Yow!

[bluefoxicy]

So on some random advice I decided to pick up a couple beers yesterday (first beer!). So far only had the guts to break into a Sam Adams, since that was at the top of recommendations (I want to pick up one of their Oktoberfest ones....)

It took me a minute to get over the smell--which is horrible and nasty at first but after a little exposure starts to register as fairly complex, with a floral smell that I could pull at least 4 different components out of-- and then I finally managed to drink some.

Yow! It's like a kick in the head! I can pretty much guzzle down supersaturated sugar, literally. I use hot water to dissolve more sugar in tea/coffee/whatever than goes, the stuff falls out when it cools! So of course... I winced a bit at the aggressive flavor (again, something that took time to register properly); but gulping that stuff down was like getting stabbed in the face with a large gold brick. I'm not used to anything even slightly bitter. o_o

I don't know if I should keep trying, or start brewing coffee and drinking that first as a point of conditioning. XD There's something in the flavor, but my senses are too overpowered by it to actually sort out what. I'm not sure I'm actually tasting anything, so much as my brain is freaking out trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

(Note: I've been told rum is sweet. I've never registered rum as sweet; I can put white sugar on my tongue and not register it as sweet, that's how sugar-conditioned my taste buds are. Beer is BITTER jesus!)

 

[the_bird]

Uh........







Maybe this isn't the hobby for you. Sammy ain't THAT bitter. If you were drinking their Oktoberfest.... well, that style's one of the sweeter and certainly one of the less bitter ones out there.

How'd you come to be a homebrewer without drinking beer before or apparently even LIKING beer?

 

[John Beere]

Yeah, I'm not sure I'm following your interests if you don't even drink beer. How could you tell if your brew was even good or not?

 

[bluefoxicy]

Maybe this isn't the hobby for you. Sammy ain't THAT bitter. If you were drinking their Oktoberfest.... well, that style's one of the sweeter and certainly one of the less bitter ones out there.

How'd you come to be a homebrewer without drinking beer before or apparently even LIKING beer?

Haven't found that one yet, was looking for it though. I drank a Boston Ale. o_o

I'll get used to it. It won't be the first time I've done something like this

 

[Revvy]

Yeah I agree with the bird...that is also why I suggested a mix pack of various styles, from lightest (a light lager) to an IPA that way you would have 6 different beers, each progressively more intense than the first for various qualities...only one, the IPA was hoppy.

You can't judge if you like beer or not by one style...for example, I don't like light lagers, pilsners or wheat beers...but that's ok because there are so many other styles out there that it doesn't matter that there are some styles I'm not a fan of.

If you think sammy is "intense" you MAY be more inclined to like lagers, pilsners, wits, and maybe some sweeter beers where hops are less pronounced...like maybe a chocolate or sweet stout.

Besides the sammy, what else did you get?

 

[the_bird]

Are there any beers you have had that you DO like? I think of Sammy Boston Lager's as a pretty generic (and quite good) "beer." There are other styles, but I think most people who consider themselves beer lovers would be able to enjoy something like that (or at least not describe it as horrible and nasty).

 

[shecky]

You're going to need to drink some beer before you actually give brewing a shot. What if you brewed something you didn't like? Kind of a waste of valuable cash.

If it were me, and I'm no expert brewer but I surely know what I like in beer, I'd start with some non-aggressive English bitters (Boddington's comes to mind) and go up from there. It's not as bitter as the label might suggest. Move up to more bitter pale ales, maybe an IPA if you really want to acclimate yourself to bitter beer.

I think that's a safe starting point. If you really want to, grab some Bud or Coors, though you'd most likely not be able to brew those.

 

[the_bird]

Wheat beers, too. American wheats, hefeweizens, things like that. Not bitter at all, and hefeweizens in particular have some real interesting flavors.

 

[bluefoxicy]

Are there any beers you have had that you DO like? I think of Sammy Boston Lager's as a pretty generic (and quite good) "beer." There are other styles, but I think most people who consider themselves beer lovers would be able to enjoy something like that.

