Thinking about quitting brewing.

So....I bought a kegerator a couple weeks back but didnt have a batch to keg just yet so I played with all of the parts putting it together. So I have my keg carbed and am ready to install liquid line and the tap tree and a spacer piece is missing. I know I could probably rig this thing up but ive already had a few issues and am really getting tired of it and thinking about taking it back, and just quitting homebrewing all together. Im at all grain and kegging was supposed to be the ultimate, but everything has become too much. I do enjoy it, but I have other things I should probably be focusing on, like getting a better job. My worry with taking this sort of tact is that what if I never find another job, should I put most hobbies on the back burner till when, if i ever do, find a new job. Homebrewing just takes so much time as far as research, yeast starter, bottling/kegging, trips to the brewstore, then the actual brew day. I know this is my decision to make and maybe im having a bad day but, But, maybe I am taking a step back and realizing where my true priorities should lie. any insight would be appreciated.

If you enjoy it that much try some partial extracts while you get your stuff together, you can still brew and keg awesome stuff that way. It's alot faster and somewhat cheaper.

A man is nothing with out a hobby

karljrberno said:

A man is nothing with out a hobby

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he is a she... find some friends in the brew comunity to help out.. i spend 2 days a month brewing and maybe 3 nights for prep and cleaning.. kegging is awesome when everything is setup so all you need to do is clean lines and tap a fresh keg...

Sorry to hear you're having a hard time. It seems to me maybe you rushed things a little and feel overwhelmed. As to finding a better job, well that's not a bad idea. If I were you, I would take a small break from brewing and focus on your career. Then you will feel better and actually enjoy brewing.

I started slow and fought the urge to go all out and buying all the gadgets. I'm glad I did because I also get overwhelmed at times. Homebrewing is like a relationship, it takes time, dedication and lots of commitment. You have to take it slow.

Hope that helps.

Hobbies can be put on hold. You can always cone back to it. Try some extract kits to save time, and most of all don't get discouraged, its a hobby, have fun with it!

You know its something your passionate about if you can "slow" the hobby down but still allow it to have a place in your life. You might not brew every weekend, but maybe once a month you brew a couple batches back to back to keep yourself freshly stocked with some tasty beer.

If your willing to just let it go, then it probably wasn't something you were really into to begin with and that's not a bad thing...we are just a little biased because you're on a homebrewing board

For example...another hobby of mine is saltwater fish. For a while there I was obsessed with it constantly buying new gear and livestock and researching every day...almost all I could think about was what I was going to do next with my tank. Then I got really interested in homebrewing and a few other things (i'm just thirsty for knowledge I guess) and I haven't been spending much time at all with my tank. Would I shut it down...hell no! I still love keeping fish but its nice that I can just go into auto pilot mode with it...remember to feed the fish, appreciate its beauty every once in a while and otherwise not think to much about it. One day i'll be scouring the internet for more information about some fish or something that suddenly plunges me back into the hobby.

With beer its even better because its not just something to look at and enjoy. I mean chances are you enjoy a good beer and your either going to get it from the grocery store or from your own supply. Its like cooking dinner. You might not be excited about trying to lately recipes but you still need to eat

And wow...i'm rambling, but ya take some time away and you'll be back.

Sure, put it on hold. You'll come back to it when you're ready. Whatever you do, don't get rid of your gear.

A Woman is nothing with out a hobby

edmanster said:

he is a she...

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Or someone who never changed their profile because it defaults to female...

AZ_IPA said:

Or someone who never changed their profile because it defaults to female...

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true dat didnt think about it... kinda serious topic for me so i checked in and noticed it... thought about the same thing a couple times when i first started out glad i kept going because the reward is worth every pint

Switch to natty light for a month or two and see which way the old weathervane is pointing. I kid, I kid. Seems like you are having some genuine concerns and maybe its time to pull back on the reigns for awhile. If you start to get the itch, you'll know the time is right to blow the dust off and get things fired back up. Best wishes with the job search.

Do what you need to do to live and be happy and comfortable at the core of who you are. Just remember that there is always a compromise.

Whatever you decide will be right. Spend some time with friends and knock back some of your favorite brew. Home brewing isn't going anywhere. Whatever you do to make money will be a means to an end. You will find something that works. Hopefully it will be a good way to spend your time. Go slow and don't feel you have to have it all perfect and all figured out at once. Life isn't perfect and time is a construct. :fro:

Or just take a break for a while. I never thought about it but when my kids were born, I took a 5 year break. Then one day, I got the urge to brew again and I came back to the hobby. The beer I brew now is so much better then the beer I brewed back then, so the break did me some good!

Nobody likes a quitter.

Homebrew will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no homebrew...

passedpawn said:

Sure, put it on hold. You'll come back to it when you're ready. Whatever you do, don't get rid of your gear.

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Words of wisdom. Take a break, don't stress about it, keep your stuff. And know that you will be in our thoughts as you work through your career and life issues.

What passedpawn said. I brewed pretty hard-core about 7 or 8 years ago and got to the same place and lost interest. Over the years, I'd think about picking it up again periodically, but was afraid I had forgotten everything I'd learned up to that point. About 6 months ago, the bug finally hit again and although a few mistakes were made with the first batch, I was back to old form by the second. Hopefully your break won't be nearly as long, but hold onto your equipment and it will be ready when you are.

Why not take a break? Everything can start to feel old after a while, even homebrewing! Why, there was once a time where I wasn't even interested in sex! By the next day the urge was restored.

Seriously, brewing is supposed to be fun and worthwhile, not stressful. Kegging "can" be fiddly at the start, and if you are doing other things for the first time at the same time, it can see like a lot. Just take it a step or two at a time as you can manage, whenever you feel like you can.

I agree that focusing on a career might be a more worthwhile endeavour. Keep your equipment and before long you'll get through the busyness and want to brew again.

Yeah, but I thought https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/homebrew-can-save-you-lots-money-249039/

+1 on going back to partial mash / extract for a few batches. I find that with any hobby I undertake, I will eventually overshoot the threshold of enjoyment toward my drive to perfect what I am doing. Taking a step back to the basics can be cathartic and can help you maybe tweak your process so that it is more efficient / more enjoyable.

What do you like and dislike about homebrewing? What do you hope to get out of it?

IMO, the best advice will come from knowing this about you. I dont mind the brewing process (only do partial mash to date) but I really enjoy the drinking of my beer the most and experimenting with new recipes. So, I made a conscious decision to keep brew days simple and focus on bottling / kegging (the serving aspect). I dont mind maintaining my kegerator because I like working on stuff so it is fun to me.

I personally think if you really enjoy a certain part of homebrewing, then you look at the bigger picture of your processes and see if you are just trying to take on too much and see if there is an area you can cut back on to make it more enjoyable.

I also think you could still focus on a new job and career and still have homebrewing to enjoy on the side but on you can truly know if you can make it work for you.

If you are ready to give it another Go, post your kegerator issues in the Kegging\Bottling forum and we'll help you get it figured out.

Make some apfelwein. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

Relatively zero effort to output ratio. Plus you can leave it in the fermenter for long enough to figure out your kegging situation, even if you only tinker with it when you're bored. If you don't get bored enough to fix your tower up you could always get a picnic tap. They're not as pretty but they work and, at 2 bucks a pop, when it's time to clean'em just toss it and grab a new one.

Zamial said:

Homebrew will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no homebrew...

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You, sir, are a wise wise man.

Homebrewing is only as involved as you make it.
make extract kits, switch to dry yeast. that'll cut brew time down, and no need for a starter then.

/shrug

or just take a break. I've stopped brewing for years at a time, and then come back better at it...more thoughtful of things.