Why Do You Choose to Homebrew?

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cormac

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Hey guys,

I'm a journalist writing an article about the growing trend of home brewing. I'm looking to get a few opinions from people I can quote of why they chose to start brewing beer at home and what they enjoy about it. Any answers would be greatly appreciated!
 
anything even worth drinking is $9-$10 a sixpack or $4-$5 a 16-20oz single.

I enjoy the process and playing with the equipment

"I just bought this $100 stock pot.."
"what are you going to do with it?"
"Drill holes in it." :D
 
I brew because I enjoy it. Its part art, part science, and something hand made by me. I never did it to save money, but to have good beer. Our forefathers home brewed so I find it awesome so many people continue that tradition
 
Because I can... seriously, I started seriously brewing college before I was 21 (got the ban here to prove it!) cause I could get the ingredients and getting GOOD beer (not a 30pk of 'stones) could be challenging.

I continue to do it because
1) The the price/quality ratio of homebrew is better than commercial brew
2) I like draft beer... draft systems are easier to maintain with your own kegs (some states register keg sales)
3) I need something to do every other Saturday that can just be my hobby, why not brew?
 
So I can thoroughly enjoy the craft of making a beverage I thoroughly enjoy consuming and get to be creative at the same time
 
I can't get a lot of good brews in Jersey and don't want to buy by the case from pa.
Also like experimenting with the different Hosp and grains and process.
DIY'ing brew equipment is also fun and challenging.
 
It's a mix of art and science. It's a rewarding hobby as well, you literally get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
 
pedimac said:
It's fun as hell.

Yep. I don't try to save money with it and there are craft brews I can get that are much better than I can produce (now). I just like the process and learning why certain processes or ingredients do what they do.

I hope to make beer as good as a Sierra Nevada or Bells one day...but I'm not even close at this point. But it's still fun.
 
I find a lot of people that homebrew also are quite crafty with other things like woodwork. From my observation a lot of people enjoy the "start with nothing, end with something" aspect of brewing.

It's also rewarding in a couple ways. As I mentioned, you start with ingredients and end with a finished product and that is always a thrill, but on top of that, as a bonus, you end up with BEER!

Personally, I enjoy the process and the adventure. Trying new recipes, tweaking other recipes, it's very fun and very therapeutic for me. Plus, when all is said and done, it's something you can be proud of. Homebrewers are pretty generous people when it comes to handing out the finished product. From my point of view, there's nothing better than handing over a freshly bottled 6-pack to friends & family and getting the typical, "Wow, I don't like dark beers but this is phenomenal! Let me know what your next batch will be!!"

On a side note, I blame New Jersey along with my High School and College years. I could never stand watered down ****ty lite beers. I was always the one bringing 6-packs of craft beer while others where all about buying 30-packs of crap.
 
After thirty years of drinking craft beers and my friend's home brews, I finally have the time and money to invest in it as a hobby. I've always enjoyed cooking because I love the science and creativity of it and the fact that you're creating something you can enjoy and share with others when you're done. Making beer fits right in.
The history and science also fascinate me, and the communities that you can join to learn and share with are great.
 
I've had a kegerator for more than 13 years. I finally looked at the price of a 1/2 barrel of run of the mill beer and figured, "I can at least brew my own for this price" Where as I'm not really in it for the money, it's my golf, it's my fishing, basically I enjoy the process, but the mitigating factor to get me started was the fact that prices had risen so much, that I might as well start figuring out how to do this myself.
 
the hobby has a downside.

After seeing you build a gas fired brew rig, an electric temp controller, more plumbing than a mad scientist lab, friends seem to less self conscience with asking advise about fixing every broken object they own. :)
 
It's definitely not to save money -- what hobby is? For me, the principal enjoyment comes from making something delicious that I can share with friends and family and the sense of pride that comes with saying, "Yep, I made that!". But what keeps me brewing as often as I do is the craft itself. With a medical and biochemistry background, brewing is as much an academic and scientific endeavor as is my formal training. That combined with the satisfaction of creating something from scratch is why homebrewing is the most addicting hobby I know
 
As said before: it's fun. I'm also a beer nerd. I don't just want to make it and drink it. I want to cut open a bag of hops, stick my nose in it and breath deeply. I want to read about it and study it. I want to know the history of it.

