Apartment Brewing and Nosey People

[Ryush806]

I would love to be able to start doing full boils for my brews but as of right now I live in an apartment and the stove just can't put out the heat fast enough to boil 6ish gallons. One simple solution is to have a propane burner outside. Unfortunately, I live in a tiny town in southern Arkansas where the judgment and hypocrisy can be cut with a knife. To top it off, my apartment is full of elderly retired people with nothing better to do than to get in my business whenever possible. I have visions of every single one of them coming up to ask me what I'm doing and then heaping scorn upon me. Not that I really give a crap what they think...I'm more concerned with the fact that they will be distracting me the whole time.

Anybody else have a similar problem? Anyone come up with an awesome excuse to satisfy the nosey people?

(Note: I know I could probably build a heat stick and just do it inside...this is more for a fun discussion than providing a solution to my problem )

 

[Monstar]

Ha. My neighbors rule... I only do one gallon at a time (TINY apartment), but the whole hallway will smell like my mash whenever Im brewing. I love the smell, and I guess they do too because I never get complaints. Plus I promised them all a couple beers for xmas

 

[JorgeIsKing]

Tell them it's a Meth lab. Then when you say you are just kidding and tell them you are making beer, it won't sound so bad.

 

[COLObrewer]

My closest neighbor which is appx. 500ft away, brews himself (or so he said), besides the fact that they have been "away" for the last 8 years. The best kind of neighbor: One that's not there.

 

[japhroaig]

Get yerself a cloak and wizards hat, and say you're practicing spells.

Oh, and a cauldron.

 

[HexKrak]

Tell them it's a Meth lab. Then when you say you are just kidding and tell them you are making beer, it won't sound so bad.

Roflmao!! I second this one!

 

[dogma9]

do it in the nude, then they prob won't even notice that your brewing something

 

[knotquiteawake]

Get yerself a cloak and wizards hat, and say you're practicing spells.

Oh, and a cauldron.

Get some 16 sided die and some dungeons and dragons setup on a card table next to you, DnD is like an instant social bubble, nobody will come close to you.

 

[japhroaig]

Get some 16 sided die and some dungeons and dragons setup on a card table next to you, DnD is like an instant social bubble, nobody will come close to you.

pfft, it's 20 sided die--NERD!!

 

[rockfish42]

Make a sign with VERY LARGE TEXT outlining what you're doing, attempt to generate some good old Jimmy Carter love?

 

[Hermit]

Get yerself a cloak and wizards hat, and say you're practicing spells.

Oh, and a cauldron.

My first brew day was Halloween. We referred to the 'trick or treaters' as ingredients.....

 

[chicagobrew]

I'd brew outside just to give 'em something to talk about. They can only talk for so long about bridge and shuffleboard strategy before they get bored.

Seriously, just give it a shot. I'll bet big money that you get 9 "that's cool" responses to every 1 that turns up their nose. Plus, if you serve beer to those that wonder over you'll make some friends that may pay out with milk and cookies down the road.

You may want to check with the apartment complex to make sure you're not breaking any rules. If grills are OK your burner should be too. If you're not breaking any rules there's nothing anyone can say.

Brew on!

 

[JonK331]

Make a handout with the law printed on it and a brief description of what you are doing. Then calmly mention that you are making a pot beer.

 

[ChshreCat]

If the folks in your apartments are old enough you'll probably get plenty of "back in my day" brewing and bathtub gin stories and probably make a few friends.

 

[Hoppus_Poppatopolis]

I'd brew outside just to give 'em something to talk about. They can only talk for so long about bridge and shuffleboard strategy before they get bored.

Seriously, just give it a shot. I'll bet big money that you get 9 "that's cool" responses to every 1 that turns up their nose. Plus, if you serve beer to those that wonder over you'll make some friends that may pay out with milk and cookies down the road.

You may want to check with the apartment complex to make sure you're not breaking any rules. If grills are OK your burner should be too. If you're not breaking any rules there's nothing anyone can say.

Brew on!

This. If you're lucky, some old timer will offer you a nip of some 'shine

 

[snccoulter]

I get that attitude all the time I live in morman hell right now and since I sin by smoking and brewing the a$$ hats won't let my kids play with theirs in fact they all go inside when my kids go outside. We use to hang out back but now for fun we smoke and drink on the front porch and and my buddies play loud music. The neighbors took it so far the other day as to tell my kids they could not play out front because there were to many kids playing out in the cul-dasac..That did not go over well. I was on pain pills and told them what I thought at that point. I has been civil up to till then

 

[Gritsak]

Make a heatstick. problem solved

 

[Pappers_]

If anyone complains or gets judgmental, tell them George Washington brewed beer at home and that you're sorry that they don't love this country as much as you do.

 

[dandricos]

I brew in my garage which faces the street. When neighbors bug me i shut them up by giving them samples from my kegs, that usually keeps them quite but they keep coming back for more!

