Why do you homebrew? Are people nuts?

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Teromous

Teromous

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I recently had a run-in with a guy who saw me looking at ingredients on a homebrew supplier website.

He said "What, are you trying to learn how to make beer? You must be really bored."

I tried explaining homebrewing to him and he said "Oh you're one of those people."

I went through the list of common answers about how you can make beer cheeper than what it costs to buy it, how you can make rare varieties, etc. He just gave me a funny look. Then I thought about it...I really don't care how much cash it saves me, or that I can make rare beers. I simply like brewing, and I've barely even scratched the surface. So I want to hear from you guys.

Why do you homebrew?
Have you encountered anyone like this before?

To me it seems strange that a person would even question you like that. I mean, a friend that makes beer is a friend that can give you beer.
 
I have a real DIY streak in me. :p

I also plant a big garden and can/freeze most of the vegetables we use throughout the year. Not to mention that I also got a little ticked when the price of a six of craft beer broke the $10 mark around here.
 
I've never encountered a negative reaction. People are mostly fascinated and want to try some. I also keep honeybees and get a similar reaction to that. Most people are fascinated and think it's just a little bit nuts...like homebrewing.

Why do I brew? Like you I just enjoy it. It's satisfying to be able to drink something so enjoyable that I made from a bag of grain. It also gives me great confidence that I can weather the apocalypse :rockin:
 
Well, my first memory of beermaking was my grandfather. He apparantly also influenced my mother and uncle, who influenced myself and my cousins, we've always made beer. My mother and her family were all orginally from Leeds, UK, and my grandfather said he was unable to get the beer here in the states that he liked. I can see that being the case 30-40 years ago, but perhaps not so much today. For me I just grew up in the environment where it was an every other week thing. Plus I think it is really cool, and very rewarding, though probably not on the cheap side.
 
That dude in the store is a dork.

What? You want to learn to cook? Why would you want to learn to cook? That is insane, are you bored?

Yep, you can buy food already prepared too...

Do people actually listen to themselves speak? They must not.

Everyone I have run into, is fascinated with the process and the machinery... which is why I happen to enjoy it.
 
I like brewing mostly because the people. I get to brew with my buddies. People like it when I bring them sixers. People are genuinely interested in the process. Meeting other people involved in the hobby. It's been a great experience. I also love the feeling of drinking a delicious brew and thinking "I made that". I can understand now why my dad loves woodworking so much.
 
You could compare it to cooking. Sure people have to eat, but there's restaurants, pre-cooked & frozen meals at the store, etc. Why do people spend time cooking? Some spend much more time cooking than others do.

It's enjoyment of the process and the results from it. Some people brew for the same reason.
 
The Pol said:
That dude in the store is a dork.

What? You want to learn to cook? Why would you want to learn to cook? That is insane, are you bored?

Yep, you can buy food already prepared too...

Do people actually listen to themselves speak? They must not.

Everyone I have run into, is fascinated with the process and the machinery... which is why I happen to enjoy it.
Click to expand...

Exactly. There are people who think that anything other than
sitting in an easy chair and pressing the remote is too much of
a hassle. Not only will they not cook their own food, they won't
even get out of the car to go into the fast food restaurant, they
just use the drive through.
Jim:mug:
 
What does this ****** have a passion for? I bet it is not near as cool as brewing unless he scales skyscrapers without a rope or a net.
 
I'm a bit of a food geek. I cook, I bake breads, I can and preserve pickles and tomatoes. Brewing is a natural outgrowth. It's also a hobby. Considering what I've spent on photography... My entire brewing hobby has cost me less than 1/3rd of what my Canon 40d cost and I can share the benefits much more easily.
 
waldoar15 said:
I have a real DIY streak in me. :p

Not to mention that I also got a little ticked when the price of a six of craft beer broke the $10 mark around here.
Click to expand...


This was one of the main reasons that I got into it. I just don't like BMC beer, and $9-10 for a sixer was breaking my budget. I have a basic set up and brew all grain. I buy from Brewmasters Warehouse, re-use yeast occasionally, and my cost per batch is usually $20-25 including sanitizer, caps, etc. I am getting a crusher and will be buying in bulk, washing my yeast more often, and I expect to knock at least $5 off per batch. I am not necessarily brewing just to be cheap, but it sure is a nice benefit, and most of my beers I would pay for if I wasn't into brewing. Besides, it is just a cool hobby :mug:.
 
