Homebrew Food Network Show??

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Grinnan5150

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My wife has me addicted to cooking competition shows like Chopped, Top Chef and the like. It got me thinking, why couldn't there be a show about Homebrewing like that? It would have to be taped way in advance to allow for fermentation and bottle conditioning but I would still watch it.

Since beer can be considered a food maybe that's something that Food Network should look into. I nominate myself as one of the contestants.
 
There actually was a homebrewing contest show on Discovery iirc about 2 years ago. I started a thread about it. It turned out one of our members knew one of the guys on the show.

It kinda sucked...
 
Unfortunately it doesn't seem like there's any money in the idea. Networks are only interested in shows that get great ratings and judging by Brewmasters (which I really wish had continued) and that History on Tap show (which I can't even find a record of existing beyond Revvy's thread and the site he linked to in it) people just aren't interested in watching shows about craft and home brewing. When the majority drink BMC and are barely even aware that craft breweries exist, it's really hard to get an audience for a TV show.
 
On top of that, you can watch cooking shows and even competition shows and think "hey I can make that, or at least try", run out to the store and try the next night for dinner. Doing that with beer is much harder.

Also, I find homebrewers tend to be relaxed in general, which does not make for dramatic TV.

(I hope they make a Homebrew show...I'd watch it)
 
Also, I find homebrewers tend to be relaxed in general, which does not make for dramatic TV.

Too true...can you imagine Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen) in your brewery? Tell that guy to RDWHAHB

Actually, I was showing my 11-year-old cousin all my brewing stuff, and he said, "...so, is this legal? Are you gonna be on that show Moonshiners?" I just about died laughing.
 
I'm surprised no one's tried it with the Iron Brewer competition.

But the biggest trouble is that as opposed to cooking contests there's no instant gratification in the sense that beers take a long time to compete, as opposed to a dish. You'd have to do the show shot over a long period of time to give each beer a chance to ferment and carb, and be judged. You wouldn't be able to resolve it in one day like shows like chopped or food network challenge. Even a show like masterchef where you have folks eliminated each week would be a challenge to produce.

Plus the act of beer brewing isn't all that excited to watch. Heat water, mash, wait an hour, heat more water, sparge (which could take an hour) boil for an hour, chill.... Just not all that compelling to watch.
 
Yeah plus on a cooking show you can actually prepare a meal in, say, 30 minutes or an hour or whatever. Even the ones where they are doing those complicated sugar sculptures they finish in a day. Whereas with homebrew it takes multiple "sessions" and with fermentation and carbonation you are looking at a few weeks or more.

Also, watching someone brew a beer is not terribly interesting. It mostly involves waiting.
 
I like those cooking shows too. In one night they can film a whole show. Most of the meals are cooked and judged in under an hour.

I can't see brewing translating well to that platform. They spend a day brewing a beer. Then they come back a couple months later to test the results?

It would be slow to watch IMO.
 
Interesting, we'll have to see how it turns out.

Though I can predict through my massive powers of precognition (and an understanding of how internet forums work, and a history of it already happening with shows like Brewmasters, or the good eats brewing episode) that a bunch of people will hate it and delight in bashing it, no matter what. And an equal number will jump on every little mistake the host, or announcer or any non brewing member of the program makes...Like says sterilize instead of sanitize or whatever.

;)
 
Plus the act of beer brewing isn't all that excited to watch.

It is if you can sell the process as so potentially dangerous that you need to put bottle conditioning beer in a cooler to stave off said danger! ;) :D

That's one of the biggest reasons I didn't like BrewMasters. It seemed ~20 minutes out of every episode was watching DFH pour beer down the drain.

They had to (I guess) try and create some drama some how.

Like you said, the overall process isn't that exciting; I mean who wants to tune in for water chemistry adjustments, pH discussions, hop AA% translated into IBUs as a function of AAU, time, and gravity.

Oooooh, and the always exciting gravity, plato, and Brix discussions.

Face it, we're geeks. :eek:
 
It is if you can sell the process as so potentially dangerous that you need to put bottle conditioning beer in a cooler to stave off said danger! ;) :D

That's one of the biggest reasons I didn't like BrewMasters. It seemed ~20 minutes out of every episode was watching DFH pour beer down the drain.

They had to (I guess) try and create some drama some how.

Like you said, the overall process isn't that exciting; I mean who wants to tune in for water chemistry adjustments, pH discussions, hop AA% translated into IBUs as a function of AAU, time, and gravity.

Oooooh, and the always exciting gravity, plato, and Brix discussions.

Face it, we're geeks. :eek:

Exactly!!!! Especially the geek part.
 
Just started digging into the show a little. It looks like they have to do more than just brew: (pair with food, market, run a brewpub) so that should help with excitement,

The show is actually casting still. How cool would it be to get an HBTer on the show? I can't believe there aren't posts about this all over HBT.
 
Just started digging into the show a little. It looks like they have to do more than just brew: (pair with food, market, run a brewpub) so that should help with excitement,

The show is actually casting still. How cool would it be to get an HBTer on the show? I can't believe there aren't posts about this all over HBT.

There was an HBTer on next top chef last year. Does that count?
 
Like you said, the overall process isn't that exciting; I mean who wants to tune in for water chemistry adjustments, pH discussions, hop AA% translated into IBUs as a function of AAU, time, and gravity.

Oooooh, and the always exciting gravity, plato, and Brix discussions.

