For me, it's pretty well turned me off of the sort of BeerAdvocate beer scenesterism --I don't really care about the newest double IPA that you just GOTTA try, and I don't think I'm going to bother going to Darkness Day even though it's local, because I can brew 5 gallons of a mighty fine RIS for the cost of a bottle or two. And I don't want to try the newest double IPA because I want to tinker with my own recipe.
Moreover, I know there's no magic in the latest and greatest double IPA--it's probably some combination of malt, water, hops, and yeast. Probably. And if I try hard enough (with the help of the fine people around here) we can probably make it ourselves, and we don't even need Magic Double IPA Pixy Dust.
In some ways it's made me less of a "beer geek" even as I'm far more immersed in it than I've ever been. I'm over the hype, I just want to make good beer!
Moreover, I know there's no magic in the latest and greatest double IPA--it's probably some combination of malt, water, hops, and yeast. Probably. And if I try hard enough (with the help of the fine people around here) we can probably make it ourselves, and we don't even need Magic Double IPA Pixy Dust.
In some ways it's made me less of a "beer geek" even as I'm far more immersed in it than I've ever been. I'm over the hype, I just want to make good beer!