What does your SWMBO think of your brewing hobby(lifestyle for some of you)

my wife doesn't drink, doesn't do drugs, doesn't go out with her friends, doesn't do ANYTHING except sit home and B and M about anything and everything that exists in the world. On the other hand, I drink, do drugs, go out, brew beer, party and enjoy life.....all AFTER i spend time with my kids and make sure they're well taken care of. So my wife does not SUPPORT my brewing habit, even though she was the one that first suggested I brew my own beer. I think she thought I'd never buy beer again, but when i had to actually BREW the beer I drank, she realized the mistake she made.

When I told her I was going to start brewing beer she just rolled her eyes and said, "NO thats stupid, you don't need to that". Of course I ignored her and proceeded with extreme recklessness and brewed about once a week for awhile. Its become apart of my routine that she has no choice but to tolerate it. She's a good girl, and tolerant of me, and patient, just kinda stupid for thinking I could be stopped from making beer, I mean its BEER!

My wife is growing tired of it. She was probably hoping that it would be more of a money-saver. Now that I'm itching to try all-grain, it's going to start getting more difficult.

You can save money if you can ever quit buying equipment and expensive beer samples of new styles.

logan3825 said:

You can save money if you can ever quit buying equipment and expensive beer samples of new styles.

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Haha, for sure.. I moved to all-grain with the idea that it would allow me to produce the cheapest beer (bulk grain is way cheaper than extract). Well, sure.. I can make a batch of beer for super cheap - but I keep buying new gadgets (grain mill, pump, quick disconnects, plate chiller, etc.)

And then there's the fact that I didn't stop buying beer, I just stopped buying common beers like pale ales cuz it's easy to brew something similar for cheaper - but now I'm buying more expensive 22oz craft beers. Oh well, my wife accepts that it's a hobby - hobbies are expensive, my other hobby is motorcycle trackdays which is easily more expensive than brewing at ~$200 a day.

The only complaint my wife has is the amount of "stuff" that has built up in the house. I just need someplace better to keep my equipment and empty bottles. That problem will be resolved when we move out of the city, into a house that actually has some storage space.

I guess I should add that she isn't a beer drinker. She will try stuff when we are drinking with friends, but she really isn't into it at all. She has no problems with my addiction tho, so that's been great.

I guess I am in the very lucky group SWMBO Is an artist and very creative person and loves that I have a hobby that i am so passionate/obsessed about. She loves good beer ( Especially Belgian's), love the smell of the mash, the boil and the hops. She likes to help out from time to time but she has her own hobbies. She will go to the LHBS by her job if I need something and can't get to the store myself. She puts up with me taking over the kitchen 2x a month to brew and bottle batches. She is ok with me keeping washed yeast in the refrigerator and hops and my frozen yeast bank in the freezer. She gets me beer and brewing related gifts for xmas and birthdays. She is always excited to go to the GABF with me and has no issues with my HBC meetings and related events. Her only request is to get home before midnight when I have club meetings

My wife enjoys the beer. she has hobbies too. but every time a package comes in the mail my kids say, Ohh, more beer stuff. Hopefull with the arrival of my 40 plate chiller in a couple of days that should keep me busy, since I'm well bulk stocked on Grain and Hops

Ohh but theres that looming project to motorize my Monster Mill

SWMBO got me a year's subscription to byo for valentines. She hates beer but I make her sip each new one I sample and give me a real opinion, not just the typical bitter/cat piss/etc etc. One day I even got her to say an Ipa was good, I think theres hope for her yet.

My wife is very supportive, she bought me a kegerator last year, and she'll always try my beer. Ever few batches I ask her what kind of beer she wants, to keep her interested. The only thing she doesn't like about it is the smell of hops while boiling.

My wife is on board, more so, it seems, today than even a month ago. I've been brewing over 2 years and she's been right beside me each and every sip. Right now we're shopping for kegerator pieces. Only problem is sometimes, she kills the keg and I have to make more beer. In fact tomorrow she's brewing the beer, not me.

I'm pretty fortunate....my wife likes good beer, including stouts and porters. She helps me on just about every batch I brew, and was on board for going all grain. I just told I was getting a grain mill...she said cool! I think she's even on board for building a keezer, but we just need to find a good spot for it.

We have a wildly different taste in beer but I do not mind making a few batches that she will like more than me. We have been together since before I started this hobby and she still admits to wanting to marry me in a few months...

She tries to care and pretends to listen while I spout off beer related stuff. She will help if I really need her help but has made it clear; it is my hobby and she has little interest beyond drinking beer. On that note she has "fully awakened" into the world of real beers. Less than a year ago she would tell you how much she hates Guinness now she likes it. She does hate IIPAs but will still try them (she asks for a drink from mine, almost every time!). She will no longer drink BMC too.

As for the "lifestyle" that is happening faster than I thought. With money tightening I am now planning to reuse my spent ingredients, not just grains. While this does not lower the cost per bottle directly. It does lower other bills. As an example, I no longer buy bread. I bake a new loaf about every 2-3 days. I get to load it full of "good for you things" that are typically not found in prepackaged breads and we are consuming the spent grains. SWMBO is with me 100% on this side and is actually trying to push me to do this ASAP.

