It's Official: I got the "it's an illness" speech

After being into homebrewing for only two months, I got the 'it's an illness' speech last night from my wife. I denied it of course, and wisely decided against arguing that it was actually a 'passion'. I guess she noticed the 11 cases of bottles, 2 sanke kegs, 4 carboys, fridge, giant ice chest and assorted tools of the trade that I've acquired with surprising speed (and frugal skill on my part). I guess she wants her closet & parking space in the garage back

Here's to 'the illness'



...

You could always point out that with so much beer in stock that you are obviously not drinking enough for it to be an illness.

"I've got a fever... and the only prescription is, MORE CARBOYS!"

Or point her to some of us "power users" setups to show how relatively little you have invested compared to "the rest of us". Hmm, on second thought, she sounds pretty smart - scratch that. She'll probably figure out that you'll end up with just as much or more as the rest of us... heh

Illness? I try on a regular basis to tell my SWMBO that beer is what keeps me from getting sick. I didn't get the flu last year when everyone else did, I haven't had a cold in quite awhile.... Sounds like sound rationale that beer is keeping me healthy, right?

It's a well known fact by all of our non-brewing spouses that we are all (male and females alike) sick bastids. But, brewing is only an "illness" when you find you can;t function without alcohol in your blood stream.

It just unfortunate that so many attribute this hobby with alcoholism when the majority of us who brew are more practical about our consumption than most.

Or the B12 in the yeast. In fact, you should insist that her calling out of work is costing your family time and money and that you will need to insist that she start drinking the homebrew, too, if she really cares about the family.

I think you wife has confused "illness" with "obsession".

I agree, in the last 5 or so months, the only beer that I have drank at home has been my own. Now I am out and have 10 gal about 3 weeks away from being drinkable....I better get to brewin more...10 planned.

The trick is to give her what she wants. Then she'll probably leave you alone. Unless of course you're going on drunken rampages...then I'd say it would be an illness .

'atta boy!

I always have Apfelwein ready for the wife, and a few times a year I'll make her a Blonde or a Summer Ale clone as a 'thank you' for putting up with my brewing obsession, but for the most part she's cool with it. She knows how much I enjoy it so I get very little, if any, grief about how often I'm doing beer tasks.

At the most I get the "Beer drinkers belly" comments but, always counter with a "it's not the beer it's all your wonderful cooking".

I used to get grief about all the gear builds and buys but now I am at a point where there isn't much more gear I could use (lest I just buy a system).

Now she comments about all the gear and my lack of brewing. She even occasionally comments that I need to make something before those hops or grain get stale. And yet, she doesn't drink.

WhaHoo.:rockin:

I once told someone that I brew beer at home and they quickly said "You'd have to be an alcoholic to brew your own beer!". I was shocked at the viewpoint and explained that if I was only interested in getting drunk it would be easier, quicker and less exppensive to spend my time and money just buying beer. Since then I am less likley to bring up the topic especially at work.

Yeah, my friend who drinks a minimum of two cases of bud light on the weekends recently commented to his parents that I was the true alcoholic cause I brew my own beer. I said that if I was interested in just getting drunk, I'd exclusively drink $12 cheap handles of vodka. This guy also drinks liquor and beer during the week. I was amazed that my brewing is what made me an alcoholic. I don't understand where that perception comes from.

GilaMinumBeer said:

It's a well known fact by all of our non-brewing spouses that we are all (male and females alike) sick bastids. But, brewing is only an "illness" when you find you can;t function without alcohol in your blood stream.

It just unfortunate that so many attribute this hobby with alcoholism when the majority of us who brew are more practical about our consumption than most.

Click to expand...

I agree. I compare it to my wife's hobby of baking.

Q: Does my wife have an eating problem due to baking?
A: No.

Q: Am I an alcoholic from brewing?
A: No.

jgln said:

I once told someone that I brew beer at home and they quickly said "You'd have to be an alcoholic to brew your own beer!". I was shocked at the viewpoint and explained that if I was only interested in getting drunk it would be easier, quicker and less exppensive to spend my time and money just buying beer. Since then I am less likley to bring up the topic especially at work.

