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Author Topic: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions  (Read 74486 times)

Offline bayareabrewer

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What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« on: December 30, 2016, 03:09:54 pm »
About 10 years ago on a different forum, a thread like this was pretty fun and popular, we just gotta stick to one rule, no arguing or trying to change opinions. Just state your opinion or belief about brewing that doesn't seem popular..

Mine is.... I don't like Citra hops, they taste like soap and bell peppers to me.

Offline dls5492

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2016, 03:39:53 pm »
I don't know if mine is unpopular or not. But, I don't like to drink while I'm brewing. It's a matter of safety and paying attention to detail.
David S.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2016, 04:00:05 pm »
I know it's popular right now but after 2 or 3 years of tinkering, I've decided I don't enjoy making sour beers or even prefer them often. I'd rather buy a good bottle of sour whatever occasionally when I'm in the mood and have equipment not tied up for 6 months+ on something I feel lukewarm about. Cantillon quality is not in my future and I'm good with it (love their stuff now and then though).
Jon H.

Big Monk

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2016, 04:15:06 pm »
I don't dig beers over 10% alcohol. I have a few favorites that happen to exceed that but as a general rule I prefer less than 9% with 10% as a max.

I just can't see a legitimate reason to have beers that are 12% and above.


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Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2016, 04:18:42 pm »
I don't dig beers over 10% alcohol. I have a few favorites that happen to exceed that but as a general rule I prefer less than 9% with 10% as a max.

I just can't see a legitimate reason to have beers that are 12% and above.


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sometimes it seems like there's a tipping point with high ABV beer and beer flavor, the difference between say a 5 % to a 7% beer versus a 8% to 10%.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2016, 04:26:48 pm »
I don't dig beers over 10% alcohol. I have a few favorites that happen to exceed that but as a general rule I prefer less than 9% with 10% as a max.

I just can't see a legitimate reason to have beers that are 12% and above.


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sometimes it seems like there's a tipping point with high ABV beer and beer flavor, the difference between say a 5 % to a 7% beer versus a 8% to 10%.


I give a good Quad a pass there (being one of my favorite styles), but I attribute that to the attenuation vs many barleywines or RIS by comparison. But I agree, I'm brewing less big beers as time goes by.
Jon H.

Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2016, 04:37:37 pm »
me too. Rarely dip above 6 or 7%

Big Monk

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What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2016, 04:44:04 pm »
I don't dig beers over 10% alcohol. I have a few favorites that happen to exceed that but as a general rule I prefer less than 9% with 10% as a max.

I just can't see a legitimate reason to have beers that are 12% and above.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sometimes it seems like there's a tipping point with high ABV beer and beer flavor, the difference between say a 5 % to a 7% beer versus a 8% to 10%.


I give a good Quad a pass there (being one of my favorite styles), but I attribute that to the attenuation vs many barleywines or RIS by comparison. But I agree, I'm brewing less big beers as time goes by.

Don't get me wrong I still go big with commercial beers. Rochefort 10, SB ABT 12, Expedition, Ballantine Burton Ale, etc.

I definitely won't brew anything of my own over 9% though. It seems like OG creep is a real thing, with people brewing 15% beers for reasons I can't fathom. 1.120 OG and you're having fermentation and attenuation issues? Go figure!

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2016, 04:45:15 pm »
Unpopular opinions, eh?  I'm hip...

I am a malt-head (as opposed to a hophead).  I like IPA just fine, but what I really love is all the lagers, Scottish ales, etc.

I can taste a nasty twang in your extract beer every time.  If you must use extract, then partial mash is way better, and all-grain is best.

I don't think rye tastes spicy, not in the slightest.  It's bready and a bit earthy, but no spice.  Any spice is associated with caraway or choice of spicy hops.

Carapils is worthless.  I've been saying this looooooooooooooong before the existence of the recent xBmt.

American commercial breweries just really don't know how to make good Marzens, or don't care.  I think I might be done tasting American versions, life is too short and it just doesn't pay.

Almost every gose on the market is way too effing salty to be enjoyable.  If you can taste the salt, you did it wrong.

Session IPA, Black IPA, Brown IPA, and Purple IPA are all terms that need not exist.

Homegrown hops are better for bittering than for flavor or aroma.  Learn what your average alpha acid is through trial and error, like in the old days before the term "alpha acid" existed.   :o

You don't need to rehydrate your dry yeast.  It's one of the big advantages of dry.  I know Denny agrees, but many do not, that's why I include this as an "unpopular" opinion.

Glass fermenters are better than plastic buckets.  There, I said it, again.  Glass is dangerous, yes.  Do be very careful with your big heavy glass carboys.  Fortunately, stainless would also be fine.

If you value your time and just want to get your brew day over with, then you are wasting a lot of time if you mash any longer than 40 minutes, and probably about the same for boil time as well.  Could save some energy costs there too.

Step mashes are probably worthless.  More experiments are a good idea but I'll probably not bother.  When in doubt, just mash at 150 F for 40 minutes.  You'll get very good beer with this mash "schedule".  And...

If the temperature falls a few degrees during the mash, who cares.  It'll be fine.  I don't insulate.

It might not be worthwhile to chase high efficiency >85%.  I finally ran one blind triangle efficiency experiment but need to run more as the results still were not very clear.

I only brew 1.7 gallons typically.  There are numerous advantages to doing so.  5 gallons is too much for many people.  I also brew on the stovetop, never did anything else and don't own a propane burner.  I am ridiculed endlessly by my "friends" for being "the small batch on the stove guy".  Whatever.  Do what you like.

And... that about does it, for right now.   ;D
« Last Edit: December 30, 2016, 05:53:39 pm by dmtaylor »
Dave

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Offline flars

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2016, 05:03:49 pm »
Extract is okay but the only way to brew great tasting beer is all grain.

Offline natebrews

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2016, 05:10:21 pm »
Designing recipes is an art, the brewing process is a science.  Those that confuse the two are doomed to have the magic pixies that 'make it go' generally frowning at them.

And if you don't measure anything or take notes, then why are you bothering?
« Last Edit: December 30, 2016, 05:13:12 pm by natebrews »
Risk of failure should be no deterrent to trying.

Offline Phil_M

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2016, 05:17:33 pm »
IPAs are incredibly overrated.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2016, 05:20:31 pm »
I'm just almost there with ya. I did two batches of roselare beer this year as a last try. 100% pilsner, no hops, roselare, tart cherry concentrate in one, pomegranate concentrate in the other.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2016, 05:22:19 pm »
I don't dig beers over 10% alcohol. I have a few favorites that happen to exceed that but as a general rule I prefer less than 9% with 10% as a max.

I just can't see a legitimate reason to have beers that are 12% and above.


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Me too. If I need more alcohol I have a Caucasian

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: What are your "unpopular" brewing opinions
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2016, 05:27:40 pm »
For most beer drinkers these terms are interchangeable. IPA, craft beer, microbrew.

These same people know for a fact that dark beer is strong and thick, and German.