getting into beer

[Jaybird]

Oh boy! Something I have some real knowledge on finally... Still learning cigars, but I drink and brew a metric assload of craft beer. If you are near Westbrook, you have access to one of the best breweries in the country IMO. As has been suggested, start out with the malty beers like the Oktoberfests, scotch ales, Kolsch, etc. I remember the first beer that I tried apart from mass produced light lagers like butt light was an Arrogant Bastard and the hoppy/bitterness was too much for me and I poured it down the sink. Like cigars, your taste in beer will change as you try more things and most people do not appreciate hoppy/bitter beers when they start the journey to craft beer. Founders makes a world class Porter and their Scotch Ale is also really good. If you can get Firestone Walker, they make very solid beers as well. Some stouts are brewed with a particular grain called Black Patent that makes them very astringent and taste like an ashtray and those are not very enjoyable to me and can be a difficult transition for someone new to craft beer.. As suggested, glassware is important with craft beer. I have 2 cupboards filled with glassware which is a bit overboard, but it is what I do... Along with the standard Pint glass, I suggest a snifter (like you use for Brandy) for porters and stouts (best served around 50-60f) and a tulip glass for hoppy beers and Belgian beers. Snifters especially are easy to find and cheap at thrift stores.

But are your beers any good? I hear you brew swill.... LOL Howz it going BH?

I think if your new to beers, like cigars you really want to try several "styles" Beer, unlike cigars, has a definite style guideline to make a type of beer exactly what it is. Like a pale ale for instance to be called a "pale ale" It needs to have a taste, an aroma and color levels to be called a "pale ale" so I would suggest looking online at the best breweries that produce great beers brewed to "style" then find a "style" that you like and expand from there.
If you look and the BJCP guidelines you can see all 97 categories of beer, mead, Cider ETC... and with them there are suggestions of beers that are brewed to style.


Hope that helps.

Cheers
Jay

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Oh boy! Something I have some real knowledge on finally... Still learning cigars, but I drink and brew a metric assload of craft beer. If you are near Westbrook, you have access to one of the best breweries in the country IMO. As has been suggested, start out with the malty beers like the Oktoberfests, scotch ales, Kolsch, etc. I remember the first beer that I tried apart from mass produced light lagers like butt light was an Arrogant Bastard and the hoppy/bitterness was too much for me and I poured it down the sink. Like cigars, your taste in beer will change as you try more things and most people do not appreciate hoppy/bitter beers when they start the journey to craft beer. Founders makes a world class Porter and their Scotch Ale is also really good. If you can get Firestone Walker, they make very solid beers as well. Some stouts are brewed with a particular grain called Black Patent that makes them very astringent and taste like an ashtray and those are not very enjoyable to me and can be a difficult transition for someone new to craft beer.. As suggested, glassware is important with craft beer. I have 2 cupboards filled with glassware which is a bit overboard, but it is what I do... Along with the standard Pint glass, I suggest a snifter (like you use for Brandy) for porters and stouts (best served around 50-60f) and a tulip glass for hoppy beers and Belgian beers. Snifters especially are easy to find and cheap at thrift stores.

But are your beers any good? I hear you brew swill.... LOL Howz it going BH?

I think if your new to beers, like cigars you really want to try several "styles" Beer, unlike cigars, has a definite style guideline to make a type of beer exactly what it is. Like a pale ale for instance to be called a "pale ale" It needs to have a taste, an aroma and color levels to be called a "pale ale" so I would suggest looking online at the best breweries that produce great beers brewed to "style" then find a "style" that you like and expand from there.
If you look and the BJCP guidelines you can see all 97 categories of beer, mead, Cider ETC... and with them there are suggestions of beers that are brewed to style.


Hope that helps.

Cheers
Jay

Bwahahaha!!! Yeah, I make my beer in used trash cans and most people that drink it go blind. Actually, brewing is the one thing that I manage to do excellent consistently. I agree checking bjcp guidelines for styles, it gives you examples of the style to try as well as a description of how the style should taste.

 

[daleo8803]

What's a growler for?

 

[TreySC]

What's a growler for?

It's basically a big bottle that you can get filled at stores with a growler station. Which is tapped kegs. Sometimes you can get good deals and/or get stuff they don't have otherwise.

Do you have a Green's up there? The 2 here have growler stations as well as the total wine.

 

[daleo8803]

Cool. Don't know of a place around here that fills the growlers...

