I blame all of you.

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justinh85

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For getting me into this fine mess. SWMBO was really excited (note my sarcasm) when I mentioned purchasing the equipment necessary to get into AG brewing. She already gets pissy when I spent what free time we have brewing PM batches...I tried to explain to her that I was doing this for "us" :p

Let me give you guys a bit of insight: She doesn't like anything hoppy. I have only successfully found a couple of APA's she will drink without making a face. Other than that, she sticks to blondes, wits, hefes, and belgians. She really enjoys the high grav stuff (who doesn't?)

And so far, all I have managed to brew is APA's, IPA's and now I have a Belgian in secondary. I promised her that my next batch would be a blonde, specially for her.

Upon arriving to the LHBS, I strained to think of the ingredients I would want to toss into a blonde ale. After a few minutes, and remembering all my friends' joy at the Memorial Day party where I handed out my first batch (a badass APA that had so many mistakes I'm suprised it turned out great, let alone drinkable)....I decided to try and replicate that first batch, with the necessary fixes of course.

And now, every time I go upstairs, she asks what I'm doing. I tell her that I'm going to check the forums (I spend more time on here than a teenager on myspace/facebook). Every time I hear the inevitable sigh and her speaking under her breath with sarcasm, "not like I wanted to spend time with you."

After such a long story, I'll sum it up. I blame you guys. All of you. For piqueing my curiosity, and getting me into this hobby that turned into an obsession 2 minutes into my first batch. It's all your fault. Cheers.

Disclaimer: The blame that was passed out this evening was purely in jest, as I take complete and total responsibility for my actions. If my obsession results in the disbandment of our relationship, so be it...I'll just RDWHAHB. I doubt it will reach that point, because she doesn't refuse free beer....whether I brewed it or not.
 
Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde is also a very tasty beer and quick too. Just be glad your woman drinks beer. Mine won't brew or drink. Well, she tastes sometimes, but never understands why I like beer.

Now you just need to subtly convince her that you need her help while brewing and before you know it she is just as obsessed as you are!
 
Already working on that. I have her convinced that I need her help cooking a batch on Friday, which both of us have off. The only problem is, through my spy skills I found out that she is planning a trip for the 2 of us to Hilton Head, so we can get some beach time (and I can get some serious golf time). The only reason that sucks, is bc I brew on the weekends :( But at least this weekend I will coerce her into getting involved with me.

I am convinced that once she gets involved in the process, and then gets to taste the fruit of our labors, she will be hooked much the same as I was. When we first met, she would only drink miller lite. That's it. In just the year we have been together, I have moved her on to really great beer. She particularly liked the 6er of Red Sky at Night and Golden Monkey I picked up today.

Ever since then, she hasn't so much as mentioned miller. She even refuses to drink lagers now! I am so proud :)
 
That's pretty typical of chicks, IMO. What's important is that you show her/let her know how passionate you are about this hobby/obsession. Then and only then will you know if she's 'the one'. Any woman that's willing to put up with you making a starter (on Wednesday) for Sunday and packaging up 15 beers to mail out to fellow HBT'ers on a Wednesday night is a keeper (note that I'm talking abbout my wife in the last sentence and not yours :)).

Brew her a Blonde or a nice Wit every once in a while and you'll be good. My wife really digs the stuff that you mentioned (but also likies a nice IPA), so I make sure to keep plenty of that stuff on tap for her in the summer. She doesn't drink that much, but you'd me amazed how many points you'll score if there's a nice light beer on tap for her to go pour a pint of when it's 95F out. Having some beers that aren't my favorite on tap for 3 months out of the year is a small price to pay for getting no complaints for all the other beer related stuff that I do the other 9 months.
 
Great advice, ohiobrewtus. I think I have already found her to be a keeper, though. As much as it pains her that I spend so much time on the forums and cooking batches, tonight she suprised me with a subscription to a home brew magazine. In that moment, I almost teared up as I realized I had the woman of my dreams. And I also realized that when she will drink my brews, and give me an honest opinion instead of the typical "it's good".
 
i have a rule, brew two for me, then one for her. It keeps her happy enough that i can brew what i want. Though i am still doing extract because she won't let me spend the money to get a couple bigger pots and a MT to do AG. However, i also blame this forum and my brew buddy for getting me addicted to this habbit, although SWMBO did buy me all my gear for Xmas so maybe it is her fault afterall. :)
 
I found a good one, she loves the hoppy stuff(shes becoming a hop head like me) loves getting involved, and totally supports my obsession. Give it some time man she will come around. If she loves you she will understand.
 
Great advice, ohiobrewtus. I think I have already found her to be a keeper, though. As much as it pains her that I spend so much time on the forums and cooking batches, tonight she suprised me with a subscription to a home brew magazine. In that moment, I almost teared up as I realized I had the woman of my dreams. And I also realized that when she will drink my brews, and give me an honest opinion instead of the typical "it's good".

