Who's NOT making IPAs and what are you brewing?

[shetc]

Just kegged a cream ale - is that a good thing?

 

[shoreman]

Last summer was using mainly US-05 and making what might be called cream ales, sort of, but would be a bit much for a Genesee fan.

I've been working on this golden ale, something like a kolsche but it uses american hops & yeast. Basically Pils, a touch of wheat & lots of Sterling & Crystal hops. Ferment cold with the Stone Yeast or any American Ale yeast that works at low temps. I don't even know what style it is, but it's alsmost like a faux-pilsner and delicious.

 

[mattdee1]

3 batches in varying stages of readiness - a blonde, an amber, and a dark mild.

I enjoy IPA but if I want IPA I just buy it at the store. There are 5 million options and I can drink them at whatever pace I like rather than worrying about hustling through a keg before the aroma passes its prime.

 

[Lefou]

I'd like to think being able to do multiple styles can make you a better brewer, but there are some styles of beer that won't suit your personal taste or preference. That's one big reason that got me into BYO at home because there are so many styles of popular beer that didn't appeal to me - that, and getting a bug on my tail that I might be able to improve on the commercially *BLAH* brands you DO find on the shelf that everyone else seems to buy.
The second reason I don't push the envelope with IPA or higher ABV styles is because I'm getting older. I've realized two or more beers of a style generally higher in ABV can disrupt my sleep and metabolism, so I generally avoid them in most situations unless it's with food or the weather is colder. Lighter lager-style beers can be well-attenuated and dosed with a nice level of hops yet still present a low ABV that can be tolerated the next day, so this is where my interest in brewing lies.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Fermenting now not one IPA, hefe, saison, imperial stout, tropical stout, and mead.

 

[enkamania]

Summer time I make my fruit beers pineapple wheat, strawberry cream ale and watermelon wheat. The it's back to mostly IPA's.

 

[Morri896]

I've been working on blondes for the last 4 batches. Thinking about trying a märzen for my first lager next batch.

 

[Jag75]

I've been working on blondes for the last 4 batches. Thinking about trying a märzen for my first lager next batch.

Did my 1st one in march . Still lagering . I've taken a small sample ....just to make sure lol

 

[Morri896]

Did my 1st one in march . Still lagering . I've taken a small sample ....just to make sure lol

Do you bottle carb?

 

[Jag75]

Do you bottle carb?

No it's in a keg

 

[Morri896]

No it's in a keg

Oh, that's the only thing I'm really worried about with lagering. I only do bottles.

 

[cswant88]

I just tapped an altbier and I've got a cream ale fermenting. Planning a tripel, just as soon as the cream ale is kegged and I can free up my fermenter.

 

[cmac62]

I have only ever brewed one ipa recipe and it was a NEIPA, so not even the same. I'm just not a fan. I currently have quite a variety. 2 ciders, one natural and one spiced. 2 blondes, one centennial and one Jalepenio. Orange kolsch, milk and honey pale ale, milk stout, blueberry berliner weisse and a gose. I am brewing my first light lager this weekend.

Good luck with the light lager, one of the hardest beers to brew because there aint nothin to hide behind.

 

[Zekk]

I generally brew more IPAs over summer, but haven’t brewed much this summer yet.

I have a pumpkin ale, Pilsner and helles on draft with a dark English mild in the fermenter

 

[cmac62]

My amber just kicked and I have what I call my hop water on tap currently. A couple of weeks ago I made two smallish beers and did a partygyle and rerinsed all of the grain from both batches. It went into the fermentor okay, but came out at 1.000. With an oz of Chinook at 60 and another at 5 it is really hoppy with no density to hold it up. It's not bad, but really dry and hop water like. LOL

 

[Snowblind258]

I have a pretty basic American wheat waiting for me to not be lazy to move into a keg, brewed about 2 1/2 weeks ago

Currently sipping on a basic american wheat, I will 100% make it again. It has been perfect for these 90+ degree days.

 

[couchsending]

Always brewing some sort of hoppy beer... it’s amazing how many different flavors and aromas you can create with just hops.. and there are so many new amazing hops to try.

That being said I make a lot of very traditional German/Czech lagers and for the summer a few fruited quick sours.

 

[catdaddy66]

I generally brew more APA's but currently have a saison fermenting and my next batch will be a bitter. I have a full sack of pilsner malt that I have to chew through next but an IPA could help me use up a chunk of the 5#'s of hops that I have stored up.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Oh, that's the only thing I'm really worried about with lagering. I only do bottles.

You can bottle condition a lager, just give it time to carb up at room temp (3 weeks) before you refrigerate to lager them.

 

[bracconiere]

i just usually throw stuff in a pot, lightly hop it....i prefer Carmely darker beers though (because their easier to make, to be honest)

 

[jtratcliff]

APA: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/da-yoopers-house-pale-ale.100304/
Cream Ale: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/cream-of-three-crops-cream-ale.66503/
Blonde: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall.42841/
Roggenbier: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/rhubarb-rye.412780/

 

[AzOr]

The last 7 of 10 batches have been variations of pilsners. I have a session pils fermenting now. I have a pilz w Wakatu hops lagering now (found here at hbt).

Upcoming brews;
-Orfy's mild ale- delicious low abv beer
-Triple hopped Miller recipe- I've never used ae before and have been curious for quite a while.

side note- I recently sampled Golden Valley, Chehalem IPA- It's more of an old school IPA at 57 ibu with Cascade and Crystal hops. It was damn good. It wasn't a palate wrecker and was well balanced.

I may have to try brewing that soon (whoops- way off topic).

