you know what really grinds my gears

[Adam_Selene]

I came to an epiphany while talking to a salesman/home brewer at a local beer shop. Am I the only one fed up talking to these so called home brewers who don't understand classical beer styles, don't understand balance, don't understand proper fermentation methods...I mean I'm sorry don't act all high and mighty cause you say you brewed a 12% raspberry porter aged in whiskey barrels, with no real description of balance and actual representation of the classical style Porter! Then tell me you like layers of flavor and complexity. Guess what, your kitchen sink beer is crap. Any novice can throw a bunch of grain, yeast and fruit in a barrel and come up with something resembling a beer. Guess what all that **** is just masking your brewing techniques imperfections. Don't get me wrong I like to try unique and over the top brews that push the limits as much as the next guy. But I am sick and tired of these self proclaimed "beer geeks" who think they are master brewers because they serve u something strong and muddy! Give me a well balanced German lager or ale and I'll guarantee you behind that beer sits a real brewer!

Some famous beer person, (can't remember who) said that, balance is when complexibility meets drinkability. I guess that works well enough. I think what your calling for is a little restraint. Craft breweries can hardly restrain themselve these days. Personaly I wish people would take it slow, learning the ingredients a few at a time. Rather than jumping head first into an IPA with six specialty malts, and a pineapple in the secondary.

--Adam Selene

 

[Paps]

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Crimea_River

i think this fits here

 

[Backslide]

A short left leg and a worn out clutch?

Best reply ever. Hi-5

 

[VladOfTrub]

I enjoy reading things on hbt such as: I'm new to all grain brewing. For my 1st all grain brew I decided to make a delicious, mouthwatering, maple syrup, molassas, lager. The guy at the LHBS sold me marris otter malt and 34/70 yeast, I am thinking that a conversion temp of 158F for 90 minutes will be good for the yeast. How's it look?
Then, another brewer replies: Sounds like a great recipe for a lager, but if I were to make it, I'd use two or three quarts of maple syrup and some so5 or Notty. I read somewhere that it takes a lot of maple syrup to crank up the alcohol. I prefer Notty because it really went to town on my honey, vanilla and camomile porter. The air lock and plug blew out and brown foam and beer got all over the dirty laundry in our closet. My SWMBO was not happy about the brown stains on her underwear. I would lengthen the conversion time to 2 hours. It's better to be sure that the minerals and enzymes have enough time to turn the big starch chains into fermentable sugar.
The new brewer replies back: Thanks for the great ideas. I was actually thinking about adding some honey! I wasn't sure if 90 minutes would be long enough, I'll stretch it out to 2 hours. I better grab some Notty next time I'm at the LHBS.

I don't find anything wrong with creating whatever is desired. When first getting started in homebrewing, I brewed with a lot of different ingredients. I had a lot of fun using them. However, the beer was generally, pukey. It was a learning curve, based on my tastebuds and olfactory system.

Considering styles like lager and pils, the beer was brewed using the tri-decoction method. IMO, to call beer Classic Styles, they should be brewed using the method and ingredients that made them Classic Styles. When a homebrewer uses the English method and modern malt to brew a German lager, can the product be called a Classic Lager? Is a Classic Porter one that is produced by the process that was supposedly used to make the beer when it came into existance? Porter was made up of three different beers mixed together by the bartender. Then, later on, mixing took place at the brewery. How could it be possible for a brewer to create Porter by running off a single batch, when three diffferent beers mixed together made Porter?

When I started out homebrewing, Ballantine IPA was used as the sounding board for homebrewing IPA. The beer disappeared in the mid 80s. Our perception of and preference for flavors, change with the options available and time.

 

[Scele]

"hipster beer snob attitude"

Translation: get off my lawn.

Balanced, clean beers are boring as hell. I don't really brew extreme beers personally but I also can't remember the last time I even so much as drank a lager, pilsner or kolsch. Because they're boring.

It's one of those weird things, everyone I know who brews, agrees that producing a light lager/pilsner consistently over time is the biggest challenge in brewing. But all of those people also agree that those beers are boring.

 

[The542]

It's one of those weird things, everyone I know who brews, agrees that producing a light lager/pilsner consistently over time is the biggest challenge in brewing. But all of those people also agree that those beers are boring.

Process and consistency are technical which is not boring

Peeing a lot is annoying, not boring

Drinking light lager is still boring.

Light lagers are more fun to make than drink

 

[kaconga]

I am surprised by all the people saying a "big" beer is great at masking off flavors. Have any of you attempted a 10+ abv beer? They are absolutely wretched if you don't understand many "basic" techniques. Oxygenation and proper pitch rate are pretty much required to keep the yeast from stalling out. Temp control is not just a passing thought, it becomes essential when working with bigger beers because they get warmer and ferment longer than smaller beers. Not to mention good racking techniques. A big beer needs age and will oxidize into a hot mess of wet cardboard if not done carefully. Having done several 10+ beers I know how challenging they are and don't diminish someone's feat when they make one that is drinkable. If they fail to make something good and want me to taste it then I will be honest and point out any flaws. But a big complex beer isn't the easy way out.

 

[brettg20]

I agree and disagree. More and more now breweries are doing the same, maybe to distinguish themselves from all the others. A local brewery here posts all the time of their beer brewed with every fruit possible...but how is your pale ale?? To be honest it prevents me from going since I'm not into fruit beers but to each their own