What to brew...

[DarCoop]

I live in East Texas and there are not a lot of choices of different bottled beers to buy and taste. It is hard to figure out what I do not like if the store's "special beers" are SHiner Bock or Corona and if you are lucky they have Fat Tire.
I have not tasted many beers I did NOT like other than cheap welfare beers.
I am looking at maybe seeing what extract kits are best sellers as a start. I made a Bock which was good, an Amber Ale which is carbonationg and looking to get another extract kit.
I am also dumbfounded on what a "hop" taste is.
I guess I need a lesson on beer drinking.
Great board that I go to when I have time to kill at work. I can read about and dream about beer while on the job. Any suggestions?
Thanks

[Payson]

Can you get your hands on a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? If so, thats a good example of "hop taste". In fact, if you have any hops with a kit, they smell very similar to their taste. A sort of bitterness that balances out the sweetness of the malt. A good reference for recipes and their descriptions is "Clone Brews" by Smaltzski (sp?)

[Kiltlifter]

Can you get some of the St Arnold (http://www.saintarnold.com/) beers? They're a Houston brewery so its not too far from you. Try the Amber and "look" for the bitterness of the hops in addition to the citrus taste from the use of Cascade hops.

I haven't actually had any of the St Arnolds but have heard good things about them. Besides ... anything is better than Lone Star! :p

[DarCoop]

My sister is coming up this weekend from Houston, I will see if she will bring some St. Arnold's.
I am closer to Dallas than Houston, so I try to get something when I am there. I never bought anything that I thought I should cellar and keep for some time. Maybe as I get into it, I can find something that I can hold onto for a while. Before I started brewing, I thought you bought beer to drink now, not hold onto.

[Payson]

As far as "cellaring" goes, some beers benefit from it and others don't. Generally, the higher alcohol beers improve with age.

[DarCoop]

Originally posted by Kiltlifter

I haven't actually had any of the St Arnolds but have heard good things about them. Besides ... anything is better than Lone Star! :p [/B]

I agree with you about the Lone Star. I was surprised to see Austin Homebrew supply sold a Lone Star CLone.

[YamahaXS]

where are you? I have in-laws in near Jacksonville...

I have beer withdrawal when we travel down there, while some places have some beers, its mucho dinero and limited selection. I feel your pain, man.

Anyways, I would suggest you mail order an IPA or Pale Ale kit from somewhere.

[DarCoop]

I am in Marshall in northeast tex. Lack of selection of beers to drink is why I love it when I get to go to Austin for work.
I will try an IPA kit. When I go to HBS in Dallas, they always ask what I like to drink and it is frustrating to say I have no idea what is good because I cannot try many varieties.
I want to make and try all of them, just do not have space or money.

[Beerconnoisseur]

Originally posted by Kiltlifter
I haven't actually had any of the St Arnolds but have heard good things about them. Besides ... anything is better than Lone Star!

St. Arnold's does make good beer; from tasting their Amber and Hefeweizen, I can verify this.

DarCoop, if you can tell us what flavors you like in foods, we can offer suggestions for kits based on those. An IPA tends to be bitter; almost like drinking a glass of alcoholic grapefruit juice, especially if the hops used are Cascade.

Oh, and The Flying Saucer (http://www.beerknurd.com/) in Addison or Ft. Worth is a great place to try out new beers. If you really want an unusual experience, try drinking one of their lambic beers, for some very different sour-fruit notes.

Hope this helps in your quest. :)

[GunNut76]

Originally posted by DarCoop
I agree with you about the Lone Star. I was surprised to see Austin Homebrew supply sold a Lone Star CLone.

My LHBS sells a Budweiser clone...it will taste better, but it is primaraly for the people who don't think that they would like HB. I guess you just brew this up and put it in a bottle with a bud label, let them drink about half a dozen and then tell them that you made it.