Advice for a brewer who doesn't drink

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I wish i had that much cash to shell out.
So whats you grand experiments plan? Do you have any outcome or future goal for this "project"? Not at all hating more power to you.

Why not sip on your beers? Drink them slowly or just have atleast 1 at a meeting or special event. IMHO I enjoy drinking brew because of all of the flavor and aroma combinations you can have its virtualy a universal BEvERage. plus the labor i put into making it i certainly deserve it!

In the long run if this is the road you decide to take i would just be honest about it, im sure no ones going to make fun of you for doing what you believe in, the homebrewing community is actually very accepting.
Good luck to you!
 
kroach01 said:
True this. He didn't start going deaf until 26 or so and wasn't completely deaf until 18 years later. He contemplated suicide many times because he couldn't enjoy his passion any longer.
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Well, looks like I got suckered in by the myth (or legend or lies that are told to kids or whatever you want to call it). Serves me right for not fact checking myself...
 
thisisjohnbrown said:
Honestly, it's inertia. I have a beard. There are times when I want to shave it off, but my wife likes it and it makes me distinct. So I keep it because I like it most of the time and don't want to throw everything off.

If I started drinking beer around my friends who have known me for a decade, I would lose a bit of what makes me me. Maybe that's stupid, but I have to believe that everyone has certain things they do/maintain because of the people around them. We live in a society.
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Wow. Seems kinda needy to me. You keep a beard because people expect you to, you brew beer you don't like because you worry about what your friends would think if you stopped ... who cares what other people think? Why devote so much time, energy, and money creating something you don't even like? Because of "inertia?"

I'm sorry, but that's just ... dumb. Live for YOURSELF, not what people have come to expect from you.
 
Qhrumphf said:
Well, looks like I got suckered in by the myth (or legend or lies that are told to kids or whatever you want to call it). Serves me right for not fact checking myself...
Click to expand...

Meh, it happens. I was under that impression too until I took a music history class in college from a very passionate professor.
BTW i see that you brewed a bitter on Maris otter versus pale malt. What differences did you notice? I have a 50# sack of each coming and was wondering what the taste difference is.
 
The op seems to be skirting around the question of why don't you try the wort before it's fermented? Granted it's not the same as after it's fermented, it's better than nothing. Or why you don't taste and spit it out. You still wouldn't be drinking. I think this is one of the best conceived troll threads ever. You really have people convinced.
 
kroach01 said:
Meh, it happens. I was under that impression too until I took a music history class in college from a very passionate professor.
BTW i see that you brewed a bitter on Maris otter versus pale malt. What differences did you notice? I have a 50# sack of each coming and was wondering what the taste difference is.
Click to expand...

:off:

The Maris is one of my favorite malts. The crackery biscuity character i love. The differences between regular US 2-row and MO are pretty obvious, but I'd never used the darker US pale ale malt. Despite being marketed as a low cost alternative for the English malts, its not quite the same. More like a clean 2-row with some additional toasty background notes, not the full malty character that MO has (I've tried both the Rahr and Briess versions with similar impressions of each). I decided to stick with MO for my English beers, but I've started using the pale ale malt as a base in American beers since it adds a little something more than your regular 2-row.
 
kroach01 said:
Love this post. Will add Rogue's to the must-do list up there.
LOL @ the story about the mayor and single moms. Sounds like this will be a very good place to chill and people watch.
Do yall have some fun things to do there? I have a travel list and would love to add stuff HBT members like up there.
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Yep. Lots of good people watching in Portland. That's what I'll be doing when I'm drinking beer and donating dollars to single moms!
By the way, this is one of the times when I don't care that the place doesn't have any good beer on tap.

kombat said:
Wow. Seems kinda needy to me. You keep a beard because people expect you to, you brew beer you don't like because you worry about what your friends would think if you stopped ... who cares what other people think? Why devote so much time, energy, and money creating something you don't even like? Because of "inertia?"

I'm sorry, but that's just ... dumb. Live for YOURSELF, not what people have come to expect from you.
Click to expand...

