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Author Topic: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?  (Read 3957 times)

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2014, 07:45:48 pm »

Ordinarily, I'd say "IPA" for my ale, but I never brew the same recipe twice. So I'll have to go with my ESB, which is based on Fullers. 93% MO, 7% Dark UK Crystal, hopped with Challenger, EKG and Caliente.

For lagers, it's definitely my "Erocktoberfest", which is a Maerzen with some added Aromatic to kick up the maltiness.

So I have to ask - "never the same recipe twice". What's behind that? Haven't you just found that magic brew that lit you up and you found yourself crying and wanting more when it was gone? Just curious.


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline fmader

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2014, 07:59:00 pm »
I'm in the same wagon here. I've never brewed the exact recipe twice. Only three brews have been rebrewed with a variation of the original recipe. For me, my favorite part of the hobby is to create a recipe and have the anticipation to see how it turned out. I'd been bored and probably would have moved on from brewing if I brewed the same beers over and again. If I'm bored in the evening, I'll create a new recipe. I probably have 20 recipes that I've never brewed... I want to get to them all.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2014, 08:02:37 pm by fmader »
Frank

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2014, 08:02:01 pm »

I'm in the same wagon here. I've never brewed the exact revile twice. Only three brews have been rebrewed with a variation of the original recipe. For me, my favorite part of the hobby is to create a recipe and have the anticipation to see how it turned out. I'd been bored and probably would have moved on from brewing if I brewed the same beers over and again. If I'm bored in the evening, I'll create a new recipe. I probably have 20 recipes that I've never brewed... I want to get to them all.

Yeah I get that thrill of the new conquest. But I'm also very fond of recipes I've dialed in and just love. I have a handful of repeats I like to cycle in amongst the new brews or variations of old brews.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline erockrph

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #18 on: October 24, 2014, 08:19:56 am »

Ordinarily, I'd say "IPA" for my ale, but I never brew the same recipe twice. So I'll have to go with my ESB, which is based on Fullers. 93% MO, 7% Dark UK Crystal, hopped with Challenger, EKG and Caliente.

For lagers, it's definitely my "Erocktoberfest", which is a Maerzen with some added Aromatic to kick up the maltiness.

So I have to ask - "never the same recipe twice". What's behind that? Haven't you just found that magic brew that lit you up and you found yourself crying and wanting more when it was gone? Just curious.
The "never the same recipe twice" is specifically regarding IPA's. There are just too many hops out there to play with. Plus, I spent a few years chasing the level of hop flavor that I wanted in my IPA's. I have my process close to dialed in, but the hop selection changes and I'm still tweaking the malt bill. I've also locked onto some other styles that I have been dialing in recently, so the past year or so hasn't seen too much IPA activity in my brewery.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #19 on: October 24, 2014, 09:17:40 am »

Ordinarily, I'd say "IPA" for my ale, but I never brew the same recipe twice. So I'll have to go with my ESB, which is based on Fullers. 93% MO, 7% Dark UK Crystal, hopped with Challenger, EKG and Caliente.

For lagers, it's definitely my "Erocktoberfest", which is a Maerzen with some added Aromatic to kick up the maltiness.
k- yeah i couldnt imaging not having a "go to recipe". ive got a few that my beer circle and I love and brew and drink often.

So I have to ask - "never the same recipe twice". What's behind that? Haven't you just found that magic brew that lit you up and you found yourself crying and wanting more when it was gone? Just curious.
The "never the same recipe twice" is specifically regarding IPA's. There are just too many hops out there to play with. Plus, I spent a few years chasing the level of hop flavor that I wanted in my IPA's. I have my process close to dialed in, but the hop selection changes and I'm still tweaking the malt bill. I've also locked onto some other styles that I have been dialing in recently, so the past year or so hasn't seen too much IPA activity in my brewery.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline denny

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #20 on: October 24, 2014, 09:51:39 am »
I'd have to say Rye IPA and German pils.
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Offline fmader

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #21 on: October 24, 2014, 12:05:14 pm »

I'm in the same wagon here. I've never brewed the exact revile twice. Only three brews have been rebrewed with a variation of the original recipe. For me, my favorite part of the hobby is to create a recipe and have the anticipation to see how it turned out. I'd been bored and probably would have moved on from brewing if I brewed the same beers over and again. If I'm bored in the evening, I'll create a new recipe. I probably have 20 recipes that I've never brewed... I want to get to them all.

