Thinking of giving up brewing!

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MVKTR2

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I'm ticked off!!! I just don't have the time to brew which is simply crazy considering I'm only employed part-time. We're strapped for cash so everything I do brew related seems to be done the 'hard' way. Example, I've had 2 corney kegs & a 20# co2 tank for over a year and haven't cobbled together the $80+ bucks it takes to get the rest of my kegging equipment yet. I'm just depressed with this crap, struggling to get time to bottle... struggling to get time to brew... everything done the hard way! I've got a Wee Heavy that's been sitting in the primary for over a month now and haven't had time to either transfer or at this point, bottle it. Tried last night, but had to put all my bottles up out of the dishwasher after sanitizing and such, just ran out of time dealing with everything else.

Thinking of signing this post 'Help depressed brewer'!

I was so mad last night I sat down and made a list of all my equipment and original prices so I could try to sell it for 60% of what I have in it! Suppose I'll cool off for a few days then see how I feel.

Phillip

Ps I was so disgusted last night I almost took my wee heavy out and just poured it out!!!
 
Relax dude, sounds like your having a bit of a rough time. It happens to all of us, i know all about it.

I guess this is a good time to quote Charlie P. RDWHAHB. If you have any. :)
 
Yeah, I find myself having a hard time finding time to do brew related things also... bottling is one of them. I can tell you this, I've left stuff in the primary for over 60 days and the product was great. Even with Wyeast 1968 which is supposedly a fast autolyser, no problem, up to 60 days from my experience. So don't worry about the wee being a bit old in the primary. Dude, you love brewing, and you will be brewing your whole life so just chill and regroup :)
 
That 80 bucks is going to make all the difference in the world. Focus on getting that keg system up and running and you'll never look back.
 
Ok now lets not do anything crazy, like pouring great beer down the drain!!!!! Yeah not having time or money to brew sucks! But the brew you do get to do, ages, is not rushed to be bottled or kegged. So there for it is really a great quality beer. Something to be shared and enjoyed with friends and family!!!

Besides if you do sale your brewing equipment. That means when money starts flowing again and you have time for hobbies. You are just going to be down at the LHBS buying new equipment. So look at it this way you are saving money!!!:D

As for having a CO2 bottle sitting around. I moved my 20 pound bottle three times before being able to get all of the equipment to start kegging. And that was before I started to brew beer.
 
I guarantee you there is not one person on HBT that hasn't had or doesn't have money and time problems. Things will get better. If things are bad right now, think how bad they will be once you've given up such a great hobby! Then you'll REALLY be depressed! Hang in there!

:tank:
 
I've been thinking about quitting as well. Can't seem to find the time with all the other house projects, and I've had an infection issue in all my kegs, and I think even the last one that I bottle conditioned is getting the same thing. Battling with that has become very discouraging.
 
If it helps also. I can't brew until I get some new o rings for chiller that I mounted in kettle. Yep got the grain weighted out and all. Filled kettle and saw water leaking. I have to wait until pay day, to fix something so little.
 
This past year with college I 'quit' for about a year.

I debated selling (I have well over a grand in equipment as Im sure a lot of people do) and figured I could recoup a couple hundred of that.

I gave it a year break, a month ago I started brewing again and I have 20 gallons fermenting downstairs now. Dont quit, if you enjoy it, give it a break, and come back to it.

If you DONT enjoy it anymore, then quit, that's the only reason to get out.

Now, you'd be lucky to get 40% of your initial cost on your equipment, let alone 60%. And it'll be hard to sell every last piece. I reasoned I'd only get an approximate 1/3rd of my initial cost back if I sold.

Finally, your wee heavy will only grow better with time. Dont sweat it. And as far as that last $80 goes, get it as your next purchase in brewing. Dont buy grain, dont buy this or that, get what you need to keg. Kegging makes the whole process take at least an hour less. I can go from carboy to keg and clean carboy in 20 minutes.

Dont give up hope yet!

What is it you need for your kegging equipment. I bet you $20 SOMEONE here has a spare laying in a basement gathering dust they wouldnt mind getting rid of for a homebrewer who needs it for a good deal.
 
I've been thinking about quitting as well. Can't seem to find the time with all the other house projects, and I've had an infection issue in all my kegs, and I think even the last one that I bottle conditioned is getting the same thing. Battling with that has become very discouraging.

Judging by your description, I kind of doubt the kegs are the problem. I suspect your transfer hoses or spigot might be the problem. Kegs are not too hard to clean and sanitize, and a LOT more $ to replace. Try dumping the plastic hoses, and then tear apart the kegs and bleach bomb every part of it. Keep in mind that stainless does not like bleach, so rinse very well with hot water afterwards.

I also have a problem with hobbies and time. Except I usually default to brewing instead of some of the other hobbies. If you count doing house trim as a hobby that is...

Seriously, it will get better. I often use the time between brews to design up homemade equipment and for reading more about brewing. Stashing some spare cash, even a small amount, can add up to a new piece of equipment before you know it. Hang in there.
 
Beer will get me through times of no money better than money will get me through times of no beer.......
 
