Brew UK Forum | General Brewing Discussions
Gravity vs Taste
What is more important; gravity or taste. I have seen quite a few posts on here saying they don't have the gravity they wanted, thus this leads me to ask what is more important when making your own beer? For me, as long as the start & end gravity are within the "markers" on my hydro then I don't even care what percent the alchohol is, as long as it tastes great. What are your thoughts?
Conditioning: Witbier Mashkit & St Peters Ruby
Drinking: Tea
Planning: Rauchbier & German Pilsner Mashkit
Drinking: Tea
Planning: Rauchbier & German Pilsner Mashkit
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
i like to try to get the % I want but to be honest I wouldnt care as long as it tasted good. In fact Im still looking for a decend session recipe, all these 5% brews are making my eyes funny!
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
I don't think the gravity affects the taste so much as the body of the beer. It depends on the recipe but I prefer a higher gravity beer so it has more body but not so much that I could stand a spoon up in it.
When I've missed the gravity I've still made great tasting brews.
Fermenting: Marynka pseudo-lager
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Taste, to actually answer your question.
Fermenting: Marynka pseudo-lager
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I think with all the time & effort in making a batch of the good stuff, the equipment needed & the worry of doing something wrong, I noticed the thing which makes people worry is getting the exact percent of achohol spot on. For me as a beginner to AG, it's all about the end product & if the achohol is correct then great but the taste is king.
Does anyone know what the lowest percent beer you can make which still tastes great?
Drinking: Tea
Planning: Rauchbier & German Pilsner Mashkit
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Infection is probably the bigest worry, percentage of achohol is more a case of having pride in your work.
Fermenting: Marynka pseudo-lager
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hmmmm good question.
Personally taste wins it for me. Nothing worse that making a beer hitting the correct % then finding it tastes like Ghandi's flip flop.
In Norwich we have a pub called The Belgian Monk the lowest % beer they sell there is a very nice peach beer which is 0.5% designed soley for children and those who have to drive home at the end of the night. Even at such a low % it tastes remarkable.
Mind you the strongest beer they sell there is a Belgian (unsurprisingly given the name of the pub
) 16%!! 
that takes most of the night to drink because it is like drinking Castrol GTX.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Definitely taste for me. I use the recipe to determine gravity range and so long as I get the starting gravity/volume I was after then not to concerned on the final gravity so long as it has finished fermenting and not too high.
I think around 3.5% would be the lowest I would go. I usually prefer 4 - 5 % otherwise I just end up drinking more.
Anything over 6% I personally find hard work and not to my taste. 16% is a wine really I think I'd be in big trouble if I started drinking that stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Taste... I'm on a crusade to find the best way of getting a 'malt' taste in my brews.
I don't think I've ever brewed anything below 4% though. It's important to remember however, that alcohol does add more than just a method getting wasted. It has character and imparts subtle flavours. If all we wanted was malty goodness, we'd all be tucked up next to the fire, with a travel blanket over our knees, slippers on and a nice hot cup of horlicks.
I'm with Greg, too much alcohol and the beer turns into something to be sipped... not what I'm looking for, and any beer I've made above 7 has really been a mistake!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
I suppose it's a bit of both, really. Definitely the taste is the most important part. No good passing round the beer, bragging it's 10% if it tastes like medecine. If you're worried about %age alcohol you can always use some DME in the boil, or a bit more malt if the efficiency was low. If a brew comes out low on alcohol, then adjust things next time and compare the results. Use it as a learning experience.
Nath
Have you tried Theakston Best Bitter? (GW's recipe). OG 1038, Alc 3.8% ABV. I made some and it was unimpressive, until I left it for 4 weeks. Very pleasant beer and plenty of people keep asking when another brew is coming.
Planning: - To get some more brews on now the weather's a bit cooler
Fermenting: - Ginger Beer experiment
Conditioning: - A normal bitter with Styrians
Drinking: - All of it!!
E-mail: arnyfris@gmail.com
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