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So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

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Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#221

Post by OJFord »

joe_the_user wrote: post #117
tomjakubowski wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Is there really any flavor to IPAs with IBUs that are through the roof? No, not at all. Yes, there is good, tasty flavor to hops, provided you're not on the sensitive side of the bitter tasting spectrum. The bitter flavor overwhelms everything for some, but not all. If you're curious, there are bitter tasting test strips like these which not everyone is sensitive to. https://www.amazon.com/Nasco-PTC-Paper-Strips-Vi…

Another thing thing I think I've found about the IPA crazy is that it has driven out the variety in IPAs themselves - once there was a spectrum in high-hop tastes between citrus-y and cider-y tastes in high-hop beer but now citrus-y is the only taste that's considered acceptable. The cider-y taste ("green-apple character" I believe) you can taste in the Belgian beer Orval is considered an off-flavor in IPAs and I'm p…

> once there was a spectrum in high-hop tastes between citrus-y and cider-y tastes in high-hop beer but now citrus-y is the only taste that's considered acceptable.

Worth noting that the citrusy highly carbonated brews are 'American IPA's, English or 'Imperial' IPAs are much less citrusy, if at all, and much much much less carbonated.

That's changing a bit - much to my disappointment, I don't like the citrus either, much less the high carbonation - with the craftier 'craft' beers, but generally they will market themselves as American IPAs, or have a citrusy name or label, so you can make your choice accordingly.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#222

Post by tonyarkles »

rc-1140 wrote: post #95
munificent wrote: post #32

I live in Seattle where the IPA thing is just out of hand. My uncharitable pet theory is this: A certain class of men (sometimes women, but it's almost always men) get interested in something and then desire to make it part of their identity. That in turn means they want to convey that they are more into it than other people. Their passion expresses itself as competition. Most people that aren't really into beer don'…

I agree with the content of your message, as I have seen it happen many times myself first-hand, but I disagree with the way you're framing the phenomenon. > My favorite Tweet ever was someone who described this process that dudes do where they show up, take over a hobby, and drive all the fun out (and thus women) as "MENTRIFICATION". It is my new favorite word. I believe that this is a loaded word that does nothing…

Thanks for posting that! I was immediately reminded of that article but couldn't remember any of names of the groups or find the article.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#223

Post by reitzensteinm »

munificent wrote: post #32

I live in Seattle where the IPA thing is just out of hand. My uncharitable pet theory is this: A certain class of men (sometimes women, but it's almost always men) get interested in something and then desire to make it part of their identity. That in turn means they want to convey that they are more into it than other people. Their passion expresses itself as competition. Most people that aren't really into beer don'…

If we're going to draw arbitrary circles around groups of people, I think this is just as much of an American phenomenon as it is a male one.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#224

Post by OJFord »

gregkerzhner wrote: post #155
walrus01 wrote: post #2

My personal taste complaint with a lot of people who open a brewery... Everyone seems to think that more hops = better beer. There are so many other possible flavors and types to a beer than some type of IPA that is absolutely overloaded with hops. But that seems to be a very common type of thing to brew. When I open something and am assaulted with the aroma of hops, it's not appealing anymore. It was interesting 7-8…

Pretty much the opposite here, I only drink IPA - hoppier the better! Having traveled and sampled IPAs all over the world, I can say that for the most part, its a style that people can't really get right. Not really sure why, but my general experience has been that the further your IPA is from the west coast, the worse its going to be. My world ranking would be 1st tier - California, Oregon, Washington - if its from…

> 5th tier Europe - Good luck! Had some pretty good IPAs in Ireland, and maybe some half decent ones from Britain, but overall the stuff they market as "IPA" tastes wrong, malty and flat.

Ha! Because what you're expecting and looking for is an 'American IPA' (style not origin). The other half are English or Imperial (there is sometimes a technical and sometimes only marketing distinction to be made between the latter two) IPAs.

Personally, the stuff America 'markets as "IPA" tastes wrong" - citrusy and way over-carbonated!

It's unfortunate that they're made to sound so similar in my opinion, they're pretty different styles. Classic IPAs are much closer to other British bitters than they are to 'American IPA' (or to 'IPA' sold in America).

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#225

Post by projectileboy »

walrus01 wrote: post #2

My personal taste complaint with a lot of people who open a brewery... Everyone seems to think that more hops = better beer. There are so many other possible flavors and types to a beer than some type of IPA that is absolutely overloaded with hops. But that seems to be a very common type of thing to brew. When I open something and am assaulted with the aroma of hops, it's not appealing anymore. It was interesting 7-8…

I wish I could hug you for saying this. I thought I was the crazy one.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#226

Post by scottlocklin »

amyjess wrote: post #116
scottlocklin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I have a personal theory that the overwhelming aroma and taste of hops in a beer can be used to mask many errors and missteps in the brewing process, which might be more easily tasted by the customer if it were, for example, a weissbier. It's not just your personal theory! It's absolutely correct. In my neophyte brewing years if something came out bad, I'd just chuck more hops in the carboy and call it an IPA (back…

> Hops are fairly estrogenic. Phytoestrogens don't really work on humans though. They mostly just antagonize the estrogen receptor, which means they bind to the receptor without activating it. This means they can actually be harmful to women on HRT because they make the HRT less effective.

It caused premature menstruation in girls picking hops. It works on humans.

https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/120078-hops-and-women-8...

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#227

Post by analog31 »

Something I'm noticing is the emergence of contract breweries who will take a recipe and a label, and brew up a batch of beer. Mostly over-hopped. I think that this kind of custom brewing with economies of scale will strongly affect the "craft" beer market. It might make some people think twice about setting up their own brewing operation.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#229

Post by strbean »

Dumblydorr wrote: post #133
legitster wrote: post #61

I have a friend who dropped everything in his life to start homebrewing and trying to enter the brewing industry. He's broke and miserable and doesn't understand why the jobs are so bad. I'm trying to convince him that the fact that people are willing to give up everything to take one of these jobs is why you have to give up everything. It's ironic as well, because the types of jobs he is running away from (spreadshe…

Maybe he can use those skills to get into the industry...spreadsheets may be less boring when they pertain to your passion.

Sure, but just like with game development - he will be doing similar (if less boring) work for half the pay, while being treated like crap to boot.

Re: So You Think You Want to Open a Brewery (2014)

#230

Post by [deleted] »

ljm wrote: post #78
munificent wrote: post #32

I live in Seattle where the IPA thing is just out of hand. My uncharitable pet theory is this: A certain class of men (sometimes women, but it's almost always men) get interested in something and then desire to make it part of their identity. That in turn means they want to convey that they are more into it than other people. Their passion expresses itself as competition. Most people that aren't really into beer don'…

It feels a little cynical. You can enjoy beer and music and stuff without getting into a dick measuring contest. If all they want to do is one-up you then they’re not your friend. Find someone who listens to you. If that’s their way of enjoying things, then what’s so bad about it? They presumably dislike a lot of the hobbies you enjoy, they’re not out there to ‘mentrify’ them. (Why this gendered insulting is okay whe…

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