That's what I said. Anyone who has that many major things about their life that they can't change because they think it would alter what other people would think or that the things that are different than most people are required to make other people like them is in serious need of a beer.

You need to learn to relax and forget about other people.
You might find people you have more in common with if you don't worry about perceptions and figure out what YOU like.

Spending your life in a way that you think makes other people happy is nuts. Probably yuppy nuts at that!
 
45_70sharps said:
I don't live in or near Portland, it's about three or three and a half hours away.
It is where I go when I need to go to a city though.
Strange place. They use to have a popular mayor who would go around hooting like an owl if that gives you an idea.

Strange as it is, it's better than the chaos of Seattle. Plenty of interesting stuff there and lots of things to take my daughter to.

Big craft beer area so that's good.
I'm planning a trip there this weekend to hit hooters and Rouge's brew pub!
Nothing much surprises me in Portland though.
Like I said, it's someplace where I could see people going to a restaurant with a chef that doesn't eat meat just because it's cool.
Might go to one of those places that serve beer and you get to support single moms, $1 at a time.
Click to expand...
Don't take advice from anyone who travels to Portland with the intention of going to Hooters.
 
Mongrel said:
Don't take advice from anyone who travels to Portland with the intention of going to Hooters.
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What's wrong with hooters?? It's not as much fun as the single moms, but the scenery is far better than going to olive garden.

They seem to have made many many millions because the scenery in there.
Let's face it, the hot wings are good, but you don't pay the price on their menu just for the hot wings, and it's a far cry from anything we have in the little town I live in.
 
Mongrel said:
lol see, you know where to go, now just forget Hooters and the Olive Garden.
Click to expand...

Nah... Going to a gun show in Longview, then Hooters for lunch, then I'm going to hit Rouge's brewhouse / pub and at least one the bars where you make charitable $1 donations to single moms.

If we go to Rouge, we may end up skipping hooters if they have good food there. Better beer and it couldn't cost as much as the beer at hooters!

THEN... When I get home I'm going to make another batch of beer! Wish I could fit a trip to the brew store in there but I'll be going with one or two other guys and time may be short.
I don't need anything from the brew store till my grain mill is in and not stopping might save me some money anyway.
 
If this is a troll post, bravo. 10/10

If not, get off your high horse. Sorry to be so blunt.

But if you're wondering what people in a local brewing community would think, all of these posts will show you. If you don't tell them why you're not sampling other brewers beers, you will come off rude. If you do tell them why without any valid explanation, you will come off as pretentious.

My advice? Hone your skill and expand your pallet by tasting your beers (and other's beers). Or go see a psychologist to help you understand why you are behaving the way you are, as there is probably something else deep rooted causing that thought mechanism.
 
If you are a scientifically motivated guy who does things for education and amusement then you must follow my advice...

Create a gluten free double IPA that tastes like a conventional barley based double IPA and you will be a billionaire.
 
45_70sharps said:
Nah... Going to a gun show in Longview, then Hooters for lunch, then I'm going to hit Rouge's brewhouse / pub and at least one the bars where you make charitable $1 donations to single moms.

If we go to Rouge, we may end up skipping hooters if they have good food there. Better beer and it couldn't cost as much as the beer at hooters!

THEN... When I get home I'm going to make another batch of beer! Wish I could fit a trip to the brew store in there but I'll be going with one or two other guys and time may be short.
I don't need anything from the brew store till my grain mill is in and not stopping might save me some money anyway.
Click to expand...

I would skip hooters go straight to Rogue, or just about any other brewpub in Portland. There's no shortage of selection and most of them have fantastic food.

Rogue has fantastic food IMO but it can be a little spendy.

Couple of my favorites are Breakside Brewpub and Alameda Brewhouse. There is also places like Bridgeport, Deschutes, Pyramid/MacTarnahans, Laurelwood (Great food and Beer), Lucky Lab, Hair of the dog, etc.

Hooter's is a waste of time compared to any of those.
 
