Don’t forget to have fun! It’s a hobby for #**#s sake.
I agree with many of the suggestions here. I don’t think you need to restart with a clean slate, but rather systematically go thru what works and what doesn’t. Sounds like sanitation needs attention and is critical to all the other pieces. Simplify and/or eliminate steps that aren’t necessary at this point- formulating new recipes, brewing “advanced” recipes like lagers, etc. I suggest getting a few solid kits of styles you know you’ll like, and brew those. Don’t over-analyze what you are doing right now and get some beer you really enjoy in your glass, and share it with friends.
Just thought I would throw my $.02 in here as I’m trying desperately to avoid work this Monday morning.
I agree that the writers of the kit instructions should be publicly tarred and feathered with malt extract and whole leaf hops, or at least made to exclusively drink the $#!++y beer they are instrumental in creating. These kit instructions are responsible for the placating “oh you make your own beer? Good for youuuuuuu.” comments and people instinctively looking at their shoes when they are offered a beer made in a garage. Well-made homebrewed beer is better than 60-70% if not more of what is available commercially. It would be a huge competitive advantage (hopefully a NB rep is reading) for a kit maker to include some better detailed instructions that would yield better beer.
The desire to brew weird beers comes from 1.) Sam Calagione, who should also be subject to the tarring/feathering described above and 2.) the fact that this hobby draws people looking for a creative outlet. The second best thing I ever did for my brewing (second to temp control) was to take one year and brew simple beers out of BCS and brew them well because I was one of the ‘lets throw a little biscuit malt in there’ brewers when I started out.
Brewing is about process and repeatability more than it is about creativity.
