[Jeff M]

Howdy Folks,

One thing i havent gotten much into as of yet is creating and testing new beer recipes. Personally I view this as the art side of Beer, The taking of ingredients and melding them into a wonderful melange of personal preference and experience.  When people drink the beer you have created you are taking them on a journey as it where.

Anyway - Can you guys give an explanation of how you create recipes and the steps you go threw in reviewing and tweeking?

Here has been my process thus far.  I took a brief look at the BJCP Guidelines and created 10 recipes profiles in beersmith that are Named per the style.  I am now going through and creating Grain and Hop bills according to the descriptions used in the stylebook and staying close to the OG/FG/ABV/SRM/IBU range at the same time.  My plan is to then brew a 5g batch of the .1 version and see if i can identify what i like and dont like about.

[denny]

This describes the thought process I went through when I created my BVIP recipe.

http://digital.ipcprintservices.com/publication/?i=107084

[Jeff M]

This describes the thought process I went through when I created my BVIP recipe.

http://digital.ipcprintservices.com/publication/?i=107084

Seems to be a dead link, doy ou have an issue number? ill go look it up and read it:)

[garc_mall]

want to say it was the May/Jun issue last year. But it is on the cover, so you can look at that.

[morticaixavier]

I start similarly to what you have described. I then read lot's of other recipes and try to get a grasp on the commonalities.

The recipe wiki here on AHA is a good resource for that.

then I apply my own preferences; I tend to reduce bittering charges and crystal malts and tweak for ingredients I can get organically. Often I'll add a little munich.

then experiment.

[garc_mall]

Designing Great beers by Ray Daniels is a really good resource when you are trying to do a new style. It has some great charts on which malts are used at what rate by how many people. I refer to it a lot when I am attempting a new style.

[Jeff M]

I am indeed looking at the recipe wiki here, it was just hard to find since the AHA website has changed over.  I am also trying to source all local ingredients when possible as a good hook for my beers.  i have about 8lbs of local whole leaf hops grown about an hour from here.  there is also a maltster near the hop farm that i need to order some grain from and roadtrip out to pick up:)

I also have the Ray Daniels book next to me, ill refer to it after i have my initial notes from the BJCP style guideline to correct mistakes and hopefully refine as version .2 before brewing.

[denny]

want to say it was the May/Jun issue last year. But it is on the cover, so you can look at that.

May/June 2012

[Jeff M]

want to say it was the May/Jun issue last year. But it is on the cover, so you can look at that.

May/June 2012

Ive got it, thanks denny:) reading it now!

[garc_mall]

want to say it was the May/Jun issue last year. But it is on the cover, so you can look at that.

May/June 2012

Yeah... Forgot it was 2014 already...

[Jeff M]

want to say it was the May/Jun issue last year. But it is on the cover, so you can look at that.

May/June 2012

Yeah... Forgot it was 2014 already...

Me too, where were on the same page!

[euge]

DGB and BJCP. And I almost always follow the same hop schedule regardless of style unless it requires no aroma. What helps is having an example. Preferably more than one. So drink up people.

[Iliff Ave]

I may not be the best brewer because I tend to brew what I think I will like instead of what are solid, proven styles.

I start by thinking about the finished product and going backward from there. A lot of my beers don't necessarily fit into categories so I don't worry about guidelines much. For example, I might want to brew a Kolsch but hop it up a bit with American style hops as late kettle and dry hop additions...

I am still learning on how to develop recipes over time and that is currently my personal emphasis. I think is about getting as close as you can with the first attempt and changing one thing at a time (if possible) so you can tell if that made the final product better or worse.

[Jeff M]

I may not be the best brewer because I tend to brew what I think I will like instead of what are solid, proven styles.

I start by thinking about the finished product and going backward from there. A lot of my beers don't necessarily fit into categories so I don't worry about guidelines much. For example, I might want to brew a Kolsch but hop it up a bit with American style hops as late kettle and dry hop additions...

I do agree with this.  If an alteration takes it outside of a Style Guideline i wont mind.  But i am attempting to design beers to eventually sell.  Needless to say people will buy unusual beers as long as they taste great, i just plan to start with usual and expand my portfolio from there:)  it is after all about "knowing your flavor components", right denny?

[HoosierBrew]

DGB and BJCP. And I almost always follow the same hop schedule regardless of style unless it requires no aroma. What helps is having an example. Preferably more than one. So drink up people.

+1 to DGB and BJCP Style Guidelines.  Designing Great Beers is a GREAT book with a great approach. You can create a recipe for a style and be able to see what ingredients (and % of each ingredient)  are common in that style. It really helped me get a handle on things across a big range of styles. Learning the attributes of each malt, hop, and yeast will help dial in a recipe, and I learned by changing only one ingredient or variable at a time. Take really clear,thorough, legible notes (including water chemistry)that you can reference. Be sure to add detailed tasting notes - I might not make a style that I brewed last year for another year or two, depending on the style. What was great, good, mediocre, or sh#$$y about it, and what would I change next time? Easiest to assess while you're drinking it than having to try to remember. Good luck.