How do friends review your home brew?

[BeerisGOD]

I give mine to two ale drinkers in work to sample. At first I think they were being polite in saying how nice the beer was.
Now I'm making decent stuff I can tell the difference in the way they talk about it. Not just polite now, more enthusiasm.
One even asked me could I brew a batch for him if he bought the ingredients.
Er no, time in the fv's is precious.

See like gunge mentions theyre happy to drink , even pay for the stuff to be made. But actually make it a hobbie of they're own? On ur bike mister.
There's got to be a hunger there to begin with. Myn was I like lots of beer but don't want to hurt my bank account as much. which reminds me, the next time my misses moans about me drinking before lunch, I'll confidently be able to say if it wasn't for me starting home-brewing, we wouldn't be able to afford to eat out every other week!

 

[Martybhoy]

My mate raved about a wheat beer I made. I was chuffed to bits. He was the first person I gave a bottle of AG homebrew to.

But, he said absolutely nothing about the stout or IPA I have him, so I'm guessing they were **** (the stout actually was, the IPA was decent tho).

Constructive criticism is crucial. When you make something (art, food, beer, music), it can be hard to judge your own creation. We are too close to it to judge it objectively​. We need hard truths.

However, there are times when you sample your own beer and say "Damn. I don't care what anyone else says. This is freaking awesome".

 

[fuggled]

Just thinking about it, I went round to the wife's friend's house the other week and her boyfriend who I don't to know well gave me some of his... it was bloody dreadful, full of sloppy yeast, off flavours, over carbed, awful smell, I just drank it and said it was nice. Then poured one of mine I'd taken round! I didn't want to go to someone's house and slag off their beer, it's just not cricket!

 

[fuggled]

Hope ur AG turns out ok mate.

Cheers mate, I'll post it on here when it's ready!

 

[Gunge]

See like gunge mentions theyre happy to drink , even pay for the stuff to be made. But actually make it a hobbie of they're own? On ur bike mister.
There's got to be a hunger there to begin with.

That's right! Only a few weeks ago a guy at work was moaning about how much his missus was spending on wine,and was making rumblings about making it himself. After much pestering I gave him a bottle of my missus' beloved RGJ + Apple for his missus to sample. Well it went down such a treat that I gave him a spare FV and all the necessary bits and bobs and enough sundry ingredients inc.yeast to get started, and some very carefully worded and precise but simple instructions. All he had to buy was the juice and sugar. Has he had a go yet? Nah... "can't be arsed".

 

[Mungri]

That's right! Only a few weeks ago a guy at work was moaning about how much his missus was spending on wine,and was making rumblings about making it himself. After much pestering I gave him a bottle of my missus' beloved RGJ + Apple for his missus to sample. Well it went down such a treat that I gave him a spare FV and all the necessary bits and bobs and enough sundry ingredients inc.yeast to get started, and some very carefully worded and precise but simple instructions. All he had to buy was the juice and sugar. Has he had a go yet? Nah... "can't be arsed".

He really is taking the p**s Gunge, after you gifting him the kit.
My mate from work seems enthusiastic, but I just can't get him to have a go.
Told him £60 odd quid got me a starter kit with a pressure barrel and a 40 pint beer kit included. It costs that much for 40 bottles from the supermarket!!
He's always got a reason not to have a go though. Missus will moan, maybe later in the year, etc etc. Why? I think you've hit the nail on the head. Just can't be arsed.:twisted:

 

[Martybhoy]

Last night me and my mate drank some of my hefeweizen (all grain) I recently brewed. I was very happy with it. Not what I would normally drink, but technically a good brew (I think).

He didn't offer any opinions, so I later asked him what he thought of it. He said it was "fine". Obviously not a fan then. I then asked him how it compares to the other beers we were drinking (Wm Bros). Could he tell mines was homebrewer as opposed to store bought. "Aye, definitely tastes like homebrew".

I thought ****. I was quite happy with it. I then started wondering if us homebrewers can't see the woods for the trees.

Or maybe my mate just had poor taste.

 

[BeerCat]

The Mrs spat out my Citra Pale Ale. Weird as i thought it was one of my best yet.

 

[Gerryjo]

Last night me and my mate drank some of my hefeweizen (all grain) I recently brewed. I was very happy with it. Not what I would normally drink, but technically a good brew (I think).

He didn't offer any opinions, so I later asked him what he thought of it. He said it was "fine". Obviously not a fan then. I then asked him how it compares to the other beers we were drinking (Wm Bros). Could he tell mines was homebrewer as opposed to store bought. "Aye, definitely tastes like homebrew".

