Thanks for chiming in Pietro.
Sounds like I need to relax a bit and just brew it per the directions.
Pretty excited here though.
I had been worried about whether I would love the beer or not, but the more guys chime in the more I just want to see what happens and see what I really like.
None of my buddies or even my wife could care less about this.
Also I just read on these guys’ website that they have product available at a store in my area.
http://www.sunkingbrewing.com/home.html
Surely I can find something appealing.
http://www.sunkingbrewing.com/full-list.html
[quote=“Pietro”]Lot of good advice given so far.
My first beer was an imperial blonde ale, because like you, the hop craze was irritating to me (and keep in mind this was in 2010, when it was barely an ‘outbreak’, now its a full on pandemic) and I didn’t really personally dig them.
I have to say though, when I added those hops to the boil, I began to appreciate the power of hops…and I still love a hop-forward beer.
Brewing though, will almost certainly open your eyes to new styles that you never thought you would like. I can definitively say now that there really is not a style of beer, made really well, that I haven’t enjoyed. And I would not have gained that appreciation had I not brewed a good many of them.
Brew the recipe as-is. Actually brew 25-30 recipes as-is. Brewing is about process. Once yours is nailed and you have an understanding of the tenets, then you can go from a ‘cook’ to a ‘chef’.
Cream ale (one of the worst names for a style in the style guidelines IMO) has nothing to do with cream stouts. Or cream soda. Please for the love of God do not add vanilla to it.
Take a gander through the 2015 BJCP guidelines, or better yet, the brewer’s association style guidelines. You will likely find tons of styles you may not have had before, and certainly can build up a ‘backlog’ of stuff to brew.
Welcome to the hobby![/quote]