How Hard is it to Design Original Craft Beers?

[Chris Sparham]

Hi all

I've recently moved house and have a great little garage on site. I've been wanting to brew my own beer for a while now, hence why I've joined the forum.

But here's my question: what are the chances of a rookie like me one day coming up with an original craft beer recipe? The reason why I ask is that one day I'd like to sell my beer, but there just seems to be so many people out there doing it. Is there any point in trying to create a new beer, or has everyone else already discovered just about every flavour variation out there?

Rookie question I know; I just want to know what I'm getting into before splashing out on a load of equipment!

Cheers

Chris

 

[An Ankoù]

Welcome Chris.
First, there's always a new beer to be found and a new bunch of drinkers who'll like it and pay for it.
There's a world of difference between the home brewer who wants to brew delicious beer for himself or herself and share with friends, and the budding commercial brewer. My advice to the latter is look at this as a job of work. Go on a proper brewing and brewery management course. Understand that, by and large, people don't want something new; they want the stuff they like a bit cheaper and a bit fresher.
On the other hand, brewing for the love of good beer is reward in itself. You can do what you like and make really good beer because you're not constrained by costs.
As for equipment, you can set yourself up for all-grain brewing for a couple of hundred pounds- a lot less if you brew small batches on the stove top.
One thing you could do is get to know other home brewers living close to you or join a club if there's one near you.
Good luck

 

[MyQul]

There are new beers to be discovered. Like many things beer has 'trends', I remember a few years ago Black IPAs were all the rage. New England IPA's seem to be what is 'on trend' at the moment. There was another IPA style recently 'discovered', the Brut IPA, but it doesnt seem to have taken off as well as the NEIPA.
I would say it's relatively easy to come up with a new recipe due to the huge variety of hops, yeasts and grains available to both the home brewer and commercial brewer. It's just a case of selecting from this huge palette of ingredients we now have, to make something balanced, tasty and unique which is the hard part

 

[simon12]

I think there is definate potential to create a decent New Zealand IPA better than anything I have ever had, maybe even an English one.

 

[BassoonBrew]

The REAL trick is making the same beer twice, consistently. Just my 2p

 

[Chris Sparham]

Thanks for your help and advise guys. It is greatly appreciated. I think I'm ready to start brewing!

 

[An Ankoù]

Thanks for your help and advise guys. It is greatly appreciated. I think I'm ready to start brewing!

Excellent news. What are you going to start with?

 

[Clint]

So much to brew so little time....in three years or so apart from when I done kits when I started I don't think I've repeated a brew...not because they weren't any good either..it's a bit moorish especially when you like nearly every style...then you discover other things to try.

 

[Chris Sparham]

Excellent news. What are you going to start with?

Well to get me up and running I was hoping to just start with a standard lager (not pilsner or anything like that). Maybe bottle it up for my friends and family to try. It will serve as good practice!

 

[MyQul]

Well to get me up and running I was hoping to just start with a standard lager (not pilsner or anything like that). Maybe bottle it up for my friends and family to try. It will serve as good practice!

Unfortunately, unless you have a brew fridge you've picked probably the worse style to brew during the summer. Traditional lagers require cold fermentation followed by cold conditioning.
There are ways and means to make an ale that very closely mimics a lager (I enjoy pilsner type and light lagers but have no way to make them "traditionally", so do whats known as pseudo lagering) but ideally you need to ferment as cold as you're able to using the ambient temp, and obviously ambient temp is colder in winter than summer.
You could make a Blonde ale whereby you simply use a base malt, a clean ale yeast (like notty or US-o5) and some hops that are nomally used in lager (e.g. saaz), which would make an ale which would be a bit lager like

 

[An Ankoù]

Do it. May I suggest you use Fermentis Saflager W 34-70 yeast. It'll stand the warm weather up to a point and, although it'll taste a bit more like ale than Pilsner, it should give you a sound pint. Don't be put off by the smell. This yeast stinks, but it leaves the beer clean and is worth it. You'll need at least 6 or 7 weeks from start to finish.
Edit
Didn't see MyQul's post before sticking my oar in and a blonde ale with Fermentis Safale US-05 is more appropriate to the weather and probably quicker. Keep the temperature down below 28C, which is really high for a normal beer yeast.

 

[Clint]

JUST a standard lager!! In my limited experience I would say a lager is on the more difficult side to get anywhere near "right". A true lager would require lower end fermentation temperature control,diacetal rest whatever that involves and then prolonged lagering...you could however do a pseudo lager with ale yeast and temps...

 

[MyQul]

Do it. May I suggest you use Fermentis Saflager W 34-70 yeast. It'll stand the warm weather up to a point and, although it'll taste a bit more like ale than Pilsner, it should give you a sound pint. Don't be put off by the smell. This yeast stinks, but it leaves the beer clean and is worth it. You'll need at least 6 or 7 weeks from start to finish.

You may have come across the massive 'warm fermented lager thread' over on HBT. One thing I noted from the thread about using W34-70 is that posters said it wasnt very flocculant so needed cold crashing. Which is of course difficult if you haven't got a brewfridge or it's not winter

 

[Cwrw666]

The REAL trick is making the same beer twice, consistently. Just my 2p

You have a point there...
My local tried their hand at running a microbrewery. The beer wasn't bad but barrel to barrel each brew was totally different. needless to say they didn't ever make a profit and closed down after a couple of years.

 

[Chris Sparham]

Ah okay ... maybe I'll put the standard lager idea to one side for the moment. To be honest I'd happily make a blonde. At this stage I'm just looking to practice so whatever is easiest really. Out of interest what was the first beer you all brewed?

 

[An Ankoù]

Those of us who cut our teeth on Dave Line probably started with Guinness.

 

[Clint]

Have you decided what brewing method you want to use? All in one system,BIAB,three vessel or kits?
All make beer but are very different...you'll be able to start thinking of recipes once you get some kit

 

[Chris Sparham]

Those of us who cut our teeth on Dave Line probably started with Guinness.

Interesting. That would definitely be a fun one to try. Would you recommend buying his book?

 

[An Ankoù]

it's a bit moorish especially when you like nearly every style

I always thought the Moors were a bit reluctant to let down their collective hair of Friday night on religious grounds.
Never had much time for religious grounds unless there's a requirement to get lashed!

 

[An Ankoù]

Interesting. That would definitely be a fun one to try. Would you recommend buying his book?

An excellent primer in its day, but things have moved on from the seventies. I'd say Greg Hughes is today's equivalent.
Plenty of good Guinness recipes available on the net, though.Think bottled Guinness rather than draught unless you can squeeze it out of a keg with nitrogen.