Why all the crazy beers?

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BarlimanButterbur

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I tried searching around for this, but keywords like "normal" pull a ton of other topics.

I feel like every time I look at someone's signature, they've got at least two smoked, oaked, spiced rye beers with two kinds of fruit in them, and often they haven't got anything normal brewing! Now, I think there's a time and a place for really delicious beers that are not made of only hops and barley but I feel like a lot of people are making beers that can't be better than 'normal' beer.

I haven't had enough 'normal' beer to consider brewing something any more spiced than a Wit or a Pumpkin ale, and I can't see the extreme brews being that much better (say, on a day to day basis) than a pale ale, stout or lager. Even then, when I think of any slightly more festive beers, I tend just to think in the direction of strong ales and hefeweizens.

So, what do we think? Maybe I'm just new to this (I've only been at it about a year now) and I'll change my mind. Maybe I'm homebrewing mostly to get good beer cheaply, and other people have access to reasonably affordable 'normal' beer.

What do you all think?

Edit: Feel free to point me to any existing threads on the subject
 
I never brew any "weird" beers. I like pale ales and IPAs, mostly, and brew them most often. I also like a stout, a American ambers, and a few other assorted beers.

I think the answer to "Why all the crazy beers?" is because they can!

I've noticed that a LOT of newer brewers will come to the forum wanting to brew a vanilla coffee caramel pumpkin porter or something like that. I guess it must sound good to people limited in the past to buying beer off of the shelf. I've never had the urge, though.
 
Hey, it's only you and me Bro. OOps, Yooper beat me to it. I guess that makes three of us, lol.
I brew mostly " normal " beers " but have had my arm twisted to drink a scattered out of the ball park brew.
 
I think the best allegory would be how you felt as soon as you got your driver's license. You know how you'd drive anywhere, for any reason, just so you could? That is about where the American craft beer/home brew scene is. There is a lot of pent up aggression, and it seems a lot of people here get their release from smoking, fruiting, spicing, funking, sour mashing, and who knows what else to their sordid fermentations.

I'm a simple guy myself, lover of all things balanced and yummy. That said, even I am heading off into the scary world of spontaneous fermentations and truly wild funk. With as many options as have been dreamed about by the home brew scene in the last thirty years, it's hard not to deviate from Reinheitsgebot just a wee bit.
 
I think a lot of it is just to test the waters. I can potentially make a beer with vanilla and caramel. Where can I buy that? Or if I want a pumpkin ale in april....unheard of.

I don't think most people do these all the time, it's just fun to talk about and share/get opinions on the interesting brews. "Hey guys I made another basic ale" doesn't stir up as much debate as "How would I combine a porter, an IPA, and make it 19% alcohol and still taste good?"
 
I think that the best answer is... because we can. That's really the biggest appeal for me. I can make a beer that tastes exactly how I want. If I want a chocolate Chili pumpkin porter then I can have one. If I want a beer that has 200 theoretical IBUs then I can have that too. Or strawberry ginger kolsch.

Now all that being said I do also like to make regular beers, in fact most beers I make are more on the tame side. Lots of saison, American amber, low gravity Ipa, milds etc...
 
boo boo, I don't foresee ever doing a straight lambic or carrying a batch for enough years to see much benefit from blending. Local is what my funk is going to be all about, from local bugs and local fruit.
 
I see this a lot on the forum... " This is my second brew and I want to do a Mocha, Oak, Rasberry, vanilla, smoked wheat, porter"

I approach brewing like cooking. I am a very good cook and if someone can take a taste a recipe and say " wow this has a lot of XXX spice in it" it is not a good recipe. Spices should be used in moderation and balanced. They should be hard to pick out except for the people that have a good enough palettte to pick up subltle flavors.

That is not to say that I do not use spices, but to say that I use them in moderation. I did a ginger Lemongrass Saison that was great, but most that tasted it just would say that it had a great flavor but could not place the spices. Just enough to make it interesting, but not enough to overpower the brew.

I still think that most recipes are best done as simple as possible.
 
I brewed years ago then stopped for a long time. In the time I wasn't brewing, the industry and craft brewing in general had changed a lot. I live in California and there are endless beers available here.

So my idea when I returned to brewing was to experiment. Anyone can brew a pale ale, but to brew a habanero pale ale is something special. Or so I thought.

This lasted for a while until I realized that my technique sucked. How can I expect to make a great experimental beer if I can't make a decent pale ale? Now I almost exclusively brew normal beers. But not always.

Another thing regarding signatures is that the weird beers take longer to drink. If I look at what I brewed over the last year vs. what I have available; the weird ones just don't go as quick.

My last four batches: eggnog stout (weird), IPA, ESB, pale ale. Yet, the only one I have left is the stout (and some choco-chili porter from last year).
 
El_Exorcisto said:
boo boo, I don't foresee ever doing a straight lambic or carrying a batch for enough years to see much benefit from blending. Local is what my funk is going to be all about, from local bugs and local fruit.
Click to expand...

