Homebrew expectations vs. commercial beer

[Not_so_brite]

Someone made a comment in a recent post I wrote that really got me thinking - basically I was explaining how my attempts at homebrew were not going well, however, they asked if I was perhaps being unfair in my expectations if I thought I would be making commercial quality beer at this stage.

So I went out and bought a case of Brewdog (as it was the easiest to order and get delivered) and I must say, it really was some good beer, so I've been wondering: can a casual homebrewer ever expect to make a beer that is comparable in quality to these commercial craft beers, without having to invest in serious equipment that moves it out of being a fun hobby but to more of a full on passion project?

I suppose I'm just starting to think that there really is a big difference between the quality of beer a casual homebrewer can make vs. what can be bought, whereas, for lots of other things I can do for fun at home (i.e. baking, cooking, etc.), it is very much possible to equal the quality or even exceed the equivalent products that can be bought.

Now that I've been thinking about it more, I'm probably a bit less inclined to accept all the 'compromises' that seem to be the norm when casually homebrewing (cloudy beer, sediment, taste not quite right, etc.), given how much better (and easier) it seems a purchased craft beer can be.

Has anyone else thought about this and come to a different conclusion or decided to carry on regardless?

 

[user 18729]

Someone made a comment in a recent post I wrote that really got me thinking - basically I was explaining how my attempts at homebrew were not going well, however, they asked if I was perhaps being unfair in my expectations if I thought I would be making commercial quality beer at this stage.

So I went out and bought a case of Brewdog (as it was the easiest to order and get delivered) and I must say, it really was some good beer, so I've been wondering: can a casual homebrewer ever expect to make a beer that is comparable in quality to these commercial craft beers, without having to invest in serious equipment that moves it out of being a fun hobby but to more of a full on passion project?

I suppose I'm just starting to think that there really is a big difference between the quality of beer a casual homebrewer can make vs. what can be bought, whereas, for lots of other things I can do for fun at home (i.e. baking, cooking, etc.), it is very much possible to equal the quality or even exceed the equivalent products that can be bought.

Now that I've been thinking about it more, I'm probably a bit less inclined to accept all the 'compromises' that seem to be the norm when casually homebrewing (cloudy beer, sediment, taste not quite right, etc.), given how much better (and easier) it seems a purchased craft beer can be.

Has anyone else thought about this and come to a different conclusion or decided to carry on regardless?

It takes time to learn and refine your processes but eventually you will be producing beer of such high quality you’ll think you bought it. You don’t need a huge system to make good quality wort, a budget all in one or BIAB will do the job. It’s care and attention needed with things like water treatment, temperature control, yeast pitch rates and sanitation that really make a beer taste ‘commercial’.

 

[Galena]

Well I am brand new to brewing, first brew from an extract kit due to be bottled next week. My second brew is an all grain recipe.
I am one of those kind of slightly OCD people who once they get into something get rather obsessed until I either become good at it or else give up and move on to something else.
With brewing as with anything else I have been studying obsessively, reading, watching videos, reading forums to take in as much info as I can, I have bought an electric boiler/mash tun for BIAB, bought a fridge and Inkbird ITC 308 for temperature control, read up on water treatment, been teaching myself how to use Brewfather and bought pH meter, GH & KH test kit, scales, measuring spoons etc.
So, I certainly hope I can make decent quality beer with it though I accept a learning curve to improve and it may not all go according to plan

 

[cushyno]

How many brewdays have you done so far @Not_so_brite ? Have you given yourself enough practice to hone your skills?

I've been at this for 2 years and feel I'm still nearer the beginning of the journey than the end. Each and every batch has its lessons and learning points if you are eager enough to look for them and willing to analyse your process. There are so many variables from each stage that must fit together in combination to create GREAT beer, rather than OK beer. I've had a series of three poor brews earlier this year because I forgot to apply corrections for mistakes I had previously addressed. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

Questions I ask myself:

• Am I doing anything new today? If not how will I learn to improve?
• Can I keep my process under control? Measure accurately. Practice being consistent.
• What do I want to brew, what am I trying to achieve with each batch?

If I can't answer those things, it means I've become sloppy and I don't care enough to make GREAT beer. Yet sometimes it's ok to make a reasonable drinkable beer that's still better than Carling.