Another question. How do you store a bottle you have opened but didn't/couldn't finish? Most of these beers come in larger bottles.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Cool. Don't know of a place around here that fills the growlers...

Another question. How do you store a bottle you have opened but didn't/couldn't finish? Most of these beers come in larger bottles.

There are reusable caps you can find on Amazon to close up large bottles you can't finish on your own, but the larger the empty area in the bottle, the faster the beer will go flat. I tend to either drink the whole bottle in one sitting or find a friend to share with so it is enjoyed fresh. The cooler the beer is stored though, the slower the co2 comes out of solution so it doesn't go flat as fast. Better consumed as soon as opened though

 

[daleo8803]

I will try to finish the bottle.... lol thanks for all the help guys!

 

[smokinghole]

I must make a plug for my livelihood. You should check out beers from Victory. I filter/clarify them and will be in the QA lab soon. Prima Pils is my favorite. It's not flashy, it's not high alcohol, it's doesn't have a perverse theme, it's just awesome super easy to drink beer. If you're not out to get shit faced in a glass or kill your ability to taste things because of too much hops (yes there is such a thing) then Prima Pils is my thing. I was actually disappointed that I couldn't get a sixtel on Friday night before I left work and had to "settle" for Festbier.

I will make one serious suggestion as you taste your way through the stores. Make sure you look for best by or bottling dates on the hoppy beers. If you cannot find one then I wouldn't buy the beer personally. You could get a bottle/can that's 8 months old and well it won't be good and could paint a poor picture of the brand for you. There's a chance that had you had it before it was old and oxidized (the compounds in hops that are sensitive to oxygen are actually absolutely saturated with oxygen) you would have loved the beer, but instead you had a stale one and you never revisit the beer. Retailers that don't turn their inventory around are a disservice to themselves and brewers because they sell old stale beers more often than they should. For example I don't know why everyone likes Arrogant Bastard so much. I just had a bottle last week, again. All I tasted was caramel malt and bitterness. Maybe it was old and maybe I always get old bottles of Arrogant Bastard but it lacked hop aroma and hop flavor, just bitter. If all I want is sweet and bitter I'll make an unbalanced cocktail.

Also drink with a buddy if you have one that's adventurous. You guys could share beers and trust me sometimes you will want to because everyone seems to put 10%-20% abv beers in BIG bottles rather than smaller bottles. Nothing like getting bombed on a 14% stout with one glass only to have a second half of the bottle to finish.

 

[TreySC]

I've tried a couple beers form Victory. I know one was Hop Devil that was pretty good, but I enjoy IPA's can't recall what the other was.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I must make a plug for my livelihood. You should check out beers from Victory. I filter/clarify them and will be in the QA lab soon. Prima Pils is my favorite. It's not flashy, it's not high alcohol, it's doesn't have a perverse theme, it's just awesome super easy to drink beer. If you're not out to get shit faced in a glass or kill your ability to taste things because of too much hops (yes there is such a thing) then Prima Pils is my thing. I was actually disappointed that I couldn't get a sixtel on Friday night before I left work and had to "settle" for Festbier.

I will make one serious suggestion as you taste your way through the stores. Make sure you look for best by or bottling dates on the hoppy beers. If you cannot find one then I wouldn't buy the beer personally. You could get a bottle/can that's 8 months old and well it won't be good and could paint a poor picture of the brand for you. There's a chance that had you had it before it was old and oxidized (the compounds in hops that are sensitive to oxygen are actually absolutely saturated with oxygen) you would have loved the beer, but instead you had a stale one and you never revisit the beer. Retailers that don't turn their inventory around are a disservice to themselves and brewers because they sell old stale beers more often than they should. For example I don't know why everyone likes Arrogant Bastard so much. I just had a bottle last week, again. All I tasted was caramel malt and bitterness. Maybe it was old and maybe I always get old bottles of Arrogant Bastard but it lacked hop aroma and hop flavor, just bitter. If all I want is sweet and bitter I'll make an unbalanced cocktail.

Also drink with a buddy if you have one that's adventurous. You guys could share beers and trust me sometimes you will want to because everyone seems to put 10%-20% abv beers in BIG bottles rather than smaller bottles. Nothing like getting bombed on a 14% stout with one glass only to have a second half of the bottle to finish.

