Why?

[budbo]

So I'm Drinking a bottle of my Spice White (hey, it's happy hour in Europe) and thinking to myself... "Self: this tastes like ass, save it until after you are already drunk".. The problem is: so far this borderline braggot (fermentables were Wheat LME (60/40) and Honey bout 50/50 split) That I spiced up with 9 spices and fruit and vanilla.. Is the most popular beer I've made with the "non-craftbrew/homebrewer" crowd.
I'm being asked to make more but I don't really like the stuff and generally give it for BMC drinkers who seem to love it.

So Why is one of my most popular brews one I don't really care for and don't want to brew again but I'm being pressured to make more

 

[david_42]

Because it has little or no malt/hops/flavor and it has a sweet aftertaste. Why waste your time making yellow water? Let them buy their own.

 

[MrSaLTy]

Ya gotta ask yourself why you are a homebrewer in the first place. Is it to make beer for yourself and family or for other people. If its for yourself.... then make what you like and if others don't want it.... well then too bad for them. Beggers can't be choosers.

 

[Dude]

Because it has little or no malt/hops/flavor and it has a sweet aftertaste. Why waste your time making yellow water? Let them buy their own.

Ya gotta ask yourself why you are a homebrewer in the first place. Is it to make beer for yourself and family or for other people. If its for yourself.... then make what you like and if others don't want it.... well then too bad for them. Beggers can't be choosers.

I guess this is where I differ from many other brewers. I enjoy more than anything for my friends, SWMBO, family, etc. to enjoy my beer. I've done many recipes in hopes of finding something they like. It isn't about winning competitions and brewing the same old IPA every time.

I brew for them all the time--and that alone keeps my interests up by trying new recipes.

Budbo, brew it again, IMHO.

 

[gruntingfrog]

I'm with you Dude. It's the same reason to bother with cooking Thanksgiving dinner. If it weren't for sharing what you've made with others, it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

 

[MrSaLTy]

Don't get me wrong.... I do want to brew beer that other people will like. If others like it and I like it, I got no problem with sharing... hell I give away a lot of beer and I agree its half the fun. BUT.... I am not going to take the better part of 7 hours to brew something that I hate just so others can have beer. The only time I would do that is if I was going to brew a bunch of beer for some sorta special event like a party or a wedding or something. Hell... I got frends that would like me to make something like Coors lite.

 

[G. Cretin]

Personally I would brew it again and again and again. I just like to be in my garage brewing.

 

[david_42]

I have no problem sharing, Dude, but I don't brew anything I don't love. Brewing something I don't drink would be like cooking a tofu turkey with broccoli stuffing and a side of beet flakes with wheat chaff!

Not saying I can't be influenced. Mark at Golden Valley "doesn't make browns". He does now, but you should meet the reason!

 

[Schlenkerla]

Budbo,

Since you have friends who are drinking your brew, try making something else both of you will like. You might try to broaden their horizons with something better. In about six months from now you could surprise them with the old favorite.

I don't know what you like in particular... You might try making a light or amber beer with a subtle roasted malt. (1/4lb per 5 gal) Light but still having some flavor. (Makes me think of Sam Adams light)

Charlie Papazian's book as a recipe that makes this compromise. Its called Jeeper Creepers Light Lager".

3.5 Edme DMS plain malt extract
1/4 roasted malted barley
.5 oz of Cascade hops boiling 45 minutes
.25 oz Tettnanger or Hallertauer finishing 2 minutes
1-2 packs of dry lager or ale yeast
.75 cup corn sugar or 1.25 cup DME
OG 1.028-1.032 (7-8)
FG 1.004-1.006 (1-1.5)​

Toast the barley at 350'F for 5-10 minutes. Should be fast fermenting, not alot of work. Lightly hopped, not too bitter for the BMC crowd.

FYI - I make light beers for my wife's lady friends, I rather drink something more full bodied. My wife wants to show off my brewing talents!

In the mean time, grab something else to drink!

 

[cweston]

I'm sort-of on the flip side...

I recently brewed a mixed-berry mild,mostly for SWMBO and the wives of other beer-loving friends.

I really don't like it that much. I chose a dark mild as the base because I wanted a low ABV beer, but I though the roasted grains would still lend some beer character. It doesn't really taste like beer to me. (There is a touch of roasted grain flavor in the aftertaste.)

My wife's not much of a beer drinker...my main concern on this one is that it will get drank before it goes downhill. I certainly never worry about that with any of my other brews!

 

[Schlenkerla]

I like to try different things and I have tried fruit beer enough to know that I really don't like fruit in beer. Similar to not liking sugar in coffee. I could say the same about special coffee flavors like pina colada coffee.

I think the fruit taste needs to be subtle, very subtle. Just a wisp. Coor's Blue Moon is subtle blueberry. Holland has a subtle orange in their royal Orangboom. These are OK to me because the fruit taste is not overbearing.

To me some things don't go together .... over bearing fruit taste in beer is one of them. I know from brewing history that before hops were discovered tart fruits were used to balance the sweetness of malt. The Belgian's are known for this. They make some awesome beers however the ABV is quite high on these.

I could like a subtle raspberry porter, the malt would have to out weight the fruit.

I just remembered that I will drink a Corona w/ a lime upon occasion. Usually in Cancun... I also like limeade too. Not much difference!!!:cross:

 

[gruntingfrog]

I agree that it's best to brew something that you like and that other people like as well, but if your friends REALLY like the beer, brew it again but change it slightly. Keep changing it each batch... add a touch more hops, a touch more roasted malt, a touch less spice, etc... if you change it slowly over the course of several batches toward something you like you may find you have brought some of those BMC drinkers with you. For this I would applaud you.