There is something artisanal about homebrewing. That's why I also bake my own sandwich bread. Sure I could buy it. But I can make it myself by hand and have exactly what I want plus I get a personal connection to the process.

And finally, even for a craft beer enthusiast, my tastes skew towards the unusual. How many 9% hefes do you come across? How many pumpkin saisons? How many hazelnut milk stouts? How many pomegranate-cranberry pLambics? Sure, some breweries make them but I don't always have access to those beers. I can make them myself and have 5 gallons of it to drink over the next 18 months.
 
In today's modern society everything is pre-made, pre-built, pre-cooked etc. etc.
You come home from work and all you have to do is sit in front of a TV and stare at it. As men, we are pre-wired to fix things, build and create what we need. But today - everything is already done.
Sooo...we find outlets for that energy. Some build trains, some work on cars or motorcycles. Some do wood working....and others...make beer.
 
Right up until the first batch I thought it was a cheap way to get beer. Now I brew beer for reasons similar to people making gourmet dishes at home. That is, it is a tasty product, I enjoy the process, and I enjoy sharing it with others. Beer has the added advantage of alcohol, no argument it has been important to people since they first tried spoiled grape juice.

And after a while you prefer your home cooking.

Hazelnut milk stout? Sounds delicious. I'm gonna try that, along with the other 50 recipes I want to try.
 
I love to cook had visions of going to culinary school..... that didn't happen. I love beer and brewing is just an extension of that love to create
 
cormac said:
Hey guys,

I'm a journalist writing an article about the growing trend of home brewing. I'm looking to get a few opinions from people I can quote of why they chose to start brewing beer at home and what they enjoy about it. Any answers would be greatly appreciated!

I like to get very hands on with things I like. I like to tinker with things and brewing is one form of this. It also gives me a creative outlet.
 
MotorcycleMatt said:
I brew because I enjoy it. Its part art, part science, and something hand made by me. I never did it to save money, but to have good beer. Our forefathers home brewed so I find it awesome so many people continue that tradition

I second this, my sentiments exactly.
 
Brewing at home gives me a way to tap into the science and math side of my brain that I really enjoy exercising. I can start with simple calculations of water-to-grain ratios for my mash, or I can dive all the way into adjusting the chemistry of my water to achieve a particular style. Monitoring temperatures; reading specific gravity; experimenting with different methods of hopping for bitterness, flavor, and aroma; even calibrating and logging my equipment . . . for somebody like me who loves playing scientist, brewing is the perfect hobby. At the same time, I get the satisfaction of crafting and creating something. And in the end, I have more beer than I can give away to my (very appreciative) friends.
 
I love to cook and brewing is just an extension of that. After you learn the basics, then you can make a recipe that you like. I like the creative part of brewing and just knowing that you made a good recipe and the finished product tastes great is very rewarding. Ther is great satisfaction of serving one of your brews to friends and they really enjoy it.

I just had a couple of friends over today. I knew what she liked and gave her a brew that I thought she would like and she loved it. I gave him a much different brew because I knew what beers he likes and he was so complimentary of the brew I chose for him.

Making a good brew is so much fun and having your friends enjoy them is the frosting on the cake.
 
Hi cormac- journalism is difficult, good luck and keep plugging.

There are many articles how to homebrew, I do not recall any about why people do it. It might be interesting. Please post if and where it is published.
 
I needed a hobby to combat my horrible job situation and had a interest in craft beer. My wife jokingly said you should brew your own beer. I was off work one day, visitied the local homebrew store, and ended up with a starter equipment kit and Brewers Best ingredient kit. My wife came home from work to find the living room full of my "hobby" and Its been an obscession ever since.
 
