Beer Forum

You've posted your worst beer, now what's the best beer you've ever brewed? I've heard a lot of people say their first beer was the best, but not for me. My first was marginally drinkable and needed "time to develop". After that one I thought all beers needed a good month or two of aging to taste better. Luckily I kept with it and started producing solidly brewed beers.

I'd have to say my favorite right now is a blonde recipe I've been working on. It's not the most complicated recipe, or the most complex tasting, but it's a beer than I can hand to almost anyone and they like it. And it's a beer I really enjoy when I just "want a beer". The last couple batches I have really started giving a lot of beer away so I can brew more and free up the pipe line. Been taking half the 10G batch and bottling it in 22's to give to people.

An IPA. Very simple malt bit. Lots of hops. I change the hopping every time, but the malt bill is

12# 2-row, 1# Munich, 1# Honey malt, Mash at 154. OG: 1.065, FG: 1.014. I usually Aim for 60-65 IBUs, lots of flavor additions. Again, I do it hopping differnetly every time, always good.

It provides a very nice malt backbone to a very hoppy beer. It's got some malty-sweet flavors, but finishes fairly dry, with some body.

So far it's been the Green Flash West Coast IPA clone from CYBI. Scored a 40 at a New England competition...didn't win anything however.

TheDarkSide wrote:So far it's been the Green Flash West Coast IPA clone from CYBI. Scored a 40 at a New England competition...didn't win anything however.

Nice! I've never had the real thing, but that IPA is next on my brew schedule. Keeping everything the same except I'm going to use Pacman yeast.

The best beer I ever brewed is on tap in my basement right now. It is an American Stout, based on Jamil's recipe from BCS, with Simcoe and Amarillo aroma hops and cocoa nibs in the secondary. It is very balanced between roasty malts, west coast hops, chocolate notes and clean Cal Ale yeast. Gotta love a good stout in the winter!

The best beer I've brewed is in the bottle right now: July Amber Ale.

Maris Otter, some Light DME (to make up for not having enough Maris Otter), Munich 20, Caramel 60, 30 IBUs of Nugget, and Amarillo and Simcoe to finish over Wyeast 1.056

The beer's a little hazy (I have no idea why, my beers are normally semi-clear) but the aroma and flavor coming out of the glass is pretty damn good.

55 batches....... nothing yet

The one that has received the best comments from others (and that I enjoy as well) is a Bitter American clone based on B3's kit that I have been tweaking. But you can't always drink the same thing and I like my IPA's just as much and the Scotch Ale has been coming around as well as it matures.

The Bitter American is:

7 lbs 2 row
1 lb Munich
0.5 lb Crystal 15
0.5 lb Crystal 40

Mash at 149F (or sub 5lb of Ultralight ME for the 2 row)

1 oz Glacier at 60 (or Cascade)
1 oz Cascade at 15 (or Liberty)
1 oz Cascade at 1

Dry hop with 1 oz Sterling (or Williamette) and 1 oz Cascade