I prefer homebrew!

Oneflewover · Nov 13, 2016

Ok, so I've only been brewing 'premium' or pimped kits, and not for that long (although I do plan to try stove top AG in the near future!).

However, it's just occurred to me that I genuinely would rather have a beer I've brewed myself than most bottled beers, and many pints I've been served in the pub.

I wonder if there's a subconscious bias or whether my tastebuds have adjusted to prefer homebrew? Maybe it's because I can brew what I really like? :grin:

Pfeffer · Nov 13, 2016

I think it might therapeutic as well; it's like that because you believe it is. Which is perfectly normal.

pms67 · Nov 13, 2016

Oneflewover said:
Ok, so I've only been brewing 'premium' or pimped kits, and not for that long (although I do plan to try stove to AG in the near future!).

However, it's just occurred to me that I genuinely would rather have a beer I've brewed myself than most bottled beers, and many pints I've been served in the pub.

I wonder if there's a subconscious bias or whether my tastebuds have adjusted to prefer homebrew? Maybe it's because I can brew what I really like? :grin:

I agree,there's something a bit "fake" about bright beer unless it's a cracker of a brew( usually from people who used to be home brewers themselves)
Even My "live" mud water tastes much better IMO

MyQul · Nov 13, 2016

I prefer my homebrew too because I can make it exactly as I like it. I'm also of the opinion it's atctually quite easy to make good beer (easily as good as the best beers you can find in the pub). Possibily because as HBers we can use the freshest ingredients but also because we have the luxury of time. We all known that time and patience is the HBers friend, a luxury commercial brewers dont necessarily have .

Bernaaard · Nov 13, 2016

I have to agree. I was drinking my own home made Velvet Stout alongside a 4 pack of Murphys and a bottle.of Guinness as a comparison, and I actually preferred my own to both. The Guinness was well over fizzy and the Murphys lacked any real depth of taste.

proost · Nov 16, 2016

Bernaaard said:
I have to agree. I was drinking my own home made Velvet Stout alongside a 4 pack of Murphys and a bottle.of Guinness as a comparison, and I actually preferred my own to both. The Guinness was well over fizzy and the Murphys lacked any real depth of taste.

Have to agree with you there. I made a Wilkos Velvet Stout in October last year and was pleasantly surprised to find 5 bottles hiding in my garage. I used :
2 x Kits
Both kit yeasts
200g Crushed Crystal
300g " Chocolate
150g " Wheat
454g " Black Treacle
100g " Brewing Sugar
24l Tesco's mineral water
Fermented at 19c
Alcohol 5.4%

Absolutely fabulous. Don't think I could drink Guinness or Murphys ever again
Ã°Å¸âÂÃ°Å¸ËÅ

Gingerbrews · Nov 16, 2016

Yes, generally homebrew is better than commercial, in my opinion. Was in the pub last Friday with a few friends, they all raved about the beers, while all I could think was: "I can make better tasting beer than this!"

Bigcol49 · Nov 16, 2016

Hi!
I'm the treasurer of our local working men's club, so I spend a lot of time there, but rarely have a pint - I have one of my own when I get back home.

Bernaaard · Nov 16, 2016

proost said:
Have to agree with you there. I made a Wilkos Velvet Stout in October last year and was pleasantly surprised to find 5 bottles hiding in my garage. I used :
2 x Kits
Both kit yeasts
200g Crushed Crystal
300g " Chocolate
150g " Wheat
454g " Black Treacle
100g " Brewing Sugar
24l Tesco's mineral water
Fermented at 19c
Alcohol 5.4%

Absolutely fabulous. Don't think I could drink Guinness or Murphys ever again
Ã°Å¸âÂÃ°Å¸ËÅ

That recipe looks awesome. Would knock spots off mine. First brew I have made in 20 years so I went with a tin of treacle, 500gm med spray malt and 500gm dark brown sugar. Has come out with a lovely bonfire toffee taste to it.

MickDundee · Nov 16, 2016

Anchor Steam Beer is my favourite commercial beer, and I preferred my home brew version of it, which was only my second ever AG. It and my American wheat beer are the only beers I've ever known my wife drink a whole pint of!

I've since improved my recipe, and my very early sample looks like being even better.