 

[cushyno]

Well I am brand new to brewing, first brew from an extract kit due to be bottled next week. My second brew is an all grain recipe.
I am one of those kind of slightly OCD people who once they get into something get rather obsessed until I either become good at it or else give up and move on to something else.
With brewing as with anything else I have been studying obsessively, reading, watching videos, reading forums to take in as much info as I can, I have bought an electric boiler/mash tun for BIAB, bought a fridge and Inkbird ITC 308 for temperature control, read up on water treatment, been teaching myself how to use Brewfather and bought pH meter, GH & KH test kit, scales, measuring spoons etc.
So, I certainly hope I can make decent quality beer with it though I accept a learning curve to improve and it may not all go according to plan

Sounds a bit like me, though I'm also a tight-arse and tend to use cheap but reliable kit and relish the challenge of needing to control the variables myself. I believe it helps to be a bit OCD and obsessed in this hobby.

 

[trueblue]

As a veteran of several homebrew festivals where you drink a good cross section of home brewed beers I don't think you can generalise. At the festivals I would say around 50% could easily have been sold as commercial beers 25% where probably better than most commercial beers and 25% not that good. I am more that happy with my beers and a regular comment from people that try it why don't you try to sell it, no thanks. Of course experience helps but I do know someone who won a competition with his second brew.
Also of all the new micros that have started in recent years most that I have tried have either been very ordinary or seem to be in a competition to how many hops they can get in the copper rather than try to produce a good balanced beer. The one thing most professional normally have is consistency.

 

[samale]

I am brewing 5 years and still learning. My advice to anyone is to swap your beer with other members. It's a great way to compare against your own. You also get genuine feedback to help you along the way.

 

[MickDundee]

The answer, really, is it depends.

I’ve made Belgian beers and none have even come close to anything as good as most I’ve bought commercially.

Similarly, I’m quite new to brewing lagers and they are a million times better than the macro-brewed slop most places sell as “lager”, but I’m a long way from coming close to some of the stuff the Germans and Czechs produce.

My West Coast IPAs in the past have usually been a little disappointing but I’m hoping now I’ve started with force carbing and looking into closed transfer this should improve, although with the one I’m currently drinking I think it’s the hop choice that is the problem rather than an issue with my process or accelerated hop fade.

On the other hand, the APA I make regularly is quite wonderful if I say so myself and I’d drink it ahead of most Brewdog beers and one of my mates (not sure if he was over egging it) told me he preferred it to Gamma Ray. My American blonde ale that I’ve been trying to perfect is also wonderful and 20L of it disappeared in one evening on a friend’s stag do last year, and that was with a fridge full of commercial premium lagers and a decent supply of Punk IPA so clearly both the lager drinkers and craft beer drinkers were choosing my blonde ahead of their usual ripple.

 

[Gerryjo]

I am brewing 5 years and still learning. My advice to anyone is to swap your beer with other members. It's a great way to compare against your own. You also get genuine feedback to help you along the way.

I would 2nd that of @samale has said and besides you need to relax on a brew day and by that I do not mean get pissed on HB. Its a hobby and one that should be enjoyed rather than streeing to hilt and getting uptight, get the basics under your belt to make decent beer and that's mostly down to knowing your equipment and keeping a clean shop to say. Keep it organised but you don't have to be OCD and just don't get locked on what everyone else tells you try your own thing and you'll learn either by achievements or mistakes either way it's a win win.

 

[strange-steve]

It's absolutely possible to make beer as good as you can buy, even with very basic equipment. The fact that you recognise that there's room for improvement in your brews is a good sign though. Many home brewers are of the opinion that their beers are "better than any of that commercial sh1te", and I'm of the opinion that many of these have a rather (understandably) biased view of their beers and/or have little experience in tasting great commercial beers. Is your home brewed IPA better than Greene King IPA? Probably. Is your home brewed Belgian quad better than Rochefort 10? Probably not.

One thing I think that might be detrimental to new brewers is things like Brulosophy, or people online saying "I do this and I've never had a problem". Yes there are some corners you might be able to cut, or things you can "get away with", but I think it's important for new brewers to develop good brewing practice at least initially, before deciding for themselves later how they might want to streamline their technique.

 

[trueblue]

Totally agree with Steve developing good practice is a keystone along with the best quality ingredients. When I bought a grain mill several years back there was an instant improvement using freshly crushed grain.

 

[foxbat]

Yes you can expect to brew beers that are the equal of the commercial offerings but you can't expect to do that on brew 1 or even brew 4 or 5. It will take time. Small improvements here and there along the way and you'll home in on your target. Some styles are much harder than others and will take longer to perfect... NEIPAs and Pilsners spring to mind.

Now that I've been thinking about it more, I'm probably a bit less inclined to accept all the 'compromises' that seem to be the norm when casually homebrewing (cloudy beer, sediment, taste not quite right, etc.), given how much better (and easier) it seems a purchased craft beer can be.

This is exactly the attitude that will get you there in the end. Never accept that what you are now is as good as you'll ever be.

