Lost the love.

Man what a slump. near the end of last summer i was on a brewing high. went ag tryed all kinds of new styles. All my efforts were golden. Even got praise and approval from my mother( a very devout christian woman who normally frowned any time i mentioned drinking). Then Nov 14th the bottom dropped out. The pillar of my family was taken from us. Lost a bit of desire to brew as the praise i had come to love and look forward to could never be gotten again. Follow that with 2 infected batches. As i look at my empty fermenters i wonder which way to go. For the time being the love is gone. I have lost the desire and passion to brew.

Makes me think of Topgun.

That's too bad man. I have down times too though where I go for a while without brewing but the desire always comes back eventually. Hopefully it will for you as well. Sorry about your loss.

lol. thinking of taking a several month break then getting back into it.

See that young one in your avatar? Do a batch with her help. Make her an integral part of your brewing day, as much as safety will allow. Teach her all you know and learn more so you still have things to teach when she reaches her 21 st birthday.

That's actually what got me started into brewing. It was something I always wanted to try and I had a Mr. Beer kit that I had brewed up a couple of months earlier. When my mom passed in August, I decided to take the plunge the next day and buy a kit. It made me realize a lot of things, but most importantly, that life's too short to keep putting things off you want to try or accomplish.

I hope the love comes back to you and good luck!

So take a break. When and if you get the brewing itch again your equipment and your LHBS will be waiting for you.

unionrdr said:

You're just feeling the way I did when mom died. Pop was already gone. That was the point where I knew I was truly on my own,alone,etc. Sibblings scattered to the 4 winds. They don't wanna get together...yet. That's alone.
Just give it time,grow a beard,draw flies...just get past the grieving stage. Like a fella told me once,you never forget it...it just gets easier to live with. This too shall pass. Give it time before deciding anything for the moment.

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+1. Exact same situation here except my mom passed first and two years later my dad. The loss of loved ones can certainly knock the wind out of your sails. Hang in there and take care of that little girl, children can bring us as much strength and motivation as we do them. A family is a great motivator. Best of luck. I'm sorry for you loss.

RM-MN said:

See that young one in your avatar? Do a batch with her help. Make her an integral part of your brewing day, as much as safety will allow. Teach her all you know and learn more so you still have things to teach when she reaches her 21 st birthday.

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+ a billion

You hit the nail on the head.

If that's your littlun in your avatar, tchuklobrau, scoop her up and make her as important a part of your life as you Mother is.

Go easy, bro.

Peace and Tranquility to you...

Im sorry to hear of your loss.

I for one turn to brewing when life turns to ****. It has helped me through a divorce, BK, a few breakups with girlfriends as well.

I have a little girl too, and shes so into what I do when I brew. She always talks about the little buggies (yeast) that make beer. Her favorite part is smashing the smack pack and seeing it grow. Shes always around when I brew and I love that time.

Try involving her with it and see how great that experience will be.

thanks all.

Brewing and cooking are Zen for me. I can forget the troubles of the day or the week and concentrate on something that is stressfree.

I also think that your daughter looks at you the same way you felt about your Mother. As others have said, take a break if you need to, but don't give it up. Someday you may decide that you want to brew again. I took a break for a bunch of years, but I came back and it is on a different level now than it was when I was much younger.

Peace to you Brewbrother.

I was hit hard when my Grandma passed away many years ago. I was young and my first child was well on nigh to arriving. I'd always looked up to my grandma as a source of pride for what she did for others and as one example of what a good person can and should be.

Since my wife basically had to go to the hospital directly from the viewing, I didn't have time for much mourning or to get too depressed. I could not visit her for advice. I could only live by the example I got from her.

When my dad passed away a few years ago I realized even more that life is too short. Spend time with the kids. Teach them well and let them know you love them. Get them also involved in DOING THINGS! Everything is a learning experience and a loving experience. (Even if it's tough love!)

They won't always want to do the things you like doing, but they might!

The point is to be the example that you admired in someone else to them.

Man thats a tough one right there. My father passed away in his mid 50's a month before my 29th birthday. Almost 2 years has gone by and I still think about him everyday. His passing is what actually got me into brewing. I needed some alone time and found that brewing really put me into that zen place I needed. To this day I usually brew at night when the kids are in bed and its nice and calm outside. Hang in there man, and tell your kids what an amazing grandma they had.

Reading this thread is tough. I feel for anyone that has felt the pain of losing a parent. Especially when they are relatively young. My mother tragically died four years ago. Her birthday is this month. It's something you can't really ever get over, you just learn to accept it. You're mother is always your biggest fan. Carry on, and try to be happy. It's what she would want.

I once lost interest in all the activities I enjoyed. Felt like nothing would be good again. It gets better. Hang in there.

Coldies said:

Man thats a tough one right there. My father passed away in his mid 50's a month before my 29th birthday. Almost 2 years has gone by and I still think about him everyday. His passing is what actually got me into brewing. I needed some alone time and found that brewing really put me into that zen place I needed. To this day I usually brew at night when the kids are in bed and its nice and calm outside. Hang in there man, and tell your kids what an amazing grandma they had.

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My dad died over 20 years ago. I was also in my 20s. 22 years later, I STILL think about him every day.

I know how you feel. I passed my passion for brewing to my sons and I hope when I go, they will brew up a big double ipa and toast to me!

Bernie Brewer said:

So take a break. When and if you get the brewing itch again your equipment and your LHBS will be waiting for you.

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I agree, no reason to force it. Just relax, have someone else's homebrew I have taken a couple of breaks over the years and came back later.

I got burned out as well a couple of years ago, albeit for a much less significant reason than the loss of a loved one. I decided to start back with much simplified, stovetop partial boil with extract and specialty grains recipes. Right back where I first started, but this time with my 9 year old son as my brew helper!

We had so much fun, and the ease of the process and simple clean up was a joy as compared with the 10 gallon AG batches I was doing before the burnout. Have done starters for and brewed four batches over the last several weeks and have fallen back in love with brewing.

Now after all the time off and I'm reading about this BIAB method. It has me very intrigued, but I'm going to be careful to not let it consume my whole world again.

Don't worry, your ma lives forever through you. It's not metaphysical, it's just darned genetics and environmental development. Every time you look in the mirror part of her is truly there.

When you die you will live on through your daughter. We truly do live forever through our children.

Take a break if it isn't enjoyable, but I'm certain you'll come back strong. Remember, she's always there a part of you.

I really understand. I hit some hard times almost two years ago and lost the desire. It took my BIL to get into brewing and always asking question to re-spark my desire. Now I can't believe I stopped. I am more into it than ever.

You may just need time

I feel a lot of us have entered into periods of loss (and lost interest in hobbies), but we don't share our feelings. My last brew day was 12/2/11 and I was on track to brew several batches over the Christmas leave, but then my mom who's 82 fell and fractured her femur and I became a care giver to my dad who's 84. The same day mom fell we got word that my younger sister got MRSA. Holy crap. Mom's on track and sister is healed. This last weekend I started dating and now don't know when I'll brew next, but that's a GOOD thing...

Sorry for your loss.

amaizing how an online board can pull together and perk people up. More positive was said to help my head around things here in this thread than i got from all my "friends" here. However in the friends defence they are grieving as well. thanks again all.

Sorry about your loss buddy.

Lost my dad almost 5 years ago and I gotta tell ya it does get easier. You wont stop thinking about your loved one, but it wont hurt as much over time. There isnt a day that goes by that some country/western song doesnt remind me of him and his **** eating grin.

Let yourself go through the emotions of losing someone, then head on back. We'll all be here when that time comes.

Lifting a Ruthless Rye to you man. Cheers