What beer can't you get just right?

[daksin]

Title says it all: what's beer style you love, but haven't quite made the perfect example of yet? What's holding you back?

I've made about a hundred ESBs and honestly I don't think I've liked one as much as the first extract batch I did, which was hardly what you'd call authentic.

 

[smakudwn]

American Amber. Tried 2 times and something went wrong on both attempts..............I guess its my unicorn.

 

[progmac]

Hefeweizen. Easy to make a good one, very hard to make a great one.

Smakudwn - Have you tried Denny Conn's Amber? Easily the best one I ever made. I made it with Caravienne instead of Carared and it was still extremely awesome.

 

[smakudwn]

Hefeweizen. Easy to make a good one, very hard to make a great one.

Smakudwn - Have you tried Denny Conn's Amber? Easily the best one I ever made. I made it with Caravienne instead of Carared and it was still extremely awesome.

No is that in the recipe section?

 

[cfonnes]

Bohemian Pilsner

 

[progmac]

No is that in the recipe section?

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=70476&hilit=waldo

 

[smakudwn]

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=70476&hilit=waldo

Thank you

 

[Malty_Dog]

Relative noob here, but the saison and Irish Red I did were not as good as I had hoped. The red has a thinness to it, and the saison a fusel/metallic quality. I really want to improve on those.

 

[corwin3083]

Saison. Every time I make one, I've reformulated the recipe completely because I wasn't happy with the previous version. And of course it doesn't help that the only saison yeast that I really, really like is Dupont.

 

[roastquake]

English pale ale, I've tried and tried but never made one that tastes English

 

[evrose]

Saison. I've tried a couple times, and they just end up coming out as fizzy junk.

Also, anything with coriander... but that might have more to do with my personal tastes than a flaw in the styles.

 

[daksin]

What yeasts have you been using? I haven't had a perfect saison yet either, but I'm really digging the smells coming off my latest one.

 

[Bulls Beers]

Up until about 2 or 3 kegs ago, it would've been a Helles. I worked a few different recipes, but couldn't get it right. I now have a one that's amazing that I'm making consistently.

 

[beaksnbeer]

^^HELLO^^
Dunklewiss, I make a pretty good one just always tweek the next batch it's my Holy Grail beer.............................Ah someday

 

[Nightshade]

I have an Imperial IPA I have been tweaking slowly for the last year, still not quite where I want it but getting closer.

 

[BradleyBrew]

Hefeweizen. Easy to make a good one, very hard to make a great one.

Smakudwn - Have you tried Denny Conn's Amber? Easily the best one I ever made. I made it with Caravienne instead of Carared and it was still extremely awesome.

I agree... everyone "can make one" but to do a great one is tough. I think its because of the temperature, gravity, and pitch rate of the yeast.

 

[BradleyBrew]

I think saison is pretty easy but we all have our beer. I can brew a great saison but have failed on a few belgian dark strong ales.

 

[splattsmier]

Tried a Witbier twice now. First was.blah, second is better, but still not quite what I wanted. Used WY3944 if I recall, and my grain crush wasn't ideal, but still thought it would end up more like blue moon than it did (SWMBO likes Blue Moon).

 

[daksin]

Up until about 2 or 3 kegs ago, it would've been a Helles. I worked a few different recipes, but couldn't get it right. I now have a one that's amazing that I'm making consistently.

Need a great helles recipe for my forthcoming lagerator. Post it up!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

every style I like, I'm wicked awesome at. I don't want to sound like I got a swelled head, but I do.



(I understand the irony considering my sig. I'm also a big smart mouth.)

 

[BradleyBrew]

Guess this thread doesnt really apply then lol... search for the I'm wicked awesome at brewing every style thread.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

English pale ale, I've tried and tried but never made one that tastes English

Ditto. Missin something.

 

[Braufessor]

English pale ale, I've tried and tried but never made one that tastes English

Northern Brewer Innkeeper recipe, use the 1469 yeast...this is a great starting point and my go to british beer.

 

[Braufessor]

mine would probably be bock.... I have not brewed a lot of them, but the ones I have done ended up way too sweet.

 

[roastquake]

Yea I've got the hops and grain bases covered. I've used burton salt but then again, I don't know what's in my well water already. I keep a stash of dry whitbread (s-04) I'll check out Innkeeper and grab some 1469 next time I feel froggy

 

[roastquake]

mine would probably be bock.... I have not brewed a lot of them, but the ones I have done ended up way too sweet.

My bock is one of my favorite recipes and its hybrid too, not a lager.

http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/bockbegock-hybrid

It's based on a recipe from Everything Homebrewing by Drew Beechum.

On the problem of being too sweet, I would suggest yeast energizer that usually gives a few more gravity points

 

[Braufessor]

Yea I've got the hops and grain bases covered. I've used burton salt but then again, I don't know what's in my well water already. I keep a stash of dry whitbread (s-04) I'll check out Innkeeper and grab some 1469 next time I feel froggy

I would not use burton salt.... especially if you don't know what you are starting with in the first place. I use the following water numbers on my british bitter.
Calcium - 90
Sulfate - 160
Chloride - 45
Bicarbonate - 74
Magnesium and sodium - pretty low

I use Bru'n water and scale back the "pale ale" profile.

I throw a half pound of wheat in mine and a half pound corn sugar instead of a full pound. I also throw a bit extra EKG in mine and get IBU's at about 40. Golden Promise or Maris Otter Base malt.

 

[roastquake]

Thanks braufessor, this is good motivation to get my water tested to see what's there. I think I am long overdue since I started AG brewing two years ago. I may just start with distilled water and treat it from scratch.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Guess this thread doesnt really apply then lol... search for the I'm wicked awesome at brewing every style thread.

this thread applies, just not to me. bwahahahhaha!!!!:rockin: and it's not every style, it's every style I like.

 

[BradleyBrew]

such a pity you do not like every style of beer... I shall pray for you.