I wanted to post here instead of saying something in the discord so you all will have a chance to read it. I can’t thank everyone involved enough for doing this. I know the idea is primarily for you all to have fun, but as a beginner to DIY you have no idea how helpful it is to be able to watch conversations about why 2.5% of a flavor is too much but 2% is perfect. I’m big on researching and read everything I can here, but none of it is as helpful as getting to watch how you guys think in real time. So thank you again, and keep it up! I love the showdowns.
How can I join this room on discord?
It's here
Showdowns are great and all, but I think we need more live group mixing sessions for the exact same reason OP mentions.
I was lucky to have been there when There Can Be Only One Hetch (https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/143468) was conceived and it was a life changing experience. Showdowns may be fun, but they are too hectic for novice mixers to actually follow and learn compared to a live group mixing.
I suppose we could work harder on encouraging people on the discord to do some actual live mixing.