Why is it.......?

Whenever I mantion to people that I am a homebrewer, they think I get my beer for free? I don't know how many times I've heard comments like, Cool free beer or Wow must be great to get free beer. I mean really, doesn't anyone realize, even if I had all the equipment I wanted, which will probably be never, I still have to pay for my supplies. It's not like I grow my own barely, wheat and hops, let alone grow yeast. Sorry, just had to vent.

They're not talking about free beer for YOU, they're talking about free beer for THEM.

Everyone expects free beer all the time from me. At least throw me a six pack back of something I like you know?

I like when it comes up at a party and people try to invite themselves over for a sampling. I have become quite good at changing the subject. I flow right out of that kind of talk pretty smoothly. You can't go from free beer straight to global warming - it takes more finesse than that.

-OCD

Not only is it not free, but if you consider the time it takes to make it (brew day, bottling/kegging, sanitatizing, etc) the labor makes it quite dear.

An artist can paint a picture for $0.50 worth of waterpaint. Does that mean the finished picture is only worth 50 cents?

passedpawn said:

Not only is it not free, but if you consider the time it takes to make it (brew day, bottling/kegging, sanitatizing, etc) the labor makes it quite dear.

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Yep, the beer I drink is VERY EXPENSIVE once I add my time & TLC.

beerocd said:

I like when it comes up at a party and people try to invite themselves over for a sampling. I have become quite good at changing the subject. I flow right out of that kind of talk pretty smoothly. You can't go from free beer straight to global warming - it takes more finesse than that.

-OCD

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I actually like letting people try my beer. I think that part of the fun is creating something that other people can enjoy too. If they say nice things about my beer, they are likely to get more in the future.

The people I run into think I'm nuts for wanting to make beer that tastes like I want it to.

Most often people are just stupefied that anyone would want to, let alone actually go thru with it.

They think beer is what BMC wants it to taste like.

"Why don't you just sell that stainless for scrap and go buy some real beer". I never talk to that kind of person again.

It's not like I grow my own barely, wheat and hops, let alone grow yeast.

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Growing your own isn't free either, even if you don't wear clothes while doing it.

Restricting my social circle to homebrewers solves many problems.

I've come to group folks into two categories.

There's one group that keeps asking for beers every time they find out I brewed a new batch and they don't even bring the empties back. Those ones, I "forget" to bring the beer to.

The other group is, fortunately, larger in my case.

I have some friends at work that love my beer and are happy to get some. But they not only bring back the empties, but they find interesting beers at the stores to give to me.

One of them just took a vacation to the grand canyon, by car. He stopped and bought bottles of local beers the whole way down and back and surprised me with them when he came back to work.

Guys like that get lots of homebrew from me.

I have two aquaintances that have tried a couple of my "better" brews, and they are not the BMC crowd, they thought they were great. As they were telling me how delicious it was with a little smirk on their faces, I could just see the wheels spinning in their minds..."If he can do it, so can I, damn this is good"...I hope to brew with them soon, I already have a tentative brew day with one of them. I hope to make an aquaintance a brewing buddy.

Therefore not having to hang out with those who want free beer, but those who will contribute, and understand the passion that we put into our brews.

brian_g said:

I actually like letting people try my beer. I think that part of the fun is creating something that other people can enjoy too. If they say nice things about my beer, they are likely to get more in the future.

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Yeah, but I like to be the one to choose who comes over and swills my drink (or is it the other way 'round). :cross: I have a fully staffed QA department (of my own choosing). I was mainly talking about the type of people you see once or twice a year at a function or party who never bother with you any other time of the year - but now there's "FREE BEER" so they're willing to honor you with their presence. I don't need those types of friends.

-OCD

CABeerMaker said:

Whenever I mantion to people that I am a homebrewer, they think I get my beer for free? I don't know how many times I've heard comments like, Cool free beer or Wow must be great to get free beer. I mean really, doesn't anyone realize, even if I had all the equipment I wanted, which will probably be never, I still have to pay for my supplies. It's not like I grow my own barely, wheat and hops, let alone grow yeast. Sorry, just had to vent.

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Unfortuately lots of people in this world want something for nothing. Lots of people are just ignorant of the fact that there is no such thing.

I like letting people try my beer as well. I just have a policy about it. If you bring me back the empties, you'll get more beer. Don't bring them back, you're cut off.

TexasSpartan said:

I like letting people try my beer as well. I just have a policy about it. If you bring me back the empties, you'll get more beer. Don't bring them back, you're cut off.

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My addendum to that is "is you bring me the empties from your microbrews, you get even MORE homebrew!"

ChshreCat said:

My addendum to that is "is you bring me the empties from your microbrews, you get even MORE homebrew!"

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I forgot about that, I do it too. My friends know that giving me brown, American, pop-top bottles will get them homebrew as well.

passedpawn said:

An artist can paint a picture for $0.50 worth of waterpaint. Does that mean the finished picture is only worth 50 cents?

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Cue gong.

So true.