My Grandfather was from a small village in Devon, England. He had been involved in brewing of some form or another most of his life. I now live in Patagonia Argentina where micro brewing is quite popular, so I decided to have ago myself. Not to mention Home Brewing is a hobby that you can save/make money enjoying.
 
+1 to all of the above. And I don't fill my recycling can with beer vessels nearly as much. And, most importantly, I really like what what I make.

I keep one tap on my home made keezer for a commercial beer I am interested in, however I prefer my own and generally find it covers me if I run out of Homebrew.

And one more: I like a great tasting beer that doesn't knock me out. I can brew as much flavor as I can muster into a moderate ABV beer.
 
You get to brew beer and over time adjust it to your own personal tastes.

I also appreciate something a lot more after being actively involved in the process of creating it. Sure I didn't grow the hops or grains, but I made this beer and it's great. Sounds kinda like cooking right? Which is one of my other favorite hobbies. Best benefit above cooking that it gets you drunk.

If you like to cook, you will love brewing beer. If you have favorite dishes you like to make, you can even design beers around that meal that will go great together one day.
 
The joy of being able to make, drink, & share beer that I made fulfills the same itch as when I cook a great meal. Although I didn't start as a way to save money on good beers, now that I am buying bulk grain & other supplies, the price of my homebrews has dropped dramatically. I can honestly say the best beers that I drink are the ones that I brew.
 
I play golf once in a while. I discovered you have to focus on procedure and technique, but in a motor skill way. Then I realized that every shot has different physical techniques or variables. Then I realized that I don't care enough about the game to spend that much money and time NOT hanging with my friends & family, and I have yet to find a course with craft beer.

Brewing is similar in the pretty much inexhaustible number of combinations--but the outcome doesn't depend on a fairly artificial set of motor skills. I can brew at home or with my buddies, which keeps my wife happier. I get to learn endless information on chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, history, etc. So I have a completely absorbing hobby and at the end of a "round" I get to drink some of the best beer I've had. Plus, listening to the Brewing Network beats the daylights out of the Golf Channel!
 
For my entire working career, I was involved in education [BA in education] and church music [MMus in church music]. When the day was done, there was little evidence of what, if anything, I had accomplished. I believe that's why I have always enjoyed working with my hands. After I retired, the thought of brewing my own beer sounded very inviting. I investigated, bought some equipment, and I was on my way!

I have found that I thoroughly enjoy the entire process of brewing, from initially filling my boil kettle with water all the way to that last bottle cap on the final bottle from a batch. Watching science at work, and realizing that brewing is a centuries old process most definitely enhances my joy in brewing. And when the day is done, two-plus cases of beer testify to the fact that I've actually accomplished something!

glenn514:mug:
 
I started brewing because I left Germany to go to Utah for work. Well I had enjoyed the price and taste of euro beers. Now Utah has a lot of craft brews and most are okay. But when I compare them to what I had enjoyed they would not stand up. The large distribution craft beers are expensive, they taste great but I do not like paying $15 for a six pack. Now beer has history and is as diverse as the people on this planet. I enjoy learning new things the history of it and how things work. I took my monthly beer money and bought a fermenting kit and have not looked back since.
 
can control what goes into my beer....

read some labels on commerical brewed beer....artifical colors, flavorings, propylene glycol...yes in major mass brewed beer.....nasty!:confused: http://www.glycolallergy.com/Advice...cleId/1/Other-Names-For-Propylene-Glycol.aspx

i agree with many of the aforementioned reasons...brew to taste & style, saves money, & keeps me outa trouble.....heh, heh :drunk

what a wonderful hobby to pass on to your family:rockin:

GD
 
I enjoy the DIY aspect of the hobby. I grow my own hops which are super fun and rewarding to watch grow up to a foot a day. I have built all my brew equipment from stuff i bought from Craigslist. The price to reward is high. My young daughters love to brew with me. They play with the hose and "wash" the equipment. The only down side i can think of is my expanding waste line.

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