I have a huge DIY streak, especially when it comes to food. I grow food in the back yard, I can/freeze a ton of food for each year, I think one of the best ways to spend a saturday is in the kitchen. As well as that, I lived in England for 5 years and love good english beers, many of which I cannot get around here. Brewing was a natural progression in the cooking, and now I am fascinated by it.

Also, I am a mechanical engineer who is fascinated by process and process optimization, so brewing feeds that as well. Then to top it off I get to share it with friends.

Sounds pretty good to me.

I do understand though, I have not gotten that with brewing, but I get it a lot with canning and bread making. "You can buy frozen veggies in the store." Indeed you can, and none of them taste as fresh as what I prepare.
 
Teromous said:
To me it seems strange that a person would even question you like that. I mean, a friend that makes beer is a friend that can give you beer.
Click to expand...

A friend with mead, is a friend indeed! (Beer didn't rhyme)

Oh just thought of a new one as I typed that.

A friend with beer is a friend so dear. Yeah there we go.

Has this idiot bought any GOOD beer lately? Something as low end as Michelob Porter is about $7 per 6 pack, and a great beer, like one of my faves, Great Divide Yeti is about $12 per 4 pack!

So DIY streak aside (and boy do I have one) the $$$ can even out too.
 
I like making beer since I find myself attracted to the basic crafts of life.
In the past, rural folk had to do it all themselves, and for some strange reason I find these crafts fascinating.
Fishing , hunting , beekeeping , baking bread, curing leather , wine making, brewing , picking mushrooms and berries , etc.
I guess I chose homebrewing since the product of that craft is the one I like the best !
 
I enjoy the challenge of trying to repeat success in a recipe. I love the creative and hands-on process. I know what goes in my beer. I know why it comes out wrong when something does go wrong. I love trying new recipes, and styles you can't find virtually anywhere but in the homebrewers basement.
 
i make my own beer because it is fun and its a very rewarding hobby. since i was about 16 i have always been the type of person who wants to try different foods and beers and it can get expensive so i try to make stuff myself. and the whole process if fun to me. the smell of the mash and the fact that you can turn water, grain, and hops into awsome beer makes me happy.
 
I homebrew for two reasons. First I love to do it. Right now I am on a quest to "build" an ESB starting at a SMaSH Ordinary Bitter. The entire process is just fun, in fact I may like brewing more than I like drinking.

Second, I want to become a professional brewer and since I am still in college I want as much brewing, albeit homebrewing, experience as possible.
 
I like making my own creations, whether it be food, drinks, or beer. To write a recipe, design a label/theme if I so please, drink, and have other people try it are all great things to me. It's an interesting skill/hobby and it's like learning a new sub-science. You are constantly learning new things about something you enjoy. That keeps my mind occupied and interested. I'm not trying to become a beer snob, it's just a great thing to know about what you are drinking and making in depth. Keeps things fun and interesting. Besides, I just like the feeling of making my own, great, beer.
 
The Pol said:
That dude in the store is a dork.

What? You want to learn to cook? Why would you want to learn to cook? That is insane, are you bored?

Yep, you can buy food already prepared too...

Do people actually listen to themselves speak? They must not.

Everyone I have run into, is fascinated with the process and the machinery... which is why I happen to enjoy it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, kind of like "You write music? Why would you do that when you can buy it already made?"

Makes no sense.
 
Hoppus_Poppatopolis said:
It also gives me great confidence that I can weather the apocalypse :rockin:
Click to expand...

Haha I have a similar scenario that rolls around in my head. I think about how cool it is to do basic things like fabricate items, woodwork, farm, brew beer, etc...and how it would be helpful on another planet. For instance we settle Mars and I homebrew to keep the colonists happy. It would probably fit well in a movie at least :ban:
 
Like many...I've never gotten a negative response, but I understand that some people are just not wired in a way to get it.

I love to cook, I love beer and I enjoy science. It was a match made in heaven!
 
I think it depends on where you live. I get mixed reactions from people because around Chicagoland you can pretty much buy anything you could ever want within about a 30 minute drive. People get so used to the idea of "buy, throw away, repeat." It is a little weird to see somebody devote as much time, effort and money into something you can get on any street corner.

I brew beer because I have nothing better to do.
 
I've been asked this question a number of times. It's along the same lines of "why do you write software, there are other companies out there doing it?" Well, duh. But has everything been done yet? Is there no more creativity left in the world? The whole reason why pioneers like Charlie started home brewing way back when there were no LHBS stores is because there is a creative pioneering spirit to making your own beer. Think about the most recent category added to the BJCP style guidelines, American Brown Ale never existed in history and it is unlike anything ever brewed before, and it was created very recently on the beer geological scale (right here in Texas, I might add). What about California Common, that is relatively recent as well. Then think of all the ancient styles that are no longer brewed anywhere. We have the POWER to recreate history and (hopefully) enjoy it.