Weird thread. Of the few posters I recall who said they don't drink, I remember one who said he hated the taste (same guy Revvy mentioned) and one or two who were admitted alcoholics who stopped imbibing accordingly. This guy basically has no reason other than a flimsy "that's how my friends know me." Huh?

Personally, I don't think he's lying completely. I do think he's lying about not being an alcoholic. I too noticed the OP refusing to acknowledge the multiple questions as to whether he tastes the wort.

If he's telling the actual truth, then I find it laughably ironic that people are saying "who cares what anyone thinks" to a guy who obviously cares way too much about what other people think. ;)
 
I could care less if you drink or not. If you enjoy brewing keep doing it. I see it not that much different from people who hunt but don't eat what they harvest,or someone who fishes but does not eat fish.

Look what some people spend building a custom car or bike just to take to a show.

I would be happy to sample and give you feed back.
 
Hey man, whatever floats your boat. But bear in mind, you'll probably get a totally different reaction from brewers in your community than on the Internet. For all we know, you could be a thirteen year old girl whose only experience with making food items involved an easy bake oven. The mistrust is more about the Internet than about you.

That being said, you'll probably find many people happy to talk about the mechanics of brewing. But don't be surprised if people don't believe that you have a full understanding of the flavors. That's because you don't. Sorry, but that's the choice you made. Anyone who has ever tried to wait tables under the age of 21 and takes wine classes can understand this.

Question--do you sample ingredients? Smell different hop combinations? Taste your malts? And the long avoided question: do you taste your wort? If not, what's your reasoning for that?
 
I don't trust anyone who won't drink their own concoctions. I'm pretty sure Creamy's gonna taste his okra mead before he makes anyone else adventurous/stupid enough to taste it. It's common courtesy to be able to describe your product's taste and your opinion to those who want to try it. I'd be apprehensive to drink it if I saw you shrug and then look to your wife for an answer. She didn't make it, you did. I want to hear it from you first.
 
Psst. Hey, try this beer I made. It's really good, I promise. Oh, well no, I won't drink it. My wife says it's good. No, seriously I won't taste it. Not even a single drop. I never have, ever. No, it's really good though. People tell me it's really good. As far as I know from what people tell me it's good. If it's so good why won't I try it? Well, um, ya see, when I was 15 I drank beer and I got in a fight with my friend so I swore I'd never drink again. Not even now that I am a full grown man and have the maturity to have a few drinks without getting drunk and without fighting with my friends. Well, if I started drinking now then my reputation for being someone who doesn't drink would be ruined. No, I don't actually get anything for having a reputation for not drinking but it's a good enough reason for me. So are you gonna try the beer I made? Why should I try it first? No, it's good. I promise it's really good. But look at my survey numbers! Come back, try it, pleasssseeee...
 
A lot of harsh posts on here. If the guy doesn't want to drink then he doesn't have to drink. The argument that how do you know you don't like beer you've never tried it is dumb. I've never done hard drugs, does that mean I should? No it's everyone's choice. I dont understand why you would discourage someone from brewing. He gives it to people who probably really appreciate it. I bet he has a great cellar of bottles that I wouldn't have to discipline to keep. I would be too interested to taste it before I let anything get to the best age I'm sure.

Keep brewing, sounds like you love to do it. And there's no damn hockey to watch anyway
 
Visual: Evaluate color, head and carbonation
Aroma: Smell hops, malt, adjuncts
Taste: (couldn't you swish and spit) or not
Overal Impression
 
AndrewD said:
Who the hell didn't drunkenly fight their best friend at 15? I know I did, right after he stabbed me in the head with a broken plastic ruler.
Click to expand...

Exactly, young and stupid makes you old and wise sometimes.

I broke my left hand and a guys jaw in 4 places thanks to 151, I will still drink it, I just don't drink as much and keep my temper in check when I do.
 
thisisjohnbrown said:
I wasn't offering to taste or critique. If you go back a page, they were talking about getting a group together. That's what I am interested in, meeting up and talking with other brewers.
Click to expand...

