MASHOUT MAGAZINE

When I first got into homebrewing, I started with extract. Mostly I brewed extract kits from MoreBeer and Northern Brewer. I did build an extract recipe from scratch once, but I really had no idea what I was doing. I felt the same way when I made the switch to all grain brewing. I bought a couple of all grain kits, but it quickly became clear that I wanted more control over my recipes. That’s when I decided it was time to branch out and learn how to build my own.

At first, I didn’t know where to begin. I figured The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian might have some guidance on recipe building. I also had subscriptions to Craft Beer & Brewing, which included tons of online courses, and Zymurgy, the American Homebrewers Association magazine. To be completely honest, I still don’t feel like I fully know what I’m doing when it comes to recipe design. Sure, I can build a solid Helles or a Hazy IPA, but I couldn’t give you a perfect stout recipe.

In my opinion, the best place to find recipes is through your homebrew friends or even a homebrew club. I rely heavily on the Mashout Boyz and other brewing friends for advice and inspiration when it comes to designing recipes.

There’s no one right way to build a recipe or to approach the process. Still, you might find yourself asking where to start. For me, I begin by figuring out what style I want to brew. If I’m brewing an IPA, I always start with the hops. If I’m brewing a Munich Helles, a German Pilsner, or a Stout, I usually begin with the malt or the yeast. Curious how others do it, I asked a few of the MOB members about their process. Here’s what they had to say:

Matt from Zoetwater said, “normally start with what I want the beer to finally be like in the glass. So start thinking about the style, followed by aroma, body, abv, appearance, etc. Then I’ll look into which ingredients I need to accomplish that.”

Christian from Mishicott shared, “Usually, I think about what I want the end result to be like and work backwards from there. To help me stay relatively consistent with my lineup, I have a few yeasts that I generally always use for each style. Like, for example, hazies (London Ale III); for West Coasts I’m using 34/70 or a super clean ale yeast. For lagers, it depends, but for German, I’m going with Munich; for Czech, a simple Czech yeast or 34/70. Hops I sort of try to keep simple too. Generally three, max four, styles of hops for IPAs. I’ve really been leaning towards the NZ hop profile lately, so I’ve been doing a bunch of beers using a mix and match of those, but still generally work backwards. If I want something more piney and classic, I keep it simple with the C hops like Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, etc. If I’m leaning towards fruity flavors, I go NZ, and generally with a mix of the newer fruit-forward American styles like Amarillo or El Dorado.”

Mark from Wingert Breerworks said, “Depends on what I’m brewing mostly, but I usually do lots of googling for inspiration and then kind of winging it.”

Mike From Marshall Mash Brew Lab explained, “I read a lot of recipes and decide what I do or don’t like about them. I have a subscription to Craft Beer & Brewing, and a lot of the articles talk about why they choose the things they choose. When it comes to hops and yeast I read about them and their characteristics and decide if I like them.”

Everyone approaches recipe building a little differently, and that’s part of what makes homebrewing so creative and personal. That said, here are a few tips that can help you get started or refine your process no matter your style.

1. Start With the End in Mind
Think about what you want the final beer to taste, smell, and look like. Visualize it in the glass. Is it crisp and dry? Hazy and juicy? Malty and smooth? Let that vision guide every ingredient choice and process step.

2. Use Style Guidelines as a Starting Point, Not a Rulebook
BJCP guidelines or commercial examples are great references, especially when dialing in balance. But don’t be afraid to tweak things to fit your palate or experiment with something unconventional.

3. Keep It Simple, Especially Early On
You don’t need six specialty malts and four dry hop additions to make a great beer. Try limiting your hop varieties to three or fewer, and build your malt bill around one or two base malts with a small percentage of specialty grains. Simpler recipes help you understand how each ingredient behaves.

4. Understand Your Yeast
Yeast can make or break a beer. Get familiar with a few strains you like and learn how they perform under different conditions. Do they throw off fruity esters? Stay super clean? Attenuate deeply or leave a little sweetness? This knowledge pays off big in recipe design. White Labs has so many great variety strains. Check them out!

5. Don’t Sleep on Water Chemistry
It doesn’t have to be complicated. A few small water adjustments (like boosting chloride for a smoother mouthfeel or sulfate for a sharper hop bite) can dramatically improve the final beer. I personally like to use Brewfather to help calculate my water profile.

6. Brew with Intent, But Take Notes When You Wing It
Even if you’re throwing things together on instinct, write it down. Brewing “freestyle” is totally valid, but make sure you can repeat what worked (or avoid what didn’t).

7. Ask Other Brewers
Your friends, club members, or online communities are some of the best resources. Everyone has a trick, a shortcut, or a lesson learned the hard way. Don’t be afraid to ask.

8. Taste Critically, and Adjust Next Time
After every batch, taste it with purpose. Is it too bitter? Too thin? Too sweet? Take notes and think about what to adjust next time! Malt, mash temp, yeast, hops, or fermentation temp. Every brew is a step forward.

For questions, comments and concerns feel free to reach out!

By Jordan V, Billy’s Tavern Homebrewing

Jordan is a California native. When he is not brewing he can be found drinking beer with friends, duck hunting, and getting lost in a good book or video game. When he is not out on an adventure with his wife, he can be found at home with his two lovable dogs. Stay up to date by following him on Instagram.

Contributors:
Christian, Mishicott Brewing
Mike, Marshal Mash Brew Lab
Mark, Wingert Beerworks
Matt, Brouwerij Zoetwater