I did a Blueberry wine 40 years ago that I open fermented using the wild yeast on the blueberries. Now at the tender age that I was at that time, I wasn't looking to age it, but it still made a decent drop. ;)

I have a bottle of 2010 Cantillon Gueuze in my basement awaiting the first chance I have to share it with good friends that appreciate good beer.
 
I am still teaching myself the ABCs of the style guide--I feel like I haven't learned enough of the basics to start branching out. But that's because I haven't drunk enough beer yet!

Finally got my first inkling of an idea for a 'weird' brew this week--a hot pepper porter--and I feel like I'm all edgy. But it's not new territory even then. :) Don't worry, it'll come along in time.
 
I am new to home brewing but have been drinking micros for a while and I have begun to realize a lot of beers are repetitive of each other. I want to be able to maybe try something that hasn't been done or heard of. Don't get me wrong I will/do brew pales, IPA, stouts for that classic taste because you can't take it away but experimenting gets me excited. I think the recipes that are unique or unusual get the most views and comments that I have seen on HBT because its something no one has ever attempted. I thought most people get into home brewing because they want beer that taste good and is tailored to their own taste.
 
X2 on the because we can.

I've made a few IPA's, pale ales, a stout, and a few brown ales. All basic for the most part. This weekend I'll be brewing a Peanut Butter Capn Crunch Stout. I'll probably be dumping a family size box of the cereal into the mash. Brewers, amateur or pro, have always wanted to push the envelope.
 
beergolf said:
They should be hard to pick out except for the people that have a good enough palettte to pick up subltle flavors.
Click to expand...

I brew one spiced pumpkin/squash beer a year and every year I spice it differently. My best friend is the head chef at a well-established steak house in Brooklyn, culinary school trained, with a crazy palate. He has rattled off every single spice I've used, every single year, without fail. It drives me nuts to this day!
 
Look for keywords like "house", as in "house IPA" or somesuch. Usually those recipes will be a bit more typical, if there is such a thing.

I definitely feel ya though, I'm in it almost primarily for cheaper beer (eh!), but it just so happens I can make tastier beer than the mass produced stuff so I want to extend my reach a bit sometimes into wackier brews. But overall, I'm brewing basic beers to get good round, full flavors.

Also look for SMaSH beers, Single Malt and Single Hop, they're the most uncomplicated brews of course but having just done two myself, they fit my thrifty-ness nicely and are delicious to boot (so far!).
 
Psych said:
Look for keywords like "house", as in "house IPA" or somesuch. Usually those recipes will be a bit more typical, if there is such a thing.
Click to expand...

I'll just clarify here that I meant that I've looked for other discussions on why people brew crazy beers. I have found threads discussing more typical styles.
 
mcarb said:
Another thing regarding signatures is that the weird beers take longer to drink. If I look at what I brewed over the last year vs. what I have available; the weird ones just don't go as quick.
Click to expand...

I should have thought of that. Even stuff that isn't 'weird' can take longer to drink. Any special brews are in that boat. You've made an enlightening point.
 
I tried a few "off the wall" things in the beggining. Now I'm happy with ambers, pale ales, stouts, and porters... maybe a little coffee, chocolate, or spice in the mix here and there, but nothing extreme....
 
Yooper said:
I've noticed that a LOT of newer brewers will come to the forum wanting to brew a vanilla coffee caramel pumpkin porter or something like that.
Click to expand...

Well I know what I am brewing next :D

Seriously though, when it comes to my brewing habits I usually make 3 sessionable beers then 1 wacko beer.

I think the best thing about homebrewing is being able to do something not locally available to you. I just brewed an oyster stout, last time I made a stein bier. On top of all that I am always doing 1 gallon batches, and just experimenting.
 
GodsStepBrother said:
Well I know what I am brewing next :D

Seriously though, when it comes to my brewing habits I usually make 3 sessionable beers then 1 wacko beer.

I think the best thing about homebrewing is being able to do something not locally available to you. I just brewed an oyster stout, last time I made a stein bier. On top of all that I am always doing 1 gallon batches, and just experimenting.
Click to expand...

OK........ that oyster stout is out of the "normal" category, but with that being said.. It was awesome beer! IMO everyone should put that one on their "normal" list!
 
If I brew something different than "normal" its because I had something with some flavor that I liked. For instance, drinking SA cherry wheat made me like cherry in beer. Then drinking Southern Tier choklat made me like chocolate in beer. So if I like cherry in beer AND chocolate in beer, why not chocolate and cherry in the same beer? If i'm brewing something wackym its based on stuff I like and want to drink in my beer. Like my upcoming chocolate vanilla bourbon oak porter. I like all those things, so why not have them together? Then again, i'm doing 10 gallons of porter, which i'll turn 3 gallons into the wacky beer.
 
mikeysab said:
If I brew something different than "normal" its because I had something with some flavor that I liked. For instance, drinking SA cherry wheat made me like cherry in beer. Then drinking Southern Tier choklat made me like chocolate in beer. So if I like cherry in beer AND chocolate in beer, why not chocolate and cherry in the same beer? If i'm brewing something wackym its based on stuff I like and want to drink in my beer. Like my upcoming chocolate vanilla bourbon oak porter. I like all those things, so why not have them together? Then again, i'm doing 10 gallons of porter, which i'll turn 3 gallons into the wacky beer.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I just pitched yeast into my chocolate cherry stout, not 5 minutes ago! And tomorrow, I'm brewing my cinnamin vanilla cream porter.

