Taking a break from brewing....(kind of long)

I've decided to take a break from brewing for a few months/images/smilies/frown.gif. I just don't have the time, room, or money for it right now.

When my wife and I got married, we didn't get to have a ceremony due to lack of finances. So we scheduled the wedding date for April 2008 several months ago. When I got l aid off a few weeks ago, I had to tap into my savings to keep us afloat for a while. I had a couple jobs that fell through, a couple extra bills that I had not expected, baby formula and diapers, etc, etc, etc. So now, I have to replenish what we have spent. SWMBO has been dying to go back to work, just one or two nights a week. She was a pretty well paid bartender before I knocked her ass up! So she might go back, too. We'll see. I don't have a problem with it so long as she's only gone one or two nights a week. I don't dig babysitters or daycares, so it would have to be when I wasn't working.

Also, our lease is up the same month as we are getting married, and we do not want to renew our lease here. We want a bigger place with a yard and more bedrooms and more Sq. feet, and we want a house...not a town house. We're going to rent from a private party. So we're going to stay here one extra month after the lease expires. I don't want to have to try to transfer full carboys all the way across town.

I have really wanted to upgrade my brewing all the way around. I have all my kegs for keggle, MLT, HLT, etc. I want to build a single tier sculpture, and I have already priced out my metal and come up with a sexy design. I can get the metal for dirt cheap through our supplier for the apprenticeship school. That's just another big, bulky item to move across town. I've already got a lot of equipment to move as it is.

I want to make the jump to all-grain. My beers have been decent, but not great. I want my beers to be great. I want to overhaul my entire brewing process - from bottle cleaning, to note taking, to fermenting temps, and so on. These are all things that I think would be suited for a fresh start in a new house.

In light of all of this, the best course of action is for me just to put it all on hold for a few months. I don't necessarily want to. Brewing is my hobby. It is something that I do everyday whether I am brewing, playing around on HBT, cleaning bottles, or scouring CraigsList for deals.

Between trying to be frugal and save money, trying to pack everything and move, building my sculpture, and the general tasks of everyday life, I don't think I would have time to brew. Not the way that I want to anyways.

I will however, keep a couple packs of wine yeast laying around for a batch or two of Apfelwein. It costs 20$ to make, and it might just satisfy my craving to brew. I also have 48 lbs of honey for a couple Meads that I've been wanting to do. I will do one 5 gallon batch PDQ, because we wanted to have mead for our wedding. I'll have to do it quick if I want it to be ready in time. I also have been wanting to do a small batch for my daughter's 21st birthday. I don't know if I'll do that one yet or just wait until we do the big move.




Bummed in Las Vegas/images/smilies/frown.gif



I will take this as an opportunity to keep reading books on brewing.

I will continue to frequent HBT as well. I think you guys will keep me sane for the next few months.....or make me go completely mad!/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Rest assured, once we do move into the new domicile, I will be brewing like crazy!!!

That's one stipulation for the new place....If we're going to be getting a place with more room, some of the "new room" will be for my brewing endeavors!!!!







End of Novel.

While that's sad to hear, talley, it's proper to put your family first and I'm glad to hear that you'll still be hanging with us lushes. You get everything sorted out and take care of your family and then you can fire up the burner again. In the meantime you can live vicariously through HBT. We'll keep you in the loop.

talleymonster said:

I want to make the jump to all-grain. My beers have been decent, but not great. I want my beers to be great. I want to overhaul my entire brewing process - from bottle cleaning, to note taking, to fermenting temps, and so on. These are all things that I think would be suited for a fresh start in a new house.

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First off, good luck with everything that you are trying to do on the home front!

Something to consider is that while AG brewing opens up a slew of options and all sorts of new equipment, it isn't a requirement for brewing great beer. You already have the basic gear so it's also a great opportunity to refine your technique so that when you make the jump to a new brewery/method, you are ready to rock.

What better way to save money than homebrew versus buying commercial beer?

I think you're making the right decision Talley; best to put family first. You can sharpen your brewing skills by reading, so you're still active in the hobby. Good luck!!

Well that sucks, but you're doing the right thing. As those before me have said, family comes first.

It's tough to have to take a break from a hobby you love, but I have a feeling when you come back to it you'll be even more fired up and ready to brew.

sorry buddy, but it's only for a short time!

