Recipe Swap & Appreciation Station

[vykuza]

Do you have a recipe inside you that you want the world to try? Have you perfected your house beer and feel it's ready for others to take up the yoke? Feeling adventurous and want to try something completely new but don't know what's good? Here's the chance.

Inspired by Neill's Thread "Everyone Should Make This" (and the subsequent Neill's Centenarillo Ale popularity) I sometimes get that urge to shout out loud that I have an awesome recipe and everyone should try it. Now I realise that that won't work for everyone, as there are just too many recipes to try, and we'd never get to develop our own. I don't feel the recipe DB accurately reflects how amazing some of the recipes in there are - as people just star it, or not bother even though they may love the beer.

So, what I propose is an organised recipe swap. Everyone gets to put their own personal killer recipe in the hat, then they'll be random assigned to people who put one in and you go off and make it. Whether clubs then want to have a swap weekend, taster sessions or whatever is up to them entirely, but it would be a great way to share some of the results and opinions.

I understand people have different levels of equipment and limitations to the complexity, time or expense they are willing to put in to a beer, so I'm looking to categories the beers, so people end up with something they are able to make.

What we really want from the participants is feedback. We'd like tasting notes (no matter what your level of expertise), what you think about the beer or recipe and how you would improve it and then whether you would recommend everyone else make it! I'd love to see photos of the beer, brew day and anything else you can put up. Make it a story and sell the recipe to other people here.

I say we can run it over a period of three months. That way we have time to make multiple recipes from other people, or properly lager or age beers that need it. Beers that can't be done in that 3 month period regretably won't make the cut.

Now if you're enamoured with a beer from another poster and make it all the time (Centenarillo, DSGA, Landlord, Ross' Summer Ale etc) and you nominate it as the recipe everyone MUST try, please don't submit it, as we're after your own creations. If you've modified it and think it works as a different beer, then for sure, go for it. Clone recipes of commercial beers are A-OK and recipes from other forums, books etc are fine, as long as you credit the original brewer and have made the beer yourself at least a few times. But ideally we want YOUR beer, the one you're most proud of, the one you make the most and the one you want everyone else to try.

I'd like to make it clear that this isn't a comp; there are no prizes, judges or entry fees. The total commitment anyone is up for is putting in their best recipe, then making the beer they are "assigned" and posting about it within a 3 month period. At the end, I hope to have everyone who submits a recipe to have it made by one or more people and hopefully they enjoy it as much as you do - and say so!

Some of the things we'll need to juggle is the brew types; kits n bits, extract or all grain, lagering and temp control ability, plus costs - say a different category for brews over $50 based on the ingrediends priced from the sponsors above.

So before I kick anything off, I'd love to see a show of hands to guage the numbers. Who would be interested in submitting a recipe and making a recipe? Please vote - and if we reach a critical mass - then it's all on for young and old!

:beer:

 

[Wolfy]

I figure that is what the recipeDB is/should be for?

 

[manticle]

Happy to share any of my successful recipes but I rarely brew anyone else's.

Not suggesting I wouldn't but recipe development is half the fun for me.

 

[felten]

I don't have any recipes to add myself, but if you started a regular 'recipe of the month/3months' thread for people to brew the same recipe and report back, I would definitely try to join in on it. Different from the style of the week threads, because it would be a single recipe.

It sounds like a good way to improve my palate/beer descriptions, which is one thing I suck royally at.

 

[going down a hill]

I don't have anything to offer but I'll brew a recommended recipe. Recipe of the month is a good one as well.

 

[argon]

I'll put my vote in for a recipe of the month. Type of thing that people could jump in on if they liked the look of it.

Only thing is you'll get alot of brewers saying things like, "oh yeah i didn't have any Amarillo, so i subbed it for Fuggles. And i didn't have nay caraaroma so put rye in instead. Also fermented is as a lager cause i didn't have any 1469... came out shit. That recipe's no good'

 

[vykuza]

I like the idea of recipe of the month as well, and it would be easy enough picking a random recipe and asking people to make it. I might kick that off anyway.