Based on the responses you're getting in here, I wouldn't expect a lot of love for you if you were to join a club. Most club member want to share their beer with others and get honest, objective critiques and feedback in order to improve their product. You wouldn't be able to do that for them since you don't drink. Why should the reciprocate with yours? Seems kinda selfish to me. I think I said this before as have many others. I don't trust anyone who won't eat or drink what they make. And how can you be proud of something if you haven't a clue of what it is? Try going to soap or cheese making.

I hate to say it, but it feels kind of insulting actually. We take this hobby pretty seriously because we're passionate about it. You're more interested in the process and from what I can tell, there isn't any passion involved.
 
Johnnyhitch1 said:
I wish i had that much cash to shell out.
So whats you grand experiments plan? Do you have any outcome or future goal for this "project"? Not at all hating more power to you.

Why not sip on your beers? Drink them slowly or just have atleast 1 at a meeting or special event. IMHO I enjoy drinking brew because of all of the flavor and aroma combinations you can have its virtualy a universal BEvERage. plus the labor i put into making it i certainly deserve it!

In the long run if this is the road you decide to take i would just be honest about it, im sure no ones going to make fun of you for doing what you believe in, the homebrewing community is actually very accepting.
Good luck to you!
Click to expand...

Yes, "grand experiments plan" is exactly how I look at it. After mulling on what some people have said, let me try and explain it in a different light.

I am a programmer, and love art. Some of my favorite art pieces are things like fractal arts or randomly generated poetry or a painting that an autonomous robot creates. Those things intrigue me. The impetus of this whole thing was when a friend at dinner said they wish their beer was a bit different. I thought, "I wonder if I could do that" since I now had beer knowledge. It's a giant experiment.

I don't drink, I don't have any desire to. I just don't. Since people are really focusing on the ingredients question, yes, I smell the hops and could pick out through smell alone from the ones I use a lot. I can probably also tell the difference between a lot of the malts based on smell. I have made stuff from the spent barley. I have cooked with the beer in dishes. But once it becomes beer, it's a part of the experiment. I am doing a grand project to see how it goes. And it's going well, at least for my friends and colleagues who truly enjoy my brews and ask me to make them special batches based on their likes.

Mentioning the drinking and fight when I was younger was a way of just giving a short hand. At 15, I thought "I don't like this. This isn't who I want to be." And I held to that conviction through 16, 17, 18, and went to college. At that point, it was never something I did, so I didn't care. Now, it's 15 years later, and my whole life hasn't had a moment of "I should pick up a six pack" or "Can I see the wine list?" So it's just not a part of who I am, or to put it another way, it's just who I am to not drink. I don't want to, I don't have a desire to, I just don't.

I was allergic to sea food when I was younger, and never ate shrimp or squid or lobster or muscles. Now that I am older, I may have grown out of that allergy (medically possible), but I just don't have the desire to go to the doctor and get tested and possibly go to red lobster. It just hasn't been part of my life.

I love analogies, so one more. An older person didn't grow up with the Internet, so it's easy for your grandparents to write it off, because it wasn't a part of their life.

Sorry for the long rambling post, again. I just wanted to clear up some things. I'm not a troll or crazy. Definitely weird (as others have noted, I am in the right city for it).

And again, the reason for the post was to get input on how people thought the local brew community would react. I really appreciate all the input and interest.
 
Whattawort said:
Based on the responses you're getting in here, I wouldn't expect a lot of love for you if you were to join a club. Most club member want to share their beer with others and get honest, objective critiques and feedback in order to improve their product. You wouldn't be able to do that for them since you don't drink. Why should the reciprocate with yours? Seems kinda selfish to me. I think I said this before as have many others. I don't trust anyone who won't eat or drink what they make. And how can you be proud of something if you haven't a clue of what it is? Try going to soap or cheese making.

I hate to say it, but it feels kind of insulting actually. We take this hobby pretty seriously because we're passionate about it. You're more interested in the process and from what I can tell, there isn't any passion involved.
Click to expand...