Click to expand...

Yup. I stopped bringing it up at work too. It's sad, because being an engineer... I thought that my coworkers would be interested in the science of brewing. Shrug.

When confronted by my SWMBO about all of my beer making and storage equipment, I knew that arguing the merits of beer would be useless, instead, I use an appeal to her sensibility. I told her that while most guys my age are busy chasing young blondes and buying sports cars, I on the otherhand brew beer and ride my Harley. That ended the whole matter, she is now very supportive of my brewing hobby.

the_bird said:

"I've got a fever... and the only prescription is, MORE CARBOYS!"

Click to expand...

that's solid

Freddy57 said:

When confronted by my SWMBO about all of my beer making and storage equipment, I knew that arguing the merits of beer would be useless, instead, I use an appeal to her sensibility. I told her that while most guys my age are busy chasing young blondes and buying sports cars, I on the otherhand brew beer and ride my Harley. That ended the whole matter, she is now very supportive of my brewing hobby.

Click to expand...

Brewing is a good that way. It keeps us home and busy. It's also cheap entertainment with benefits.

What other hobby can you pay ~$20.00 and get 6-10 hours of entertainment, exercise, and 2 cases of beer?

njnear76 said:

Brewing is a good that way. It keeps us home and busy. It's also cheap entertainment with benefits.

What other hobby can you pay ~$20.00 and get 6-10 hours of entertainment, exercise, and 2 cases of beer?

Click to expand...

That's right, and when I'm out on the patio brewing or in the garage fussing over my beer as it ferments and conditions, I'm at home and staying out of trouble. I can now brew as much as I want to and never get any argument from my wife at all, cost has ceased to be a barrier.

njnear76 said:

Yup. I stopped bringing it up at work too. It's sad, because being an engineer... I thought that my coworkers would be interested in the science of brewing. Shrug.

Click to expand...

I feel your pain about not really being able to talk about beer/alcohol at work. I'm in the NAVY and there is a huge "alcohol deglamorization" campaign going on. My superiors at my last command were cool with my homebrewing and actually asked for some bottles, but now at my new duty station I brought up the fact that I brew and they looked like they wanted to send me to counselling. Oh well hasnt stopped me yet, and it wont!:rockin:

An illness? My bread just comes out funny... I cant quite get it right...

njnear76 said:

Yup. I stopped bringing it up at work too. It's sad, because being an engineer... I thought that my coworkers would be interested in the science of brewing. Shrug.

Click to expand...

I also would defend myself by saying that I make my own dough for pizza and bread, make my own sauce, grow my own vegetables, grow fruit, make wine from fresh grapes, thinking of buying chickens/goats, etc, etc, etc......why? All because I am interested in how things are done and made and find it thrilling when I can make something myself. Some people just have no interest in these sort of things and don't understand why we do it. Lucky for me my fiancee has the same curiosities.

NoNothing said:

An illness? My bread just comes out funny... I cant quite get it right...

Click to expand...

I find the problem for me is that I just can't seem to get the dough viscous enough. Keeps coming out liquidy. Oh well...I will just have to keep at til I get it right.

I hold my own council, what others think of me and my actions are of no concern to me. If they would like to judge me they can feel free. I don't worry about it, I do what I like. I have my own notions of right, wrong, moral, ethical, etc and live by it.

I've yet to get the "it's an illnes" speech but then again I have no SWMBO to peak of. but I have gotten the "are you an alcoholic?" from some people. from people who drink MUCH more than I do. whenever people say that I just ask them to come to a brewing night so they can see exactly whats going on with it.

I think some people, when you tell them, have a misconception of what it is. maybe visions of rotting fruit in a prison toilet bowl come to their minds or something. I dunno.

jgln said:

I once told someone that I brew beer at home and they quickly said "You'd have to be an alcoholic to brew your own beer!". I was shocked at the viewpoint and explained that if I was only interested in getting drunk it would be easier, quicker and less exppensive to spend my time and money just buying beer. Since then I am less likley to bring up the topic especially at work.