 

[Bilsch]

Been brewing for 32 years and have yet to make an IPA. Mostly make German and Czech styles.

 

[bracconiere]

T

-Triple hopped Miller recipe- I've never used ae before and have been curious for quite a while.

if you're trying to make a 'LITE' beer (lol), you need gluco not alpha....

 

[Katman]

I just can't get into IPAs or pale ales in general, so I have been brewing mainly dark ales. Going to be bottling a english porter recipe this weekend and a brown ale next weekend. I think my next brew will be the Carmel Amber Ale from the recipe forum on this site, it sounds really tasty.

 

[AzOr]

I just can't get into IPAs or pale ales in general, so I have been brewing mainly dark ales. Going to be bottling a english porter recipe this weekend and a brown ale next weekend. I think my next brew will be the Carmel Amber Ale from the recipe forum on this site, it sounds really tasty.

The caramel amber is a delicious beer but be warned it's pretty hoppy.

 

[lump42]

In 56 batches, I've only brewed 3-4 IPAs. Recently, 60/-, bitter, Irish Ale, bock, vienna lager, hefe, and a big barleywine so it has time to age some for this winter.

 

[zacster]

Lagers/pilseners. I bought a fridge and controller just so I could do this. I've been idle with brewing for a few years and the fridge has served well as the beverage cooler for the purchased goods. I still use the controller too with it and always have some nice cold brew and soft drinks around.

 

[Phildo253]

Good luck with the light lager, one of the hardest beers to brew because there aint nothin to hide behind.

Thanks. I am going to need it. I fully expect it to taste like crap the first few times that I make it, but at least it takes twice as long to find out. After years, I am still surprised, with every batch, that they actually taste good when I taste them for the first time.

 

[AzOr]

if you're trying to make a 'LITE' beer (lol), you need gluco not alpha....

Ive never used gluco either but I’m going off of Schlernkla’s recipe found here on board. This recipe uses ae. I’m open to learning but my first time I’ll stick with the original recipe.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/miller-lite-really-triple-hopped.123937/

 

[Jmspears]

I have a basic American wheat that’s about done carbing up. My first brew in a few years so I’m antsy to try it!

 

[Lefou]

Good luck with the light lager, one of the hardest beers to brew because there aint nothin to hide behind.

Given the right soft water profile, a highly fermentable wort, and a light hand with noble hops the style can be ridiculously easy to do and you can brew them fairly quickly as they're lower gravity fermentations. Fermented at low temp with the correct neutral ale or lager yeast and hops, you'll sometimes never taste or smell the difference between ale or lager. If doing bottle carbing the beer should be stashed in a cold refrigerator for about a week afterwards.
If you can manage a blonde you can do a lager, too. It just requires a small variation of ingredients and method to surprise yourself.

 

[jturman35]

Westy 12 Clone (Day 5) Hope my Tilt is within a point or two.

 

[LittleRiver]

I hardly ever buy IPA's, because I don't like most of them, but I do sometimes brew them. The ones I make are not crazy bitter, but they are definitely more hoppy and aromatic than the other things I brew.

I like browns, stouts, porters, blondes, bocks, and more. Right now I've got an IPA on tap, and an ESB that's carbonating. Haven't decided what to brew next.

 

[AzOr]

Thanks. I am going to need it. I fully expect it to taste like crap the first few times that I make it, but at least it takes twice as long to find out. After years, I am still surprised, with every batch, that they actually taste good when I taste them for the first time.

Stick w a proven recipe, pitch enough yeast, watch your temps and you may not end up with a perfect beer. However, you'll end up w a damn good beer.

I've been working on perfecting my pilsners for three or four years. I'm not sure I'll ever get there but that's ok because I love drinking my experiments!

The hardest thing for me was trying to restrain myself from tweaking recipes too much.

 

[Fransjoe]

English Brown Ale (Newcastle clone)

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I do brew my share of Pale Ales and IPAs. It is pretty hard these days to find a Pale Ale or IPA on tap that is not loaded with Mosaic/Citra/Galaxy, so I tend to brew ones with lots of C-hops with less hops than the current trend.

I have a 1.108 Russian Imperial Stout fermenting now. My recent Belgian Pale Ale has a total of 1.5 oz of hops, so clearly not an IPA. Since I got a fermentation chamber this spring I figured I would give my shot at a "real" lager. Well...sorta real...planning to brew 2.5 gal batches of an American Lager and a Kolsch on July 4th and ferment them both with an accelerated lager schedule.

I do want to brew another batch of my IPA, but I have been thinking about brewing an Irish Red and an Oaked Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

 

[Jako]

making a English brown, California common and a blonde "ale" made with common yeast. i plan to brew two more English beers soon then one Red IPA right before our local brew comp. only because i want to enter a category with lots of entries.

 

[MaxStout]

Currently fermenting four 1-gallon jugs of different ciders made from store-bough juice and S-04. Racked off the lees a few days ago and now bulk-aging.

Planning to brew a Belgian golden strong next. After that (and for something completely different), an ordinary bitter--want to see how much flavor I can get from a 3.5% ABV beer.

 

[Staylow]

I'd estimate about 25% of what I brew are IPAs - NE, west coast, whatever. I have 4 taps and one is always an IPA. Other than that, i brew all types of ales, lagers and sours. My focus as of late has been brett/mixed ferment beers and clean, crisp lagers. Currently fermenting is a Munich helles and a split batch of saison like beer, one with Nystein kveik and one with Omega C2C. Next handful of beers are: American porter, RIS, APA and ESB.