Is it just me or did people ask the same (seemingly moronic in hindsight) questions about why you would want anything at Home Depot just 10 years ago? You can hire a contractor to do all that stuff, why would you want to do it yourself? Maybe I'm over analyzing this.

I am a homebrewer because I like building stuff. Software, Home Improvement DIY, or beer (amongst other beverages, mead, EdWort's Apfelwein, etc.).
 
People who question things like you encountered are usually jealous that they don't have the drive, intelligence or ability to do things for themselves. Being a cranky old bastard I would have told him to FO and leave me alone or if I was in a good mood I would have just ignored the idiot. Most people are curious about the process and more than willing to have a taste or two/three/four, etc.
 
I have, on several occasions, been queried by people about my brewing.

"How can you drink that stuff?"

90% of them are familiar with the "Olde World" bleach plus kit and kilo homebrews of yore and found them to be undesirable. Many of them unaware that the beer they have in their glass was made by me.

It seems the stigma of homebrew has some merit. You have to remember that while homebrewing has been around for a long time, the availability of quality ingredients has not.

Furthermore, techniques in home production and use of cleansers and sanitiser has also improved by leaps.
 
My reasons are many, and seem to be increasing.
First, I'm a survivalist. I've been looking into what I can ferment that grows wild in the desert SW. Society may fail in my lifetime, and being without beer would make life unbearable. :)
Second, most things off the shelf aren't good enough for my needs. So I want to make beers that are. (I've got a ways to go, but it'll happen.)
Thirdly, i'd like to start my own business at some point. It's either a 4x4 shop or brewery. (Maybe both. :) )
I'm fascinated by early human history. I've been trying my hand at the neolithic arts lately. Flintnapping, astronomic timekeeping, firemaking, bone jewelry. Brewing just fits in there somehow. Plus, they'll all come in pretty handy after the Zombie Apocalypse.
I love to cook, mostly for other people. Brewing is just a form of cooking that takes more time. And few people turn down my creations.
Beer's good for you, as long as you don't overdo it. It belongs in a field first aid kit, too, as far as I'm concerned.
But mostly, I just love beer. I enjoy most styles. Have found none that I really wouldn't drink if I were handed one.
 
I got into it to connect with my grandpa, who for years has told me stories of him and his buddies who made wine and such. I also like to grow my own food. In addition to that, we buy our beef from a farmer, not from a grocery store. It is nice to know what goes into the food that we are putting into our bodies. Plus it's making beer. Yummy..delicious…nectar of the god(s)…beer.
 
bigcountrybrew said:
I got into it to connect with my grandpa, who for years has told me stories of him and his buddies who made wine and such. I also like to grow my own food. In addition to that, we buy our beef from a farmer, not from a grocery store. It is nice to know what goes into the food that we are putting into our bodies. Plus it's making beer. Yummy..delicious…nectar of the god(s)…beer.
Click to expand...

I can't wait to share my welch's wine and homebrew with my granddad, I made my mom go get him from Germany 2 years ago because he wasn't being properly cared for by her brother, and I am 100% convinced he'd be dead now if she hadn't listened to me. Instead he's still going strong, drinking his wine and shuffling around the house and garden (when weather permits). He's 84 and doing good for his age!
 
Is it sad that one of the main reasons I brew is to prevent having to carry cases of beer from my trunk to my apt 3x/week. Also preventing the trip to the beer store after work just as often. That alone saves me over 2 hours a week and time in traffic which is priceless.
 
I brew because it keeps my nerd streak alive. I love science and engineering. I get to use both all the time in this hobby, plus I get beer a the end. I just started assembling a microbiology lab fer cryin out loud. How awesome is that?
 
I started brewing, because masturbating kept rubbing me raw.

Seriously though, I'd pretty much agree with everyone else. DIY, cool equipment, etc....
 
I'm a DIY'er for sure. Especially concerning food and drink. I've never gotten that question for beer or wine, but I have gotten it for making mayonnaise or other food items that others would never think to make. I've also gotten that question for other things like going to a large field and shooting my bows. ;)
 
-I like DIY hobbies
-I like to cook so this fits in naturally
-I can make rare/unavailable beers
-it's far cheaper than equivalent storebought (microbrews)
 
The invention of bread and beer has been argued to be responsible for humanity's ability to develop technology and build civilization...... So, it is inside of us. We have to do it because we are like that..... regards from Czechia... :)
 

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