, always delicious.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

You clearly don't know beer if you think western pa is the Sahara desert of beer.


With that being said vintage estates is an awesome beer store, which I'm guessing is the store you are talking about.

Brew an India brown ale. Janet's brown is a solid recipe.

Or an American wheat, always delicious.

Like I said, its over and hour drive to Pittsburgh.
And what do you mean I dont know beer? Its hard to find a big selection in
my area,

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Ok...what is a flanders red? Dont know if ive ever had any of that style. Dont think Ive ever had a saison either but its one ive been considering. I brewed a mild once and I was pretty disappointed...not much character (as the name would suggest) Im just getting back into brewing after a hiatus. Just did a mild APA and Im brewing an english bitter on thursday.

 

[mattd2]

I suggest you read this
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php
My suggestions - brown porter.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

I suggest you read this
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php
My suggestions - brown porter.

Thanks a bunch for the link. Good reading. And good call on the brown porter too. Sounds like a good fall beer.

 

[juggaleo]

English bitter? id recommend going extra special.. Common room ESB in the recipe section.. It is awesome, currently drinking my take on it

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Yea my bad I meant ESB...I forget whose version I chose but its a popular recipe on HBT.

 

[Nightshade]

I would brew something fast and easy like an IPA using a basic ale yeast with god attenuation to get the pipeline started. With this you can have grain to bottle in around ten days and carb'd in a week or two.

As soon as that is in the bottle nI would brew a bolder bigger beer to let age and then another normal beer to keep you stocked and repeat the process changing styles as you brew. Eventually you will revisit recipes to tweak them a bit and improve them according to notes.

 

[Cider123]

How about Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

A beer thread that has over 2800 posts must be on to something. I just put mine in the bottle last week so I have a bit more time before I try it. Everyone says it is a great spring/summer ale.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

How about Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

A beer thread that has over 2800 posts must be on to something. I just put mine in the bottle last week so I have a bit more time before I try it. Everyone says it is a great spring/summer ale.

I believe ive done that one before (or something very similar). Either this or something very similar will be on the schedule when the weather starts to warm.

 

[Totes]

I would brew something fast and easy like an IPA using a basic ale yeast with god attenuation to get the pipeline started. With this you can have grain to bottle in around ten days and carb'd in a week or two.
As soon as that is in the bottle nI would brew a bolder bigger beer to let age and then another normal beer to keep you stocked and repeat the process changing styles as you brew. Eventually you will revisit recipes to tweak them a bit and improve them according to notes.

I wish I could get God attenuation. I guess I need to start using those Trappist and Abbey yeast strains.

Nightshade's post is actually really sound advise. Disregard my flanders Red suggestion....that's will be better suited down the road a stretch.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

I would brew something fast and easy like an IPA using a basic ale yeast with god attenuation to get the pipeline started. With this you can have grain to bottle in around ten days and carb'd in a week or two.

As soon as that is in the bottle nI would brew a bolder bigger beer to let age and then another normal beer to keep you stocked and repeat the process changing styles as you brew. Eventually you will revisit recipes to tweak them a bit and improve them according to notes.

Ive got an APA bottled and ingredients on hand for an ESB and another APA so that should get me goin. After that I may revisit Cali Common (last one didnt turn out too great) and then Id like to do a strong Baltic Porter on that yeast.
Im turned on to the saison but that can wait for warmer weather from what Im reading.

 

[Nightshade]

I wish I could get God attenuation. I guess I need to start using those Trappist and Abbey yeast strains.

Nightshade's post is actually really sound advise. Disregard my flanders Red suggestion....that's will be better suited down the road a stretch.

Haha..meant good attenuation, but yeah I figure it makes it easy to keep things going until he gets a good idea of predicting tap out.

 

[Jeeperforlife]

I wish I could get God attenuation. I guess I need to start using those Trappist and Abbey yeast strains.

Nightshade's post is actually really sound advise. Disregard my flanders Red suggestion....that's will be better suited down the road a stretch.

If I understand correctly a proper Flanders Red is soured? Fermented with Brett? Is that right?

 

[mattd2]

Ive got an APA bottled and ingredients on hand for an ESB and another APA so that should get me goin. After that I may revisit Cali Common (last one didnt turn out too great) and then Id like to do a strong Baltic Porter on that yeast.
Im turned on to the saison but that can wait for warmer weather from what Im reading.

One note is that a baltic porter is usually fermented with lager yeast.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Think about what you want in like 2 months. Thats my plan.
Thinking about weather, life events, social calendar, etc.

I just brewed irish red, summer ale, milk stout, cream ale,

Now im thinking about ESB, dry stout, nut brown, october fest, etc.

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

One note is that a baltic porter is usually fermented with lager yeast.

True, but there can be some leeway with that. I recently was considering a Baltic Porter fermented with Cry Havoc, which is nominally a lager strain but handles higher temperatures fairly well; as long as you can keep it below 70 deg. F, it should be fine.

Getting back to the original question, I would have to ask the OP, do you prefer malty beers, hoppy beers, or balanced beers, or do you like different ones at different times? Do you want a clean fermentation, or a lot of esters and other yeast character? What styles are you already familiar with, and which ones would you like to try?

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Wow thats alot to answer...short answer is I like them all at different times. Malty when its cool, stong when its cold, hoppy and light when its hot. Outside of that im not sure what I might like until I try it. Just looking for suggestions of something I may not otherwise have thought of.

PS: Yes I know a baltic porter should be done with a lager yeast but Ive done it with SF Lager yeast before and it was good

 

[Jeeperforlife]

Think about what you want in like 2 months. Thats my plan.
Thinking about weather, life events, social calendar, etc.

Im sortof doing that now...Ive got an APA bottled and makings for another...thats to serve as my summer beer and a way to try different hops.

 

[mattd2]

...PS: Yes I know a baltic porter should be done with a lager yeast but Ive done it with SF Lager yeast before and it was good

Sorry, just mentioned that because you said that you did not have the ability to lager which I took as you cant gte you ferments down to the 50°F range. My mistake

 

[Jeeperforlife]

No prob. Ok so heres what im thinking now that ive been inspired to look outside my usual beer styles...rye red ale (hbt recipe) and a saison. Havent forgot the brown porter either. Should keep me going for a bit as I dont get alot of time to brew. Friends keep asking me for Apfelwein too so I need another fermenter

 

[mattd2]

Sounds like a good plan - A saison is one beer that I want to try soon(ish).Also had a red rye not to long ago that Spike from Terripin did while doing a short stint in one of the larger(er) commercial breweries (they contract brew calrslburg, kingfisher and others if I remember correctly) over here in NZ. It was pretty good, and about 1000x better than any other beer I have had from that faux craft brewery