Homebrewers Association | AHA Forum
General Category => General Homebrew Discussion => Topic started by: 1vertical on December 06, 2010, 04:06:59 PM
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Well??? What is your driving force
Edit for clarity: My emphasis is Imitate (1vertical)
"em·u·late/ ˈemyəˌlāt/ Verb
1. Match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.
2. Imitate".
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All of the first 3 for me, so I didn't vote in the poll.
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All of the first 3 for me, so I didn't vote in the poll.
me too (hey it's not a +1)
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Me three
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I realize I cannot possibly have a motivation listed above for all scenarios, but I was just
curious as to when you are brewing what you MOSTLY are striving for.
Me, I brew with the best possible ingredients I can get using tried and true methods
and don't care really about much else...If the beer resembles a commercial variety
then that is a plus as a sideline...altho some tasters of my beer prefer unique different styles.
That being said, this methodology results in very good beers IMHO.
All of the first 3 for me, so I didn't vote in the poll.
Denny I clarified that commercial beer line for your benefit
me too (hey it's not a +1)
There Fred that is for your benefit HIGH gravity!
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First, as in now, I want to make very drinkable beer, using good ingredients, and reasonably simple techniques. (Partial mash) Then I am going to build a system and try and make very drinkable beer using AG. As I gain experience I want to start making my own versions, as well as accurately replicating more challenging existing beers.
So, one answer doesn't fit all......
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There may be folks brewing that are mostly trying to emulate commercial brands...
or if you will....clones
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There may be folks brewing that are mostly trying to emulate commercial brands...
or if you will....clones
And sometimes I do...when I brew my Rochefort 10 clone, that;s what I want it to taste like as much as possible. But when I brew the Rye IPA, I'm going for my own unique thing. And then there are the time I just grab some stuff from my inventory and throw a beer together.
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I am currently trying to work through brewing classic styles. I started this journey as a method to familarize myself with malts, yeast, hops, ect.
After brewing all of these styles I hope to have a good idea of my ingredients to start formulating my own recipes. I do rebrew occasionaly with changes to the BCS recipes to see how the change affects the flavor...
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I look to the commercial beers for inspiration and ideas but choice #3 is my goal. And not always easy at that.
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I just try to make something I like.
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While it is very important to me to brew a great beer with the best ingredients, I am all about developing my own recipes and style. One thing I think we can all agree on is that home brewing, regardless of the driving forces, is one hell of an adventure!
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As a beginner, I am trying to emulate/clone commercial brands. I feel that once I can get them right, I can start to formulate my own recipes and making the best beer I can with the best ingredients I can get.
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Me four...
The first three on the list are my objectives in no particular order. Depends on the beer I'm brewing at the time.
Since I like to compete, I'm usually trying to emulate a BJCP commercial example of some sort.
But I have to say IPA's are becoming a regular in my house as of lately and that will change as the seasons change.
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There may be folks brewing that are mostly trying to emulate commercial brands...
or if you will....clones
Oh I didn't read this as specifically clones. The first option is what I voted, but I interpreted it as striving to brew beers that are as good as commercially available beers, not cloning them. I want my beer to taste just as good as anything I can get in the store, if not better. Some of it is better, I think, but some of it lacks something. Which is why we continue to brew; we strive to improve our craft and make better beer all the time. The beer that I don't like quite as much is still pretty decent beer.
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I want to make good beer for less money.
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Try to make the best beer possible with the highest quality ingredients available... While I do try to emulate commercial examples from time to time, I'm more concerned about brewing what I like, regardless of what style it fits in.
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I want to make good beer for less money.
That would be akin to brewing the max allowable by the ATF since most of the cost of beer at the store is TAX.
LOL but good motivation as well Mikey
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Every now and then I think about #6
you can't make "session" beers all the time.
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I haven't made a clone beer since going all grain. My second batch ever was an EG clone kit of Pete's Wicked Ale from "the Beer Nut." Then I went to all grain brewing. Sometimes when fomulating a recipe I will think of my fav commercial offering and I will check to see if there's any ingredient info on the brewers website but that's it. Otherwise brewing, for me, is like a chef standing in front of a spice rack dreaming up new combinations.
best beer possible with the highest quality ingredients available!
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I want to make good beer for less money.
That would be akin to brewing the max allowable by the ATF since most of the cost of beer at the store is TAX.
LOL but good motivation as well Mikey
The tax free aspect of it is also a big incentive.
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Whenever I'm planning a brew I always have this crazy vision of winning best of show with it at the next competition. I try to formulate the recipe from my viewpoint as a judge, to nail the bjcp guidelines and be as accurate to what I think the style should be. I rarely have a specific commercial example in mind, but I always buy some calibration beers to taste the evening before and as I'm brewing.
I think this has made me a better brewer and even though my best of show trophies are few and far between, I make beers that are generally considered to be close to what the styles should taste like.
I also make some original beers for which there are no known examples and find that the creative part of the process is pretty important, too.
What was the question? No to cloning brands, yes to cloning styles, yes to making the very best beer I can.
