Why "malt geekery" is non existent?

Simply, IPAs are the most popular thing going in craft beer and likely will for a long time. They are often simple, slightly fruity flavored and often easier drinking beers than many malt heavy beers with the thicker mouthfeel.

I think cars provide a great analogy, IPAs are like corvettes, very popular, quality products that can be modified very different ways (notable difference in flavor/aroma with different hops). That isn't to say there isn't a pinto fan club who has national meetups, but it's a much smaller and less vocal contingent.

 

Some of it is the demographics. While I tend to agree with @mwa423, I'd add that it's also the case that the new kids (no matter their age) are more likely to tend to think they have discovered something for the first time and it is the latest and greatest that they need to let everyone else know about. Those who've been around the block a few times (regardless of their age) are more likely realize there's more to enjoying an alcoholic beverage than how much and how hard one can beat up on tastebuds as a way of enjoying something. They tend to talk more quitly with others of like minds.

 

As many have mentioned, hops are easier to pick out. Especially to new beer drinkers. If I can pick out an already familiar flavor, such as grapefruit, I can relate to it. If i can relate to a flavor i'm more likely to champion that beer or that flavor.

 

Because everyone loves bread. Hard to get "geekery" out of something everybody on the planet loves.

 

Well, I named my otter Maris. Nah, made that up. I do remember the beautiful malts in a number of English ales when visiting. These were not sweet beers and the malts tangled perfectly with the local hops. These brews are still my all time favorites, everything balanced perfectly....and not too damned cold! Beer would literally be nothing without good malt.

 

I liked malt before it was cool to like malt.

 

Weizenbocks/Doppelbocks need to be more popular

 

True confession: I AM a Malt geek and proud of it!

 

Excellent thread only thing I can add is I double malt all my homebrews...did it once by accident and never turned back!

 

What do you mean by "double malt". Does that mean you use double the quantity of malt for a given beer style?

Cheers!

 

I have often said that Aventinus would be just fine as the last beer on earth.

 

What a Malt Geek says:

"I only drink a beer if the base malt is Golden Promise."

"Maris Otter is so last week, but well, floor malted Maris Otter is still pretty good, but only if it was floor malted."

"I just had a Kölsch made with that 2-Row Okefenokee Pale Malt from Two Track Malting in North Dakota and the bready and biscuit flavors were the bomb!"

 

I can go along with that, but would prefer Bocks to Doppelbocks myself.

 

Or Vitus which I can get locally.(used to get Aventinus but haven't seen it in years)

 

Ha! But I think your Malt Geek stepped over the line into Malt Snobbery .

 

Do you have any more of those quotes? They sound a "little" bit real and familiar and I literally laughed out loud (llol).. Thanks for the perspective.

 

Carbonation geekery anyone? Under-carbonation and a beer seems lifeless, over-carbonation and it takes on a bitter or even sour taste. Then you have nitro. What about nitrous?

 

Yep...I've made IPAs,stouts,and festive christmas styles and they ALL turned out awesome.

 

But I would suggest is that what you actually made were Double/Triple IPAs if you doubled the malt quantity. You cant brew an IPA using double the malt than what should be used to produce an IPA.

I have been homebrewing for over 20 years so I know how the arithmetic works here.

Cheers!

 

for me, a good malt base is the bass player; solid, consistent, and present

hops are the lead guitarist; striking, noticeable, and gamechangers

i could use so many different analogies. i agree that both hops AND malt (and yeast, water, etc) have an influence on the beer but for most people the hops are at the forefront for IPAs. they're more noticeable.

i've had IPAs i didn't like because of the hops and i've had IPAs i didn't like because of the malt. but i've never had an IPA I liked because of the malt, I love certain IPAs because of the hops