I'm gonna have to try the Prima Pils. I normally don't buy many lagers because I'm always drawn to hoppy beers. Dirt Wolf is one of my very favorites. I understand what you mean about Arrogant Bastard being bitter and unbalanced, but that's one of the things I like about it. It's not something I drink often, but I enjoy it when I do. When I brew though, I tend to brew more balanced beers.

Definitely check for packaged dates, especially for the hoppy beers. I have been burned several times buying an old hoppy beer that was well past its prime and it really sucks.

 

[smokinghole]

Well Prima is a pretty hoppy pils. It's so easy to drink.

 

[Dave]

Sorry to jack, but EVERY time I see this thread title, "Getting into Beer", I'm reminded of a story.....and I can't stand any longer not to share:

One night, Mrs McMillen answers the door to see her husbands best friend, Paddy, standing on the doorstep.
"Hello Paddy, but where is my husband? He went with you to the beer factory"
Paddy shook his head. "Ah Mrs McMillen, there was a terrible accident at the beer factory, your husband fell into a vat of Guinness stout and drowned"
Mrs McMillen starts crying. "Oh don't tell me that, did he at least go quickly?"

Paddy shakes his head. "Not really - he got out 3 times to pee!"


Again...sorry....jack off

 

[smokinghole]

I also just remembered if you are a big fan of the citra/mosaic combo stars in DirtWolf then watch for out harvest ale. We just brewed it on Friday and I think I shoveled a few thousand pounds of hops in myself. It's a pale ale. I'm optimistic but my personal tastes I don't like the green flavor fresh hops lend (green like chlorophyll).

 

[daleo8803]

Just picked up a sniffer and 2 pint glasses from my favorite store dollar tree! Lol I will be trying one out tonight.

 

[AlohaStyle]

Sorry, I just can't keep my mouth shut since I seen this thread originally... The title of this thread "getting into beer" and your comment "My everyday beers are miller light" just makes me laugh. lol

But seriously, enjoy the ride... beer is good.

 

[TreySC]

Just picked up a sniffer and 2 pint glasses from my favorite store dollar tree! Lol I will be trying one out tonight.

I've been wanting to get a snifter myself, never once thought about dollar tree.

 

[Triple-T]

Love my brews and my stogies, but sometimes they don't work well together. I like the richness of a Guiness anud of a smoke like the Liga No 9, but they didn't work together for me. In fact, there's not much I can smoke that pairs well with a Guiness. Newcastle on the other hand goes well with most of the sticks I smoke so it's my go to brew. Usually when I try a new craft / small batch brew I don't smoke a cigar, and likewise if it's a new cigar I usually drink water or a cup o' joe. Enjoy

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Just picked up a sniffer and 2 pint glasses from my favorite store dollar tree! Lol I will be trying one out tonight.

If you are anything like me, Pretty soon you will have several cupboards that look like this

 

[ChiefIlliniwek]

Sorry, I just can't keep my mouth shut since I seen this thread originally... The title of this thread "getting into beer" and your comment "My everyday beers are miller light" just makes me laugh. lol

But seriously, enjoy the ride... beer is good.

I did the same thing. Lots of people here telling the guy here to go off the deep end and start drinking nothing but double imperial IPAs, the darkest stouts, and other expensive hardcore stuff, it seems like.

Advice from this beer snob:
1. Try something new, all the time, everywhere you go - at least for awhile. Try local stuff. Leave the BMC stuff to the times when there is NOTHING else to drink or you're going to be playing beer pong for the next four hours.
2. Find a place that does mixed six-packs, and sample that way. If you find something you like, maybe buy a six pack of that beer later down the road, and decide if you still like it.
3. If you find a beer style you like, try as many beers in that style as you can find. When you get bored, try something similar to that style.
4. Drink everything out of a glass. Glass style won't matter too much starting out, and it's best not to get too bent out of shape unless you seriously get into beer. You'll pick up what works and what doesn't work.
5. Read about beer. Try to learn the basic differences between beer styles.
6. Keep it simple while starting out. Don't get bent out of shape about trying the exotic stuff. Try it if it's available, or don't. Don't feel like you have to drink the highest ABV beer out there, or the most expensive beer, or the hoppiest, or whatever.
7. Keep drinking. Have fun. Life's too short for bad beer.

This approach worked for me when I started getting really into beer a few years ago. I try new beers every chance I get. It's just like cigars. Your mileage may vary.

 

[K Williams]

What's a growler for?

Just got this Stone Brewing growler today from KegWorks. This thing is awesome!!