[majorvices]

I guess I am misunderstanding what you want to know. Commercial mass appeal, Belgian wheat works well with men and women, is very easy to make and fast turn around. Also, I don't see a lot of good competition in the market (and I don't consider Blue Moon or Shocktop "good" competition.)

If you are looking for something like a "pro-am" comp then I am afraid I am probably not the best to give advice. Brew what you want and may the best beer win.

[dmtaylor]

You said you wanted:

commercial appeal and impact

And that's what I gave you.  Been to BeerAdvocate or RateBeer lately? 

[HoosierBrew]

You said you wanted:

commercial appeal and impact

And that's what I gave you.  Been to BeerAdvocate or RateBeer lately? 

That is a good point. That RIS would rate a 99, minimum. 

[morticaixavier]

I guess I am misunderstanding what you want to know. Commercial mass appeal, Belgian wheat works well with men and women, is very easy to make and fast turn around. Also, I don't see a lot of good competition in the market (and I don't consider Blue Moon or Shocktop "good" competition.)

If you are looking for something like a "pro-am" comp then I am afraid I am probably not the best to give advice. Brew what you want and may the best beer win.

Keith,

That's a good point. And very timely. it's a hybrid sort of comp. first you have to get past a BCJP style homebrew comp and then there is a final round between the top two beers that is a peoples' choice situation. So the belgian wheat idea, If I could pull it off in stellar fashion would be great. Unfortunately, while I quite enjoy most of the wit beers I have brewed, those I have entered into comps have never done all that well. No reflection on the quality of your advice but on the quality of my...er... wit.

[slarkin712]

I think wit would be a good popular choice.  But I think a Belgian Blond Ale would be a crowd pleaser as well.  I see a lot of women drinking Leffe Blond nowadays.  My dark horse would be a Cali Common.  It's malty, it's hoppy, it's not too light, and quick turn around.  Should have mass appeal, and I truly enjoy a well made Common.

[dmtaylor]

Sounds like a complete crapshoot.  All comps are, really.  I have no advice except to brew the best beer that you know how to brew, the one that tasted the best to you and all your friends and hopefully that you've been able to duplicate more than once.  And that is all.  Commercial appeal is a crapshoot, luck of the draw.

[HoosierBrew]

Sounds like a complete crapshoot.  All comps are, really.  I have no advice except to brew the best beer that you know how to brew, the one that tasted the best to you and all your friends and hopefully that you've been able to duplicate more than once.  And that is all.  Commercial appeal is a crapshoot, luck of the draw.

+1

[morticaixavier]

Sounds like a complete crapshoot.  All comps are, really.  I have no advice except to brew the best beer that you know how to brew, the one that tasted the best to you and all your friends and hopefully that you've been able to duplicate more than once.  And that is all.  Commercial appeal is a crapshoot, luck of the draw.

well of course it is. still fun to speculate though.

[dmtaylor]

Okay.  I'll tell you what I would make then.  An American honey rye, or wheat, your pick.  This is without a doubt the most popular beer I've ever made, well except maybe for the jalapeno porter.  Also great if you change the wheat for chocolate wheat or chocolate rye.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77133&p=722621&hilit=honey+wheat#p722621

[morticaixavier]

Okay.  I'll tell you what I would make then.  An American honey rye, or wheat, your pick.  This is without a doubt the most popular beer I've ever made, well except maybe for the jalapeno porter.  Also great if you change the wheat for chocolate wheat or chocolate rye.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77133&p=722621&hilit=honey+wheat#p722621

looks yummy.

[hopfenundmalz]

I am seriously considering this. I have a CAP recipe that has done well in contests. I know I can do it 6 weeks grain to glass even if it's pushing it a bit.

If we are looking at things from a broad appeal point of view, CAP wins hands down.  It's the only beer style I have brewed that has appealed to the BMC members of my family as well as the craft beer members of my family.  Most craft beer drinkers believe that the beer is all malt until I they learn that it is not.  What used to be really cool before my grandparent's and most of my parent's generation passed was the look of approval that I received when the men from these generations took their first sip.  It's the beer that they remembered from a period of time before consolidation drove the smaller players out of business.

I say CAP for similar reasons. When I first tasted Jeff Renner's at a club meeting years ago, I was transported back to when I would sneak sips of Dad or Grandpa's beer, some of that was the Cluster hops.

Number 2 would be the Oktoberfest/Maerzen. Like those, and they are crowd pleasers.

[majorvices]

Been to BeerAdvocate or RateBeer lately? 

Nope. I hate BA.

[HoosierBrew]

Been to BeerAdvocate or RateBeer lately? 

Nope. I hate BA.

I do too, Keith. I've read a few of their reviews on occasion in the past, to try to get a feel for the people reviewing all these '99' and '100' point beers in the liquor stores. All in all, not good to say the least.

[majorvices]

Been to BeerAdvocate or RateBeer lately? 

Nope. I hate BA.

I do too, Keith. I've read a few of their reviews on occasion in the past, to try to get a feel for the people reviewing all these '99' and '100' point beers in the liquor stores. All in all, not good to say the least.

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

[ynotbrusum]

Agreed but they got Founders Porter right....