Woohoo! My Friends Liked My Beer!

This was a big deal. For the 1st time, I let someone else try my beer. The had both my Belgian Tripel and Old Stone House Pale Ale. They loved them both!

It sure feels good. I need to brew more.... went through a case today.

I seem to always need to brew more And congrats on the affirmation!

My roommates like my beer too It goes very quickly...

no one likes my beer, sure they say they do, but you can tell by the way they take large gulps in effort not to taste anything, and quickly finish it and move on to their lawnmower lagers

Does it seem like most Friends & family use mainstream beers (like Coors Light) to compare/rate your home-brews? (sorta like comparing the taste of Ginger Ale to Orange Crush)
--- But when they love it, that's a good feeling

Congrats!!! People look at me funny when I tell them I make beer. I told them they never tried homebrew before!

Congrats man!! It is a great feeling when people enjoy your brews

My general rule is, if I can't confirm they've every drank and enjoyed a good microbrewed beer before they don't get near my homebrew. I'm not in it to convert anyone!

My son and his recently college-graduated buds love my beer. Almost all of my friends and family over the age of 40 can't get it past their nose and head for the Coors lite.

Ziggybrew said:

Does it seem like most Friends & family use mainstream beers (like Coors Light) to compare/rate your home-brews? (sorta like comparing the taste of Ginger Ale to Orange Crush)

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Yeah I even had a kid offer to buy my brews as long as I provided it for the same price as Natty...

Congrats man. Thats all part of the fun in homebrewing. Letting some friends in on your hobby. Its great conversation, especially for the ones that hav'nt a clue.

Thank god most of my friends dont like anything near a homebrew. I put alot of blood, sweat and tears into my brew NOT TO LET SOMEONE ELSE DRINK IT!

MINE.....MINE......MINE..... ALL MINE!!!!!!

The two friends are well versed in most types of beer, so it was pretty cool. One recognized the Belgian Tripel for what it was (I didn't tell), and said that given some time the flavor will be even better. That's what everyone on this board told me a few weeks ago.

I won't give it to some of my friends, because it would be a waste. It just isn't their style of brew. It isn't because I think less of them, only that I know they won't like it, and I do. It is more for me then.

It's cool that you have people that enjoy and appreciate your beer. There's less than a handful of people I'll still make an effort to get samples of my latest to, but for the most part I've given up on trying to turn people on to home brew. For most of my acquaintances, Heineken or the like is about as "exotic" as they get (if even that) generally it's Bud Light or Miller Lite. Even people who are into "good" beer (or claim to be) seem kind of wierd about homebrew. I think that in a lot of people's minds there's still quite a stigma attached to homemade beer. Go to a potluck and people will happily consume whatever unidentified concoctions are offered, but hand them a home brew and they get all skittish, as if drinking it would be a tempt of fate. If anything is gonna make them sick, it'll be aunt Rita's cole slaw that's been curdling in the sun - not the homemade beer.

The last straw was when I made a batch of APA for the last 4th of July. I thought it came out great and I was quite proud of it. We had a small gathering with some people who I figured would have at least a few. Beyond a couple of samples, I wound up being the only one who drank any. Sure, more for me and all, but that wasn't the point. When I heard my beer described as "not bad for basement brew", I decided that trying to get people to enjoy my beer wasn't worth the effort.

Feels good don't it. I just recently had that experience with my first brew, a Winter Ale. Almost 4 of the 5 gallons gone in one night. Friends father that introduced me to Dog Fish Head almost 5 years ago tasted it and requested a second "taste". He couldn't stay because had work early the next day and nobody wants a drunk or tired anesthesiologist.

Congratulations. It sure does feel good to have some friends approve of what you are doing. I also know the dangers of letting your friends know how good your beer can be. Two weeks ago my wife and son conspired to have surprise birthday party for me while I was brewing. I had 6 or 7 of my buddies over throughout the brew day and they all drank several glasses of my home brew. In fact they drank it all leaving me with the brewer's assortment from Sam Adams.

I recently gave out one of my home brews to a beer snob/co worker/golf buddy/friend and he was stoked...

it really is a good feeling. Nice work!

There is no better feeling than someone else asking for a second pint of "that homebrew".

If i don't think the person will appreciate a more complex beer, I just pour them a small sample. That way I won't be too heart broken if they waste 11.5 ounces out of a pint. This only works if you keg though.

Eric

We had some friends over this past weekend. None were Beer aficianados. They all tried my homebrew with replies ranging from "It sure tastes alot different from Coors, but it is good. No I think I better stick to my Coors"

"Its really not bad. I was expecting some kind of dark beer (it was a Fat tire Clone)"

and " It tastes good, I just am no beer drinker...Vodka please"

My wife and I help up our hands.....LOL! More for us!

I guess I need a different circle of friends.

Most of my buds line up when I tell them that I have a batch that has been in the bottles for two weeks. Its great isn’t it, a neighbor stopped by one day with six coors and I gave him one of mine and he left with 5 coors. That was an Imperial Blonde that just finished 2 weeks in the bottle and could have used a little more time. He was a little staggered when he left; I think that one was about 7.5 on the scale

I took 18 beers to work today and handed them out to those who like beer, so they can chill them and enjoy them during the "big game" curious to see the feedback I get Monday morning!

Grimster said:

I took 18 beers to work today and handed them out to those who like beer, so they can chill them and enjoy them during the "big game" curious to see the feedback I get Monday morning!

