Reactions to telling people you homebrew

I know there's got to be some good ones out there...

After telling a lady I work with that I homebrew she replied "Whoa, I didn't know people made beer."

So that's mine, lets hear yours..

Theres about 5 more of this exact same thread,but
My Dad told me the other day that he hated ales.I told him every beer I ever brought him was an ale!

Mantis said:

I know there's got to be some good ones out there...

After telling a lady I work with that I homebrew she replied "Whoa, I didn't know people made beer."

So that's mine, lets hear yours..

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I would have replied that you broke into the robot fortress and stole the secrets of beer from the evil space gnomes.

Joos said:

Theres about 5 more of this exact same thread,but
My Dad told me the other day that he hated ales.I told him every beer I ever brought him was an ale!

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I was talking to a neighbor about homebrewing and said that I didn't make lagers, and he said that he didn't like lagers.

He went on to say how he really likes beer, but isn't fond of lagers OR ales. Just beers.

LOL

Joos said:

Theres about 5 more of this exact same thread

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Damnit, I knew that was the probably the case. Sorry

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I would have replied that you broke into the robot fortress and stole the secrets of beer from the evil space gnomes.

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lol, And give away my secret?!?! No way!!

Can you make...?

I seem to always get the guy that says: "really, my grandfather used to make beer under the sink" or some such story. I guess in some small way they are trying to relate to what I just said.

My mom told me she didn't think it was a good idea (what with the drinking and partying and stuff). Her and my stepdad own and operate a F*CKING winery!!!

I've had 3 people in the last week at work find out that I brew beer and say "watch out not to blow up your house" and laugh. I want to punch these people in the face.

ChshreCat said:

I was talking to a neighbor about homebrewing and said that I didn't make lagers, and he said that he didn't like lagers.

He went on to say how he really likes beer, but isn't fond of lagers OR ales. Just beers.

LOL

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My coworker asks "for a lager" at the bar which to me is stupid. But for some reason around here Yuengling is called "a lager", they even advertize on the radio that when ordering a Yuengling just ask say "I'll have a lager". I told him lager is a brewing method and there are a LOT of lagers out there and asking for a lager is like asking for a beer. He says he knows that. So why order that way then and look stupid IMO.

People usually say something like, "Oh, I dont like that strong stuff".

jgln said:

My coworker asks "for a lager" at the bar which to me is stupid. But for some reason around here Yuengling is called "a lager", they even advertize on the radio that when ordering a Yuengling just ask say "I'll have a lager". I told him lager is a brewing method and there are a LOT of lagers out there and asking for a lager is like asking for a beer. He says he knows that. So why order that way then and look stupid IMO.

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I'm almost positive that if you ask for "a lager" in Philly, you will be served a Yeungling. Similarly, if you ask for Lager in England, you will get whatever mass market light lager swill they happen to have.

That dates back to when places would only have one type of a style on tap.

Ive had a lot of co-workers say to be careful cause it looks like im making crack. Sigh.... Other then that I also have gotten a lot of... "You brew? Do you make moonshine?"

Edcculus said:

People usually say something like, "Oh, I dont like that strong stuff".



I'm almost positive that if you ask for "a lager" in Philly, you will be served a Yeungling. Similarly, if you ask for Lager in England, you will get whatever mass market light lager swill they happen to have.

That dates back to when places would only have one type of a style on tap.

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Must date back hundereds of years then because as long as I have been alive there have been more than one lager on tap. But you are right about that here in this area, but I still think it is dumb to just ask for a lager. If I were a bartender I couldn't help but ask, "ok, but which one?" Probably get fired before the night is over too.

jgln said:

Must date back hundereds of years then because as long as I have been alive there have been more than one lager on tap. But you are right about that here in this area, but I still think it is dumb to just ask for a lager. If I were a bartender I couldn't help but ask, "ok, but which one?" Probably get fired before the night is over too.

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I really think its more of an English thing. What I said about Philly is only hearsay, probably stemming from those commercials. Hell, most bartenders now dont even know what a lager is.

I run into an amazing amount of people that have homebrewed "a long time ago" or that think homebrewing means I brew-on-premises (we have one nearby).

Edcculus said:

Hell, most bartenders now dont even know what a lager is.