That remains to be seen.

In general you can't tell if you like something from the first taste. I've found things that if I ate them would bring me to tears or make me gag, walked away and came back a couple weeks later and it was edible. Tried again later and added it to regular diet.

Spicy food is an immediate good example, but there's other stuff. The salsa I made took a few hits to get good, just the smell of one of the peppers and the cilantro.

 

[will_cbe]

And beer's not the only reason to be here. I've never found a beer I like, but I enjoy mead.
Then I met someone through a friend who makes mead and thought, "I could do this."
Now, instead of $15 for a 750ml bottle, so I bought 5 lbs of honey instead and made 2 gallons. Only problem is the wait...

 

[bluefoxicy]

If you think sammy is "intense" you MAY be more inclined to like lagers, pilsners, wits, and maybe some sweeter beers where hops are less pronounced...like maybe a chocolate or sweet stout.

Besides the sammy, what else did you get?

YOU CAN PUT CHOCOLATE IN BEER?! O_O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only picked up the SA lager and ale, didn't count on drinking 6 beers in one night so figured I'd start there and figure the rest out over the long weekend.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but when I first tried drinking beer way back when, I didn't particularly like the taste. I would say that lots of alcoholic beverages tend to be an acquired taste. Hang in there ~ I think you have the right attitude about this whole thing. I actually find it pretty interesting... kind of a fresh perspective!

 

[Revvy]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but when I first tried drinking beer way back when, I didn't particularly like the taste. I would say that lots of alcoholic beverages tend to be an acquired taste. Hang in there ~ I think you have the right attitude about this whole thing. I actually find it pretty interesting... kind of a fresh perspective!

See I was sort of the same way....I didn't like the first beers I ever tried, which were the BMC's that kids snuck, or my dad let me taste. In fact my first alchohol purchase on my 21st birthday was a bottle of Calvados French Apple Brandy...It wasn't til craft beers hit the market in Michigan in the mid to late 80's...Then I fell in love with beer!

 

[Revvy]

YOU CAN PUT CHOCOLATE IN BEER?! O_O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only picked up the SA lager and ale, didn't count on drinking 6 beers in one night so figured I'd start there and figure the rest out over the long weekend.

Remember in the first thread I posted the link to the bjcp style guide? Read through that, THEY PUT EVERYTHING IN BEER!!!!

THere's even a chocolate peanutbutter stout recipe on here...

For a good "basic intro" to choc stout, find Young's Double...or to me better yet, Rogues Chocolate stout, though the young's might be more commercially available.

 

[bluefoxicy]

Well I've got my hands on a cherry wheat beer for later tonight. Looked for some Dogfish Head but all they had at the store was 3 IPAs (hell no); and also they had Arrogant Bastard, which amused me but I didn't buy. So yeah.. another Sam Adams.

I was actually looking for a Belgian style beer, possibly Sam Adams Belgian Brown; they didn't have that so I got the wheat beer with cherry. I saw some other brands marked "Brown Ale" and wasn't sure, is "Brown" == "Belgian"? Really I just want to try a Belgian style.

Actually I'm not sure what SA Boston Ale and Boston Lager count as. I saw some various Pilsners but.. want to recheck what "Pilsner" means.

So far the only brands I've particularly noticed style given on were Dogfish Head (marking their IPAs as IPAs) and Sam Adams (marking out Wheat beer, Belgian, etc). Or maybe I just haven't mastered my beer vocabulary yet... dunno.

Anyway try #2 tonight will be a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

One other thing was I saw a "Bock" ... I've seen "Chocolate bock" but, what the hell ass balls does "Bock" mean? Is it chocolate? :3

Edit: I wonder if I can get Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale... 30 IBU and the flavor looks interesting...

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

try and find a Belgian Strong Ale like Duvel. Might be something you'd like.
Also, try a Chocolate Stout or Sweet Stout.

A lot of beer drinkers find Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat and Cranberry Lambic to be overly sweet, but they might be right up your alley!