This method I was hoping to get everyone involved to submit or try a new recipe - we'd cover a lot more of them that way. I'll bump this one again for the evening crowd and see if we can get enough people interested.

 

[vykuza]

I figure that is what the recipeDB is/should be for?

It should! But this is a way to encourage people to give feedback based on the recipes they've tried. I don't think we see that in the recipe DB much.

 

[Malted]

It should! But this is a way to encourage people to give feedback based on the recipes they've tried. I don't think we see that in the recipe DB much.

I thought that is part of what the 'discussion thread' for each recipe was for?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Happy to share any of my successful recipes but I rarely brew anyone else's.

Not suggesting I wouldn't but recipe development is half the fun for me.

+1 - love developing recipes, especially when they work out.

As for "is it what recipedb is for?" - two issues:

1. People posting untried recipes because they're too cheap/stupid to use brewmate, beersmith or beercalculus online; and
2. No one votes except for DrSGA, and Neill's Centeramarillo ale.

The idea of recipedb is good, but no-one has a central feedback option, whereas this seems a little more organised.

 

[petesbrew]

+1 - love developing recipes, especially when they work out.

As for "is it what recipedb is for?" - two issues:

1. People posting untried recipes because they're too cheap/stupid to use brewmate, beersmith or beercalculus online; and
2. No one votes except for DrSGA, and Neill's Centeramarillo ale.

The idea of recipedb is good, but no-one has a central feedback option, whereas this seems a little more organised.

h34r:
Don't worry, I've finally figured out Promash... i think.

 

[brettprevans]

It should! But this is a way to encourage people to give feedback based on the recipes they've tried. I don't think we see that in the recipe DB much.

so rather than promote the use of the recipe DB we should do something comepletely differant. your not an 'efficiency expert' are you? just use the bloody database. and if people only posted tried tested and bloody good recipes it would be easier to navagate.

Goomba. the issues you raise will never change if you dont promote the DB.

but apparently we should thrown the beer out with the empty bottle. (baby and the bath water analogue for those wonder)

 

[Nick JD]

and if people only posted tried tested and bloody good recipes it would be easier to navagate.

Who decides what's tried and tested?

 

[warra48]

I've brewed one or two recipes from the Recipe DB, but I prefer to design my own most of the time.
The best beers I've brewed are all my own design, although I will admit DrS Golden Ale is also a favourite, (but with Cascade, as I don't take to Amarillo). Most of recent brews have been tasted and tested by another AHB member, with generally positive feedback, so I'reasonably confident I can contribute something of value.

I have put a small number in the Recipe DB in the past, but it's such a pain to put one in there that I've given up on doing that.

I'd be happy to contribute any of my recipes.

 

[vykuza]

so rather than promote the use of the recipe DB we should do something comepletely differant. your not an 'efficiency expert' are you? just use the bloody database. and if people only posted tried tested and bloody good recipes it would be easier to navagate.

Goomba. the issues you raise will never change if you dont promote the DB.

but apparently we should thrown the beer out with the empty bottle. (baby and the bath water analogue for those wonder)

I guess you had a bad day CM2.

What makes you think we would use an existing, custom made, fit for purpose recipe DB that's searchable, offers ratings etc.. that's MADNESS.

If you'd bothered to read the thread you'd see that I'm proposing that people commit to swapping recipes and reporting back on them, making the recipe database more useful for everyone, and maybe, just maybe getting people into the habit of offering feedback on others recipes they've tried.

 

[manticle]

Who decides what's tried and tested?

As in actually brewed, fermented out and tasted rather than an idea or something that just 'got put down yesterday, will keep you posted how it tastes'.

 

[vykuza]

I thought that is part of what the 'discussion thread' for each recipe was for?

Absolutely, and it would be nice is people used it!


To be clear, I'm not proposing we start some whole new thing or system to get this done - but to get some recipes made and feedback given. I'd assumed people would use the DB for that, considering that's what it's for.

