Brewing Resolutions

As a homebrewer, one of the biggest challenges I face is deciding what kind of beer to brew next.  There are so many beer styles vying for my attention including Porters, Stouts, IPAs, Wheat Beers and on and on.  With so many choices, sometimes I have difficulty deciding how I should invest my money and time when purchasing ingredients for a new batch of beer.

Since I started brewing my own beer two years ago, I have invested my resources exploring different styles of beer in order to better understand the ingredients used and techniques utilized specific to that particular brew.  This had lead me to making a Belgian White, Irish Stout, and an IPA among many others.  With this approach, I gained a general understanding and appreciation of the craft of making beer, but I still felt as though I couldn't speak intelligently about any one style or region.

With a new year, I felt that I needed to take a different tack when approaching my brewing over the next twelve months.  After careful deliberation, I decided that for the next year I would focus on only one style or region in order to allow me to gain a deeper understanding of a specific variety of brewing.  I believe that in order to more fully appreciate a specific style/region, I need to focus on that style/region for an extended period of time.  After several years of applying this approach, I am hoping that the breadth of my knowledge will compliment its depth.

For the calendar year 2014, I decided to pursue the beers of Belgium.  I chose Belgium for the following reasons:

1. Belgium is well known for their history in making great beers and therefore warrants deeper study.
2. One of the beers I have brewed, a Belgium Grand Cru, was one of my favorite beers that I have made to date.  I want to explore other beers from this region to see if I would have a similar level of enjoyment.
3. Belgium beers are very approachable beers that many people enjoy.  Brewing Belgium styles will allow me to share the beers crafted over the next year with more people - not just beer junkies.   

In order to more fully extract (pun intended) the most from my exploration of Belgium beers during 2014, I intend to devote time to read about the history, beer styles, and techniques involved in the brewing of Belgium beers.  In addition, I plan to brew multiple batches of beer in a Belgium style so that I can fully appreciate the country that has contributed so much to the heritage of beer.  

By continuing with this approach in future years, I hope to widen my knowledge of brewing one style/region at a time.  While this approach may not work for everyone, I feel confident that this structured approach will allow me to grow in my knowledge while still enjoying the freedom and creativity that comes with this wonderful hobby.

Cheers!