home brewing made my palate sensitive

[croakerj]

Ever since I started homebrew, all beer taste different. I can taste imperfections in beers I used to like. I don't really know if I like being aware of these new tastes. I already had expensive taste and that has been compounded by my new super human, hypersensitive beer tasting ability.
Anyone else experience these random notes.

 

[Begin2Brew]

Yup, used to love Burning River from Great Lakes, now it tastes like chewing on grass.

 

[croakerj]

Gone are the days I can enjoy random beers from a brewery

 

[BreezyBrew]

Had this thought last night. Then it occurred to me that drinking local is more important than trying to judge every beer on a technical level. I enjoyed much more what I was having after that. Was traveling for work and at Bastrop Brewhouse outside of Austin, TX. Pretty good IIPA.

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

Odd you should mention it. Yes, I was thinking the exact same thing last night as I sipped on my own brew. A brown ale I brewed needs something. It's a competent brown ale, along the lines of Ellie's Brown, but it could be better. I had the improvements all planned out in my head the same night I first tasted it cold and carbonated rather than just enjoying the beer. My girlfriend really likes it, and she's satisfied with it as-is, but I'm not of course.

On the flip side, she went to Johnson Wales for cooking, and she can tell immediately when some little bit of a dish is off and what could have been done better. I usually have to just take her word for it, but I've begun to notice things now as well thanks to her influence.

So I think with education comes more discerning tastes. I'm not too bothered by it.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I used to love budweiser.........NOPE! don't miss it.(see my avatar)

 

[PistolsAtDawn]

I used to love budweiser.........NOPE! don't miss it.(see my avatar)

I'll still drink a Bud Heavy or a Banquet Beer over a light beer if I've got no other choice. But I cannot now - and always had problems trying to - choke down a light beer.

 

[dstranger99]

I used to drink Bud Lite, gallons of it. Now it just tastes like cold piss water...........

 

[croakerj]

I don't think it ruined my taste for beer I am just confused. Like I hit beer puberty.

 

[StoneHands]

I have that problem (is this a problem?) too. One of the beer guys - Charlie Bamforth, Michael Jackson, can't remember who actually - talked about being a "beer tourist". He meant instead of nitpicking every little issue with a beer, do your best to turn off your analytical side and just enjoy a beer for what it is. I've tried to do this and occasionally I can.

 

[brewvac]

I've definitely noticed my tastes/preferences changed drastically when I started to get into craft beers. And, like anything else, once you have something good, it's impossible to go back to crap. My home brewing habit started as a result of my craft beer habit, but has only added to my ability to recognize more flavors and subtle differences. The crappy part is that it's made me overly critical of my own beers. Like PistolsAtDawn said, I am still critical of the beers I make that other people like.

Usually my critiques of home brew or commercial beer become my motivation to make more beer, so, I'm not really worried about it. I'm not upset at all by the loss of BMC in my life.

 

[WarrantedFED]

I'll still drink a Bud Heavy or a Banquet Beer over a light beer if I've got no other choice. But I cannot now - and always had problems trying to - choke down a light beer.

I have wondered if this is because lagers have a different flavor, so much different than ales. I have noticed a definite preference to ales since I started home brewing. Partly because I don't have a good setup for brewing lagers, so I just don't brew or drink them.

 

[billybryson54]

I'll admit that when I built my keezer, I built it primarily just to have commercial beer on tap at home. I didn't even give a thought to making my own, and at the time, Coors Light was my "Fix". Now that I've had real beer, I don't touch all that much commercial beer anymore. I used to be a big fan of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I still drink it from time to time, but now that I brew my own, I just don't care for the stuff anymore.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I had a Blue Moon at a bar last night and I think I was able to taste a lot more of the flavors than I would have 5 years ago. And I'm not talking about the orange slice . . .

 

[Cyclman]

This EXACTLY hits the reason homebrewing is so awesome. If the point was to make slightly cheaper knock-offs of crafts, then really is the time investment worth it? Financially, hell no. It is the ability to take something you like or respect, and tweak it to your personal sensibilities.

Pride is a key ingredient in homebrewing. Pride doesn't come from cloning, but from making things yours.

 

[RainyDay]

I used to drink Bud Lite, gallons of it. Now it just tastes like cold piss water...........

So you're saying you've consumed piss water before? Or are we just talking about color? That ultimately depends on hydration. So a really dehydrated persons piss water? Im not sure I follow <--- in case the emoticon is unclear, it indicates sarcasm.

I think that stuff (BMC, PBR, etc) has its place. Certainly not for flavor, and I do despise the evil corporation aspect as well, but it has its place. To each his own for sure.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

THIS IS EXACTLY THE THREAD I WAS LOOKING FOR!!! It is very funny the thought of how ridiculous, raunchy tasting, mediocre to dirty brews can make a man think he is a good beer drinker and peepee on mass lighties. When in reality the light beer people just don't know about home brew, and or don't wanna get fat.

I freakin love the awesomeness of the build a six pack. But i am now starting to be a bit more weary. I still try lots of new stuff, but the other 4-5 slots usually have something familiar and easy to chew. Ive recently been starting to like dryer cider. (but not that stuff that tastes like it was mixed with lame beer and poured out of an irish man's old boot.)

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer-]

Ive only been hbing it since this January. But about 2 1/2 years ago my life was changed. Yes indeed. I didn't even know of home brewing, or that it was even possible. As kind of a barter or favor i guess for a co worker i got 8 cases of fizzing "holy water". My only regret now is that i didn't save more of this stuff and shown it to an experienced brewer. When i got it, it was already aged a year and a half old he said. Some of it dark, red, blonde, cerveca, all types. There were about half of them that tasted some how like awesome amazing beets kind of. I know Belgian stuff is made of that but Ive never heard of the beet flavor coming out. Flavors that i can't even describe, Delightfully refreshing, completely thirst quenching sourness in some. Their activity in the carbonation was out of this world. Everything made me buzzed as nuts, but not tired. Never had a hangover from it. Some tasted like some kind of alien tea.

THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FROM AGING I PRESUME!!!
I'm a bastard for not saving more, as i talked to him the other day and it seems hes only doing single giant batches of incredibly light beer. He's a much older fellow who is very quiet and.... no, say's he wouldn't need any help. Anyways 4 months to a year after that, the beer completely screwed up my palate! It made me ask...

Am i drinking this for just the alcohol effect? Or because it's good for my taste buds?
That's what led me to here.

 

[Mongrel]

Ever since I started homebrew, all beer taste different. I can taste imperfections in beers I used to like. I don't really know if I like being aware of these new tastes. I already had expensive taste and that has been compounded by my new super human, hypersensitive beer tasting ability.
Anyone else experience these random notes.

There are a few beers I don't like anymore, but honestly, I'm spoiled by living in Oregon, and I am really critical of my own beers because of it.

 

[BreezyBrew]

I definitely have become more sensitive to the age of beer. I love IPAs and getting to drink those fresh is just awesome. Now that commercial craft dates most of their beers, you can see how long they have been sitting on the shelf. Even in an area that sells a good amout of craft beer, much of it is close to being expired. Had a Deschutes earlier this week that was a day away from expiration, and the rest of the six is sitting in the fridge.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

I definitely have become more sensitive to the age of beer. I love IPAs and getting to drink those fresh is just awesome. Now that commercial craft dates most of their beers, you can see how long they have been sitting on the shelf. Even in an area that sells a good amout of craft beer, much of it is close to being expired. Had a Deschutes earlier this week that was a day away from expiration, and the rest of the six is sitting in the fridge.

This, its really just the ipas for me. They just don't compare to one that I have just kegged and is still fresh.