I was thinking this would be a fun way to kick start and get people into the habit of giving feedback that the recipe DB sorely needs. I dare say there are some killer recipes in there that will probably very rarely get made by a lot of people because those that do make it don't post about it or click a star rating under the recipe. If we can get people to commit to making content - photographing it, tasting notes and feedback, then other people hopefully won't be afraid to give it a bash if they like the looks of it!

 

[Nick JD]

As in actually brewed, fermented out and tasted rather than an idea or something that just 'got put down yesterday, will keep you posted how it tastes'.

Some AHB members don't consider this relevant criteria to qualify as "tried and tested". I had every single one of my recipes that I'd refined over 12 months or more, many brewed 4 or more times with tweakage given a 1-star rating by a fat bogan with a pathetic attitude.

Since taking all my 1-star efforts off the DB I have been repeatedly PMed for them, as the brewers who have followed my tutorials found them useful (due to their size and their simplicity).

But hey - this is the internet, right? You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your forum members...

Personally, I'd love to swap recipes ... but only with those who've not got issues with technique.

 

[brettprevans]

If I misunderstood ur post I apologise. I read ur post as meaning we sboulf use/do sondthing else. I dont like reinventing yhe wheel when its not broken.

nickjd, ur stirring. I mean not post up every hair brained recipe until u tried it and its ok. I guarentee some recipes in there are very avg. U can look at them and see. Ive got nothing against posting a question about a recipe for feedback so long as u brew it anf update recipe as needed.

But yes this is the net. Do what u like.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

so rather than promote the use of the recipe DB we should do something comepletely differant. your not an 'efficiency expert' are you? just use the bloody database. and if people only posted tried tested and bloody good recipes it would be easier to navagate.

Goomba. the issues you raise will never change if you dont promote the DB.

but apparently we should thrown the beer out with the empty bottle. (baby and the bath water analogue for those wonder)

Got the analogy

And I think your constructive criticism is absolutely valid CM2, I've not in any way taken offense to it.

I agree totally, in principle, but in practice, it just doesn't happen.

I know if I post a recipe, it has to be tried by 5 or more people (not on AHB), I have to take a photo (or two), and I have to give feedback via the discuss recipe option.

Generally, my feedback will give (assuming I'm sober enough to post something adequately something.... see my point?) specifics on aroma, taste, what hops provide what, the grains I used, and how the quantities in my opinion, have added to the overall result. Even how much it costs sometimes (like my HECS-free celebration ale).

I see this as being promoting it, in the least, by being more comprehensive and detailed in my posts and nothing better than visual proof.

Ironically, the feedback I got from an AHB member was because he answered an add for some spare stuff I had placed on gumtree. I offered him half a glass (he was driving), and he said yes, because he wanted to see what the 'boil in a bag/brew in a bag thing was like & what it produced' (after I said I'd never go back to K&K). He tried it, and less than a week later was asking about recipes for BIAB & what equipment would work.

I'm really stoked about that as feedback. I personally put someone, by tasting my beer, on to AG brewing. But it doesn't demonstrate itself as practical feedback on recipedb.

As another "proof" that it isn't currently working (though fun to look at) - is the "Xmas in July feedback" threads from each of the states. I seriously love these threads. Someone posts a photo of someone else's beer, with feedback and a description. Some were even using BJCP sheets to do so. This is fantastic feedback.

So I see the OP's thread as being the combination of recipedb's good qualities with the "Xmas in July feedback" threads' good qualities.

This is why I would love to supply a recipe. I can't usually get involved in case swaps, and I think I'll miss out on QABC entering for the 2nd year straight, despite wanting to do so.

But this seems practical, reasonable and able to do be done despite distance (and distance may be an issue for me, as I'm planning to move to regional Qld town, rather than Brisbane (and driving distance to CB)).

And if it fails, I think the recipedb's faults, and the desire that many old hands on AHB have that recipedb be used appropriately, is brought to the fore, and I think the debate is healthy to have.

Peace out, y'all.

Goomba