Like others, I brew mostly "normal" beer. I think at least every other brew session is my house APA. But, once in awhile, its nice to brew something different, because we can!
 
There's a fairly new brewery to the Charlotte NC area, and looking at their brew menu it looks like they empty out the spice racks into their kettles to make their brews:
Ass Clown Brewing Company | Unique Beer Flavors Using Quality Local Organic Ingredients

They seem to have a market though, since they had a huge line up of people waiting in line for their brews at last year's Oktoberfest. I wanted to try it but didn't want to wait in line for 20 minutes. If the spices and adjuncts are used correctly and in moderation, I'm sure they make good brews.

I'm happy with a nice balanced 'normal' ipa ;)
 
I think it comes from trying to mix personal tastes with the "what if" factor. I don't personally get too out there with my brews, but I could see how someone wants to combine their love of beer with exotic flavors not found in normal production. Of course there will be a lot of failures and "what the heck was i thinking" batches, but every once and a while you may get a real gem to brag about! And who cares what others think as long as you enjoy your own brews!
 
I think everybody wrapped it up with the "because we can" attitude. I suspect most homebrewers go through that phase where they want to experiment and try things just because they can. It's definitely encouraged by a lot of the craft breweries. I mean look at how many new and small craft breweries only put out very doctored up beers.

There is a trend towards very basic session beers that's been gaining steam for the past 6-12 months so I think you'll start to see craft breweries going back to the fundamentals and with it, homebrewers. As more (non-beer geek) people are accepting craft beer the more need there is for basic session beers. I think some of the newer breweries are making a long term mistake by making all of their beers crazy. A neophyte to craft beer is more likely to reach for the blonde ale, brown ale, hefeweizen, or pale ale over the hibiscus and lavender wit.

I like brewing both although I have a soft spot for experimentation. I definitely agree that brewing a very simple session beer very well speaks more to your skill as a brewer than making an average beer and dumping in fruit, spices, oak, dry hopping and bottling with 500 different yeast strains. But when you get the pale ale wrong you can always feel better by cracking open your banana ginger licorice 100 IBU oaked imperial wit dry hopped with roasted crickets and fermented with wild yeast.
 
BarlimanButterbur said:
I feel like every time I look at someone's signature, they've got at least two smoked, oaked, spiced rye beers with two kinds of fruit in them, and often they haven't got anything normal brewing!
Click to expand...

It's just the hipsters trying to out do one another. Silly hipsters.
 
I think "because we can" summed it right up. I brew about half and half. Last brew session for me was a California Common. The brew session before I did a Blackberry American Wheat. This weekend I will be making a Clementine Blonde.

The wildest thing I have done is a Sweet Potato Pie Malted Milk Stout. The verdict is still out on that one, its only 5 weeks in the bottle and still very boozy! Even if it doesn't turn out though, I had fun making it.

I think its the whole "To boldly go..." kind of mentality. Most of us are pretty normal, everyday folks. I can't imagine that I am the only one who occasionally uses the carboy as a canvas to do something wild and expressive with.
 
There was a time in history when stouts and ipa's were considered "crazy brews".

You never know what you might stumble onto without trying everything.
 
Yooper said:
I've noticed that a LOT of newer brewers will come to the forum wanting to brew a vanilla coffee caramel pumpkin porter or something like that.
Click to expand...


Just about every new brewer goes through that phase. Sooner or later they learn to just KISS it.
 
"Because you can" is certainly an answer, but it also begs the question "but should you?" I think whoever mentioned cooking earlier had it spot on. One doesn't learn to cook by dumping a bit of whatever they feel like into a pot. Rather, you master some basic techniques and recipes, then set about tweaking them to suit your tastes or create something new.

No offense intended to anyone here, but I think a lot of brewers jump the gun by incorporating non-traditional ingredients before they have a mastery of the basic skills of brewing. Even if one of the recipes turns out OK by dumb luck, you could still be masking all sorts of off-flavors with pungent fruits or spices. In my opinion, one should first strive to get to the point where they can brew to style by reading the BJCP guidelines and sampling a few commercial examples. Once you get there, then I think one would have a good enough grasp of the basic techniques and ingredients to "go off script." (For the record, I don't think I'm there yet. Getting close, but I'm still having trouble making flawless cream ales, pilsners, and the like every time. Those "light" beers are a *****.)

Again, to bring it back to cooking, I just watched an episode of Tony Bourdain's "No Reservations" where he visited El Bulli for one of the last dinner services. From what I've seen of "molecular gastronomy" in the past, I thought it was a bunch of bull****. But the impression that I got from the show was that is was Ferran Adrià's firm grasp of traditional recipes that enabled him to make such stunning and satisfying food whereas many lesser chefs ape his techniques without fully understanding how to make the flavors match the presentation.
 

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