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Let us know how they liked it!

It's always a good feeling when other people like your brew! Eventually you'll get a new taster that'll go "Oh wow, it actually tastes like beer!" What'd ya think it'd last like?

Most importantly you learn who NOT to give your home brew to. My brother is off my list. He tried some of mine and then commented how the older he gets the more he prefers his watered downed bud light. I wanted to smack him, but then realized.....he drinks like a fish and does not like my beer, what are the odds, this is the most fantastic news I have received in a long time, he won't be draining my keg of home brew!!!!!!!!!!! I keep some bud select around so as not to temp him into my home brew if it is all that is around.

another thing I have learned is this.....if I like it, that is all that really matters, more for me!!!!!!!!!!

That being said I do have a couple of friends that bug me for my beers all the time, so them liking it does give me a good feeling.

Cheers!!!!!

tcory77 said:

Most importantly you learn who NOT to give your home brew to. My brother is off my list. He tried some of mine and then commented how the older he gets the more he prefers his watered downed bud light. I wanted to smack him, but then realized.....he drinks like a fish and does not like my beer, what are the odds, this is the most fantastic news I have received in a long time, he won't be draining my keg of home brew!!!!!!!!!!! I keep some bud select around so as not to temp him into my home brew if it is all that is around.

another thing I have learned is this.....if I like it, that is all that really matters, more for me!!!!!!!!!!

That being said I do have a couple of friends that bug me for my beers all the time, so them liking it does give me a good feeling.

Cheers!!!!!

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I completely agree, and this is one of the best parts of kegging. You can give someone a 2oz sample and not waste a whole bottle if they aren't going to drink it or enjoy it. It is much cheaper and causes less heartache to keep some BMC on hand than see 10oz of homebrew left in a 12oz bottle or glass.

Eric

Grimster said:

I took 18 beers to work today and handed them out to those who like beer, so they can chill them and enjoy them during the "big game" curious to see the feedback I get Monday morning!

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So the tally so far:

My Irish Stout: 1 OH HELL YES, 1 DAMN GOOD, 1 HATED IT (this is from a "new" beer drinker who has probably had less than a case of beer ever, total)
This was a basic canned kit, canned kit yeast, added extra dark dme till I had the OG for a 6.0ish abv

My Nut Brown: 1 watery but tasty, 1 pretty good, and 1 I'd drink that all night
This was another basic canned kit, added corn sugar as per the original instructions for a 4.6 or so ABV

My Pale Ale: 1 my husband really liked it, 1 "tasted cidery but drinkable"
This was a MrBeer added corn sugar for a 6.0ABV and I think it sucks still, it might bottle condition out (it's still young) but I ain't holding my breath.

My American Wheat: 2 "oh my god this is probably the best beer ever"
Northernbrewer Extract kit with boiled hops.

So that's the tally so far.

Of my beers so far, that American Wheat from NB and the Stout are both beers I'd gladly drink over and over. The nut brown wasn't bad had some after taste that I honestly think is from the LHBS and the fact it was the FIRST use of ALL the equipment I have which almost all came from them, including the kits/sugars/bottles/etc and I find it too coincidental the "odd aftertaste" really reminds me of how things smell I buy in there.

The MrBeer I consider a failure, it's relegated to "marinade" duty and when I use it to cook with I'll take a nice long pull off of it each time to test it, who knows I might be singing the blues in 3 months when it "comes into its own" that I only have 1 left!

jturie said:

My son and his recently college-graduated buds love my beer. Almost all of my friends and family over the age of 40 can't get it past their nose and head for the Coors lite.

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It's been my observation that most people that drink beer don't really like it. They drink it for the buzz or out-and-out drunk. Hence the dismal sales of O'Douls. That stuff is typically consumed by designated drivers and reformed alcoholics. Bud, Coors and Miller are very light tasting beers and it allows non-beer lovers to get it past their tongues so that they can get the alcohol into their bloodstreams. I don't like wasting my homebrews on those kind of people. They typically take a few sips and then set the glass down and never touch it again and there went 12, 16 or 22 ounces of my hard work, money and patience. I only share with the few people that I know truly love beer or other homebrewers. Which means I don't have to share that much. LOL!!!

Bacchus said:

It's been my observation that most people that drink beer don't really like it. They drink it for the buzz or out-and-out drunk. Hence the dismal sales of O'Douls. That stuff is typically consumed by designated drivers and reformed alcoholics. Bud, Coors and Miller are very light tasting beers and it allows non-beer lovers to get it past their tongues so that they can get the alcohol into their bloodstreams. I don't like wasting my homebrews on those kind of people. They typically take a few sips and then set the glass down and never touch it again and there went 12, 16 or 22 ounces of my hard work, money and patience. I only share with the few people that I know truly love beer or other homebrewers. Which means I don't have to share that much. LOL!!!

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If I simply want a "buzz" I pour 2 fingers of whatever distilled spirits I have around, throw in a couple ice cubes, and done, by the time I actually get a buzz from "normal" beer my gut's so damned sloshy I'm more in danger of pissing myself to death or puking up the 12 pack it takes to feel it than I am of getting truly drunk.

As for sharing I'm learning to open a bottle, give them a taste in a glass then ask them do you like that or want something else?

Now my welch's wine haha it's still in primary but I gave my sister a taste and she was loving it, she's already planning a Sams Club trip to get all the ingredients so I can make it for her.