Weaning Myself Off Being a Ticker

Whatever your beer consumption is, drink/buy 50% of the tried and true stuff you've had previously and 50% new beers to tick.
If you follow that guidline, nothing else matters too much.

 

why? I love trying new stuff. to me it's what being a beer advocate is all about.

 

what's wrong

whats wrong with getting something new just because it's new? it's kinda the point of being a beer advocate.

 

I track my beers on Untappd and I totally understand how ticking can become a problem. Just realize that it's OK to miss out on stuff. For example, in the Fall don't feel the need to buy every pumpkin ale out there. Just pick 2-3 of the most heavily regarded ones and take your time. They'll be back the following year and you can try different ones then.

It also might be helpful to take a month or so off from beer (I know, I know)..could help dampen the ticker mentality when you're ready to start again.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say he likely tried the app, decided he didn't care for it, stopped using it, and expressed his opinion in this discussion. I mean, that's just a shot in the dark, but you never know.

 

I'm sure when you start out on your beer journey, most all samplings will be new ones and tick after tick, but as you get a few hundred samples deep into your journey, you should revisit favorites more in balance with trying new ones.

By buying something you already like from the past, you are continuing to support a great beer and the brewery that is dear to your taste buds. I just threw out the 50/50 thing as a suggestion for balancing. If all of us BAs only went after new stuff 100% of the time, then many great beers released from just 2-3 years ago would be constantly replaced. Prices would go up and breweries would go bankrupt if that was how most of the beer buying public operated. Luckily many BAs develop favorites and repeat buy in bulk to keep some form of sanity for the craft brewers and craft industry. I'd say I'm still probably at about 70% new beers 30% repeats after 700 samplings and 3 years into this, but for sake of my wallet and time (finding new ones takes more effort), I should buy more 6 packs of favorites and less of the higher end 750's (although fancy sours/wilds are my new favorite) and mixed 6er's/singles which are marked up higher than 6packs of the same brew.

 

I have spent many years ticking off brands and styles in the worlds of whiskey, rum and wine and have come to an appreciation of beer late. For me the idea of ticking means I am going to be trying many new beers in many styles so I see it as a good thing for educating myself. But I will always have a bottle or two of my favorites available.

 

I've often wondered if sites like untapped were skewing the ratings of some beers by encouraging people to rate beers for the sake of badges. Doesn't that encourage people to rate styles of beers that they aren't necessarily fond of, therefore lowering the rating of a beer that might actually be an excellent representation of that particular style?

 

Never been a ticker. Hope I ain't a weaner. But if I was, I guess I'd be a tweener.

 

Lots of badges on Untappd. I mean, like...a LOT

 

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I have my go-to's that I'm always gonna grab bc I love them. But, if I cone across something, that I think I would like (i.e a certain style) I'll try it to 'tick' it and hopefully find a new goto. I love grabbing a whale when I get a chance but being in Louisiana, that opp is VERY rare!

 

I get douche chills when I hear this term getting thrown around.

 

100 beers on the Beers of Fame. 1002 Untappd check ins. 295 at 6% or under. Got it covered.

 

I just ticked off a Kraftig Light. How else would I appreciate great beer if I didn't have to tick off crappy beers to get badges?

By the way...Lager Jack Level 3 FTW!

 

Like merit badges? All we need is a damned bunch of liquored up scouts! Don't know Untappd. I'll just stay in the dark drinking new beers, telling my friends, watching and loving that now we really have great beer around us as a normal thing. This wasn't always so.

 

I don't understand how Untappd is related to the Beers of Fame and the post I quoted. Are you simply saying you've had many beers 6% or under?

As an aside, how many 5% or under?

 

Yes - I'm stating I've had many beers 6% or under. No I'm not counting them again.

I was ignorant of what was available so the Beers of Fame provided a great range and depth of beers I would have never tried. I have also listed beers by style and then sought out the most popular of those as well. My point is I ticked until I had a pretty good grasp on what I like and don't like and don't need to tick for the sake of ticking anymore.

 

Go out there, and sew your oats. Then one day you'll have drank all the beers, and you'll have a good idea of what you're in the mood for.

 

Hmm, it occurs to me how would you appreciate labels on beer bottles put on straight if there weren't some put on slightly crooked on other bottles?

 

I wouldn't. This is a true statement.