So I’ve been struggling with this for a while because at times I get bored, look into a style or an ingredient, do some research and write a recipe for it. When I’m done I look at it and think “Yeah, I would drink that” but then I look at the list of recipes I have accumulated that are either my own or other peoples which just keeps getting longer and longer and longer.
How do you guys decide what to do next? Any process anyone follows? Whatever strikes you at the moment?
I’m starting to think I should just drop the names of all my recipes in a hat and start drawing them at random before running to Northern Brewer.
I always seem to brew on a whim. I’ll have researched a beer for weeks, mbut then have a different idea at the last moment.
My other problem is that I have more beer than I can drink, so I often pour out to make room.
I like the just brew more idea and I did recently setup an electrical 2.5 gallon system for brewing indoors in the winter. I have had the chance to brew way more lately which is nice but there are always things to try.
I tend to pick by season & style and then shoot to brew for milestones.
Ex: I have a Hoppy Irish Red that I recently brewed that, if all goes as planned, will be getting cracked open on St. Paddy’s day.
I have a brown ale bottled that I am drinking because I got on a kick of drinking New Holland Cabin Fever Brown Ale and I wanted to brew up a batch myself. Although mine is not a clone, just a similar style.
Next I am doing a California Common (from Brewing Classic Styles) because to me it seems like a nice in between winter & spring beer. Plus I will be able to ferment at lower temps without having to work at temp control because my “brew room” is a bit colder since it is winter.
Mostly my choices are made by what else is on tap and any given time. I like to have at least one malt-focused style in the mix among the 3 taps I have. I also will choose the next batch based on re-using yeast or the season if lagers. Finally, I’ll prioritize based on the few competitions that I enter each year.
I brew 3 gallon batches of almost everything, and 1 gallon mini-batches if I’m looking to test several ingredients (such as several different hop varieties or specialty grains). So, like many others have said - brew more often. There’s no need to be committed to full 5-gallon batches if you just want to try something out.
I’ve thought about going to smaller batch sizes since I definitely can’t drink enough to justify something like 30 gallons a month. Still, I stick with 5 gallons because free time isn’t a strong suit of mine. I really should have more people over so I can get more beer consumed and brew more.
Of course, I have to brew a lighter lager to get to those big lagers so that takes care of my 4 lagers I brew for the year.
I usually brew a mild, pale ale or dry stout every other brew as my house brews.
Every other winter, I switch off quad and imperial stout. The age 6-12 months. I also brew a step up beer for each of those. Belgian blond for the quad and usually stout for the imperial stout.
After all that, I only have time for a few randoms. I usually pick commercial recipes to try and clone.
I generally brew whatever I’m in the mood for but have learned that I need to have something Belgian and something hoppy on tap or I’ll miss them. I usually have a couple beers I’ve brewed before and a couple that are brand new to me so I guess, for me, it’s a matter of balance.
[quote=“Stealthcruiser”][quote=“brewingdan”] " so I often pour out to make room.[/quote]"
Blasphemy! [/quote]
I’ve learned that I appreciate the brewing process more than hardcore drinking. If I deem a keg as good or better than commercial beer, it doesn’t last. But if it’s not, no sense packing on the extra calories
Well, I mean I do the usual beers all year round. The IPA’s, and Pale Ales, and porters that have a medium to low gravity and that I want to adjust slightly to “perfect” them. But I like to do about three to four really big beers a year to age, and some experiementing beers too.
I plan out my whole year in January. What do I want to be drinking in Winter while my lagers are maturing for summer? What do I want in Spring when my Big beers and heavier beers are fermenting for Autumn and Winter. If I stray from the schedule so be it, but it helps to have a list of things I know I will want to drink in certain seasons as well as the usual suspects.
To the OP, just brew as often as you can, and try to find areas of your brewday that you can shorten. I’ve bragged about this up down and sideways, but I can knock out a 5-6 gallon AG batch w/ BIAB from pulling my stuff out to having everything put away in about 4 hours. That way if there’s a beer I want to brew, it doesn’t consume the whole weekend (or day of a weekend!)
