[tschmidlin]

What about that time you got caught naked with a bowl of jello?

Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?

You are chris knight, arent you? I hope, so I'm wearing his underwear.

Did you want to borrow my pajamas?

[dbeechum]

Did you want to borrow my pajamas?

Ok, ok.. as much as I hate to admit that Chris Knight and company were an early primary motivating factor for me to attend the post-secondary institution that I did.. we've sufficiently derailed the OP's thread about sucky LBHS employees.

Back to the topic at hand - there will always be the guy with a little power and little knowledge who will try and keep you in line. There will always be the staunch traditionalist who attempts to keep things "right" (and look at the Death of German Brewing topic in the Pub for how well that plays out).

The real key for anyone is to figure out if the person holding up a flashing "don't" sign is a tinpot dictactor, an amateur martinet using their authority to stand in your way or if they're someone experienced trying to warn you "yeah, I've done the whole Smoked Beer made from nothing but Peated Malt, don't". Fortunately, the tonal difference is usually enough.

[bluesman]

The real key for anyone is to figure out if the person holding up a flashing "don't" sign is a tinpot dictactor, an amateur martinet using their authority to stand in your way or if they're someone experienced trying to warn you "yeah, I've done the whole Smoked Beer made from nothing but Peated Malt, don't". Fortunately, the tonal difference is usually enough.

I agree.

Although a real nazi attitude will often times make you forget about reasoning and you'll fall off the deep end. As you mentioned the tone and body language is usually the key factor.

[oscarvan]

Jut say (In your best Cheech and Chong impersonation) :"Style? Yeah, I got Style......FREESTYLE MAN! My friends dig my beer....that's MY style maaaaan.... Now, you gonna get my gocery list together or I gotta sing it out loud to you?"

[rabid_dingo]

... "You can't do that!" because stylistically it's wrong to put American w/ German ingredients in German beers.    ...  He goes on to say that it's ok for an amateur but If I were going to go "Pro" ...

I would have questioned him. Something along the lines of, "Show me the brewer rule book you are
quoting from. I didn't know that brewing was a strictly regimented process that squashes dreams of
ingenuity and adaptation."

And if he had quoted BJCP guidelines, I would have said "Judging not brewing guidelines."

[Norm!]

I wonder if he (the LHBS employee) was using "sarcasm"? just a thought..knowing that all people generally try to be good........

[tomsawyer]

Of course a style Nazi would want you to brew with only German ingredients for purity's sake.

I do subscribe to the notion that there are subtle differences in malt from different countries (eg, German vs Belgian pils), and in some cases this might be the difference between a good beer and a great beer.   That said, its a free country and I'm not suggesting it is a necessity to create a great beer with only country-specific ingredients.  Toasting your own malt is an interesting way to put your own mark on a beer, I'll have to try that.

Seig heil!

[JKL]

I wonder if he (the LHBS employee) was using "sarcasm"? just a thought..knowing that all people generally try to be good........

I assure you he wasn't being sarcastic.  As for going somewhere else, It's the only store in the city.  I actually use the net more than my LHBS.  That being said, I like the owner he's a really great guy.  I'm gonna go back on Fri to get my yeast and I hope he's there.  I actually hope his employee is there as well and questions me again because I want to raise a lil' hell.

Thanks for all the comments guys, funny stuff! 
-J.K.L.

[dbeechum]

If the owner is there, make sure to talk to him. It's important to stamp that behavior out because it doesn't help him and it doesn't help the hobby.

[gordonstrong]

Tell him to STFU and let you spend your coin how you like it.

+1. First blending, now this response. Euge is trying to make my Christmas list...

[quest4watneys]

@JKL. Style Nazi, that's great! NO BREW FOR YOU!!!

[hopfenundmalz]

Anyone who said not to do a 100% peated malt beer would be a wise person.  A very wise person would say 0%. 

That is my viewpoint, and I am sticking to it!

[tubercle]

 You have to lower yourself and operate at his level.
 
 Take him a recipe of a pale beer, just some base malt and maybe one specialty grain and one type of hops.

 When he fills the grain bill ask for a yeast recommendation and stare him in the eye without blinking.

 When he ask what type of yeast then say "the kind for this recipe, you're the expert and I trust your judgment". <don't blink>

 If he recommends an ale yeast, say "but this is an lager recipe" <don't blink>.

 If he recommends a lager yeast...well you know what to do by now.

 Then say "Man, I'm disappointed, I thought you knew all about the proper styles but now I've lost confidence. I'll make my own decisions from now own".

 It's called coming off the top rope. Slapping someone with out actually touching them.

 Tubercleize the man.

 
 

 

[Bret]

Funny stuff T. 

[brewmasternpb]

It's funny that he said that you "couldn't go pro" with a recipe like that.  What a load of crap.  I can think of some of my favorite beers that don't exactly fit into a stlye.  Styles are formed because of a beers popularity, not the other way around.  Where does Arrogant Bastard fit into style guidelines?  I'm sure homebrewers were making double IPA's before there was a substyle for that.  Black IPA's?  C'mon!