Face it, we're geeks. :eek:

Good point. How many times do our friends' eyes glaze over when we start talking about homebrewing...with most of my friends I get ~30seconds of interest in the process, then they just zone out. Even the ones that love the beer.

Can you imagine "BrewStrong: The Video Series"? Haha, I love John & Jamil, but that might not fly... Charlie might make a good show though.

I bet a commercial brewing show would have a chance - get Stone, RR, DFH, Bells, etc and do a 30 minute segment on each one, or shows by style with some history of each style, might be pretty cool.
 
The idea sounded better in my head. Waiting for mash to convert is a lot more exciting when you are in your kitchen drinking beer than it would be watching someone else do it on TV.
 
Good point. How many times do our friends' eyes glaze over when we start talking about homebrewing...with most of my friends I get ~30seconds of interest in the process, then they just zone out. Even the ones that love the beer.

Yeah, most (all?) non-homebrewers have 3 basic questions about homebrewing:

1) is it legal?
2) is it dangerous?
3) is it cheaper than buying a 12er of Bud Light?

Face it, past that, in general, the audience TV execs are after doesn't care.

I mean, can you see Ryan Seachrist (however the hell you spell his name) saying on Fox 2-3 times a week:

Vote now!!!!!

Txt 001 for Revvy's Mole Porter
Txt 002 for BierMuncher's Outter Limits IPA, or
Txt 003 for EdWort's Haus Pale Ale

Though, I will admit that ~95% of my friends have asked if I saw Brewmasters, Moonshiners, or How Beer saved the world...
 
AZ_IPA said:
Yeah, most (all?) non-homebrewers have 3 basic questions about homebrewing:

1) is it legal?
2) is it dangerous?
3) is it cheaper than buying a 12er of Bud Light?

Face it, past that, in general, the audience TV execs are after doesn't care.

I mean, can you see Ryan Seachrist (however the hell you spell his name) saying on Fox 2-3 times a week:

Vote now!!!!!

Txt 001 for Revvy's Mole Porter
Txt 002 for BierMuncher's Outter Limits IPA, or
Txt 003 for EdWort's Haus Pale Ale

Hahaha good point.

If this show does get picked up, for the love of god keep it off NBC, FOX, and CBS. Most of their reality shows are so overproduced (looking at you America's Next Great Restaurant).
 
I would really like to see something like Brewmasters come back and showcase a different micro each episode. That might even get more people into the brewpubs as they realize what's around them, kind of like Diner Drive-Ins and Dives has done for small restaurants.
 
I went to a beer festival the weekend before last where we had a beer tasting and pairing. I could definitely watch a show on how to make the food they had for us to pair with the beer. Some of my favorites were the cheeses they had though. Try a sage cheddar cheese with your next homebrew. It's delicious! They also had a port cheese and stout cheese which were both good as well.
 
kind of like Diner Drive-Ins and Dives has done for small restaurants.

Sadly, the negative stigma assosciated with alcohol prevents something like this (in my opinion); yet it's okay to continually show food prep and restaurants that serve 3000 calorie meals with dozens (hundreds?) of grams of saturated fat.
 
Food Network approached a brewer in Boston about it, but the show ended up at a dead end because there was no food, only beer brewing. What a shame.
 
AZ_IPA said:
It is if you can sell the process as so potentially dangerous that you need to put bottle conditioning beer in a cooler to stave off said danger! ;) :D

That's one of the biggest reasons I didn't like BrewMasters. It seemed ~20 minutes out of every episode was watching DFH pour beer down the drain.

They had to (I guess) try and create some drama some how.

Like you said, the overall process isn't that exciting; I mean who wants to tune in for water chemistry adjustments, pH discussions, hop AA% translated into IBUs as a function of AAU, time, and gravity.

Oooooh, and the always exciting gravity, plato, and Brix discussions.

Face it, we're geeks. :eek:

Hell, you could eat up an entire season on primary vs. Secondary alone!

My guess is that Revvy would be the Gordon Ramsey of that season!
 
Sadly, the negative stigma assosciated with alcohol prevents something like this (in my opinion); yet it's okay to continually show food prep and restaurants that serve 3000 calorie meals with dozens (hundreds?) of grams of saturated fat.

Have you seen Three Sheets?
 
weirdboy said:
Have you seen Three Sheets?

Yes. I love that show! Sadly I now have DISH network and they don't have the channel it airs on. I would do Zane's job for a fraction of what they pay him.
 
Grinnan5150 said:
Yes. I love that show! Sadly I now have DISH network and they don't have the channel it airs on. I would do Zane's job for a fraction of what they pay him.

Zane currently does a show called 'drinking made easy' on dish's network HDNET.
 
Brewmasters did well in the ratings, it was pulled because of a threat to pull advertising from all of Discovery Channel's stations by a large brewery from what I understand.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like there's any money in the idea. Networks are only interested in shows that get great ratings and judging by Brewmasters (which I really wish had continued) and that History on Tap show (which I can't even find a record of existing beyond Revvy's thread and the site he linked to in it) people just aren't interested in watching shows about craft and home brewing. When the majority drink BMC and are barely even aware that craft breweries exist, it's really hard to get an audience for a TV show.
 
Grinnan5150 said:
Is it any good? Thank you for letting me know!!

Yeah I like it, it's like three sheets for North America....at least the US and Canada. Same idea as the three sheets, they go to a city and hit up the local alcohol makers and places to get it.
Just looked at the site and saw three sheets is still going, haven't seen it in a while, Might be able to watch either from the drinkingmadeeasy.com site.
 
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