Am I a homebrewer? NO!

Homebrew: Doesn't the moniker not elicit images of squalor and unsanitary conditions as a result of past media reports? I don't consider myself a "homebrewer". Whether I brew at home or at some event or even if I brew in the street, I am not a "homebrewer" in the classical since of the term. The days of blue ribbon malt hopped extract are long past for me and all modern brewers.
Homebrewers? NO. Artisan brewers? YES. We have access to all modern malts and yeasts and additives and adjuncts necessary to brew with the best commercial brewers. The derogatory term "homebrewer", IMO, should be put to rest. Why are those that chose to make quality bread named artisan bakers instead of homebakers? I for one am just sick and tired of the derogatory image associated with the moniker "homebrewer". We are ever so much more than that. [end rant] . Cheers, fellow artisans ..

I don't think homebrewer is a derogatory term. Further, if someone out there has a negative image of homebrewing, that's their problem. I have no time for that kind of attitude.

Congratulations to you.

I'm a postmodern zymologist. Artisan has too much of the connotations of bucolic parochialism.

I have never thought the term derogatory and none of my friends have anything negative to say. I brew at home so I am a homebrewer! I do create my own recipes and do some experimenting but I would not consider myself an artisan. If I baked, I would call myself a home baker!

And I have no idea of where this impression of squalor and unsanitary comes from. I have never encountered that opinion from anyone concerning my homebrewing.

It has happened before where some group of people take what was originally a label with negative connotations and turn it into a positive thing. Stand strong against the stigma :rockin:

I am a homebrewer and I use that term proudly. I have never heard anyone use that term in a derogatory manner; as a matter of fact when I tell people I'm a homebrewer they perk right up and want to hear more. If I tried to tell people I'm an "artisan" or something stupid like that they probably wouldn't care that it means I'm making great beer at home.

If someone is trying to tell you that being a "homebrewer" is a bad thing then they are an idiot and you shouldn't bother listen to them.

Ha, this thread made me laugh. So Thanks for that!

On topic... the worst reaction I get from people is that they instantly think I am an alcoholic. Eh, I don't care. I know what is up. So, homebrewer? Hell yeah!

I don't call myself a homebrewer. Since I have a degree in Culinary Arts, I call myself a Brewer or a Craft Beer Brewer, since I hand craft each beer that I make. But I don't think that homebrewer has any bad connotation associated with it. Although the Buffalo Wild Wings commercial a few years ago didn't help.

Pretty sure i am at home when i brew. Uhh artisan sounds well ya know.

I disagree with pretty much everything you have posted, it comes off as arrogant at the very least.

1st off I have NEVER felt the term "homebrewer" is a derogatory title or a negative in anyway. Further I have no idea where you are getting this idea from. You say media sources but can you link more than 2 from a valid and respected media outlets?

As for wanting to change the name I think that is also incorrect. It doesn't matter where you make your must or wort but you will ferment it on your own private property and for the vast majority this will be in our homes.

As for unsanitary, I hardly think that is true either. I have a lab in my basement and often go past sanitary to sterilized. I often refer to this as my home brewery.

The comment about having access to the same ingredients as commercial breweries is also not true. I know for a FACT that I can get better hops from work than I can from any online source or LHBS. We also use yeast that you can not get as well as malts.

In the same sentence you also try to elevate your beer to the same level as a commercial brewery and that is either arrogance or ignorance. I am not saying you can not make a great beer at home but you have nearly zero repeatability and the variables that go into a batch smaller than 3bbls are far to many to control. There are some/few craft commercial breweries out there that are putting out some beer that is not that great but these places will not last long and are exceptions.

I am just fine with being a homebrewer when referring to the beverages I make out of work.

kh54s10 said:

... If I baked, I would call myself a home baker!

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I do bake at home (breads, pies, candy, ect.), but I just refer to myself as a home cook, not a home baker. I will say that one of the simplest pleasures in life is having a nice homebrewer while enjoying a piece of home baked bread fresh from the oven.

now methcooker thats derogatory!

Troll strikes again.

orangehero said:

I'm a postmodern zymologist. Artisan has too much of the connotations of bucolic parochialism.

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Best post of the thread so far

I bake at home so I consider myself a master baker. I also like to argue at home so my wife calls me a master debater.

Local Artisan Brew Shop. LABS......Hahahahaha.........Oy vey!!....
An artisan is the guy in the slammer making jailhouse brew.

If one owns a bait shop, would one be considered a Master Baiter?

VladOfTrub said:

If one owns a bait shop, would one be considered a Master Baiter?