She love's it!! She used to hate beer before I got into brewing and craft beer. Now she loves craft beer and is always asking what we should brew next? I always have some one to brew with! Since I have started all-grain she has been using the spent gains for bread and other recipes. Steady rolling at this house!!!

jer204 said:

I got home from work one day and my wife said to me...

"Why don't you run down to Eastman Party Store and buy one of those kits to make your own beer?"

How do I a turn that down. And now, I brew once a week.

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I know exactly where that is, grew up in midland. Wandered through Eastman Party in July (HS reunion). Great combination of brews, wine and brewing supplies. Left a case of home brew with my dad, who brought the bottles back in September.

tim

I don't have an (insert ANNOYING acronym here), and don't plan to, but my girlfriend almost drinks more beer than I do. But if she were to start giving me grief about my obsessive brewing life, she's getting punted

My wife deals with it pretty well. She's gotten used to the hobby taking up more space than she would have liked (especially when I put a 4 corny kegerator in the TV room), and in return I remember to brew some styles that I know she likes. She's not really a "beer person" though, so I doubt she'd shed any tears if I gave it up. In return, I accept that it is my hobby and don't try and make her partake in it. So far, so good.

she bought 2/3 of the gear, and supported me in brewing our wedding beer. So yea, not an issue. I support her kitchen habits and understand that no, I cannot use her thermopen unless I ask.

SWMBO is "okay" with my hobby since I am now retired. However, she thinks I should do more "other" things to keep myself "busy". Of course she also reminds me that beer has a lot of calories, so then it's NOT such a good hobby. So she also reminds me that I should be working out at the club more.......... because of the extra calories you know..... Also, when I give her a sample of my newest amazing creation...she sips it and says....."Tastes like beer".......... Anyway.......I love my hobby and don't plan to give it up any time soon. Despite SWMBO........................

NRS

Mine likes to tell everybody we meet that I brew beer. Then she says that it's cool with her because "it keeps him off the streets."

So, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?

Oh yea... I got hop rhizomes for valentines day.

As long as I keep a keg of cider on tap she's for it.

She is all for it, but a 2 brew week was not an easy sell. Last night she saw the FG sample and said "Oooo that is a nice color!"

My "HWMBO" wasn't a beer drinker before I met him, but he sure as heck is a lot more knowledgeable now. He still prefers wine over a hoppy beer, but in general he's very supportive and more importantly, he helps me clean up

My gal loves brewing and going to the LHBS with me and the smell of brewing and . . .

yeah, she's the best.

She even makes trips to the exotic craft beer store to buy me varied craft beers. The other day she found a store that had six packs of SN Celebration Ale from 2008, 2009 and 2010, two of each year, so she got me one of those and a six pack of some other craft beer, and a bottle of kriek.

She is even starting to appreciate beer! (a little.)

My wife has capped nearly every batch of beer I have ever bottled and is always supportive of the hobby and flexible when I blow some money on equipment.

I just have to make sure I always have a belgium/fruit beer/wheat always available for her consumption.

I would say mine is supportive. She bought and setup shelving for all my gear in the 2nd bedroom. She fills the bottles and I cap. She is also sanitizes the gear and does the clean up as well. I guess my only complaint would be that I have to keep brewing an IPA for her, and man I hate IPAs haha.

my girlfriend is pretty supportive, she had moved into my place which was in a not-so-good part of the city a few months back. So now we're getting ready to move into a nicer place/nicer neighborhood. I paid for the cost of getting into the house and moving, her way of thanking me?

Buying me my first dual keg system :rockin:

She'll try every beer i make, and offer her opinion, but doesn't drink much more than that. She's a PBR girl when she does and recently hasn't really been drinking at all.

I'm hoping to make a cream ale that she'll like.

My wife loves beer as much as I do, and the only thing that keeps her from drinking more of it is the calories. She tastes every hydrometer sample with me and caps almost every bottle.

She's usually the one who tells me, "You should brew this weekend." Of course, that could be because whenever I brew, rack or bottle I clean the kitchen first.

My girlfriend likes it, as long as the brew tastes good

My wife is supportive. She's happy I've found a hobby I enjoy that isn't gambling. She is concerned about the increasing amount of stuff in the apartment. I fear she may angle this as an excuse to move to the suburbs.

My wife, a beer drinker, was moderately interested in what I was brewing, but not enough to get very involved.

We had a vacation to Southern Cali planned for this past Jan, so the batch before we left I got her involved. She was very receptive, and helped take temps, etc during mashing, and then helped watch the boil.

Her favorite part of the whole trip was the Stone brewery tour - mostly because she knew what all the equipment was for. We've been in breweries before, but this was the first time she recognized the manufacturing process and understood what was going on.

Mine got me the Mr.Beer kit for Christmas a couple years ago, so I blame her haha. She's cool with me doing it, no problems really. She doesn't really like beer though, won't really drink it at all. However, her nose is like a million times better than average, and she doesn't mind smelling hops to tell me what she smells in all of them. I take notes and this helps me construct my recipes. So I'm glad she likes the smell of hops at least!

mine hates beer (although she loves peach lambics... ugh... "uh, honey, that takes a year..."), i don't think she GAF one way or another... neither do it.. by the way, the title SWMBO is pretty derogatory... i know no chick i've dated (or married) ever obeyed and neither did i... lol.