 

[Airborneguy]

Get yerself a cloak and wizards hat, and say you're practicing spells.

Oh, and a cauldron.

Don't make me invoke copyright protection!

(look under my name)

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Tell them Jesus made water into wine, and you're just trying to follow in his footsteps as a good Christian.

 

[lumpher]

pfft, it's 20 sided die--NERD!!

don't forget the 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4.... total geeks don't even know

 

[CrAzYmOuSe]

Just start speaking in a made up language. I find a lot of elderly people are bigots and will instantly be turned off by an outsider. Either that or you will confuse the **** out of them.

 

[japhroaig]

Don't make me invoke copyright protection!

(look under my name)

....Bloodninja?!?! (might be too obscure )

 

[scrambledegg81]

Just start speaking in a made up language. I find a lot of elderly people are bigots and will instantly be turned off by an outsider. Either that or you will confuse the **** out of them.

In this day & age, he'd get immigration, the FBI and about 30 local sheriff/PD goonies at his door within 5 minutes if that happened.

 

[Fantastical]

I brew all grain batches in my apartment as well. It's difficult but it can be done.

Get two stock pots and split your mash into the two. You will be able to easily maintain your mash temp because it's only around 150.

For your boil, you should have less liquid than before and it should be able to fit into one pot. Keep the lid on halfway at the start to keep the heat in then remove and you should be good. If you have trouble maintaining a boil, turn both of your largest burners on max and switch the pot every so often. Watch that you don't spill.

 

[jmendez29]

....Bloodninja?!?! (might be too obscure )

OMFG!!! I had totally forgotten about that guy for probably two years. He came up in conversation about two days ago, and here he is again. This is great!!! I'm going to have to look up his stuff again.

 

[dfc]

do it in the nude, then they prob won't even notice that your brewing something

That might suck if the kettle is waist high.

 

[dfc]

Just start speaking in a made up language. I find a lot of elderly people are bigots and will instantly be turned off by an outsider. Either that or you will confuse the **** out of them.

Well, old people are already confused anyway. Should be simple enough.

 

[CoalCracker]

I brewed out on a tiny porch I had. People would come out and ask what I was cooking. I would just tell them I'm making beer. Since I live in a mostly alchoholic county.. They all wanted some.

 

[Pick]

Making some beef stew. Have not added all the ingredients yet.

 

[IrregularPulse]

If the folks in your apartments are old enough you'll probably get plenty of "back in my day" brewing and bathtub gin stories and probably make a few friends.

+1. My 80+ year old neighbor stops over at least once each brew day to talk about the same stories from when he used to make wine.

 

[ColonelForbin]

most people know i am brewing beer, but i think some people may be a little confused because i am out front weighing hops in a bag on a digital scale next to my vacuum sealer.

 

[rico567]

I moved to the country in the first place for this very reason.....and long before I started brewing. Rabbits, raccoons, and the occasional possum are the best neighbors.



'L'enfer, c'est les autres.' - Jean-Paul Sartre

("Hell is other people.")

 

[AwesomeSquad]

Do it outside and when people come up to ask what you are doing just pour the boiling water on them.

Also, have an extra pot boiling to dump on people.

 

[Homercidal]

Just do it outside. Then come and tell us your funny stories!

(Or get a heat stick...)


(But if you get a heat stick, make sure your stove can handle the weight of a full boil...)


(If your stove can't handle the weight of a full boil, make sure to tell the funny story...)

 

[sagnew440]

If anyone complains or gets judgmental, tell them George Washington brewed beer at home and that you're sorry that they don't love this country as much as you do.

Thats awesome

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

My holy roller in-laws tend to give my wife crap about my brewing, but know better than to say boo to me. They know I will eat them alive for the attempt.

Practice your evil face in the mirror. When they come up to quiz you or give you crap, give them "the look".

 

[bigliver]

My neighbors up the hill started taking photos of me brewing beer. So, I started posing for them. Some pretty sassy poses too ...

 

[Mermaid]

I guess you have 3 options.

1. print up a note that says "Dear Neighbor, Please do not be alarmed by my outdoor activities, I am merely brewing my own beer. I assure you that I am taking safety precautions and there is nothing to worry about. Thank you (your name)"

2. Ignore them and go about your business, smile politely when they stare at you (wave back with a "good morning/good afternoon"). The elderly ones like the words "ma'am" or "sir".

3. Brew smaller batches indoors.

I live in an old 2-flat with a wooden porch that's barely safe for our propane grill let alone a turkey fryer, so I'm not quite ready to try outdoor brewing but I can appreciate the nosy neighbor thing. In my neighborhood all the houses are more or less right next to each other so my neighbors get to see my boyfriend in his drunken car tinkering, my dog's insane squirrel frenzy, and my gardening in pajama pants.

I like the nod-and-smile approach, personally.