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one must be certified Apprentice, then Journeyman Baiter before one can attain the rank of Master Baiter

sudbuster said:

Homebrew: Doesn't the moniker not elicit images of squalor and unsanitary conditions as a result of past media reports? I don't consider myself a "homebrewer". Whether I brew at home or at some event or even if I brew in the street, I am not a "homebrewer" in the classical since of the term. The days of blue ribbon malt hopped extract are long past for me and all modern brewers.
Homebrewers? NO. Artisan brewers? YES. We have access to all modern malts and yeasts and additives and adjuncts necessary to brew with the best commercial brewers. The derogatory term "homebrewer", IMO, should be put to rest. Why are those that chose to make quality bread named artisan bakers instead of homebakers? I for one am just sick and tired of the derogatory image associated with the moniker "homebrewer". We are ever so much more than that. [end rant] . Cheers, fellow artisans ..

Click to expand...

Settle down, Francis. (If your to young to have watched "Stripes", you won't get that.....)

I believe it's "Lighten up, Francis."

I'm not a huge fan of the term "homebrewer" myself but I don't get all bent out of shape about it. I often just use the term "amateur brewer."

I'm with Suds! Mofo artisan with artesian water. And my house is clean and not the least bit squalored. We even have landscaping.

I call myself a "mad scientist" and my "brewhouse" is "Sheldon's Laboratory" ....well, for 5 gallon batches....the one gallon experiments are from the "Skunkworks"

see you on page 99...

but yeah, terminology: i've been making beer for the sake of decent beer at a low price lately. it's taste pleases me but is it artisanal?

on a note connected to this, i'm not necessarily into or make "craft beer" either. are pilsner urquell or fuller's porter craft beers? really doubt it and they'd be ones i'd want to be stuck on a desert island with

Hammy71 said:

Settle down, Francis. (If your to young to have watched "Stripes", you won't get that.....)

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Lighten up, frances!

I guess it's too late to return my brand-new Michigan issued license plate?

It says HM BREW.

Call me D-bag if you want I don't care. I just make beer and couldn't care less what others think

cooldood said:

Call me D-bag if you want I don't care. I just make beer and couldn't care less what others think

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yeah, i'd say after trying out some real life homebrew clubs i prefer to just do my own thing and never refer to myself with any label. just, "i brew"

I prefer the term "BIAH" (Brew In A Home), because I am a huge proponent of unnecessary acronyms.


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I am hoping for you a tube video called "Are hipster artisans ruining home brewing". I still crack up with that hipster vid....

I actually think it's kind of dumb when people get their identity from one thing they do. So the pride some take in being a "homebrewer" has always struck me as odd.

I think the OP is thinking of moonshiners or something.

I'm a BrewGater cuz I do it Tailgating style.

The ignorance of the general public to home brewing can be annoying sometimes. But I'll correct them in a heart beat. I home brew craft beers. Close enough.

Maybe the OP lives in an area where it hasn't been popularized yet? I could see what he means. When I handed a bottle of my first, overly sanitized, carefully monitored batch to friends and family, they all looked at me and asked "is this safe to drink?" They may have been joking but there's truth in jest. It could just be that the people around the OP are uneducated about what home brewing is.

I understand people not taking this thread seriously haha, but maybe it's actually a problem for him/her. In which case you should start educating those people about home brewing. Lesson 1: drink a home brew.

Perhaps the term "homebrewer" has negative connotations for some, but calling myself an "artisan brewer" would feel kind of silly. And I can easily imagine people having no idea what I meant by that (or thinking I was being pretentious), so I'd have to explain, leading them to wonder why I didn't just say I was a homebrewer in the first place.

Besides which, I doubt that this would change the negative impressions some people have of the hobby. People who are anti-alcohol, or think that if you brew your own you must be an alcoholic, or think making it at home is dirty and unsanitary or tastes bad, or just plain think it's a weird hobby are not going to care if I'm a "homebrewer" or an "artisan."

Wow!

My favorite thread on Artesian Brew Talk!!


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I'm not an artisan brewer; I'm a homebrewer. Artisan sounds a little too precious and pretentious for someone doing it as a hobby.

I dunno., though Is it still a hobby if I do it because it's the only way I can afford large amounts of good quality beer? That's one of the reasons I cook, too - because I sure can't afford to make a habit of eating out and ordering the foods I like....

I actually agree with the OP. Why don't we just call it brewing/brewer?

I think that an artisan brewer stirs wort clockwise on even days and counterclockwise on odd days. To be an artisan kit brewer, it is a requisite to own an expensive electric Euro can opener to chop the lids off tin cans of syrup, while watching Rocky and Bullwinkle and sipping beer from a demitasse cup with the pinky finger held at a 90 degree angle from the rest of the fingers.

VladOfTrub said:

I think that an artisan brewer stirs wort clockwise on even days and counterclockwise on odd days. To be an artisan kit brewer, it is a requisite to own an expensive electric Euro can opener to chop the lids off tin cans of syrup, while watching Rocky and Bullwinkle and sipping beer from a demitasse cup with the pinky finger held at a 90 degree angle from the rest of the fingers.

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Proper sipping technique demonstration:


I'm a home brewah. Ayuh. No fancy-pants artisan pinky sipping. Just good beeahs.