Click to expand...

I still get the look like I'm some sort of backwoods moonshiner with my still hidden behind my shack in the woods. When I explain the law and exactly what I'm doing, 9/10 people still have that BS stare on their face. Oh well, I guess that's less beer I'll have to share

Whenever you run into someone who doesn't understand why you homebrew, tell them to read Fermenting Revolution (subtitled: How to Drink Beer and Save the World). In fact, all of you should read it too because it will give new meaning to the hobby you already love. It's an especially good read for your lady friends because it talks about how brewing used to a female thing until men messed it up by industrializing it. But you men are making up for your mistakes now by brewing at home again

Check it out: http://www.fermentingrevolution.com/

I'm a doctoral student in theology, and my friends at the University all are really intrigued by my brewing- two of them are planning to brew with me soon to learn how to do it themselves. Go figure.

GregR said:

I've yet to get the "it's an illnes" speech but then again I have no SWMBO to peak of.

Click to expand...

Peaking at other people's SWMBO's? That'll get ya shot!

Displaced MassHole said:

I feel your pain about not really being able to talk about beer/alcohol at work. I'm in the NAVY and there is a huge "alcohol deglamorization" campaign going on. My superiors at my last command were cool with my homebrewing and actually asked for some bottles, but now at my new duty station I brought up the fact that I brew and they looked like they wanted to send me to counselling. Oh well hasnt stopped me yet, and it wont!:rockin:

Click to expand...

That sucks.

I'm Navy too, and have 3 active brewers in my office, one in a different rate across the hall, and a guy who used to do it who is talking about starting up again in December. :rockin::rockin:

McKBrew said:

That sucks.

I'm Navy too, and have 3 active brewers in my office, one in a different rate across the hall, and a guy who used to do it who is talking about starting up again in December. :rockin::rockin:

Click to expand...

Yup that damned "Right Spirit" campaign. What the hell was wrong with the drunken sailor image anyways.......lol

Here's to "drinking to the foam"

I think some people get jealous that others have hobbies that they passionately pursue...

I haven't had anyone tell me I was an alcoholic for brewing. But others thought it was illegal. It's not moonshine people.

I'm lucky. I started brewing because I'm a beer nerd and most of my friends are beer nerds. I live with two of my friends who love beer. I told my parents I wanted to quit my real job to work at a brewery next year and they are supportive. I work at a video game company with a lot of heavy drinkers who support my habit by buying ingredients for me to brew. They get beer in return and I get more practice.

Maybe it is an illness. I don't think most of us here are alcoholics. We're just passionate about the craft we love.

conpewter said:

Peaking at other people's SWMBO's? That'll get ya shot!

Click to expand...

LOL! look but don't touch right?

I also hunt. I'm a meataholic as well.

I build my own motorcycles... I'm a bikeaholic.

I searched for and married a woman... I'm a womanaholic.

Etc, etc, etc.

If this hobby/obsession/whatever is an illness...










... COUNT ME IN!!

Saccharomyces said:

If this hobby/obsession/whatever is an illness...

... COUNT ME IN!!

Click to expand...

Right on there Blue Shorts Dude :rockin:

Tread carefully... If she's already getting ancy it could only get worse if you're not carefule.

Though, ****, my wife is just glad I have a hobby. And when she points out how much room all my stuff takes up I just point out that the stuff for her hobbies takes up MUCH more space, though all of the individual pieces are much smaller.

The only resistance I get is sometimes she says, "We have so much beer, we should probably wait awhile before brewing again...". (I love the royal "we"). I simply smile, and start up the next batch as planned.

Bonus, her boss just emailed and demanded that I make beer for the president and VP of her company. Got to get to "work"

the_bird said:

"I've got a fever... and the only prescription is, MORE CARBOYS!"

Click to expand...

I gotta have more carboys!