I appreciate the input about the club. That is what I was asking about, when it's laid out like that. Whether people would think it was one sided or not. So thanks.

I don't understand how it's insulting. I obviously take it seriously. I wouldn't spend hundreds of hours on something I wasn't passionate about. I have seen many people on the forums talk about the ritual of the brewing as what they enjoy the most. You can get a good craft beer for a lot less effort (and potentially money) than making it yourself. I like the science (ph levels, temperatures, beakers, readings), like the brewing (timing, cleaning, smells), sharing with friends, and getting input and making it better.

It's not meant as an insult. In any way. It's meant as a hobby that I enjoy.
 
Oh, and the art of labels and naming. Also amazing. I have pages and pages of puns and different lines and designs and ideas in my brewing notebook.
 
thisisjohnbrown said:
And again, the reason for the post was to get input on how people thought the local brew community would react. I really appreciate all the input and interest.
Click to expand...

Well then you've got your answer, they will all think you're some weird oddball (even if they don't say it to your face they will behind your back), and they also will probably feel it unfair that you want their feedback on your brews but refuse to try theirs. In addition, I doubt you'll be respected much talking about brewing when you've never once even tasted beer.

Whether you want to believe this or not is irrelevant. Sure not everyone will feel that way about you, but human nature is pretty predictable and just even based on the comments in here I personally feel joining a brew club might be more of a negative than a positive for you. Anyhow, best of luck.


Rev.
 
Oh my honest opinion: I think you are weird and this doesn´t have to be a bad thing. The point of a lot of people here is that it´s almost impossible to succed in your hobby without tasting the results, even if your friends/wife tell you, you´ll never fully understand beer if you don´t taste an try it for yourself.
There is somethings that can´t have a 100% intelectual aproach, is not about surveys or data: brewing is in some sort a science but also a form of art.
One thing is studying sexual anathomy and a very different thing it´s making love.
 
thisisjohnbrown said:
I don't drink, I don't have any desire to.
Click to expand...

Since you said you like analogies:

I don't bungee jump. I don't have any desire to.

But if my friend called me up one Saturday morning and said, "Hey Kombat. Jim and I are going to try that new bungee jumping place out by Springfield, wanna come?" I wouldn't say, "No thanks, I don't bungee jump, it's just not who I am."

It's about having an open mind. Maybe I'll like bungee jumping. I'm certainly open to trying it, even if I don't lie awake at night with a burning desire to bungee jump.

Like I said before, it just really seems to me that you're trying too hard to cling to this "identity" that you've crafted for yourself. It seems like you think that since you've been "the guy who doesn't drink beer" for so long that if you changed your mind now, people would think you're flip-floppy or non-committal. I think that's a very silly fear.

thisisjohnbrown said:
At 15, I thought "I don't like this. This isn't who I want to be." And I held to that conviction through 16, 17, 18, and went to college. At that point, it was never something I did, so I didn't care. Now, it's 15 years later, and my whole life hasn't had a moment of "I should pick up a six pack" or "Can I see the wine list?" So it's just not a part of who I am, or to put it another way, it's just who I am to not drink.
Click to expand...

Again, I think this is just silly. Nobody stays the same person their whole lives. You grow up, you mature. Having different values and interests today than you had when you were 15 is NORMAL. Pointlessly clinging to the same ideologies as when you were in puberty isn't a sign of virtuous commital, it's a sign of an irrational OCD obsessive behaviour.

People CHANGE as they grow up. Their interests change, their priorities change. Why would you try so hard not to change, just because that happens to be your "identity" in your current peer group? Guess what - you'll find a NEW identity! Or even if you don't, who cares?

