More than 150 times now I’ve sat down to share some stories, recipes, tips, ideas, suggestions, and thoughts as part of this “Make Your Best” series. But even the best of series eventually come to an end, so rather than jumping the shark we've collectively decided to end things on a high note.
Life is change, and change can hurt, but all progress depends upon it. So, in my final "Make Your Best" column, I wanted to share some strategic thoughts about brewing your best of any beer, for whatever they may be worth.
STYLE
Try to recognize that style guidelines (and style nomenclature, appellations, identifiers, and more) are just that: guidelines. They exist to help you as a brewer know what they (and you) as beer drinkers will be expecting when you say, “this is an Oatmeal Stout.”