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Yea I had a bertender at a BJ's once explain to me what a pale ale was, it was hillarious. She said it was like Bud light and thats why she liked it.

jgln said:

My coworker asks "for a lager" at the bar which to me is stupid. But for some reason around here Yuengling is called "a lager", they even advertize on the radio that when ordering a Yuengling just ask say "I'll have a lager". I told him lager is a brewing method and there are a LOT of lagers out there and asking for a lager is like asking for a beer. He says he knows that. So why order that way then and look stupid IMO.

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That is great for Yuengling. To be so recognized in the market that you just have to state style and everyone knows that is waht you want. Yuengling makes a good product and has a rich history. I lived in PA for about 30 years and thank god for yuenglings market penetration so even at most corner bars I had of choice of something other than BMC.

Mantis said:

Yea I had a bertender at a BJ's once explain to me what a pale ale was, it was hillarious. She said it was like Bud light and thats why she liked it.

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Hey the great beer reviewer of youtube (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/if-anyone-looking-good-laugh-here-you-go-114749/) calls Coors light a Pale Ale.

It must be true if I read it on the internet

"My husband made beer once and added too many hops and they blew up in the cabinet, there was beer everywhere."

I didn't even try to explain even though I had to listen to the story multiple times.

"Oh, I don't like homebrews. Homebrewing is only good if you like dark beer." To which my reply was, "Well any beer held next to Bud Light is dark beer."

"Oh really? My husband/father/uncle used to brew(or make wine). Man it was horrible!"

"You better watch out with that..." Still don't know what I'm supposed to be watching out for.

Then there are the few that are interested but you can tell they're a little skeptical. I'll give them a mixed sixer (if I know they're worthy) and then they're believers.

"Oh really? My husband/father/uncle used to brew(or make wine). Man it was horrible!"

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This one, at least a dozen times.

The other one I heard was "I heard you can get botulism from that."

Zen_Brew said:

That is great for Yuengling. To be so recognized in the market that you just have to state style and everyone knows that is waht you want. Yuengling makes a good product and has a rich history. I lived in PA for about 30 years and thank god for yuenglings market penetration so even at most corner bars I had of choice of something other than BMC.

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About 5 years ago in Portland you could order an IPA and it would nearly always be a Bridgeport. They would just saw "we have hef, ipa, mirror pond" on tap, and you know the Hef is widmer and the ipa is bridgeport.

Back on topic, I just had some confused neighbors run into me while brewing. They were quite perplexed by the hops, and they knew they liked IPAs but they didn't even know what hops were or that they added flavor. I told them I brewed every week and so they said "oh it only takes a week???"

The worst was when some fundamentalist, I'm-a-better-Christian-than-you f***wad blew a raspberry and gave a "two thumbs down" sign.

I mean, really. A "thumbs down"? Gotta be kidding me.

I was quick to remind him of the whole water to wine thing that the big guy did during his short time on Earth. I told him if he REALLY wanted to emulate his personal Savior, he should homebrew, too.

It got his goat. That was fun.

I'm related to an old Irish priest, who'd give the blessing at all our big family get-togethers: Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

Once, after marrying my cousin, we were having drinks at the reception and he gave a little spiel about how the Bible says to "eat, drink, and be merry" and how it was wrong to refuse to gifts God gave us i.e. alcohol. That was nice to hear when I was 16.

BTW, my grammar school principal was also buying me drinks. Ya gotta love Irish weddings.

svudah said:

Once, after marrying my cousin... .

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Is marrying your cousin normal in Irish families?

only if shes hot!

Ive gotten

Do you think you are an alcoholic,
Where do you distill it?
You add vodka for alcohol?
Man I bet it has a kick! *cause all homebrew is 9%*
You make good beer like Budweiser?

What I usually get is "My (insert elderly/dead relative here) used to make (insert beer/cider/wine/white-lightning/carb cleaner here) back when I was a kid."

svudah said:

Once, after marrying my cousin

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I hope you two are still happy.

Only reaction I've had is my friends invading my house. Having beer snob friends helps.

My neighbors are starting to tell me all my homebrews are too strong. I've brewed nothing over 5.5% for the summer that they've drank. A couple were around 4.5%.

svudah said:

That was nice to hear when I was 16.

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He said he was 16, so the Irish must get married young too.

I've had several people ask how beer is made. I've learned to use KISS when trying to explain it. "It takes four ingredients, grain, hops, water, and yeast. Boil the grain and hops in the water, cool, and add yeast. Let it ferment for a while, drink, and enjoy." If they want more info, I'll go into more detail, but most people will settle for that.