i did it again...

[underdogsbrewery]

hi everybody
i did an english ipa with those peculiarity
og 1.059
fg 1.012
ibu 40
bu/gu 0.67

an then i did it again, but...
og 1.061
fg 1.017
ibu 40
bu/gu 0.65

can i really say those are the same beer?
i think yes, little alterations are allowable but i'd like to know if there's a rule about it
thanks

 

[jmcnamara]

if you used the same ingredients in much the same way, then I'd say it's close enough to the same beer.

The slight difference in OG is practically nothing at the homebrew scale. The FG might make it a little bit sweeter in the second batch, but not too much i think

Were your water measurements the same both times? Fermentation temp the same? Assuming you're not doing extract, were efficiency and grain amounts the same both times?

 

[underdogsbrewery]

Same water measurements and profile
Same fermentation temp
Same grain bill
The only difference was a little best efficiency (little best is right in grammar ?) and a lower yeast attenuation despite the pitch rate was the same (maybe a little error about the mash temp)
However I'm satisfied and moreover in the second batch I tried the reiterated mash with a good result

 

[jmcnamara]

well, the important thing is that you're happy with the beer also, it should be "a little better" instead of best, but your meaning was definitely understood

I view beer styles as a sort of highway or road. There are definitely boundaries to stay inside of (don't drive on the grass) but there's lots of room within those boundaries to get creative.

styles are really just conventions that we've all agreed to use. give someone an IPA, and they'll expect a certain kind of beer in their head. One IPA might be a little hoppier than another, one might have a bit darker color, but they'll all be relatively in the same "family."

It's kind of like how everyone agrees what a "chair" is and isn't, but when you really start to look at it, everyone has a slightly different idea of the "perfect chair" to them. And don't even get started on the finer details. A chair and a table are very different, but when does a "chair" start becoming a "table"? You can sit on both, eat dinner off of both, but they are very different to us.

But, part of the fun is playing with those expectations of style. a pale stout or a black IPA can really throw the taster for a loop because what they see and what they taste are a little contradictory. anyway, it seems i've gotten a little off topic and philosophical

 

[Thurston Brewer]

A chair and a table are very different, but when does a "chair" start becoming a "table"?

The answer is simple: If the cat sleeps on it, it's a chair... if the cat scratches the leg, it's a table.

Cats are very wise about such things...

 

[Thurston Brewer]

it seems i've gotten a little off topic and philosophical

Well, there's a first time for everything!!

 

[jmcnamara]

i remember seeing a video a while ago of Robert Anton Wilson and one of his thought experiments. Basically, he told viewers to randomly grab a dozen objects from their household. Then, put them in groups. Red vs not red. Metallic vs not metallic. etc.

the idea was that eventually you'd have to make judgement calls about which reds are redder than others, what to do with something that was half metal, etc.
the whole point was to show that Aristotelian logic (either / or) is incredibly fallible. In very broad strokes it might be helpful in some cases, but take it far enough and you get statements like "you're either for us or against us" with no hope or option for other choices. and, it looks like i've gone slightly political here too....


back on topic, i like beer. all different styles of beer. except lambics. i can't stand them