Maybe a dumb question....but ....

In many ways, homebrewers are less restricted by their equipment than the pros. Not sure what you mean by clearly homebrewed beer..competent homebrewers can and do make beer as good as the best commercial beers. *Cloning* a top commercial beer is a bit harder. But it would be just as hard for a pro to clone a homebrew.

 

Raw ingredients and equipment are one thing, but water and consistency/control are another...

 

I was referring more to attempting to make a clone at home vs. the original brewery's product....

 

That is a different question entirely than what I read initially.

Unless two brewers use the exact ingredients (amounts/usage/etc) and the exact process (temps/water/etc) my guess is the two beers may come out similar but not the same. I see that in my homebrewed product, where small variances in batches produces different output.

 

The Alchemist has a house yeast strain that imparts a dry, peachy flavor. Many other breweries have their own strain too. Water is another giant variable.

 

Oh man, if only it were that easy. After over a year of working on a business plan; visiting about 50 different locations; getting quotes from several vendors; working with architects, GC's, real estate brokers; discussions with building owners; getting grilled by banks you're begging for money from; and seeking out investors...all while brewing non-stop to perfect recipes and hone in consistency...and guess how many of these people have even so much as asked to try our beer...one: an investor (my dad).

The point is it's as much about business acumen and knowing what the hell you're doing as it is about the beer.

I see why lots of people keep this as a hobby and nothing more. But that's not for me.

 

It sounds like you have tasted some of the best commercial examples, but maybe have not tasted some of the best homebrewed examples. And homebrewers turn pro all the time. Where do you think pro brewers come from?

It sounds like your question really is (or should be)... why so much difference in quality (between any two brewers, pro or amateur) rather than between homebrewers and pros as distinct groups.

 

It's almost cliche, but, if I felt limited in my ability to brew a high quality beer, I probably wouldn't bother brewing. Most of my beers don't taste like homebrew, in the sense that you imply. I'm occasionally disappointed, but they're all of commercial quality, if I understand the gist of what you're saying.
I think maybe you need to join a homebrew club and taste what can be done in your garage.

 

I should add that I have no desire to take this to the next level. it's a hobby. I don't want it to become a job.

 

I think the answer to your question can most clearly be seen via the many Pliny the Elder homebrews that people on this forum have made (including me). Is any given one of them directly as good as the #1 (or close to it) rated beer in the world in a side by side test? Perhaps not. But does that matter - hell fucking no! I made a helluvadamnfuckinggood IIPA, thanks to Vinny and this forum and the fact that I can read and my own two hands. Others have too. Vinny from RR publishes the recipe because he wants to share it and wants us all to make beer as good as PtE. It's not only possible, it happens to real people! If you haven't made a IIPA yet, and you have the necessary skill and experience to make one (it's not rocket science, but maybe you'll want to brew a few slightly easier batches first if you're a noob), then I highly recommend it.

There's nothing wrong with cloning or following someone else's recipe, BTW. I occasionally do it. I tried Vinny's PtE recipe (and altered the hops, but whatever, it still came out unbelievably good). My very first batch my noob mentor and me brewed a clone-ish thing of Celebration ale. My very last batch I brewed was a sort of Sam Adams Summer Ale clone that my LHBS came up with (I like that beer, and I wanted to try grains of paradise, so what the hey). Tho I usually brew original recipes, brewing clones is cool by me.

"clearly homebrewed" doesn't have much meaning. I've had homebrews from various members of this forum and the only thing clear about their brews, and mine, is that they are damn delicious.

 

In addition to going all grain (and the control it provides), think about (if you haven't already)...

- Full Wort Boils
- Properly sized yeast starters
- Fermentation Temperature Control
- Adequate yeast nutrients
- Adequate oxygenation of the wort
- Good Sanitation practices
- Proper yeast and hops storage
- Water Chemistry (both for mash pH and for style)

Not necessarily in that order.

 

The reason for the differences in quality basically boil down to the fact that it is relatively easy to make good to decent beer but takes a lifetime to master the craft. There are vastly different levels of talent, experience and plain old giving a damn out there among brewers both professional and amateur. It takes both knowing how to make great beer and the willingness to go the extra mile to do so for it to happen. Realistically, few people at any level are going to have enough of both to make truly exceptional beer. Equipment and even things like house yeast strains and naturally good water have less to do with what you are asking about than craftsmanship does.

 

I never had a problem with extract brews either, and never figured out what people meant when they make a disparaging comment about extract brew or the "extract twang." I had a rather prominent and well respected member of this forum compliment one of my early extract homebrews* and I took that as quite a compliment. However, I would not have sent them a homebrew that I thought was less than delicious. As good as PtE? Probably not. Does that really matter? No.

Re-read that last sentence: Does it really matter? No. It doesn't. What matters is that it's delicious and you enjoy drinking it. Vinny at RR has all day every day to perfect the recipe and process for PtE. Us homebrew hobbyists don't. But it doesn't matter, the basics of making great beer are not so difficult as to be beyond the reach of (fairly) normal ** people like me.

*al's red-eye ale. best part was that it was really hoppy (despite not really having all that much hops), contained amber extract, and had lots of crystal malt too, two full pounds for a five gallon batch, and no sugar

**exact definition of "normal" being a somewhat elastic thing.