[Bel Air Brewing]

Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

And so many people find that too damn hard to do. If nothing else when I tell people that "simpler is better" what I'm really hoping for is for people to stop and think for more than 2 nanoseconds when they decide to put that extra malt in their mash.

For sure. I'm finding out that less really is more. A one grain / one hop beer can be awesome.
Like a good friend said..."Many craft breweries are just trying too hard." The same can be said for us home brewers.

[goose]

Back in 2013 Annie Johnson won home brewer of the year with a two grain, one hop beer.
It was inspiration for one of the first articles I ever had published.

There you go.  The longer I brew the more I like "simple".

I like it right.  I appreciate simplicity in many things, but recipe design is one I can go either way on.  A complicated recipe is fine if that's what it takes to achieve your goal.  Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

+1

[denny]

Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

And so many people find that too damn hard to do. If nothing else when I tell people that "simpler is better" what I'm really hoping for is for people to stop and think for more than 2 nanoseconds when they decide to put that extra malt in their mash.

For sure. I'm finding out that less really is more. A one grain / one hop beer can be awesome.
Like a good friend said..."Many craft breweries are just trying too hard." The same can be said for us home brewers.

A complicated recipe done right can be just as good.  I think that the advice should be that whether your recipe has 2 ingredients or 10, be sure you know what every ingredient will bring to the beer.

[Bel Air Brewing]

Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

And so many people find that too damn hard to do. If nothing else when I tell people that "simpler is better" what I'm really hoping for is for people to stop and think for more than 2 nanoseconds when they decide to put that extra malt in their mash.

For sure. I'm finding out that less really is more. A one grain / one hop beer can be awesome.
Like a good friend said..."Many craft breweries are just trying too hard." The same can be said for us home brewers.

A complicated recipe done right can be just as good.  I think that the advice should be that whether your recipe has 2 ingredients or 10, be sure you know what every ingredient will bring to the beer.

Allow me to expand on this, as I never said a complicated recipe could not be done right. It's all personal taste. There are a number of beers that hit you with so many flavors that you don't know what hit you. Some people might like this, but I do not.

Recently tried a Porter where the first flavor was vanilla, then coffee, then chocolate, then caramel, and to top it off, burnt toast in the end. Both my wife and I did not like it. But for some, this may be the best beer available.

My recent beers have been single grain. The one I like best, and there is a thread on it here, is the Vienna Lager. Single grain. Single hop. To some it's one dimensional. To me, it is a marvel in how great a simple recipe can be.

Perhaps my problem is having spent so much time in Europe over the last 25 years, drinking awesome Euro-Lagers. Decades ago there was a real "hop head" inside op me. Thankfully, that person moved on.

Of course, any recipe, complex or simple, can be good. It's in the hands of the brewmaster.

[Megary]

Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

And so many people find that too damn hard to do. If nothing else when I tell people that "simpler is better" what I'm really hoping for is for people to stop and think for more than 2 nanoseconds when they decide to put that extra malt in their mash.

For sure. I'm finding out that less really is more. A one grain / one hop beer can be awesome.
Like a good friend said..."Many craft breweries are just trying too hard." The same can be said for us home brewers.

A complicated recipe done right can be just as good.  I think that the advice should be that whether your recipe has 2 ingredients or 10, be sure you know what every ingredient will bring to the beer.

Allow me to expand on this, as I never said a complicated recipe could not be done right. It's all personal taste. There are a number of beers that hit you with so many flavors that you don't know what hit you. Some people might like this, but I do not.

Recently tried a Porter where the first flavor was vanilla, then coffee, then chocolate, then caramel, and to top it off, burnt toast in the end. Both my wife and I did not like it. But for some, this may be the best beer available.

My recent beers have been single grain. The one I like best, and there is a thread on it here, is the Vienna Lager. Single grain. Single hop. To some it's one dimensional. To me, it is a marvel in how great a simple recipe can be.

Perhaps my problem is having spent so much time in Europe over the last 25 years, drinking awesome Euro-Lagers. Decades ago there was a real "hop head" inside op me. Thankfully, that person moved on.

Of course, any recipe, complex or simple, can be good. It's in the hands of the brewmaster.

Ooohh...that Porter sounds delicious. Right in my wheelhouse.  Do you remember which one it was?

[Bel Air Brewing]

Just don't needlessly complicate it.  Use what you need and be sure there's reason for every ingredient.

And so many people find that too damn hard to do. If nothing else when I tell people that "simpler is better" what I'm really hoping for is for people to stop and think for more than 2 nanoseconds when they decide to put that extra malt in their mash.

For sure. I'm finding out that less really is more. A one grain / one hop beer can be awesome.
Like a good friend said..."Many craft breweries are just trying too hard." The same can be said for us home brewers.

A complicated recipe done right can be just as good.  I think that the advice should be that whether your recipe has 2 ingredients or 10, be sure you know what every ingredient will bring to the beer.

Allow me to expand on this, as I never said a complicated recipe could not be done right. It's all personal taste. There are a number of beers that hit you with so many flavors that you don't know what hit you. Some people might like this, but I do not.

Recently tried a Porter where the first flavor was vanilla, then coffee, then chocolate, then caramel, and to top it off, burnt toast in the end. Both my wife and I did not like it. But for some, this may be the best beer available.

My recent beers have been single grain. The one I like best, and there is a thread on it here, is the Vienna Lager. Single grain. Single hop. To some it's one dimensional. To me, it is a marvel in how great a simple recipe can be.

Perhaps my problem is having spent so much time in Europe over the last 25 years, drinking awesome Euro-Lagers. Decades ago there was a real "hop head" inside op me. Thankfully, that person moved on.

Of course, any recipe, complex or simple, can be good. It's in the hands of the brewmaster.

Ooohh...that Porter sounds delicious. Right in my wheelhouse.  Do you remember which one it was?

I will find out. The brewery is in Austin, TX. Austin Beerworks. "Scream Inside Your Heart Imperial Stout". The beer was a gift from a local homebrewer who used to work in the Austin Craft Brewery. It is not available out of state. Not even certain it's available outside of Austin.

[Village Taphouse]

Okay, a pic of the beer I started this thread about:

[beersk]

Nice! Plus, go Cubs!