JFB · Nov 16, 2016

I love going to the pub and always think its a shame that the best pint of the night is the cheeky night cap when I come home.
Although I did go into London the other day and it seems its fast waking up to serving good beer.

strange-steve · Nov 16, 2016

While I agree that a good homebrew is better than most commercial beers, I've tasted quite a lot of **** hb too. And there are some commercial beers which are vastly better than anything I've ever made. Westy XII, Rochefort 10, Struise pannepot Founders KBS, Cantillon gueuze etc...

dad_of_jon · Nov 16, 2016

proost said:
Have to agree with you there. I made a Wilkos Velvet Stout in October last year and was pleasantly surprised to find 5 bottles hiding in my garage. I used :
2 x Kits
Both kit yeasts
200g Crushed Crystal
300g " Chocolate
150g " Wheat
454g " Black Treacle
100g " Brewing Sugar
24l Tesco's mineral water
Fermented at 19c
Alcohol 5.4%

Absolutely fabulous. Don't think I could drink Guinness or Murphys ever again
Ã°Å¸âÂÃ°Å¸ËÅ

Not much you could do there to improve on that :thumb:

for a D_O_J take on it i'd swap 100g of brewing sugar for 500g dark candi sugar and brew short to 21 litres :whistle:

dad_of_jon · Nov 16, 2016

strange-steve said:
While I agree that a good homebrew is better than most commercial beers, I've tasted quite a lot of **** hb too. And there are some commercial beers which are vastly better than anything I've ever made. Westy XII, Rochefort 10, Struise pannepot Founders KBS, Cantillon gueuze etc...

if u like westy 12 try the st. bernadus abt 12 (I bet you already know about that little trick)

I do find my brews are better than 90% of Commercial stuff i've had but without being big-headed I find...

1) most commercials filter out yeast / aren't bottle conditioned(BC) so that's going to make a difference.

2) brewdog make some stunning beers that aren't BC so it is do-able only not something the larger brewers are up for.

3) I don't have the equipment or time etc. to do certain styles e.g. gueuze or a proper IIPA so leave those to others.

DoctorMick · Nov 17, 2016

strange-steve said:
While I agree that a good homebrew is better than most commercial beers, I've tasted quite a lot of **** hb too. And there are some commercial beers which are vastly better than anything I've ever made. Westy XII, Rochefort 10, Struise pannepot Founders KBS, Cantillon gueuze etc...

I'm with you, I like some of the beers I've made and some others have made but I'm yet to taste a homebrew as good as some of the best beers I've bought (tonight's competition entries could change this! :)), there are some truly remarkable commercial beers available and I'd say we're probably in a bit of a golden era of brewing. That said, there is nothing more satisfying than drinking something you've made. Also, as MyQul has said, if you manage to create a recipe which is exactly to your taste you're sorted.

proost · Nov 17, 2016

dad_of_jon said:
Not much you could do there to improve on that :thumb:

for a D_O_J take on it i'd swap 100g of brewing sugar for 500g dark candi sugar and brew short to 21 litres :whistle:

I'm intrigued, what difference would the candi sugar make?
The reason I didn't brew short is that I've brewed this loads of times and it's my standard go to stout. Always turns out bleeding lovely Ã°Å¸ËÅ

568ml · Nov 18, 2016

I have brewed about 14 Cooper and Festival kits, so still a newbie. Three of them have been rather ****, though friends have said they liked it. So the taste is in the buds of the beholder. 3-4 has been absolute beauts*, truly enjoyed them (friends have been amazed too) and would happily paid for another pint if I drank it in a pub. The rest have been good to ok ales something I would enjoy in a pub or at home easily, but might not have got another round of the same.

*These, I honestly were so surprised that I could make in a pot in the corner of my own kitchen. There is a few commercial brews that come close to these. Compared to many an ale I have tried from shop/pub, I have gone - I paid >ÃÂ£xx for this, I made better at home for <ÃÂ£xx.

Like tonight I tried out the Guinness Golden Ale, it was good and I enjoyed it, but honestly I have brewed as good from kit. Yes, there is a healthy dose of - I have brewed this and therefore it just taste that wee bit better than from a pub/shop.

Home brew is not like what so many talk about the old moonshine from Boots anymore :)

dad_of_jon · Nov 18, 2016

proost said:
I'm intrigued, what difference would the candi sugar make?
The reason I didn't brew short is that I've brewed this loads of times and it's my standard go to stout. Always turns out bleeding lovely Ã°Å¸ËÅ

it dries the beer out, adds abv% without it being too thick and sweet, with a dark cs it adds caramel burnt toffee flavours.

proost · Nov 19, 2016

dad_of_jon said:
it dries the beer out, adds abv% without it being too thick and sweet, with a dark cs it adds caramel burnt toffee flavours.

Hmm, may give that a try. Thanks for the info Ã°Å¸âÂ

dweb · Nov 28, 2016

We're screwed here in Northern Ireland apart from Spoons but 5 of them have just been sold to a local chain. I was out on Friday night at a 50th birthday party and my choice was - Coors lite, Guinness, Tennants, Carlsberg, Carling and Bass or bottles of Harp. I had the Bass but had a couple of nice Kolsch style of my own when I got home.

I prefer homebrew!

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