Drinking while Brewing

Thought I'd add a poll. Noticed this came up in a thread elsewhere and wondered what the ratio was.

I usually brew at ~7am, but in the few evening batches I have brewed, I never drink

I used to get pretty tipsy when I would brew, but now I rarely have one until almost all is finished - maybe close to the end of the boil/clean up phase.

I'll have 2-3 while I brew begining to end. I think the beer gods would frown on me if I didn't:cross:

Yeah, I tend to pour a glass mid-boil or so...only got drunk once and learned my lesson. Now I drink a couple, but that's it.

i always drink weather or not i'm brewing. i'm drinking right now. i think it would screw me up if i tried to brew without drinking

coypoo said:

I usually brew at ~7am, but in the few evening batches I have brewed, I never drink

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I've brewed occasionally at 10am and I still dont remember brewing with out a beer in hand.

Most times I'm pretty drunk after brewing. I usually crack one while I'm getting my equipment together

If I'm by myself, I usually don't drink til the yeast is pitched. Part of it is because I'll usually start in the morning and be in such a zone come noon, that I really won't think of it til after the job is done and the yeast is pitched.

But if it's a group brew setting, like Teach a Neighbor day or getting together with some of my buds from here, that's usually a different matter entirely, we're usually sharing and tasting each others beers.

Yeah I don't drink until after the yeast is pitched. I usually have one while I clean up my mess.

When I'm brewing, I usually wait until I start to chill. I tend to photograph our group brews, so I'll start while the strike water heats up.

rycov said:

i always drink weather or not i'm brewing. i'm drinking right now. i think it would screw me up if i tried to brew without drinking

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Classic.

danbass said:

I've brewed occasionally at 10am and I still dont remember brewing with out a beer in hand.

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thats what breakfast stouts are for!!!

I usually have 2 or 3 throughout the brewday. I don't wanna get too drunk while around hot flames and such so I try to spread it out.

I usually do a kegs and eggs starting around 6am on brewdays - my friends generally don't miss that.

Brewing without drinking? Must be an advanced class as I've never done it or seen it performed in person!

I used to drink all the time when I brew. Now I don't. I usually start around 6am, and once I am done cleaning up I reward myself with a nice homebrew. I kind of like being more focused on brew day now.

I generally brew with my brother and maybe a few other people depending. I almost always drink while I brew but it depends on when I start as to when I crack the first one.

I've gotten hammered a couple times while brewing and given the scars on my legs from moving around a keggle fresh off the burner and the other stupid mistakes I made those days, I won't have too many but will always have some.

I normally brew in the mornings, and drink coffee while I brew. Once the boil is underway, I usually have a (small) glass of beer. But otherwise, I don't drink and brew. Once the yeast it pitched and the rig is all cleaned up, I put up my feet and have a great big pint of beer.

Even sober, I've burned myself a couple of times. I can't imagine how much I could hurt myself (or my house!) if I drank while brewing!

i've always had a few while brewing. it's like an unwritten rule for me to drink beer while brewing beer. i've even gone as far as having a couple while bottling.

I'm with Yooper on the coffee - I usually start with a cup whether I brew on the morning or at night. But definitely by the time I'm cleaning up I'm having a beer or two. I love brewing, but once it's done and time for cleaning I need a little incentive to not leave the kitchen a mess.

I'm an early morning brewer, so I pound a pot of coffee during. However, if I end up brewing in an afternoon, or during a baseball game, or if my nutty neighbor comes by to help, I'll drink.

So, my answer to the poll is it depends on when I'm brewing. But generally, it's early and with coffee.

I'm like a lot of others who posted. I usually try to do an early brew day, so I start with coffee, but once the boil starts I'll usually have a pint or two.

Dogzbone said:

I usually have 2 or 3 throughout the brewday. I don't wanna get too drunk while around hot flames and such so I try to spread it out.

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same here

If I brew in the AM then its coffee. If I brew in the evening I will have a beer or two. Sometimes I brew between 10pm and 5am... then its both beers during mash and coffee during boil.

From the beginning, but only like 2-3 while brewing.

I usually keg and bottle during the mash, so that's a busy hour. After the boil starts all the busy work is done. I have the first beer of the new keg as my brewing tradition.

I used to always have a beer or 3 while I brewed but then I noticed that my brew days werent going as smooth as when I wasnt drinking so now I just wait til everything is done for me to grab a pint.

Chromados

I usually open a beer after the mash while waiting for the boil. I might have 2-3 while brewing. Alcohol doesn't seem to mess me up as much as talking to others while brewing.

I've brewed almost all of my brews in the morning...so coffee is the drink of choice. By the time the afternoon rolls around, I either want to be on my motorcycle [weather-permitting] or taking a snooze on the couch! Since I'm retired, I determine what I do and when I do it...or IF I do it!

glenn514

Occasionally I'll have a few when brewing, but when I do I tend to get pissy and irritable in the cleanup phase so I try not to have more than 1 or 2 throughout the whole process.

I drink one or two while brewing. It seems sacrilegious to not have at least 1.

I get hammered on brew day, but I always am with my father in law, 2 or 3 brothers in law, and a couple of nephews. We only have one burner and brewpot so we do them one at a time. I go first because the others look up to me as a leader/teacher. A nephew who works at a restaurant tales point on cleanup, so that gets done right. All of our SWMBOs make sure we eat and keep the children out from under foot.

After the batches are bottled, we trade six packs so everyone has an assortment when all is said and done.

I could brew alone, but a family brew day is so much fun I haven't brewed on my own yet and won't in the foreseeable future.

I always mean to start brewing in the morning, but it never actually happens. A million things always seem to come up right away, or I've forgotten something, or this or that. So normally i don't get started until noon which is pretty much beer o'clock these days. Now if I managed to get things started when I wanted I'd probably start with a couple of coffees until the boil was underway.

I brew too early in the day to drink.

bovineblitz said:

I brew too early in the day to drink.

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That's no excuse.

LVBen said:

I drink one or two while brewing. It seems sacrilegious to not have at least 1.

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I agree. Be it 6am or 6pm, drinking a beer or two should be required on brewdays. Brewing drunk is NOT good.

Nope. I'll drink one after the yeast is pitched. Maybe. I'm not a big morning drinker and I usually brew pretty early.

I'll generally pour myself a pint once I've got the boil started. I like to pace myself while I'm working and won't get drunk, but I'll enjoy the brewing experience and the fruits of my labor.

I crack one about half way through the boil. Don't want to lose my head and screw up the batch.