 

[kelper]

My home brews (from kits) are better than all the cold, gassy kegged beer in my two local pubs. I mostly brew pale ales so nothing exotic. I would only visit a pub that served decent real ale and there are none anywhere close to me. There are quite a few real ales I dislike - hobgoblin for example.

 

[thesteve]

My home brews (from kits) are better than all the cold, gassy kegged beer in my two local pubs. I mostly brew pale ales so nothing exotic. I would only visit a pub that served decent real ale and there are none anywhere close to me. There are quite a few real ales I dislike - hobgoblin for example.

Got to agree with you kelper. An awful lot of the beers I buy now are a let down and I end up thinking, not as good as my own and I don't proclaim to be a grand master brewer. Only started brewing in the last couple of years but if you don't attempt to reinvent the wheel you can produce really good beer with pretty basic skills. I do a few all grain brews just on the stove BIAB and when I do a kit as long as you are willing invest in a decent one then you will generally end up with very good beer.

 

[Krungthep56]

Well I am brand new to brewing, first brew from an extract kit due to be bottled next week. My second brew is an all grain recipe.
I am one of those kind of slightly OCD people who once they get into something get rather obsessed until I either become good at it or else give up and move on to something else.
With brewing as with anything else I have been studying obsessively, reading, watching videos, reading forums to take in as much info as I can, I have bought an electric boiler/mash tun for BIAB, bought a fridge and Inkbird ITC 308 for temperature control, read up on water treatment, been teaching myself how to use Brewfather and bought pH meter, GH & KH test kit, scales, measuring spoons etc.
So, I certainly hope I can make decent quality beer with it though I accept a learning curve to improve and it may not all go according to plan

Haha - like that, and I can see myself in the same situation, having just ordered an inkbird for a spare fridge last night I am following in your footsteps!!

 

[An Ankoù]

I've always believed you can brew better than many commercial brews, especially those that are constrained by penny-pinching accountants. Brew Dog, I understand, don't give a damn. They just chuck it in and turn it out.
Where you might think you're going wrong, is when you try to copy a beer and it doesn't come out exactly the same and you think you've failed, but it's an amazing beer in its own right. As for Brewdog, they're not necessarily anything to write home about. Their IPA isn't the best of its genre and some of their more exotic stuff is, well, exotic!. SOme of it undrinkable. Dead Pony Club, though, is very good. I reckon mine is better.
When it comes to brewing Belgians that make only one or two beers and they've been doing so since the Flood then that's a different matter. They've honed their recipes and techniques to suit very local conditions over decades. Trying to get an exact match would be well-nigh impossible. It doesn't mean your effort is not a good "new" Belgian-style beer.

 

[Deadhead]

I say just because something is commercial doesn’t mean it tastes good and we all have different tastes , e.g some people love going for a McDonalds meal and I think it’s vile!
The same with beer. I have made some cracking stuff that I think people would actually pay for (like £3.50/pint, not £7/bottle), and I have made stuff that is better for cleaning toilets. And then when it’s the same brew, trying to make it consistently good is the hard part. I enjoy homebrewing, but I also enjoy trying different beers too and see what I can do better - or not!, nice when I drink something that I know I could make better!

 

[kelper]

I like the atmosphere of a good, country pub, BUT the great advantage of drinking at home is no televisions, no one-armed bandits, no unsupervised children (under 21s) and no spitting, shouting or other vulgarities, no poor designated driver or expensive taxi, free nibbles, an attentive barmaid and a great choice of beer, ale, lager, wine and whisky. and tucked up in bed three minutes after last orders!

 

[stan.distortion]

It depends what's meant by "better" too. Guinness Rockshore (lager) for example, I'd bet less than one in ten thousand amateur brewers would have enough mastery of the brewers art to create something so lacking in taste. The nearest thing to alcoholic fizzywater I've ever tried by far and making something that tasteless takes a great deal of talent.

And it's not just the brewing, commercial brewing materials take things to another level. I recently switched to Minch pale malt (Minch supply most breweries and distilleries in Ireland) and it threw my efficiencies totally out of whack. On the first brew mash efficiency jumped from about 75% to 89% and yeast attenuation has also taken a big jump. It doesn't have a whole lot of flavour but it's seriously good stuff in terms of price per pint. Not really what I wanted for making tasty brews but perfect for commercial brewing.

 

[Sadfield]

My home brews (from kits) are better than all the cold, gassy kegged beer in my two local pubs. I mostly brew pale ales so nothing exotic. I would only visit a pub that served decent real ale and there are none anywhere close to me. There are quite a few real ales I dislike - hobgoblin for example.

Liking something and personal preference is a completely different concept to something being qualitatively better.