What do you guys do with extra beer?

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SkinnyShamrock

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I understand that saying "extra beer" may sound quite silly. Most will say "Drink it, stupid!" But I'm thinking: 1 week to ferment, 2 weeks in the secondary, then minimum 2 weeks (usually 3) in the bottles. THEN you have to drink 2 cases worth of beer. I'm the only member of my household that drinks beer regularly. If I personally drank 2 a day, then I could down 2 cases in under a month, but I'd put on more than a few pounds doing that, and I occasionally like to drink something other than beer (gasp!) after a day at work, or I go out with friends and have store-bought stuff.

Taking into account that I don't need the bottles until three weeks after the boil, that's three weeks before I have 48 empty bottles again and I can start brewing another batch. Not taking into account lagers that need to condition for months on end.

Do you guys just buy more bottles (or kegs) and just keep stockpiling, do you not brew at very frequent intervals, or do you give a lot away to friends, family, etc?

Or maybe I just have a distorted view of how often you guys brew?
 
SkinnyShamrock said:
I understand that saying "extra beer" may sound quite silly. Most will say "Drink it, stupid!" But I'm thinking: 1 week to ferment, 2 weeks in the secondary, then minimum 2 weeks (usually 3) in the bottles. THEN you have to drink 2 cases worth of beer. I'm the only member of my household that drinks beer regularly. If I personally drank 2 a day, then I could down 2 cases in under a month, but I'd put on more than a few pounds doing that, and I occasionally like to drink something other than beer (gasp!) after a day at work, or I go out with friends and have store-bought stuff.

Taking into account that I don't need the bottles until three weeks after the boil, that's three weeks before I have 48 empty bottles again and I can start brewing another batch. Not taking into account lagers that need to condition for months on end.

Do you guys just buy more bottles (or kegs) and just keep stockpiling, do you not brew at very frequent intervals, or do you give a lot away to friends, family, etc?

Or maybe I just have a distorted view of how often you guys brew?
Click to expand...

I just have a truly massive backstock of bottles in addition to my 6 kegs and 8 carboys. I brew a lot, but always have a place for it. You need to either get more bottles, get into kegging, get more carboys, or all of the above. Brewing less is not an option.
 
I live alone, and share some of my beer with friends, and families...But I brew at least once a month and I guess I stockpile. I have four different beers of my own in the fridge right now. And 2 beers in fermenters.

But you'd be suprised how quick 2 cases of good fresh beer goes, especially when you brewed it yourself.
 
Evan! said:
I just have a truly massive backstock of bottles in addition to my 6 kegs and 8 carboys. I brew a lot, but always have a place for it. You need to either get more bottles, get into kegging, get more carboys, or all of the above. Brewing less is not an option.
Click to expand...

+1 for emphasis.
 
I don't know how anyone finds the time to build up a backstock. I drink quite a bit I suppose (bier ist brot) but not that crazy and I go through a lot of beer. I brew 10g about once every month and a half. It would be more but money is tight right now so that is all I can afford.

Don't buy your bottles, just save the bottles whenever you have store bought. If you have returnable bottles in your area (we drink point special returnables in my neck of the woods) you can buy cases of empty returnables for $2 and you get a nice study cardboard box to boot. Keep brewing as fast as you can, you won't be sorry! :mug:
 
I have a backstock, because with my schedule I can brew a massive amount in a week or two, then I won't be able to brew for a month or more. +1 on having lots of bottles/kegs/carboys so you can condition your beers propperly while being able to drink a small assortment.

I currently have capacity for 4 batches in bottles as well as 8 kegs. this way I can have bottles from a batch or two for extended conditioning, a batch or two bottled in the fridge of the occasional high alcohol sipper, 3 lighter every day drinkers or session beers on tap, and 4 kegs conditioning.

I am still looking for more bottles though....:D
 
Everyone I've given my beer to has claimed they enjoyed it, so I give it away. For some reason, I only enjoy drinking my Belgian beers, since I'm too critical of my own product to drink a lot of it. Weird, yes, but I guess I prefer the process. Whenever I make something that I actually do enjoy, I usually just hold onto it and try not to drink all of it. From that stockpile, I usually only have one to three a month.
 
You are in the same predicament I am in. I want to brew more, but I'm starting to build up a stash! Once I go AG, it will only get worse, as I'll be buying more bulk items and it will be cheaper. I always keep an eye out for someone who would like to drink my beer, and offer them some. Eventually, you will find people to drink your beer for you.

I've got three batches old enough to drink now, and I have my pick of 3 different beers. It's nice for the variety. American Pale Ale, Brown Ale, and Belgian Wit. They turned out so good that I often choose them over store bought, and I thought I'd never get there. Now to get my friends into good beer.
 
