The unofficial all things BEER thread!

[mainbutter]

there are a whole lot of good beers out there and there are a whole lot of bad beers out there. but my opinion of good or bad is definitely not everybodys.

When doing wine tasting, I have a very simple and to the point definition of a "good wine":

A good wine is one that you enjoy.

I believe the same can be said about beer.

Qualifying multiple beers and ranking from most to least favorite can be quite a bit trickier however.

[xdeus]

So I noticed that we have a number of basement brewers here on the forum. I've always wanted to brew my own but never took the steps to do it. Perhaps on this thread (or another one) we could do a how to or swap recipies to encourage more home brewing.

There's too much info. about homebrewing for just one thread. Check out this forum to get you started: www.homebrewtalk.com

As far as recipes, I would suggest using a kit first to get your technique down before starting in on homespun recipes. There are plenty of companies out there that put together excellent kits from simple extracts to the more advanced whole grains. One of my favorite companies for kits is Austin Homebrew. They have a LOT of kits to choose from including a lot of commercial clones.

There are also a lot of brewing methods you can use from a very simple setup with a couple of buckets and a large pot to a very expensive setup like this one:


If you're into beer, though, I would definitely encourage you to try your hand at homebrewing. You will have a greater appreciation of what goes into a beer.

[jcotharn]

Being in college im an avid beer consumer, now not having much money reduces what i can drink to cheap stuff most of the time. Keystone is always great if your ok with drinking deer piss,(college kids will always take quantity over quality) but i myself really fancy dos equis lager and shiner bock when i have the money.

[Nic Bednarz]

I'm a total beer geek, amateur home brewer, and boarder line alcoholic. Right now I'm on a sour kick, and always love porters and stouts.

If you're ever in Ft Lauderdale, hit up brother tuckers. Best beer bar ever.

[nahual]

At least you guys can find good imported beers from everywhere ... here in México is hard to get anything but those flavorless pilsners. Most brands here falls in this boaring lager style. I´m decided to get into homebrewing!

[cecilbturtle]

How about a snakes for job trade? I'm sure you guys could use another taster...I have lots of experience!

sounds good to me!

[Seru1]

Always been a big beer fan, But I gotta say if I have a "Favorite" It's Samurai From Great divide. Though the Hoss they make is pretty good to. I like most of the stuff from that brewery

[Wh00h0069]

I love the double chocolate stout, it is a very good beer.... You can find the russian imperial stout and most good liquor/beer stores. It comes in a 22 oz bottle....

I'll have to go to the liquor store this weekend.

[TessadasExotics]

My favorites are Guinness, Killian's and a Texas beer called Shiner Bock. Just recently acquired most of my dads beer brewing equipment. So I have too see what else I will need and then try my hand at some brewing!

[olstyn]

Surly Darkness

Sadly, it's only available 1 day a year, but it's IMO amazing. Complex flavor with a lot going on, it's almost a little bit thick/viscous, and it's sweet and almost 10% alcohol. Definitely a beer you sip rather than guzzle, but very drinkable all the same. I just discovered it this fall when my brother gave me a bottle (it comes in 750 ml bottles like wine or liquor), and I was impressed. I plan to go to "Darkness Day" with him next fall and pick up as many bottles as I can reasonably afford; they go for $20/bottle, but I guess he was reselling them for something like $35-40/bottle, making the ones he kept (and the one he gave me) work out to basically free.