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Author Topic: Creating recipes  (Read 3621 times)

Offline denny

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2015, 10:23:28 am »
I think that's the hardest part for me. I don't particularly pick up on the subtle flavors. I'm pretty much a "hey! That's good!" Kinda guy. I can taste the difference in a stout vs a brown vs pale with my eyes closed, but not as much if it has a... Caramel vs a toffee taste.

Something helpful that I'll have to try is splitting a batch. Certainly so now since I have a bigger brew kettle and can do two 5 gallon gallons at once. I can try two different yeasts and taste them side by side. I brew about every 2 weeks currently and that doesn't always let me taste side by side.

Thanks and keep it coming.


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One of the things that helped me the most was drinking a beer whilre I read Michael Jackson's "New World Guide to Beer".  Jackson pretty much invented the lexicon of beer description and reading his reviews as you drink really stimulates your mind to seek out those flavors in your beer.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline etbrew

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2015, 06:32:16 pm »
So much great info it's difficult to quote everything on my phone. Thanks for all the input and keep it coming. I found something useless in damn near every post.

I assume you meant to say useful... :D

Great advice here as always. 

Agree completely with the suggestions of Designing Great Beers and keeping it simple

I also suggest drinking a lot of beer ;D I drink many examples of every style I can find and take copious tasting notes.  At first I could not pick out many flavors but over time I learned.  I am no expert but that exercise really helped me learn what certain styles should taste like and when I brewed an example I could compare it to what I had tasted before.

Offline mbalbritton

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2015, 10:12:07 pm »
STOOOPID AUTOCORRECT!
Absolutely Useful!


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Offline quattlebaum

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2015, 06:58:31 am »

One of the things that helped me the most was drinking a beer whilre I read Michael Jackson's "New World Guide to Beer".  Jackson pretty much invented the lexicon of beer description and reading his reviews as you drink really stimulates your mind to seek out those flavors in your beer.
[/quote]

I thumbed through some of this book a few years back when i found it at a cabin we vacationed at. Couldnt put it down really cool no matter how old it was. Need to but it fun read

S. cerevisiae

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2015, 10:02:52 am »
Here's all you need!






Offline denny

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2015, 10:04:08 am »
Here's all you need!



Well, thank you!  That book will certainly get you going....
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2015, 10:24:27 am »

One of the things that helped me the most was drinking a beer whilre I read Michael Jackson's "New World Guide to Beer".  Jackson pretty much invented the lexicon of beer description and reading his reviews as you drink really stimulates your mind to seek out those flavors in your beer.

I thumbed through some of this book a few years back when i found it at a cabin we vacationed at. Couldnt put it down really cool no matter how old it was. Need to but it fun read
[/quote]

+1.  I used to read his beer travels column on the old 'Beer Hunter' site, too. He painted such a good mental picture with his descriptions that you felt like you were there with him. Great writer.
Jon H.

S. cerevisiae

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2015, 11:23:44 am »
Well, thank you!  That book will certainly get you going....

Who did all of the artwork and photography for the book?

Offline denny

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #23 on: January 18, 2015, 11:49:46 am »
Well, thank you!  That book will certainly get you going....

Who did all of the artwork and photography for the book?

Some of the photography was done in my garage/brewery by a friend.  The rest was done by a photographer in NC who was hired by our editor that lives there.  They'd ask for commercial examples of beers that looked like ours to shoot.  The rest of the graphics were done by an unknown person at the publisher's office.  It's great to have a support team!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline chinaski

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #24 on: January 22, 2015, 06:13:32 pm »
Good advice from many.  Not sure I saw the option of tweaking a recipe you have brewed before, whether its a kit or not.  I think I've done that a lot out of necessity when a particular ingredient isn't available or, more recently, when I want to use my own hops rather than commercial ones.  Many starts have come from Brewing Classic Styles recipes, which I really like.

Offline mbalbritton

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #25 on: January 26, 2015, 07:58:46 pm »
Ok, maybe a bit silly to some, but I had my first... Real epiphany on taste. And I think I know what helped me.

I just tapped a stout that I made. At day 7 of fermentation I added cocoa nibs. Well I ate one just to see what it taste like. I can really taste that flavor now in the beer. I recognize it in the beer.

Like I said, maybe silly and sounds that way to me typing it, but just a lesson for this newb.

BTW, this stout is FAN-DAM-TABULOUS!


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Offline erockrph

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #26 on: January 26, 2015, 09:21:43 pm »
Ok, maybe a bit silly to some, but I had my first... Real epiphany on taste. And I think I know what helped me.

I just tapped a stout that I made. At day 7 of fermentation I added cocoa nibs. Well I ate one just to see what it taste like. I can really taste that flavor now in the beer. I recognize it in the beer.

Like I said, maybe silly and sounds that way to me typing it, but just a lesson for this newb.

BTW, this stout is FAN-DAM-TABULOUS!

Actually, that's perfect. Developing your taste is a lot like learning vocabulary words back in school. Once you commit it to memory, you will be able to tap into that descriptor going forward. Unfortunately, there's no thesaurus.com for taste. That's why you really want to practice as much as you can.
Eric B.

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

Offline Vogt52

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Re: Creating recipes
« Reply #27 on: January 27, 2015, 02:19:07 pm »
I like to use the bjcp guidelines and look up style info. If you get percentages of grain it's easier to formulate