 

[bluefoxicy]

try and find a Belgian Strong Ale like Duvel. Might be something you'd like.
Also, try a Chocolate Stout or Sweet Stout.

A lot of beer drinkers find Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat and Cranberry Lambic to be overly sweet, but they might be right up your alley!

If it's still a little bitter it's actually good, I think my tastebuds are woefully miscalibrated ... you know how people need strong coffee to eat things like super sweet maple donuts? I'm eating whoppers while drinking Arizona sweet tea right now. Could stand a good kick.

Duvel, I think I saw that but didn't know what it was. Keeping eyes open.

The beer I'm gonna brew uses malt, brown sugar, honey, belgian candi, maple syrup, and 3 types of hops. It's labeled as a brown ale. :3 (the other uses licorice and some stuff... I'm doing A-Z Brown and Dark Star Licorice Stout from Extreme Brewing.

 

[Rick500]

Revvy beat me to it; was gonna suggest Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Comes in a tall purple can. Really good, and not bitter.

You said you had a Sam Adams Boston Ale. I haven't tried the Boston Ale yet, but I doubt it's very bitter, relatively speaking.

The Sam Adams Cherry Wheat may not be exactly what you're expecting... If I remember correctly, it's a little tart. Or maybe I'm thinking of Pete's Wicked...

For Belgians, try Duvel.

Also +1 to suggestions for wheats, hefeweizens, Pilseners. If you're looking for something a little sweet to start off with, maybe try a Blue Moon.

Brown != Belgian.

Bocks are lagers, around 6.5% - 7.5% alcohol.

Pay attention to the temperature at which you're serving these beers. It makes a huge difference. Also, don't drink them out of the bottles; pour them into a pint glass (or any glass, in a pinch). The flavors will open up quite a bit as the temperature increases. Different beers are better at different temperatures, but around, say, 40F-50F is a good compromise for just about anything you're likely to buy in a bottle. The "bigger" the beer, generally, the more toward the higher end of that range is better.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

you could look up any beers you see at the store here: RateBeer: The Ultimate Source For All Things Beer

lots of reviews and notes for every beer ever brewed. if you find a beer you like even a little, look it up there. see what style it is, what characteristics there are, and find other beers like it. Don't expect to like everything, but you can start from one style and move outward.

 

[bluefoxicy]

Pay attention to the temperature at which you're serving these beers. It makes a huge difference. Also, don't drink them out of the bottles; pour them into a pint glass (or any glass, in a pinch). The flavors will open up quite a bit as the temperature increases.

It was a little warm.

google 40F to C, google 50F to C

Okay over 10C, yeah, definitely. Your household cold water is 10C (if it's COLD... mine is semi-warm and so was the beer), that's ground water table temperature.

I want to get my fridge to 4C actually... it's the stable temperature for water. Mind me to do that.

 

[DUCCCC]

So on some random advice I decided to pick up a couple beers yesterday (first beer!). So far only had the guts to break into a Sam Adams, since that was at the top of recommendations (I want to pick up one of their Oktoberfest ones....)...
(Note: I've been told rum is sweet. I've never registered rum as sweet; I can put white sugar on my tongue and not register it as sweet, that's how sugar-conditioned my taste buds are. Beer is BITTER jesus!)

It's really funny, but after a while you'll start to appreciate the bitterness of various brews, and the maltiness of others. When I started brewing I really had no idea how many other beers were out there beside the "foreign stuff" that I got a few bars. Stuff like Pilsner Urquell and Newcastle Brown Ale were exotic brews that I thought I really enjoyed and made me an educated beer drinker. Now I know that I'm just a rookie, and I've got a lot to learn about all the brewing styles out there.

Do yourself a favor and find a specialty beer store. Once you've got it, ask about beer that fall under the flavors you like. If you don't care for really bitter brew, then don't get the hoppy stuff. Tell the proprietor that you like the maltier stuff, and see if they have something like a Scottish Wee Heavy.

Beer stores don't make any money by alienating customers, they want to sell you a product you'll come back for, so find what you like.