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I brew beer that I (and my wife) like to drink :D
It could be that I'm trying to emulate a particular beer or it could be that I'm brewing in a broad style. I often try to capture the essence of beers I've had while traveling that I can't get when I'm home. Mostly I try to have fun and brew beers that don't suck ;)
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I have to admit I haven't gotten into the imitation of commercial brews yet...I'm certainly inspired by some that I drink, but I want to take that idea, twist it, and make it something unique. Hence I voted for making my own style.
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I like to brew a beer that teaches me something. Maybe a little lesson about fermentation, or temperature, or mashing. Or maybe about the difference a hop can make. Brewing something not easily available is a plus, too. I look for a beer I'm going to enjoy drinking, and also, one I'll enjoy sharing. My take on Denny's Rye IPA, shared at a summer block party, got me invited back to a neighbor's house for a holiday beer-tasting where people stood around saying "mmmm" as they sipped it. I'm not a competition-caliber brewer, but it's nice to brew something interesting and do it well enough that I feel proud sharing with the people I see every day in the 'hood.
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Good discussion, thanks everyone this is the kind of stuff I was wanting to know...
and I must say, seems like I have experienced all these things at sometime or
another in my brewing evolution.
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Whats this ->ATF max allowable quantity people are talking about? ::)
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For me, it starts with what style of beer I want to brew/drink. Not necessarily BJCP style guidlines, but do I want a hoppy beer, malty beer, something for the wife...
then I try to brew the best possible beer I can, with the ingredients I have at my disposal.
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Whats this ->ATF max allowable quantity people are talking about? ::)
Pursuant to § 5053(e) any adult may, without payment of tax, produce beer for personal or family use and not for sale. The aggregate amount of beer exempt from tax under this subsection with respect to any household shall not exceed–
(1) 200 gallons per calendar year if there are 2 or more adults in such household, or
(2) 100 gallons per calendar year if there is only 1 adult in such household.
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/26/E/51/A/I/D/5053 (http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/26/E/51/A/I/D/5053)
Pretty plain english for a legal statute... ;)
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Whats this ->ATF max allowable quantity people are talking about? ::)
Pursuant to § 5053(e) any adult may, without payment of tax, produce beer for personal or family use and not for sale. The aggregate amount of beer exempt from tax under this subsection with respect to any household shall not exceed–
(1) 200 gallons per calendar year if there are 2 or more adults in such household, or
(2) 100 gallons per calendar year if there is only 1 adult in such household.
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/26/E/51/A/I/D/5053 (http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/26/E/51/A/I/D/5053)
Pretty plain english for a legal statute... ;)
and we ALL keep a log that closely tracks the number of gallons we've made, and stop when we reach the limit. well, for me, I've been brewing way less than the allowable limit these last few years. gotta step that up in 2011
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Whats this ->ATF max allowable quantity people are talking about? ::)
<deleted legal-mumbo-jumbo>
Pretty plain english for a legal statute... ;)
(http://www.statefansnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Sgt1.jpg)
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I just try to do the best I can with what I have, like the rest of my life.
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Tubercle makes what he likes.
No need to try and duplicate commercial stuff, the original can be bought out right for a lot less trouble.
Don't try to make anything to style and send to a judge either. That will happen as soon as they start sending me one of theirs.
Plus, their taste may not be as refined as mine and what I think is a good brew may not be to their liking. 8)
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fatdogale likes tubercles thinking.
Tubercle makes what he likes.
No need to try and duplicate commercial stuff, the original can be bought out right for a lot less trouble.
Don't try to make anything to style and send to a judge either. That will happen as soon as they start sending me one of theirs.
Plus, their taste may not be as refined as mine and what I think is a good brew may not be to their liking. 8)
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Plus one to just brew it. I make what capozzoli likes. . Mostly just make stove top extract ale and it comes out pretty damn good.
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I voted for best beer possible. In my heart I'd like to develop my own unique beer, but I don't brew enough to make this really possible, and since i have small children, don't see ever having enough time to make it happen.
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fatdogale likes tubercles thinking.
Tubercle makes what he likes.
No need to try and duplicate commercial stuff, the original can be bought out right for a lot less trouble.
Don't try to make anything to style and send to a judge either. That will happen as soon as they start sending me one of theirs.
Plus, their taste may not be as refined as mine and what I think is a good brew may not be to their liking. 8)
Mikey agrees with you.
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My objective is definitely to make the best beer possible.
But in pursuit of that I've been submitting a fair number of beers to various competitions. My goal is not medals but objective feedback on my beer as I work on refining my process. So I do currently try to brew my beers to fit into the BJCP guidelines so that I'm receiving feedback I can use.
I don't have a lot of local friends that I can rely on to give me honest feedback on my brews and I'm obviously biased. I like the idea of sending it to a third party who will feel free to tell you if your beer sucks or could be better. Hopefully they'll also tell you why they think that and I've had mixed results so far in that department but I have had some feedback that I think will really help me to improve those beers.
Once I get the recipes of the beers I like to brew dialed in I'll most likely not be submitting those to competitions anymore.