Brewing is a hobby that can be set aside for a while without losing anything. I didn't brew from April to September this year, because of the heat.

Make the mead and take care of the family (amazing how expensive those little things are to take care of). With only 6 months to the wedding, you'll probably want to keep the mead on the low end of the curve.

It's good to be able to prioritize. Family does always come first. good luck with the hiatus. you'll be brewing in no time!

Like I said, I am still searching CL for deals even if I am not brewing. Today I almost scored a free fridge but I was too late. A little while later my buddy called to tell me about a CL ad he saw for a free fridge(he saw it, too). I told him I didn't get it.
Anyways, he goes on to tell me that he needs his Operating System and some additional software installed on his PC, because he is completely computer retarded.
He tells me he'll give me his garage fridge and a 10lb CO2 tank he's got laying around. SWEET!


I'm not done....

I had 2 people contact me with a few cases of bottles they're gonna give me.
One guy used to brew beer, but had top quit for health reasons. He's going to give me the last of his remaining bottles. All the rest of his old gear he sold a few years ago.
He asked me if I was interested in kegging, and naturally I told him "YES."
He says he is a plummer and does a lot of work for restaurants and bars in Las Vegas. He says there's always good, quality kegging gear getting thrown away (upgrades, replacements, etc), so he'll save whatever he comes across for me.

What a good day.

Also landed a good job today!

brother I didnt brew for a year while I was putting together my system and taking care of other hobbys and such. I always lurked around here and stayed in the loop. I applaued (ya I cant spell) you for puting your family first, that is the sign of a true MAN and a good man , good for you... and brewing will always be there for you when you want it.
JJ

Best of luck to ya.

talleymonster said:

Also landed a good job today!

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You add that as an afterthought? Come on! Spill it. We want the gory details.

Sweet News Talley, Sorry to hear about the hiatus from brewing, but it sounds like it is already working out for you. Glad to hear that you are sticking around here though. I can understand the need for family I got a 1.5 year old that really limits my brewing time, but i wouldn't change a thing.

Cheers

Good going Tally! Family always comes first. I took a 7 year break and am now back in full force when I'm older and more able to afford all the toys.

Once a homebrewer, always a homebrewer.

Hang in there dude!

You're doing the right thing, man....without family/frineds, you've got nothing

I can relate; I've really had to slow down my purchases for my rig due to our firstborn being due in Feb...gotta start saving money for the baby, not drinking the money for the baby!

BTW, sounds like you've just had some serious Beer-Karma! Congrats on the fridge/equipment score, as well as the new job!

Fingers said:

You add that as an afterthought? Come on! Spill it. We want the gory details.

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Well, I landed a job with a new company in town. The guy who runs the company left a larger company here in Vegas to start his own company. The job is mainly demolition work right now, and night shift. I don't mind, DEMO is fun, and night shift would be a nice change of pace.

But on the way to their office this morning to do my paperwork and drug test, I got a call from another company. They had a better job to offer me, so I took it. My old partner left the last company we were with for a better position with a much bigger company. Well, now he's about to be the General Foreman on the biggest job in Las Vegas. So he pulled a couple strings and got me hired.

Starting tomorrow I'll be at MGM's Project City Center:rockin:

I drove by it today and I swear I saw at least 3 dozen cranes in the air, probably more. I've been on a couple pretty big jobs in Vegas, i.e. The Wynn, Red Rock Casino, etc....But this job blows all of them away!



BTW, thanks for all the encouragement guys!

Congrats on the job and the beer-related scores!

We were in Vegas last month and saw them working on it. You're gonna be busy

Good to hear.

Congrats. When I first heard about you getting laid off I was really kinda bummed, you're a great person/character to have around here. But then I got thinking pos'tive and all and figured being in the development business in Las Vegas is a great opportunity.

And about the reading, that's all that I did before I even brewed! (and I still don't know sheet!) I learned about homebrewing last September, read and saved money here and there until I brewed my first real batch this past January.

Also, mashing your own grains is much more fun!

Great news about the job! I echo what everyone else said about your hiatus from brewing. And it'll always be there for you to come back, to - I had 12 years away myself, similar reasons... Good luck w/the new job, baby, wedding, move, etc - you will be a busy man!

Congrats on the new gig :rockin:

I'm in a similar boat and I'm also taking a break. For time and financial reasons also, I just can't brew right now. I'm hoping its like riding a bike though. I'll never give it up completely