My feeling is, you only get one kick at this can, so why not try every opportunity that comes along, even if it's not something that had occurred to me before, or not something I've had a "burning desire" to do. What's the worst that could happen? If I like it, then I've enriched my life. If I don't, I just won't do/eat/drink it again. But worrying about what other people will think of me if I'm no longer "the guy who doesn't bungee jump" is the LAST thing on my mind.

thisisjohnbrown said:
I was allergic to sea food when I was younger, and never ate shrimp or squid or lobster or muscles. Now that I am older, I may have grown out of that allergy (medically possible), but I just don't have the desire to go to the doctor and get tested and possibly go to red lobster. It just hasn't been part of my life.
Click to expand...

Right. But the allergy wasn't by choice, and you didn't grow up to volunteer on a shrimping boat for fun. So... poor analogy.

thisisjohnbrown said:
An older person didn't grow up with the Internet, so it's easy for your grandparents to write it off, because it wasn't a part of their life.
Click to expand...

Right. We call those people carmudgeons. The grandparents who HAVE embraced computers have enjoyed a much richer relationship with their children and grandchildren, thanks to email, Facebook, Facetime/Skype, forums like this one, and much, much more.

Again, it just seems stupid to me. You're openly admitting that it's not because you don't like beer. Indeed, you won't even try it to find out! You're saying you won't drink it, because it's how your friends/family know you. That guy who doesn't drink beer. That just seems like such an incredible waste of potential enjoyment to me, especially as someone who makes it themselves!

My brother is an aviation technician, but his main hobby is as a chocolatier. He makes the most incredible treats out of chocolate and candied sugars. He makes his own candy for Halloween, he gives the family chocolate lollipops at Christmas, and he makes amazingly ornate chocolate filigrees for birthday cakes and cupcakes.

But he doesn't eat chocolate. It's not that he doesn't like it (he doesn't know - he's never tried it), he just doesn't eat it.

OK, that entire story is fake. But see how stupid that sounds?
 
i can't believe the amount of negativity and lack of acceptance in here. is it because people feel threatened by the OP's ability to brew but not drink?? people are different, deal with it. i frankly don't understand people's need to have everyone be just like them.

thisisjohnbrown, i don't share your reasons for not drinking, i borderline don't understand them - but i completely accept them. good for you. i'm sure you make your wife and friends happy with your brewing. that alone would be reason enough for me to do something.

as for how you might be received at the homebrew club, i'd suggest sitting in on a meeting and getting a vibe for the group. i have only ever been to one club meeting (this past week, definitely going again, it was awesome) and the feeling i got was that a non-drinker would be accepted just fine. he/she would obviously get a lot of incredulous reactions (as illustrated by this thread) and some good-natured ribbing, but he/she would be accepted. i'd suggest joining a larger beer club, not a small close-knit group of long-time drinking buddies. but check out the club first, talk to people and get a feeling for how open-minded people are. personally, if i met someone at a homebrew club who didn't drink i'd be fascinated and want to know more about that person.

p.s. if/when i'm next in portland, i'd love to drop by and try your beers. i promise to give you plenty of feedback :mug:
 
sweetcell said:
i can't believe the amount of negativity and lack of acceptance in here. is it because people feel threatened by the OP's ability to brew but not drink?? people are different, deal with it. i frankly don't understand people's need to have everyone be just like them.
Click to expand...

Um..no. It's my inability to comprehend how someone could be passionate or even appreciate what they make if they don't taste it themselves. It's like what Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern (insert other respected chefs) say...you cannot be an accomplished or confident chef if you don't taste the food you're making. If you aim to please your target consumers, you at least need to know how to describe the beer you just made. That includes the aroma, mouthfeel, taste and anything you didn't expect in the finished product. Now, if the OP said that he sampled (and even spit out) the final product, I wouldn't have any issue here. If you're more interested in the science, process, and chemistry of brewing, there are other avenues and hobbies to satisfy that curiosity. The clubs that I know of wouldn't necessarily be rude to the OP, but they probably wouldn't be that receptive and would likely have a lower respect for the OP because he is unable to contribute to the club's goals and commonality of brewing AND drinking beer.

Tony Bourdain's books are hilarious by the way.
 
scientist2.jpg


Sums it up...
 

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