I did try searching the forums but I did not find any topic that matched mine.
I have been brewing for about 3 years now. I just moved into all grain all the time. I am very interested in finding all grain beer recipes that people have enjoyed. The issue with how the current ratings are captured make it more challenging to find this information.
I am not trying to offend anyone or stomp on peoples excitement for brewing. Has the topic ever been brought up for NB to give more direction on rating the beer kits? I see so many ratings that seem to be from people that have not even tried the beer yet. People seem to be rating the customer service, shipping speed, packing accuracy and other topics that don’t seem to be related to the beer kit itself.
I realize these topics are important. Nothing is worse then getting ready for a brew day and you find things missing from the kit! Maybe there is a better way to capture NB shipping and quality ratings and leave the beer kit ratings just for people that have completed (or drank) that specific kit.
I remember it being discussed on a thread here once, but I don’t know that it’s been taken directly to NB. Ratings on all grain kits are also inherently problematic, because so much depends on system and process. This forum, though, is a great resource if you want to ask people’s thoughts on a kit. Then again, you’re probably going to get a range of guesses from people who build their own recipes rather than doing kits, and people with varying processes.
I agree @uberculture. Plus, NB doesn’t actively monitor this forum (a couple months ago they had someone on here).
This would be a good thing to email them directly. Prob is you’ll always have people doing that anyway. I really appreciate when people leave bad reviews of a product when they misused it or stating the shipping company lost it…
Any recipe kit’s reviews are generally useless. It’s all about how well you will enjoy the kit’s recipe given your own skill at executing the recipe.
Even if everyone in the world agreed on the best ever recipe for Lobster Thermidor, I could guarantee you, in my hands, even starving dogs would refuse to eat it. But that’s not the recipe’s problem.
I generally just look at how well I like the kit’s style, and if the kit’s ad copy appeals, I go for it.
I agree that if I like a style I’ll brew it. Just because someone else didn’t enjoy the outcome doesn’t mean I won’t. You could brew a great recipe poorly and it won’t be great. Or on the other hand you could brew a poor recipe perfectly and it still won’t taste great. My 2 star rating could be someone else’s 3 star rating.
Me more and more. Create my own. Or just tweak a recipy. Small changes. Like doing mini mash or add more grains. To the recipy. Me looking forward to the allgrain step next year. Got everything in place now. But must say. Do like the deathringer kit. And the storm the bastille. This one dont change. Only check. With beersmith. If the recipy is the same. Or correct
I realize the limitations to various folks’ reviews, but thought I would throw this out there. I have brewed quite a few of the NB all grain kits and have been quite pleased with the outcome of every one I’ve done. I think they take care in making sure their kits are quality representations of the styles. I have often times used one of their kits when I am about to brew a style that I have not brewed before. It gives me a good base mark from which to move on with my own recipes. Just my experience, others’ may vary.
Great topic. I’ve also been frustrated with reviews - there are many that review the fermentation which I find funny but totally useless. I like the honey kolsch, the buffalo sweat, and the AK47 as good workaday crowd pleasers. The saison d’ete and saison noel were both good though the later is not what most would associate with a Christmas beer.
I find I often have to tweak the kits because I’ve got such and such malt or such and such hops around and I’ll substitute those. I also often go rogue on the yeast, but if I write a review on the beer, I note my variations.
I’ve never brewed an NB recipe I didn’t like.