Yeah I get that thrill of the new conquest. But I'm also very fond of recipes I've dialed in and just love. I have a handful of repeats I like to cycle in amongst the new brews or variations of old brews.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I understand where you are coming from. But that doesn't fit my personality. I feel that 90% of my recipes are worth rebrewing, because I love them. I'm just ready to move on when it's gone. Take my beer fridge for example, there are probably 30 different commercial beers in it dating back to 3 years ago. I can't tell you the last time that I've drank a complete six pack before moving on. And I've always said that I would love to go to a small scale brewery/tap room that never brewed the same thing twice and always had something different on tap.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2014, 12:19:10 pm by fmader »
Frank

Offline fmader

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #22 on: October 24, 2014, 12:09:25 pm »
With this all being said... I suppose I should answer your question lol... I've brewed three different variations of my "Good Morning Stout." The second version was my favorite brew. The third variation was just kegged last weekend and will be tapped at Christmas.
Frank

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #23 on: October 24, 2014, 12:12:31 pm »

I understand where you are coming from. But that doesn't fit my personality. I feel that 90% of my recipes are worth rebrewing, because I love them. I'm just ready to move on when it's gone. Take my beer fridge for example, there are probably 30 different commercial beers in it dating back to 3 years ago. I can't tell you the last time they I've drank a complete six pack before moving on. And I've always said that I would love to go to a small scale brewery/tap room that never brewed the same thing twice and always had something different on tap.


+1. I'm with you, Frank. I get restless to brew something else. Even when I go back to brew a style again I'll make at least a subtle change, even if it was great before. I've got partial sixes of a few beers too, just because I wanted 'something else'. Too many good choices out there.
Jon H.

Offline 69franx

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #24 on: October 24, 2014, 12:44:53 pm »
I have only re-brewed 2 batches. Of course both of those were batches that SWMBO loved. I was never happy with any of those four batches. I really did like Jamil's Evil Twin(mine was extract) and want to make it again AG, but when? My favorite ale was my IPA shaped by reading this forum, and I wont be able to credit everyone so I will just credit the forum(sorry.) It was 75% 2row, 20% Munich, and 5% Victory. Centennial, Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo in equal parts at FWH, 10, 0, and dry with Columbus @ 60 for bittering. This I will make again. The only lager I have made was BCS Märzen and I really liked the way it came out. This I will alos re-brew, but will likely tweak it a bit.
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline corkybstewart

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #25 on: October 25, 2014, 08:55:42 am »
I brew the same ingredients in the spring and summer and get an ale, then in the fall I change mash temp and yeast and brew it as a lager.
Basic recipe from memory, the hops may change a little depending on what I have in the freezer:
10 gallons
20 pounds 2 row, 2 pounds toasted at 350F for 20 minutes
1 pound Carapils or wheat
Mash about an hour at 154F for ale, 148F for lager
Hops:
2 or 3(depending on AA's)ozs Hallertau or Tettnanger for 60 minutes, 2 ozs at 20, 2 ozs at flameout.(sometimes Goldings, Mt. Hood or combos of these), but the idea is to keep it simple.
Ferment with WLP 005 or Nottingham for ale, WLP 830 for lager.
I've been brewing this basci recipe for 15 years now, it's always a crowd pleaser, sepecially with my non beer geek friends.
Life is wonderful in sunny White Signal New Mexico

Offline erockrph

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Re: Okay what is your favorite ale and lager recipe?
« Reply #26 on: October 25, 2014, 08:59:31 am »
I brew the same ingredients in the spring and summer and get an ale, then in the fall I change mash temp and yeast and brew it as a lager.
Basic recipe from memory, the hops may change a little depending on what I have in the freezer:
10 gallons
20 pounds 2 row, 2 pounds toasted at 350F for 20 minutes
1 pound Carapils or wheat
Mash about an hour at 154F for ale, 148F for lager
Hops:
2 or 3(depending on AA's)ozs Hallertau or Tettnanger for 60 minutes, 2 ozs at 20, 2 ozs at flameout.(sometimes Goldings, Mt. Hood or combos of these), but the idea is to keep it simple.
Ferment with WLP 005 or Nottingham for ale, WLP 830 for lager.
I've been brewing this basci recipe for 15 years now, it's always a crowd pleaser, sepecially with my non beer geek friends.
This is a brilliant idea. And the recipe sounds damn tasty, too.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer