Another Averagely Perfect Brew?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Supergenious, Feb 25, 2018.

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  1. Supergenious

    Supergenious Maven (1,273) May 9, 2011 Michigan

    Looking back, it appears it’s been about a year since the last AP beer. I think it just might be time for another. What does everybody think? Who’s up for it? More importantly, are you up for it @VikeMan ?
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't really have the time to devote right now, but I'd be willing to start another one after April 5th. Maybe sooner, depending. In the meantime, maybe this thread could be used as a discussion for what styles people are interested in.
     
  3. Mohican88

    Mohican88 Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Ohio

    These are the styles that I came with that were previously done as AP brews. If I'm missing any, please chime in.

    American IPA
    American Stout
    Saison
    Strong Bitter (ESB)

    Thinking ahead, if we were start in mid-April this recipe would be ready to brew/drink in the late summer months, so my thoughts for a style would be cream ale, weissbier, or kolsch.
     
  4. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    NorthEast IPA was also done.
     
  5. minderbender

    minderbender Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2009 New York

    I would second cream ale or kolsch. A Belgian would also be interesting (dubbel or quad would be my choice), but maybe there's not enough variables to play with there, I don't know.

    Going way out there... maybe something Baltic? Unfortunately I doubt many of us can acquire the juniper for a proper kveik-fermented maltøl, but we could bake the mash (keptinis)... eh, there might not be enough collective knowledge/experience for it to be a good crowdsourced project.

    Maybe schwarzbier or Baltic porter? Just throwing ideas out there. I guess a lot of people can't lager though.
     
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  6. crcostel

    crcostel Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2006 Illinois

    I agree - it should probably be an ale so more people can do it.

    I vote (in no particular order)

    Dubbel
    Wheat/Weiss
    English Porter
     
  7. Prep8611

    Prep8611 Savant (1,208) Aug 22, 2014 New Jersey

    I'd be down for a cream ale for the summer
     
  8. minderbender

    minderbender Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2009 New York

    My only hesitation on cream ale is, how many variables are realistically in play? The style calls for 6-row and corn, I doubt many people are going to have more than one option for either (I mean we could do corn grits or something, but realistically it seems as though flaked corn is going to be the choice).

    And the yeast is just going to be something that doesn't provide much character. The hops feel like a personal choice. And so what's left? Cream ale feels like something that's down to technique, not recipe so much.

    But don't get me wrong, I would love to be proven wrong about this, because cream ale is something I've been wanting to brew for a while, and this would be a great way to come up with the recipe.
     
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  9. utahbeerdude

    utahbeerdude Maven (1,374) May 2, 2006 Utah

    Perhaps a Blonde Ale would be similar enough to a Kölsch or Cream Ale, but with more possibilities for variation? Just a thought. Cheers!
     
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  10. Prep8611

    Prep8611 Savant (1,208) Aug 22, 2014 New Jersey

    Ya blonde ale would be fine too. I'd like something that wouldn't have to be some flavor powerhouse. Can't do a lager as it excludes people that can't lager.
     
  11. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Scottish Ale.
    Pros:
    • Not been done.
    • Wide range of gravity from 60 shilling to wee heavy. Vote could take us from session beer to heavyweight
    • Highly contrasting approaches discussed in the homebrewing community and debated as to authenticity. Could vote on that for a while
    • Wide range of potential grain ingredients, depending on approach taken.
    • Others?
    Cons:
    • Maybe doesn't strike a cord with the hop forward crowd?
    • Not lots of yeast choices.
    • Others?
     
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  12. Soneast

    Soneast Pooh-Bah (1,751) May 9, 2008 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    An Oktoberfest or marzen might be a good one to brew, assuming a time frame of it being ready to drink towards the end of September. Then again, the Averagely Perfect polls often take a couple months to complete, so that might not be ideal. Assuming an early April poll start and possibly ending around end of May would leave 3 months to brew/ferment and lager. Would be our first Averagely Perfect lager too. :slight_smile:
     
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  13. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    There are enough brulosophers suggesting that can't and lager don't belong in the same sentence that I don't think we should automatically rule it out. Maybe we could even have someone with a homebrew club sponsor a comparison of several different traditional vs. non-traditional beers that we mail in.
     
  14. Yalc

    Yalc Zealot (501) Nov 5, 2011 Florida

    I would love to see Kolsch just in time for summer.
     
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  15. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    My first cream ale experiment featured 6 row vs 2 row. Maybe Pils? A second is underway, yeast choice (US05vsK97). A third could be corn vs. rice. All malt? Optimal ratios? Fermentation temperatures? Gravities? Hop expression? Pre-prohibition vs modern.
     
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  16. Buck89

    Buck89 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,782) Feb 7, 2015 Tennessee
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm interested in all of these, but personally I would like to see a Festbier/Marzen. Seems like there are enough variables to keep it interesting.
     
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  17. crcostel

    crcostel Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2006 Illinois

    No reason why we couldn't have a Marzen with lager and pseudo-lager methods. I'd prefer that over a cream ale that I wouldn't be terribly interested in drinking.
     
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  18. csurowiec

    csurowiec Initiate (0) Mar 7, 2010 Maryland

    I like dubbel for the next one.
     
  19. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    How about a fruit beer with a unique truly crowd sourced malt, hops, and yeast bill? Decide on the fruit and craft a base beer to carry it, most of the to-style beers previously suggested have a pretty pre-established ballpark recipe.
     
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  20. Supergenious

    Supergenious Maven (1,273) May 9, 2011 Michigan

    I agree with @pweis909 . I think a Scottish ale could interesting. Another option that nobody has mentioned is a barley wine. I could also get on board with a Marzen. And for those not able to lager, @crcostel makes a good point about the pseudo lager marzen option. Lastly, a dubbel could be fun.
    I would vote against blonde ale, Kolsch, cream ale, or Hefeweizen just because I don’t know that they would provide enough voting options to make it interesting.
     
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