[lupy]

If I take someone else's a recipe and tweak it by changing the hop schedule or the yeast type or something else, could I ethically claim it as MY recipe? How much do I need to change it to claim it as mine.

[babalu87]

If I take someone else's a recipe and tweak it by changing the hop schedule or the yeast type or something else, could I ethically claim it as MY recipe? How much do I need to change it to claim it as mine.

Denny says its yours once you use your water.

I would add that the original brewer deserves some mention though.

[majorvices]

I think, if you use someone else's recipe - even in part - you should give them credit at least in part. But, as a professional graphic designer and artist it is a well known industry inside saying that "Good artist innovate .... great artists steal!"

[hopfenundmalz]

If you take a recipe and brew it with your water, on your system, with your procedures, then it is a different beer.  Good form and karma to credit the inspiration.

[Beertracker]

Agreed! +1 on the beer/homebrew karma. 

[k4df4l]

If I take someone else's a recipe and tweak it by changing the hop schedule or the yeast type or something else, could I ethically claim it as MY recipe? How much do I need to change it to claim it as mine.

Denny says its yours once you use your water.

I would add that the original brewer deserves some mention though.

Yes indeed...if you ever take part in a group brew where everyone brews the same recipe then shares the results, the difference in beers is pretty surprising.  That said if I incorporate someone else's recipe or just part of their recipe into something I brew, I've go no problem with giving credit for the inspiration/guidance.  It's the right thing to do IMHO.

[roffenburger]

I have trouble taking credit for someone else's recipe. Of course the same recipe will taste different with a different brewer, water, system, etc, but if I didn't write the recipe, I don't take credit for it.

I brewed Denny's BVIP and it was fantastic, and most likely different than Denny's version. Its my beer and I brewed it, but not my recipe. Give credit where credit is due.

[ndcube]

I always say that this recipe was based on or adapted from recipe X when credit is due.

[bluesman]

I beleive credit should be given wher credit is due even if the recipe was inspired by another brewer. Unfortunately, I don't think it happens very much.

[beerocd]

I don't think you need to set aside space on the label, or take out a public notice in the newspaper. But if you won an award or got mention in an article I think you should throw in a little shout out to the original inspiration. If you built a brewery based on a flat out borrowed recipe - maybe send the guy a case.

"Would you like to try my IPA based on Denny's recipe, except I subbed in Centennials and used a little honey malt because that's what I had at the time?" Would get kinda tedious, eh? With other brewers it would probably come out naturally in the course of discussion, but someone dropping by the house for a beer probably doesn't want to hear your geeky beer story.

[redbeerman]

I rarely use someone elses recipe, but when I do, I do like to give credit for the inspiration.  There are so many combinations and permutations of recipes, i think it would be hard not to find similarities in a lot of recipes.  Kind of like rock and roll music, three cord limit.

[denny]

If you take a recipe and brew it with your water, on your system, with your procedures, then it is a different beer.  Good form and karma to credit the inspiration.

Yes, it's a different beer, but that doesn't mean it's a different recipe.  I agree that if you make changes, it's then your recipe but you should credit the original source of the recipe you changed.

[makemehoppy]

I like the based on a recipe by... or inspired by....  to indicate that you started with someone else's recipe. But we all do that to some extent. As far as  brewing competition awards, I would still mention the source. But brewing competitions are just that brewing competitions and not recipe writing competitions.

I think I would actually be prouder of myself if I could take someone's recipe and make a close representation of the beer than I would be in just brewing a great beer that I invented myself. At this point I pride myself more on the brewing process than the innovative part of brewing.

[brewboy]

IMO, every recipe pretty much starts with ideas from one of similar style. What if you take one that who inspired by someone else.
When does the "chain of credit" stop?

I think if you merely make substitutions, then credit should be given, but if you start eliminating a hop or a grain, then it's yours.

[beerocd]

Joe begat Brown Porter, that was passed to Paul who begat Robust Porter, and through Fred was begat Baltic Porter, on to Denny who begat VIP. I guess it's just good gamesmanship to give credit if you have the opportunity, but there should be a complexity or something special about the brew to even think you deserve credit IMO.

6 lbs wheat, 6lbs 2-row, steep at 152, 1oz fuggles and .5oz cascade and pitch Pacman yeast shouldn't be a creditable recipe - even though the beer will likely be good. It's too simple to deserve credit, I think.