I thought ****. I was quite happy with it. I then started wondering if us homebrewers can't see the woods for the trees.

Or maybe my mate just had poor taste.

I think you've got it A£$e about face and it's them that cant see the forest for the trees that they are that blinded and palettes just dont know the difference.
Last night my missus tasted a Pale Ale of mine that is well carbed and crystal clear and replied "Now I like that".So as she likes her beer chilled I said I'll put one in the fridge for you and did so for myself as well and was amazed to the way this had totally changed the character of the beer as when she tasted my chilled bottle she didn't like the taste as much.
Now she drinks Coors!

 

[Gunge]

A peasant neighbour of mine knows I brew. Yesterday evening he asked my missus if she'd ask me to sell him a bottle of wine. Well it was Saturday night and for some reason I was in an uncharacteristically good mood. Something very,very odd then happened - I went round with not one but two bottles, said I hoped him and his missus enjoyed them and no, I don't want anything in return. 2 hours later and he's stood wobbling about on the front doorstep wanting more! "Off it"! said I. Normality restored then.

 

[dad_of_jon]

My mate raved about a wheat beer I made. I was chuffed to bits. He was the first person I gave a bottle of AG homebrew to.

But, he said absolutely nothing about the stout or IPA I have him, so I'm guessing they were **** (the stout actually was, the IPA was decent tho).

Constructive criticism is crucial. When you make something (art, food, beer, music), it can be hard to judge your own creation. We are too close to it to judge it objectively​. We need hard truths.

However, there are times when you sample your own beer and say "Damn. I don't care what anyone else says. This is freaking awesome".

Absolutely wat u said.

Most of the time I get good or very good feedback but sometimes silence. Now I wouldn't give out anything I was unhappy with, but not everyone will have the same tastes. so one person gets dark beer, another wheats, another hoppy ipa's. I have learnt to target my beers to those who like that style rather than trying to win them over to a new one. I know 2 people who are more adventurous and so they get a bigger range of my output. If fact I was able to point them to commercial equivalents. I brew what I like and only one friend has similar tastes. I even get plenty of empty belgian beer bottles back in return, I know they're not cheap around Swansea £3.50-£4.50 a bottle so they are hooked now!

 

[chub1]

I usually get a call from my mates saying----
Don't ever give me anymore of that s###e you call beer:lol::lol:.

Na most has gone down really well with others,obviously some like different beers and i try and sort that out.
I always ask for the truth,rather that than someone saying oh yes it was great when it possibly wasn't.
I do a good few swaps with a guy down the road to me and we do try to be totally honest about the beers.

 

[Sadfield]

I find I get pretty honest feedback from friends as most of them us the Untappd beer app, so I set myself a homebrew account which allows them to rate and comment on my beers in a way that is removed from social niceties. Also I can see how their judgment of my beers relates to commercial versions they drink. I have one mate who's judgement and honesty I trust implicitly, he gets a bottle of every brew.

Homebrew clubs are good for feedback for many reasons.

1) You get feedback from a panel of tasters, which reduces the variable of personal taste. Once a group is established it can be very honest.

2) You can judge your own efforts against other brewers homebrew. This really helps push people along as people naturally seek approval from their peers.

3) If they invite a local brewer down to a meeting, you can get independent professional advice.


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[wagum]

Honest feedback is always appreciated be it good or bad. I gave a couple of bottles to my sister's husband to try and Friday night he messaged the family group saying how much he liked it. I had to snag my sister yesterday to check he wasn't just being nice. Apparently he genuinely really liked it so now I am well chuffed

 

[Gerryjo]

Honest feedback is always appreciated be it good or bad. I gave a couple of bottles to my sister's husband to try and Friday night he messaged the family group saying how much he liked it. I had to snag my sister yesterday to check he wasn't just being nice. Apparently he genuinely really liked it so now I am well chuffed

That's family and your always wary but honesty is the best policy though if you have a club or someone else local who's brewing you can certainly get a more informed description all to be taken positively as negatives are to be worked on.

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[Gerryjo]

Give beer away? Like, for free?? I can't suss if you lot are being serious... I suspect not, it's some type of joke and with me being a bit slow on the uptake an' all that.

I don't mind giving a few beers away to selective people as I quite enjoy the feedback not that I have truly recreated a brew for a second time but tried an alternative method and will probably keep doing this as it makes for so many varieties.