A interesting observation from a first timer

[Marsdude]

I live close to Fort Collins, CO and I am fortunate to have access to many great local microbrews. In addition, we have two homebrew stores! So - I took the plunge and bought a kit and brewed my first batch of beer which is now bubbling in the carboy. From the great advice I have read on this board I will wait a while before I bottle.

Here is my observation and I wonder if others have noticed the same thing. On brewing day, after I had put the beer in the carboy and put it away for the night - I cracked open one of my favorite microbrews, Odells 90 Schilling. WOW - for some reason working around the brewing malt and hops really made me appreciate the individual malt and hops tastes in the beer. It tasted way better than it ever had before! Have others experienced this? I would surmise that more experienced brews may be able to tell what malts and hops were used in a blind tasting of a beer -true?

Anyway - I think I am hooked on homebrewing!

 

[Grinder12000]

Define hooked - more like OBSESSED? I agree with you. Homebrewing makes you appreciate craft beer more and I practice appreciating more as a result. I also cut down beer more (Shiner Hefeweizen is like drinking gasoline).

The one thing you must not become is the homebrewer that cuts down Bud and Miller drinkers. We are not better people because we know what good beer tastes like. I like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and I'm sure real cooks would think I'm trailer trash but, it's a guilty pleasure. So Bud and Miller drinkers are just having a guilty pleasure and enjoying themselves.

One more thing - do not keep track on how much money will FLOW from your pockets in the next 6 months as you library expands, equipment gets purchased, kits get brewed and craft beer 6 packs start to pile up in your basement and you have an entire new set of drinking friends that will drink your off batches with joy.

Welcome to the addiction.

 

[Mountainbeers]

I would surmise that more experienced brews may be able to tell what malts and hops were used in a blind tasting of a beer -true?

Yea a lot of guys can do this actually. I'm not really there yet.

SMaSH Brewing is a good way to learn how different malt/hop combinations taste. These are beers with just one type of malt and one type of hops.

 

[david_42]

I appreciate a pint more after brewing, but part of that is brewing a batch is more physical labor than I get normally (firewood cutting and pothole filling aside).

 

[Marsdude]

The one thing you must not become is the homebrewer that cuts down Bud and Miller drinkers..

I agree with that. I am fortunate to live in a area with many microbreweries and brew pubs. Many of these microbreweries brew up small batch beers that they only serve in their tap rooms so I have had a lot of great beer. When my wife and I go to the local casino I will often order a Bud (if there is nothing better available). My wife will ask me "how can you drink that?" I reply, "Bud is not a bad beer -there are just a lot of better beers."