 

[z987k]

(Note: I've been told rum is sweet. I've never registered rum as sweet; I can put white sugar on my tongue and not register it as sweet, that's how sugar-conditioned my taste buds are. Beer is BITTER jesus!)

Ron Zacapa Centenario 23-Year-Old

Bacardi and many other rums are ****. fine if your making mixed drinks, but if you want a sensory experience get the sweet nectar above.

YOU CAN PUT CHOCOLATE IN BEER?! O_O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only picked up the SA lager and ale, didn't count on drinking 6 beers in one night so figured I'd start there and figure the rest out over the long weekend.

Indeed. Also try out a milk stout. Left hand (brewery) Milk stout comes to mind as one of the best.

Well I've got my hands on a cherry wheat beer for later tonight. Looked for some Dogfish Head but all they had at the store was 3 IPAs (hell no); and also they had Arrogant Bastard, which amused me but I didn't buy. So yeah.. another Sam Adams.

I was actually looking for a Belgian style beer, possibly Sam Adams Belgian Brown; they didn't have that so I got the wheat beer with cherry. I saw some other brands marked "Brown Ale" and wasn't sure, is "Brown" == "Belgian"? Really I just want to try a Belgian style.

Actually I'm not sure what SA Boston Ale and Boston Lager count as. I saw some various Pilsners but.. want to recheck what "Pilsner" means.

So far the only brands I've particularly noticed style given on were Dogfish Head (marking their IPAs as IPAs) and Sam Adams (marking out Wheat beer, Belgian, etc). Or maybe I just haven't mastered my beer vocabulary yet... dunno.

Anyway try #2 tonight will be a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

One other thing was I saw a "Bock" ... I've seen "Chocolate bock" but, what the hell ass balls does "Bock" mean? Is it chocolate? :3

Edit: I wonder if I can get Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale... 30 IBU and the flavor looks interesting...

Again look at the BJCP style guidelines to get an idea of what is what, but a artesian brewery in the states that does Belgians well, IMO, is Alagash. Look for the Dubble or Tripple. Also anything trappist tends to be out of this world. Rochefort, Westmalle, and Chimay all come to mind as easier to find ones. Again Dubble, Tripple and Quad are the typical names, A dubble being brown tripple gold and quad brown/amber again. All with have fruity esters present, tripples tend to be sweeter, I find. Look at the BJCP style guidlines for more info than this.
Also something that you might want to look into is Lindemann's fruit Lambics.

Bock is maltier dark Germain Lager. Very clean, a damn good style, IMO.

Pilsner is a Czech lager, but has been completely bastardized nowadays.

 

[paulthenurse]

Trolls. They're not just for under bridges any more!

I honestly can't see how you have managed to captivate the members of the board here with this foolishness. Within the span of a week or so you've joined a beer board, representing yourself as a total neophyte to alcohol, you confess to not drinking beer and state that you are not even sure if you like the taste of beer, but you want to be a beer brewer? Huh? You ask questions the average freshman in high school knows the answer to and get beer obsessed guys to answer you. I don't get it. How have you managed to fool all of these guys? What's your game?

I have a very highly developed bullshet-o-meter, when I read your posts it pings like a Gieger counter flying over Chernobyl. When you aren't hanging around on brewing boards asking about beer are you hanging out in bordellos looking up the skirts of the girls as they walk up the stairs? (Not that that isn't a fine way to pass a few hours.)

Paulthenurse

 

[Rick500]

I don't know... trolls generally try to get arguments stirred up. Haven't seen any of that.

It's a bit unusual to want to start brewing without knowing if one likes the end product, but I can appreciate the curiosity about the process.

The beer questions seem sincere enough to me.

If I turn out to be wrong, well, I'd rather have given the benefit of the doubt, and really no harm done.

 

[BigKahuna]

I don't know... trolls generally try to get arguments stirred up. Haven't seen any of that.

99 posts and already one of his threads is locked.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f45/things-do-when-drinking-78414/

Not Genuine enough for me!

 

[Rick500]

Didn't catch that thread. Noted.