I mostly keg, and I brew faster than I can drink it. I usually have 3 or 4 full carboys sitting around waiting for a tap to open up.

I do still have more than 10 cases of bottles sitting around from brews over the last year. We have people over fairly often so I have some help in taking care of the task of drinking it all.
 
Make bread, boil bratwurst, water the plant, wash the dog, use as aftershave...

The possibilities are endless.
 
Farmer said:
Make bread, boil bratwurst, water the plant, wash the dog, use as aftershave...

The possibilities are endless.
Click to expand...

hummm, I see "beer aftershave" being a rapid ticket to the unemployment line, reducing income, and ceasing brewing all together. I think that one is a lose/lose if I have ever heard one:D
 
SkinnyShamrock said:
...do you not brew at very frequent intervals???
Click to expand...

You could be banned for that kind of blasphemy...:D


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Store it in radiator fluid jugs. That way if you see someone broken down beside the road you can stop.

It might not be a good idea to put it in the radiator, but hey he'll be happy you stopped and brought beer. Rarely does the cop ask to smell the radiator jugs...

The only way the aftershave works is if your boss is also a beer nut. Then he'll ask questions like "So, you brew again this weekend?" "That smells good. What is it?" That way he's asking to try some and it doesn't look like your trying to kiss a**. I should really apply at Sam Adams. That commercial where the guy comes around passing out cold glasses of beer to the employees really got me thinking of how nice work COULD be.
 
BierMuncher said:
You could be banned for that kind of blasphemy...:D
Click to expand...

Understandable haha. And to your pictures....wow. That's all I can say.

Does anyone ever donate to local bars and whatnot? Start a bit of a local following? I was looking over the LCB laws (I'm really REALLY bored) and it seems they can hand out beer, as long as it's not more than 12 oz, but that may only be for beer that the owner/bar employees brews on the premises.
 
Backstock?? Well, yeah. Counting the ten gallons I brewed this morning, I have about 60 gallons in various states of readiness at home. And that's probably a pittance compared to some on this board.
 
+1 on giving your beer to other people, this makes your beer go quite quickly the only thing I require is that they give me the bottles back. I have actually found that I get more back than I give out, thus increasing my bottle supply. Also I have found that kegging has increased my consumption, it's far easier to fill a pint glass when all you have to do is go over to the tap.
 
I think the other thing to keep in mind when you're planning your brewing schedule is the need to intersperse with some ageable styles. There are certain styles that need to be drunk asap like witbiers and hefeweizens. Yeah, it's kind of silly to have 8 cases of hefe on hand at the same time. But if you brew a hefe and a barleywine or russian imperial stout side by side, you can drink the hefe and cellar the big guy. There's nothing quite as awesome as looking through your stash and finding a surprise you forgot about that's a few years old...as long as it's meant to age. So go find yourself some more bottles, and make sure to brew some big imperial stouts and b-wines here and there.
 
dude, you need to start having parties, and I mean parties. If you are not into having parties, bring your stuff to other peoples parties. And don't be afraid to drive home with a few cases of empty bottles from the party, after a while people will start saving them for you.

I am going to a memorial day thing at my friends place, and I am bringing about 3 cases of home brew and a Co2 tank and my sankey adapter, they are having a keg. Needless to say much beer will be had by all.
 
I guess I drink too much- I have very little "in stock" right now. I still owe some beers for a beer swap, and just can't get caught up. I brew twice a month, but only 5 gallon batches. I've got to step it up to 10 gallon batches, when I get a keggle. I brew something different each time, though, so I always have something a little different up next, and always have two different styles on tap.
 
Since I keg & will swap brews around, I occasionally find a keg with a gallon or two of soured beer. Those get dumped. I love sour flavors, but not in beer. Sad is when you tap a 4-year old barleywine keg & it's gone weird. Hasn't happened to me yet, but it's one of the risks.
 
Get a girlfriend that can drink like a Scottish fish. Even if your wife disapproves, just say it's to help keep the stocks of beer from piling up.
 
:mug:If you get too big of a stockpile, I could volunteer to be a designated drunk!:drunk::D
Looks like Biermuncher could use me!:tank:
 
Farmer said:
The only way the aftershave works is if your boss is also a beer nut. Then he'll ask questions like "So, you brew again this weekend?" "That smells good. What is it?" That way he's asking to try some and it doesn't look like your trying to kiss a**. I should really apply at Sam Adams. That commercial where the guy comes around passing out cold glasses of beer to the employees really got me thinking of how nice work COULD be.
Click to expand...


The good thing about where I work is my boss can't smell (he uses his nose for other things:cross:)

I'm also a member of the local Fire Department, so I might try to sell some of it off there.
 

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