Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Way 2 Go, Randy!

This from the guy who kept doubting us that making good beer couldn't be that easy!!!

So, for all you Doubting Thomases out there - Randy learned to brew, and you can, too!!

Hey CJ - this one's for you!

Hey Tony, nice Kit brew!!!
Wonder if we could train a monkey to do that!

PS: Still tied for 1st place bubbles!

Thanks Tony! Your entry truly deserved to win as it was fine example of the style. The rest of the scores were mostly very close, with only a few points separating 2nd through 4th place.

And a big thanks to Travis, Tom and Nic too. It was a long and grueling session with so many entries and I was glad you be able to see the process they go through. I also learned a valuable lesson about opening unknown beers over the sink! Sorry Big T!

Hey CJ - obviously not, because you still can't get it right!! Never forget, the Pimp Chimp rules!

For the new brewers out there - don't let Jeremy intimidate you. He and I just like to give each other sh!t.

Nothing wrong with brewing from a kit. All that means is someone else measured the grain bill out for you. Big woops! You still have to mash and sparge the grain and turn it into beer. No short-cuts there.

So, brew on - kits, extract, all grain. It's all good!!

Personally, It is the recipe thing not the measure of the grain.

Even when I use someone else recipe, I always tweak it to make it my own. But you are right each to their own, part of what I enjoy is working the recipe to make it mine.

Also, if 10 people brew the exact same recipe, you usually end up with 10 different beers. A good beer is truly a measure of the brewers skill/luck. A few years back we had three systems at BA's and everyone brewed the same SN IPA. All three were different but good.

To further illustrate that: Mine was brewed using the IR kit from NB, except I split it into two batches. The first batch (my first ever batch) was seriously off. I re-brewed a few weeks later using the second half of the kit (except for the yeast) and that one took second. I had done several other batches in between and had made improvements with each. I'm still working to get my process down and working to get control of fermentation temp among other things.

All,

Please don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Kits, and maybe my razzing Tony wasn't spun in the best light. There are all kinds of differences that make beers as Matt pointed out many times different brewers will end up with different beers.

As stated part of recipe formualation is what I enjoy. I enjoy looking at the guidelines trying to fill the bill with the things I think that will contribute the flavors I want in the comodities I want. I started with box kits myself about 8 years ago. Then progressed to formulating my own extract recipes, then partial mash recipes, then to full blown all-grain, then stepped up to 10 gallons.

I think my flow was as many others do it, a natural progress to the next level. We all are at different points in what we are doing. Many people hit a stage and say I like it here, and here is where I stay. Actually I am getting ready to go one step further here soon. Incorporating yeast culturing, propagation, and yeast modification into my my activities.

So in closing if you are kit brewing please don't take my statements the wrong way, if that is what you enjoy or where your comfort level is that is what counts. That is one of the wonderful things about brewing is that you can take it as far or as easy as you like. Personally, some of the best beers I ever brewed was back in the kit days or doing partial mashes in a 5 gal pale. But, I wanted to go further.