That is cool. Hilton Head is a nice alternative to brewing, I imagine! (Though I cannot get the image of Paris Hilton out of my HEAD every time I hear that name...)

My wife didn't get Radical Brewing for me for my birthday, but yesterday she got me Radical Brewing AND Designing Great Beers and How to Brew! She really likes my brewing because she knows I enjoy it. Although sometimes she asks why I have to talk about it so much. :cross:
 
I told SWMBO last night that I'm starting a batch of apfelwein in July to have ready by Christmas. Her reply was "Dear god, don't use a whole packet of yeast for 1 gal again! I thought you knew I hated a dry wine." Surprised the crap out of me. I figured she'd complain about how there isn't time for another brew day with all the crap we have going on. I'll only use a half pack this time and maybe some splenda to backsweeten it.

*note - I always start on a new beer when I do apfelwein, so it typically takes a few more hours than just doing the apfelwein.
 
That's pretty typical of chicks, IMO. What's important is that you show her/let her know how passionate you are about this hobby/obsession. Then and only then will you know if she's 'the one'. Any woman that's willing to put up with you making a starter (on Wednesday) for Sunday and packaging up 15 beers to mail out to fellow HBT'ers on a Wednesday night is a keeper (note that I'm talking abbout my wife in the last sentence and not yours :)).

Yes, I love my SWMBO, She doesn't like beer at all, she is interested in the Apfelwine but is usually happy to have a Vodka Sour.

As long as the can make her drink when she wants it, I can brew my heart out. My SWMBO will get slightly involved in my brewing, because she is curious how it all works, but is just happy to see the smile on my face when I am brewing or tapping a new batch of beer.

In return, she is allowed a hobby that I fully support with no questions asked..
 
An excerpt from Kaiser's German Brewing between 1850 and 1900 : Malting and Wort Production article:
The stimulating and invigorating properties of a bitter beer stem almost completely from the hops. The bitter compound of the hops is stronger than the sweetness of the malt and overpowers it and it is unpleasant to some people. But even the noble and very spoiled ladies get used to this taste quite easily and after that, every beer that doesn't have this taste seems tasteless and unpleasant to them.
So there's always hope she'll come around.;)
 
My wife wants nothing to do with beer. She will say the beers I make are good but likes to leave the house when I brew at home so she dosent have to see the mess that happens for a few short hours. Although as the summer is upon us she seems to be reaching for the Coronas lately. Perhaps something along those lines is in the cards. I light lager that I can skunk with 15 min of sunlight while it is in the fermentor should do the trick.
 
Quote:
But even the noble and very spoiled ladies get used to this taste quite easily and after that, every beer that doesn't have this taste seems tasteless and unpleasant to them.

Good luck with that. My wife is half German and hates beer, and half Thai and can't eat anything even remotely spicy.
 
You unlucky bastards. My wife is of German and English descent. Yes, she loves beer so long as it's not ridiculously hoppy, which basically means she won't drink IPAs.

On the bad side, I go through beer a lot faster with her around. :D
 
Lisa likes but two of the beers that I brew:

1) Whirling Dervish Wit
2) a Hefeweizen, fermented slightly cool to balance the esters

I do better than most. ;)
 
I got lucky with my gf. She loves hoppy, stout, and basically whatever is beer she likes to drink. Sometimes she brings over a natty or PBR, she says she likes to drink one of those before a good one so it will REALLY tastes good. That and she likes my motorcycle, I think I've found my keeper.
 
My wife is half German and hates beer, and half Thai and can't eat anything even remotely spicy.

man, i really got a kick out of this statement... i'm neither german nor thai and i absolutely love beer and spicy food, particularly thai... :mug:
 
one batch. that's all I made. From then on...I'm in the doghouse if she's not helping.
Dozens (hundreds?) of batches later, she's the one eating hop pellets dry, insisting on Ruination clones...
Get her involved, see what happens.
 
Maybe you should step away from the computer and take time to lay some wood :)
Stop blaming us for your brewing addiction. That's like a drunk going to AA and blaming everyone else for him being there.
 
Although it would be nice if my wife could appreciate the hop goodness that my brews deliver, I think it's better for me that I get to drink them all myself. I have turned her on to a good white wheat beer, but I'm going to make a whole 5 gallon batch of that stuff for her to have one every 2 weeks. I'll just pay $8.99 for a quality 6-pack that will last her a month. But at least she knows she likes the wheat beers and can go to a good tap room with me and order something other than bud light.
 
Yeah my girlfriend just laughs and asks when I am officially going to turn our place into a brewery when ever I start talking about any new equipment. Also she really only has one rule and that is that it looks nice (Which can totally work out for me because that means that I can't half ass it which usually involves more time and $$$). She isn't a big beer drinker but she likes the wheat beers and really doesn't like anything bitter.

But she knows it makes me happy and thats good enough for her which is great. Plus it's all her fault.... she bought me my starter kit! I remind her of that every once in a while haha.
 
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