On Jan 17, 11:21 pm, JB <z...@yahoo.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi all,
>
> I guess you can get a more novice question than this but here goes.. do
> you guys produce really good beer? I mean, brew that causes you to proudly
> turn your nose up at anything from a store or pub?
>
> This is a really serious question. I really like beer but I really love
> making crafty artisan type things of good quality. I've known people that
> make their own wine but between you and me, it always tastes like grape
> juice with crushed aspirin in it.
>
> My two favorite commercial beers are Pilsner Urquell and Newcastle. I like
> Guinness too but it's best in Dublin. If there was hope I could homebrew
> something close to any of these, I would gladly embark on the expense and
> effort to learn it and try try again.
>
> I have this assumption that homebrew would taste much like the microbrews
> we have in the States, at best. Typically I don't like them due to
> sweetness and aftertaste.
>
> Some good success stories or experiences producing good brews would really
> be inspiring.
>
> Thank you,
>
> - JoeB[/color]

In a word, YES!
The best beers I have ever tasted are homebrews. Some mine, some made
by others.

On a whole it depends what your tastes are and what you want to make.
If you want to make a beer that tastes exactly like Guinness then just
go out and buy a Guinness. Its quite hard to match a commercial beer
exactly. The really great part of homebrewing (to me at least) is that
you can make beer that is exactly what you like. You say that
microbrews are too sweet and have an aftertaste. Well then you can
make up a recipe that isn't as sweet and has less hops to match your
tastes. Think of it like any type of cooking. Homemade tomato sauce
is always better than Ragu, but the Ragu is more convenient and nearly
impossible to replicate exactly at home. Then again why would you
replicate it if your recipe tasted better to you...

One other thing to state about homebrewing is that you can make up
beers that are similar to foreign beers that either are not imported to
the US or taste like crap once the make the slow boat ride here for
England/Germany/etc and then get light struck in those $%^^&@ green
bottles! Fresh brewed German Lagers taste NOTHING like Becks!