During our recent Brewer’ Book Club discussion, Denny said something that really resonated with me: homebrewers often try to emulate what the big breweries are doing when, instead, we should be doing what they cannot do. To his point, I can buy a ton of top notch IPAs, but the only Belgians I’m getting around here are mine. Other styles we can do that are hard to come by?
English Ales. Not many breweries are doing them and it’s hard to get fresh, refrigerated imports. And they’re a personal favorite.
Also the occasional unusual variety like a braggot or apple ale are hard to come by and fun to make.
I had to check my brewing log, and I was surprised to see how many english beers are on the list.
Hefeweizen’s because even though you can buy them, they are best fresher, IMO.
Witbier because nobody makes them like I do.
Where are all the Czech lager on my list? Don’t know, but just put one at the top of my “on deck” list.
I would kill for a st peters honey porter recipe, gonna have to start trying to emulate it
American wheat. I don’t think any of my local craft breweries have ever offered one and I’d like something other than an IPA or a Wit that comes with an orange slice during the warmer months.
+1 to the American Wheat.
And a Dunkelweiss. I can’t tell you the last time I saw one anywhere.
Always have a hefeweizen on deck
I’m going to second the English Ales (milds, etc).
Avondale does a decent saison, but no one near me does a bière de garde that I know of.
Dark lagers (esp. Schwarzbiers) are under represented around here - tho Yellowhammer’s Midnight Special is quite good.
I brew tons of session beers across a variety of styles, because seriously, I just want stuff that’s below 4.5%! I have even had success lately in the <4% abv range…you just can’t buy many like that!
Depending on how this Mild comes out I may go farther down the session road
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I have a dark mild going that should be about 3.3% when it finishes.
What yeast did you use? I used WlP005 it took off like a rocket. I’ve tried 002 aswell I really liked that
I am in the same camp as everyone else who said English beer. I have a regular repertoire that includes one IPA (Denny’s Rye IPA) and the rest is pretty much English Bitter, Mild, Porter and Stout. I have within the past year developed a liking for Belgian ales but have yet to come close to making something better that I can’t get at my local beer and wine specialty store.
Not sure if you’re asking me or Andy, but in my case just S-04. It dropped down to about 5 points above target within ~36 hours but has slowed down a lot the last few days. Now sitting at 1.016 with an estimated finishing gravity of 1.012.
Asking you, sweet hope it’s tasty!
As do I. 
Thanks!
Kolsch style beers. I pretty much only make them as there isn’t much around here of that style. I can’t figure out why it isn’t more popular. I quit brewing IPA’s because I am sick of them.
It is tough to find Kölsch fresh, but when I have had it fresh, it is wonderful. I gotta make some again.
Speaking of a kolsch. If you can find it New Holland, from Holland Michigan makes a great kolsch called Full Circle. I had the pleasure of building a powerplant there for 8 months one year and would regularly visit their brewery. Great beers
<4% non-light lager beers (fermenting a ~3% porter now)
and quality stouts and especially strong stouts. ontario is a hellhole for dark beers, very few imports even though american craftbrews are right next door, and almost no one here has a decent take on any true roasted-dark beer at all.
it definitely makes sense to brew what is least available. ive almost never brewed german pilsners because there is a massive selection for almost as cheap as it would cost me to make it.