You know you're a home brewer when?

When you're watching a show with a medical scene and the subtitle says "EKG BEEPING", EKG being the machine that monitors your heart, and your first thought is, "How in the hell are East Kent Goldings beeping?"

When everyone and their mother asks/tells you about the beers at the White House. *FacePalm*

wSelwyn said:

When everyone and their mother asks/tells you about the beers at the White House. *FacePalm*

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Had my boss tell me, "If you're a real brew master you'll brew the White House beers and serve them to us here at work." I very nearly face palmed right in front of him.

When you work retail at an outdoor recreational company (selling bikes, boats, backbacks, roof racks, etc.) and customers come in to talk with you about beer, homebrewing, and advice on their next batch.

When the most important thing you learned in a week was the difference between high and low pressure propane.

When you are drinking a home brew and you realize that SWMBO is giving you the stink eye because she can tell you are disappointed at some "minor" imperfection, instead of just enjoying the beer.

JohnnySardonic said:

When you are drinking a home brew and you realize that SWMBO is giving you the stink eye because she can tell you are disappointed at some "minor" imperfection, instead of just enjoying the beer.

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Or when you are drinking a commercial beer and get that look on your face because you just thought of a dozen variations off it that you would like to make to "improve" it.

When talking about brewing never get boring no matter how many times you explain the process to someone.

You agree to go to hobby lobby to pick up ribbon for your wife's craft project because you can get nylon mesh for your hop spider project.

When your brew-day beers are from one of your less than perfect batches, but you finish them off anyhow just because you made it and might learn something for next time.

When your boss at the restaurant asks before going to the kitchen supply store if there's anything he should pick up for the brewery.

When said boss has offered up their commercial kitchen for you to use on brew day, but you would rather use your own setup.

You have two big hobbies, your not sure which you've put more money into, and the other one is computer tech.

When I had a dream tht all my primary tops popped off do to radical yeast, then pored all over the floor, when I awoke I was glad it was a dream.

You're less concerned with giving away beers than you are about getting the empties back.

You see the show Craft Wars on the guide and wish it was about homebrew competitions.

EnjoyGoodBeer said:

When I had a dream tht all my primary tops popped off do to radical yeast, then pored all over the floor, when I awoke I was glad it was a dream.

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When you have the same nightmares as other members on HBT!

mrwaffles said:

When your 3 yr old plays "making beer" in the bathtub during every bath time

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My kids used to love doing this. The only part that sucked was when they insisted I try some of their "beer"

philjohnwilliams said:

My kids used to love doing this. The only part that sucked was when they insisted I try some of their "beer"

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That's funny right there I don't care who you are.

Reidman said:

When you've had more than one person ask you if you're running a meth lab out of your garage...

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I've had the fire department and the police show up on seperate occasions. When they showed up they knew exactly what's going on, but I thought it was funny.

When you go fill up three propane containers at the same time and they ask you nervously what you need so much propane for...

When you rescue a dog and name him Barley. Poor fella is 5 years old and has never had a family. He's been in the shelter his whole life. Hair is matted beyond belief and has a double ear infection. His luck is going to change now

When you drive around and see large metal tanks in industrial settings and on trucks and you think, "how could I use that to make beer, and how much could I make?

fergusmj said:

when you rescue a dog and name him barley. Poor fella is 5 years old and has never had a family. He's been in the shelter his whole life. Hair is matted beyond belief and has a double ear infection. His luck is going to change now

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When I had a dream about buying a new thermometer because mine reads from 100• to 500• need one 0 to 220.

Krovitz said:

You're less concerned with giving away beers than you are about getting the empties back.

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Very true.

...your wife and daughter come home and say, "Why does the kitchen smell like roasted malt?"

I recently had surgery and when I was put under they said dream about something good like the beach. I told them I prefer the mountains. Anyways...My girlfriend is an anesthesiologist and she arranged for her friend to put me to sleep. She said the first thing I said when I awoke(I dont remember) was..."I was dreaming about making beer!"

Neco said:

...your wife and daughter come home and say, "Why does the kitchen smell like roasted malt?"

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when your wife and daughter can instantly recognize the smell of roasted malt.

H-ost said:

when your wife and daughter can instantly recognize the smell of roasted malt.

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And when your mashing, starting to boil and especially when you add the bittering hops because the kids like it until I add hops..

When you have no fermantation bucket left because they are all filled up fermenting beer

Koffie said:

When you have no fermantation bucket left because they are all filled up fermenting beer

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This looks like a job for Home Depot or Lowe's!

When a customer told me home brewing was more expensive than buying craft beer (says cost friend $4 per beer) I almost had a heart attack

Hulud said:

When a customer told me home brewing was more expensive than buying craft beer (says cost friend $4 per beer) I almost had a heart attack

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When you factor in the cost of equipment, for many of us, it is

You wander the streets of your neighborhood at 11:30pm on recycling day looking for long necks.

emjay said:

When you factor in the cost of equipment, for many of us, it is

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Well trust me I know that but if you have brewed enough it should be significantly lower.

Hulud said:

Well trust me I know that but if you have brewed enough it should be significantly lower.

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By the time I'm done building my eHERMS brewery, I think I'll have spent the better part of 10K on equipment/"fixed" costs. Even though I buy my grain and hops in bulk, I think it'll be quite some time before I break even

emjay said:

By the time I'm done building my eHERMS brewery, I think I'll have spent the better part of 10K on equipment/"fixed" costs. Even though I buy my grain and hops in bulk, I think it'll be quite some time before I break even

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Haha true.

But you gotta justify it somehow. I know I always exclude my fixed costs when people ask how much per beer because it's a hobby that I enjoy the actual aspect of brewing and building/buying equipment

Hulud said:

Haha true.

But you gotta justify it somehow. I know I always exclude my fixed costs when people ask how much per beer because it's a hobby that I enjoy the actual aspect of brewing and building/buying equipment

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Me too, and it does depend on how you decide to look at it. I'm just pointing out that your customer wasn't necessarily wrong as there is definitely merit to the idea that homebrewing is often more expensive than just buying beer

emjay said:

Me too, and it does depend on how you decide to look at it. I'm just saying there is merit to the idea that homebrewing is often more expensive than just buying beer

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This is true that in reality it will cost more with the fixed costs I just never thought someone would factor that in when discussing it with a non homebrewer

Also, most of your basic equipment is more or less a one-time investment ...or at least not something you are buying every time you brew.

Hulud said:

This is true that in reality it will cost more with the fixed costs I just never thought someone would factor that in when discussing it with a non homebrewer

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If anything, I think the fixed costs would be MORE relevant to a non-homebrewer, don't you think? Where we see it as an expense for our hobby/enjoyment, a non-homebrewer looking at the costs would pretty much have to take it into account.

alpha224 said:

Also, most of your basic equipment is more or less a one-time investment ...or at least not something you are buying every time you brew.

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It's been a point of serious contention way too often on this site, and my aim wasn't to stir things back up and argue for (or against) looking at a certain way. I was just trying to say that it wasn't necessarily a stupid thing for the customer to say, that's all.

And with that said, this is the last post I'm going to make about it, so as not to get anybody riled up