Last summer I quit brewing. Stopped for 4 months. I just don't have the time in the summer and my money needs to go to other things so I take a break. If I would have sold my equipment, my winter would have really sucked without my brewing.
 
It was probably said in jest-- not sure if you are actually suffering from depression [let's hope not]-- but just in case:
A sign is the lack of interest in things you liked to do/hobbies. Something to think about, esp since you also mentioned being underemployed.

good luck! :)
 
And concerning the bottling piece--I try to think about the end result! I don't mind bottling although admittedly I don't find it overly exciting either....However, by the time it's ready to go in the bottle, I can already picture myself enjoying a nice class in 3-4 weeks' time. Try to look at the bright side and hang in there.
 
What is it you need for your kegging equipment. I bet you $20 SOMEONE here has a spare laying in a basement gathering dust they wouldnt mind getting rid of for a homebrewer who needs it for a good deal.

What do you need? Someone is bound to have a spare they could give you or loan you.
 
I understand completely.

One thing you should try to do is set aside some "me" time to do what you love. If that's not brewing, then so be it. But if it is, it only takes a few hours one weekend and realistically, you could make 2-3 brews on one long day and have enough beer to last a while (pending how fast you drink it).

I only brew on brewdays with friends quarterly, but it's enough to keep my in the hobby and happy about it. If you have friends to brew with, get a brewday going. Getting together with friends is the highlight, getting some beer out of it is just a nice bonus.

It's probably a funk. Just chill out a few months, and you'll probably get back into it. Brewing is one of the many hobbies where you try to sell out, and you never get back what you put into it, and if you decide to try again - you have to shell out all that cash to get your stuff back.
 
For you immediate issue, you can rack your beer into a clean corny, and sugar prime it. Spend $20 on one of these and you can drink from it too.

There's always another way, or perhaps another time.

Either way, you've got some great beer sitting there that doesn't have to go to waste. I'll second scrounging the money to get whatever it is you're missing to be able to keg. I've bottled a total of 1 batch. Regulators can go for $20 on ebay if you're patient, and the disconnects are easy to find for $5 or $6 each. If you sugar prime the keg, you'll have 2 - 4 weeks to come up with $30 to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Don't give up man, just give it a break if you need to. But either way, save that beer! :tank:
 
I once felt like quitting after a string of 4-5 infections. I replaced all my hoses, heavy sanitation regiment, totally cleaned out my fermentation area... just could not shake it... I felt like a brewing frikkin failure.

Until finally one batch the infection never showed, and not in the next and so on. I am glad I never quit - hang in there, bud!
 
Honestly, the coolest part about this hobby, is the fact that you don't have to do anything constantly if you don't want. My roommate and I hadn't brewed for four months till we cranked out a berry weiss a few weeks back.

I'm in the same place you are man. I get paid crap compared to my education, and can't really keep up with all my hobbies. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel though. It'll come, just gotta wait it out.

Try just stashing like, 5-10 bucks a week. It'll add up quicker than you think.
 
Another thing you could look at used restaurant equipment stores in your area. Most give a discount to homebrewers, and it would be cheaper then buying new.
 
Thanks Homercidal and brrman. I don't want to sidetrack this thread. I'll have to re-re-evaulate my process, I did the bottle conditioned batch to try to discover where the infection is coming from. I heat sanitize everything except the carboy, used new tubing for the transfer, new bottling bucket. I think my next step is a no-chill brew as I suspect my CFC even though I run boiling wort through it...
 
I have 2 taps, they arent perlicks but will deliver the beer to the glass! I am switching to the thread-on fittings for my gas and beer lines so I can easily switch to a sankey if I need to, this will free up a few barbed ball lock couplers, PM me if this stuff would assist in getting you closer to a draft system, they are yours if you want them!
 
Ask yourself if you enjoy brewing. If the answer is yes, then don't sell off what you have. Just tuck it away in the attic or shed or wherever and take a break. Nothing wrong with that. Some guys go years without brewing before getting the itch again.
 
I agree with several here, give it a rest and come back to it. If you enjoy it again then you will be glad you didn't sell it all.
 
As much as I love brewing and having great beer to drink that I made myself. I fell off the homebrewing radar for about a year. I got married, had a kid, moved, sold my motorcycle, bought a boat, and just really didnt have time to brew. Take a break, relax for a while, put your mind where it needs to be, and when the time is right, come back to it. OR, find a brew buddy. Find someone you can brew with and take part of the brewing/bottling load off. My girlfriend/now my wife used to never be interestd in what I brewed and didnt like what I brewed. I now brew what she likes every few brews and keep one kegged, and or bottled. Just step back from it all and look at it from outside the "box" and see what needs to be done and get back at it!!
 
heres another suggestion. maybe downgrade. if you have extra equipment like carboys or an extra capper etc try selling some and downgrading your setup. you may get enough to finish your kegging setup. it may also free up room around your house. youd have money and still be able to brew some. have your cake and eat it too(or brew in this case:p)
 
I will echo what everyone has said and say to just take a break from it. Get the wee heavy bottled whenever you can and then take a break. Clean and sanatize everything and then store the equip away. It will all pass in due time.