I have that same problem - every time people come over to my place they just help themselves to my keg like I put a sign up saying "FREE BEER - HELP YOURSELF". Just because they see a tap, that means it is all you can drink for free. Most people like family I do not care, and enjoy sharing - but most it just pi$$es me off.

Sawdustguy said:

Unfortuately lots of people in this world want something for nothing. Lots of people are just ignorant of the fact that there is no such thing.

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At the risk of committing the error of dividing up the world into "two kinds of people, the ones that X and those that Y," it does seem as though there are those who have TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch) woven into their lives, and those who believe that bacon grows on trees.

As such, this problem is therefore endemic within the human race. Cast into the old fable, there will always be ants, and also grasshoppers. I think that as a rule, the two types tend to gravitate, though, and there are ways of communicating to the grasshoppers that homebrew costs money, time & sweat, and that they should perhaps bring at least a covered dish to the party next time. I am fortunate in having in my family and circle of friends and acquaintances no such people.

DD2000GT said:

I have that same problem - every time people come over to my place they just help themselves to my keg like I put a sign up saying "FREE BEER - HELP YOURSELF". Just because they see a tap, that means it is all you can drink for free. Most people like family I do not care, and enjoy sharing - but most it just pi$$es me off.

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That's sounds like the down side to kegging. Having beer on tap all the time makes it seem pretty available to anyone who come over. I don't get that with bottles. I leave them in the basement and move them to the fridge before drinking. As is no one helps themselves to my beer. (Although, if you come over there's a good chance you'll get offered a beer). I'm sure if I had a keg, I might start getting the "help your self" attitude. Of course it would probably be my fault, because I would either say or imply that they could help themselves.

I have had people ask me for home brew and I say sure, but they need to drink it at my place. If its not worth sitting down with me for a few beers, then they can forgo the beer. I started bottling in PET so I wouldn't let them out of my possession. Occasionally on big stuff gets into glass, but the session beers are in kegs now so, my beer, my house, rule stands.

I've been at my friends house a few times and saw people bringing in empty growlers and they were not home brewers. My friend was kind of pissed about that. They were willing to pay for beer. They just wandered in like they were at the local bar and expecting to have it filled. I would have told them no since I thought they were rude. My friend let them fill them and refused the money. In a less than friendly way I told them that its illegal to sell HB. I think they got the point. They where just one-time acquaintances so no big deal about being rude back at them.

Schlenkerla said:

I've been at my friends house a few times and saw people bringing in empty growlers and they were not home brewers.

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.. wow ...

That's just amazing. Like going to a barbeque and bring a bunch of tupperware and just expecting to take home a bunch of leftovers.

ChshreCat said:

That's just amazing. Like going to a barbeque and bring a bunch of tupperware and just expecting to take home a bunch of leftovers.

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That's exactly what I thought after posting this...

I guess I'm lucky that there are not many mooches among my acquaintances. Usually when the talk turns to my brewing problem, the cost is a common question. Once I explain the time and money I invest, the idea of free beer is gone.

Sure, it's illegal to sell homebrew, but it's not illegal for someone to give you money to buy supplies to make the beer.

The people I run into think I'm nuts for wanting to make beer that tastes like I want it to.

Most often people are just stupefied that anyone would want to, let alone actually go thru with it.

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I know people that actually pay good money so they can walk for 4-5 hours carrying a heavy bag of sticks (that they paid even more money for). And they also have to stop every few hundred yards so they can take a stick out of the bag and hit a ball with it...which they then have to chase. Talk about a good walk spoiled...but to PAY for it?

Most often people are just stupefied that anyone would want to, let alone actually go thru with it.

SpanishCastleAle said:

I know people that actually pay good money so they can walk for 4-5 hours carrying a heavy bag of sticks (that they paid even more money for). And they also have to stop every few hundred yards so they can take a stick out of the bag and hit a ball with it...which they then have to chase. Talk about a good walk spoiled...but to PAY for it?

Most often people are just stupefied that anyone would want to, let alone actually go thru with it.

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Damn, that is a pretty good point!!! :rockin:

SpanishCastleAle said:

I know people that actually pay good money so they can walk for 4-5 hours carrying a heavy bag of sticks (that they paid even more money for). And they also have to stop every few hundred yards so they can take a stick out of the bag and hit a ball with it...which they then have to chase. Talk about a good walk spoiled...but to PAY for it?

Most often people are just stupefied that anyone would want to, let alone actually go thru with it.

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If I had the money I spent on that damn bag of sticks to invest in my brewery, I'd have a pretty kickin' setup. I've given up the bag of sticks hobby, saving it for strictly social occasions. But they sit there, mocking me: damn near a grand collecting dust.

Walking around with a stick, occasionally yelling "PULL" and then using said stick to shoot a flying orange saucer? That's my kind of way to spend an afternoon :rockin:

I had a party this weekend and had three taps on line, one of my friends who has helped on Brew Day more than once put a tip jar next to the tap. I overheard him saying to some of the partygoers "you don't know how much time and expense goes into this" He stayed and helped clean up after the party and brought the jar with enough to cover the grain and hops for my last two brews, so maybe theres hope!