What should we really call ourselves

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Do you prefer the term Craft Brewer or Homebrewer?

  • Craft Brewer

  • Homebrewer

  • Don't Care


Results are only viewable after voting.

Edcculus

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I'm almost positive there has been a thread about this, but I can't find it. After several people called me out in the Craft vs Real beer thread about my "beef with the term HOMEBREWER", I thought I'd go ahead and start the thread.

So, what do you like better: Craft Brewer, or Homebrewer? I know this is kind of a strange debate, since our namesake here is "homebrewtalk". In my mind, "Homebrewer" gives images of someone fermenting sketchy beer in the bathtub. On the other hand, Craft Brewer denotes someone who takes time to create a quality product.

If you listen to Craft Brewer Radio, you have heard Graham talk about this a lot. He brings up a good point. A lot of us can brew as good, if not better than the "pros". Why short change ourselves? Do you really need to make a living from brewing to be a Craft Brewer?
 
To me the term Craft brewer means a professional - and me brewing 5 gallons of beer in my garage has nothing professional about it
 
I voted craft brewer, but I really don't care that much to split hairs between homebrewer and craftbrewer. I guess when it comes down to it, I've passed what I call the homebrewer stage and am doing craft beer that is homebrewed.
 
I'm almost positive there has been a thread about this, but I can't find it. After several people called me out in the Craft vs Real beer thread about my "beef with the term HOMEBREWER", I thought I'd go ahead and start the thread.

So, what do you like better: Craft Brewer, or Homebrewer? I know this is kind of a strange debate, since our namesake here is "homebrewtalk". In my mind, "Homebrewer" gives images of someone fermenting sketchy beer in the bathtub. On the other hand, Craft Brewer denotes someone who takes time to create a quality product.

If you listen to Craft Brewer Radio, you have heard Graham talk about this a lot. He brings up a good point. A lot of us can brew as good, if not better than the "pros". Why short change ourselves? Do you really need to make a living from brewing to be a Craft Brewer?

I will stick with homebrewer. We brew at home, and while some of us make good beer, there's a LOT of homebrewers who make crap. By calling yourself a craft brewer, you're just raising yourself above the rest of the people, and that to me sounds really elitist and silly. And honestly, if you're talking to someone, do you say, "I'm a craft brewer" or "I'm a homebrewer"? I say, "I make beer."

It is just a label, but I'll stick with what I am, what people like Charlie P. and Jamil are, and what we really do. If its good enough for them, its good enough for me. If you find there's a negative connotation, change it. I hope you're really not that worried about a label. Just do what you do and enjoy it.
 
I voted don't care. I typically call my stuff homebrew. I, too, save the term craft brewers for the micro-breweries. I have a cooler and a turkey frier and I brew at home. It is real good beer, but it is homebrew.
 
As in the other thread I prefer the term Artisan. It sounds fancier :). Aside from that, I do far more than just brew.
Hey, I like that!

I'm going to play devil's advocate here:

I've brewed some pretty damn fine beers. I've brewed some absolutely horrid beers. I'm sure all of you have done the same. It seems like you are discounting yourself and your skill. "I'll dally in this hobby, but I'll leave it to the pros to make the beer I actually want to drink". I'm not saying I want to stop buying commercial beer. Just because I mash in an Igloo cooler, boil on a turkey fryer and ferment in a bucket doesn't make my beer worse than someone with an "system".
 
I am a Homebrewer. As an AHA member I am part of the Brewer's Association.

Want a title?
Wort Boiler
Yeast Pitcher




Sanitation Engineer.
 
Hey, I like that!

I'm going to play devil's advocate here:

I've brewed some pretty damn fine beers. I've brewed some absolutely horrid beers. I'm sure all of you have done the same. It seems like you are discounting yourself and your skill. "I'll dally in this hobby, but I'll leave it to the pros to make the beer I actually want to drink". I'm not saying I want to stop buying commercial beer. Just because I mash in an Igloo cooler, boil on a turkey fryer and ferment in a bucket doesn't make my beer worse than someone with an "system".

