The Beer Recipe Formulation Cycle

As I tried to formulate a recipe for a brew I plan to do on friday my other half pointed out that I was going through an anger stage rather like the Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle.

Shock/Immobilisation stage: This is when I am confused and completely unable to decide what beer to brew next. Fruit beer, wheat beer, IPA? All the options seem attractive and I am powerless to choose between them all.

Denial stage: Having finally decided on a beer to brew I find a wonderful recipe on the net or in a book and think I will be able to emulate it. I go into denial that I actually have the ingredients and expertise to brew the beer. Wheat beer? No problem I reason, I'll just figure out this all grain stuff and get some liquid wheat beer yeast from somewhere.

Anger stage: This is when I realise that no I have no wheat beer yeast and I really don't want to make an all-grain beer this time. I then become angry at the lack of ingredients in my house and the only good suppliers are mail order so I'd have to order even more stuff to justify the expense.

Bargaining stage: I start making up schemes of how to solve my problems. Maybe if I made an IPA I could substitute ingredients and it would turn out ok.

Depression stage: This is where I realise the inevitable, I will brew a beer using ingredients I already have because I'm too poor to buy new ones at the moment.

Testing stage: At this stage I make up my own recipe using a mish mash of recipes.

Acceptance stage: Finally I find the way forward and come up with my own beer recipe. In this case an IPA.