If you love brewing and, I believe that you do, then it will cost you more money to start up the hobby again if you decided to sell your equipment. I mean I know a friends dad who stashed his homebrew equip in the attic for well over 5 years. My friend found it and he is starting to get into brewing using the same equipment. We all get in funks and we all figure out ways of getting rid of said funks.

I have been trying to get a kegging system for a year because I hate to bottle but I have not had the funds either.
 
You could also post an ad in craigslist or freecycle looking for free equipment. Or in the least, a very good deal.
 
Warning thread hijack:

Conputer,

I have a 3/8" copper tube in a garden hose CFC, and have used it for literally 20 years. A couple years ago I began to suspect it was less efficient that when it was new. Now, I am pretty obsessive about sanitation, and always cold rinsed, then hot rinsed then sanitized the chiller after use, and sanitized before use. I thought it was as clean as could be. Wrong. For some reason I decided to run a test tube cleaning brush I had into it. I got it about 8 inches in before the curvature defeated me, but I couldn't believe the brown crap I got out of it. The efficiency went back to normal. I had protein coated the interior of the tube.

I straightened it out (that was fun) and ran a copper wire through it followed by a nylon string and a 45 caliber pistol cleaning brush. I couldn't believe the goo that came out. The thing was absolutely filthy. I was really lucky not to have gotten it infected.

Now I pump hot double strength beer line cleaner through it every three of four brews. The BLC is potassium hydroxide, and it will dissolve the protein/cold break that I think is being deposited on the walls of the chiller during use. The BLC solution always comes out green and ugly for the first couple minutes of pumping, then clears up. After that I hot rinse and starsan it to neutralize the hydroxide and sanitize it.

I don't know what configuration your chiller is, but I'll be if you do the strong BLC treatment you'll be surprized by the **** that comes out of it.

Just a thought for you to consider, even if the infection source isn't your CFC.
 
Thanks AiredAle! I ran some (unused) earplugs through it to try to clean it out, but not sure how much that would do. I like the BLC idea. I'll try my no-chill brew (with new transfer equipment) and see what happens with that.

Do I need to replace the gas lines on my kegs to rid infection?
 
I took 8 years off when I got married and had kids. Even had 2 3-gallon cornies at the wedding reception, well received!

Got back into it as a New Years's resolution last year, added all-grain capability, and haven't looked back! It's more fun than ever. Even won an award at the Michigan RenFest.

Drink that Wee Heavy, and take a break is my suggestion.

Dave
 
i agree if you still enjoy brewing you need to keep the eqt. One of the main reasons i like this hobby is because it works with my schedule. I don't HAVE to do anything. My other hobby is a fully stocked reef aquarium. I love it, but when i get bored, lazy, depressed about it, things die. I usually end up staying up late to do my chores on the tank and brewing "chores". Actual brewing is "me time"(saturday evenings usually).
i feel sorry for the dude who has to wait till payday to buy an o-ring:D:mug:
 
'Tis all good! Take a break. Let that wee heavy sit. I bottled a brew last week that has been in the secondary since January!

It will all be there when you return... :)
 
Wow when I posted the op pretty much in disgust I figured I'd get hammered for wussing out. You guys are great.

Though still frustrated :mad: with brewing and more I'm about to go in for a nice long sleep and see how things look in a few days (no I'm not sleeping that long, I don't have access to those kinds of narcotics).

I was so mad last night, I was almost POed enough to take a fermenter full of Wee Heavy and toss it as far as I could get it into the backyard. Fairly sure I might have set a new 'Full Carboy Toss World Record' as I'm fairly large and was VERY not happy! I had been trying to find time to rack it or bottle it for weeks. I filled up the dishwasher and sanitized my bottles, had everything ready. Next thing I know I was taking care of other stuff and couldn't get to it, had to put the bottles back up etc.

Don't get me wrong we're financially challenged (ie broke), but it's not as much the money as it is the time. Sure times are tough on me and the family but we're making do! Fact is the brewing is my 'release/down time' and that's what's frustrating is not getting to it. Brewing is the therapy which keeps me straight, sort of like working out used to be. Thinking maybe I should take up something more easily attainable like gameshow watching, toenail clipping, or watching paint dry! That's why I'm frustrated and it's only exacerbated by the problem of not scraping together kegging equipment etc. which would make the process quicker.

Schlante,
Phillip

OOOOHHHHHH and this is post 666!!! Some bad Mojo on me!
 
Well, when I first saw the thread title, I was all ready to call "dibbs" but fortunately some of the less opportunistic members talked you down a little. You will be glad you took a breath anyway. You'll end up finding time somewhere.
 
I'm out of work too. I just bottle 4 gallons of Weise beer and I have 12+ gallons in the fermenters.

How would just good old barley do for making beer inexpensive? Can you roast your own grains?
 
My advice: Don't let something you love become a source of frustration. Just put it out of sight for however long it takes you to get the money. Saving $80 shouldn't take too long. You just have to prioritize. Say you spend $10 on food every day. Eliminate that expense and you will have what you need in 8 days.
 
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