On the contrary, I would not be brewing if I were not trying to make the best beer possible. System or picnic cooler makes no difference at all. I wouldn't bother making beer if I wasn't trying to strive for the best beer possible. I still brew at home. I think that the breweries who are identifying with the term "craft beer" are doing so because it makes more sense than "micro brew" and it sounds fancy. Again, it is just a label, and just as much about marketing as anything. I am not marketing myself, I am making beer that I want to drink.
 
Homebrew is a term that is near and dear to my heart.

I often use it outside of the beer context, interchanging it with DIY.


EDIT: malt monkey is a good one
 
I think the term craftbrewer implies a certain seriousness to it. For me, that won't do.

I like hackbrewer. This implies a flying by the seat of my pants type of activity, with little or no reason for some of the things I do. That sounds about right.
 
Ego trips, kind of like people who always use "Doctor" before their name. Me, I'm a machinist, not a toolmaker. A homebrewer, not at craftbrewer.





Just don't call me a jogger! :D
 
You can call me a homebrewer. Consider that professional brewers don't use different titles depending on how good their product is. They are "Brewers", Microbrewers, CraftBrewers, etc. Their name generally comes from their size, not the product. And as we all know, there are varying degrees of quality out there even in the microbrew world!

Although it would be nice if when I told someone that I was a homebrewer, they didn't give me "that look"...

I do like the term artisan brewer. Makes me almost think I lived upstate in the hoity-toity tourist areas.
 
So, what do you like better: Craft Brewer, or Homebrewer? I know this is kind of a strange debate, since our namesake here is "homebrewtalk". In my mind, "Homebrewer" gives images of someone fermenting sketchy beer in the bathtub. On the other hand, Craft Brewer denotes someone who takes time to create a quality product.

I keep hearing about this brewing in a bathtub stereotype. Who really runs into this problem? Most of my friends like my homebrew. I've do remember one girl who was thought it was good and was surprised that it actually tasted like beer. (It was my cream stout, and I wasn't sure if she'd like it). But I never gotten anyone who was scared about trying it fearing I used some sketchy practices. I think most people are surprised that it can be made at home, as brewing is somewhat of a mystery to most people.
 
As in the other thread I prefer the term Artisan. It sounds fancier :). Aside from that, I do far more than just brew.

X2 All my family calls me an artisan brewer. I call myself a home brewer and my beer home brew though.
 
Homebrewer. I think of Craftbrewers as pros that sell their brew. I don't sell it and I brew it at home so I'm a homebrewer. It's the most easy-to-understand term for it imo. If I call myself a homebrewer it's pretty self-explanatory but if I call myself a 'Craft Brewer' it would probably involve a definition/explanation of what that is more times than not.

And I don't equate beer quality with either. Craft brewers can make swill and homebrewers can make nectar-of-the-gods.
 
Just don't call me a jogger! :D

Jogger. So there. :D

Me - I'm a brewer whose brewery is located at my place of residence. Hence, I am a homebrewer.

Done.

The Australian 'craft brewer' vs' 'homebrewer' pissing contest is wrought of nothing but ego.
 
I vote homebrewer. When I see the word "homebrewer" or "craftbrewer", I don't equate one as being better as the other. I now have several recipes that I like better then a lot of commercial beer that's out there. However, I am a serious amateur: I brew on a much smaller scale and like what I do. I can't imagine brewing as a job though.....so I respect all those small craft breweries: and the brewers in them have less people and automated machines to help them brew the thousands of gallons of beer they have to make in a year.
 
I am a homebrewer because I brew at home. Once I move on to bigger arenas, then I wil;l go with the craft brewer title
 
I say 'I make my own beer,' though I guess 'I make beer' would work and not imply that it's mine, all mine. I'm not a craft brewer because I don't have a craft brewery. I have a home brewery. If you want to think that means it's in my bathtub then fine, I'll consider you a dick and you won't get any of my beer (as I pointed out to my brother in law last weekend, whenever I go to someone's house I bring beer).

Like it or not, this hobby is called homebrewing. Unless you can get good ol' Charlie on board to change it (and after decades of promoting homebrewing I doubt he'd be interested), no one besides a small circle of your friends will ever use another term. Call yourself Most Exalted Fermentation Czar if you want, but no one else will.
 
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