I'm so proud of my son

It's the middle of the night and I wake up to footsteps running down the hall toward my bedroom. My 3 year old opens the door and crawls in the bed. I'm barely awake and ask, "What's the matter? What happened?" He pulls the blanket over himself and says, "I want a lot of hops!" Then he rolls over and falls asleep.

He loves helping in the yard and watering the hops. Even at 2am (or whatever time it was) he can't wait for the harvest. He's trying to convince me that we should pick some right now, but I keep telling him to wait until they get bigger.

Anyone else have helpers who love the hops too?

I catch my 10-year-old nephew checking on our beers almost daily. Always looking at the fermentation temps and how the krausen is developing/falling. Had him brew the Cream of 3 Crops recipe about a month ago and he's very proud of it. (His first brew was a double decoction, at that!) Next year, we're going to plant a bunch of hops in the back yard, and I have no doubt he'll be out there checkin on them and wanting to water or pick or prune every day as well.

Your story wins for the cuteness factor though!

this makes me want children

I'm proud of mine... he just turned 21 and he is already a hophead. One day little Johnny is 6'2" and drinking your beer!

When I am traveling which seems to be a lot. My 8 year old daughter will call and tell me she has watered my hops for me and says "everything is a ok."

Passedpawn: one of my fears is my baby girl's boyfriend wanting to drink my homebrew. I am not ready for that day, but luckily have a few more years to get ready for it.

Very cool. My little guy (6yr) helped my cap my last batch out in the back yard.

My 3yo son loves helping Daddy with pitching the yeast, sniffing the airlock and bottling. It's a lovely father and son bonding experience.

I do have slight reservations about exposing a young child to alcohol related stuff at such a young age though. Anyone else feel the same way?

But it's offset by the fact that my wife and I are very much into home made food and self sufficiency, and beer is part of that. He understands that alcohol is an adult thing, but he loves helping me make and care for my beer.

ArnooBrew said:

I do have slight reservations about exposing a young child to alcohol related stuff at such a young age though. Anyone else feel the same way?

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I have the same reservations. When im at home i wont drink around him, when i do have a cold one its after hes gone to bed. when were at family parties hes to busy playing with his cousins to notice what im drinking, when he does we just call it daddy juice lol

passedpawn said:

I'm proud of mine... he just turned 21 and he is already a hophead. One day little Johnny is 6'2" and drinking your beer!

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I'm 22 and also became a hop-head at 21! Wish my father would also make some tasty homebrew and teach me the ways of the beer earlier in time.

Lucky kid he is!

flipfloptan said:

Passedpawn: one of my fears is my baby girl's boyfriend wanting to drink my homebrew. I am not ready for that day, but luckily have a few more years to get ready for it.

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When that happens just tell him it will be ready in a few weeks and ferment him a 1 gallon batch at 90 degrees...

neosapien said:

When that happens just tell him it will be ready in a few weeks and ferment him a 1 gallon batch at 90 degrees...

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You know you are a total beer geek when this is the funniest thing you heard all week!

I'm looking foreword to my little ones assisting in brewing and tending my hop garden.

My 4 yr old daughter loves watching my first year plants grow. She got really excited recently when the Cascade extended over the roof of my garage and started flowering. She loves helping out during the brew day also. I think she loves tasting the grains the most.

Have a 10 month old boy and can't wait for an experience like that. Congrats!