How does everyone keep up?

[johnhenryrolf]

Hello everyone, I am an extract brewer, and I am just wondering how do all of you keep up with what you drink?..I traditionally drink way too much beer, but that's what I do. In the past, I have stuck with the commercial light beers, but now, I'd much rather drink my own brand. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat? If I could brew about every other day, I think that I'd be ok, but maybe I just have a problem that can't be solved on this forum, (not sure)! Anyway, just trying to get a "feel" for what everybody else is doing. Thanks, John.

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Forgot to mention that brewing every other day is just not a practical option for me, thanks again.

 

[Mexibilly]

Assuming 5 gallon batches, every other day is gonna get you a healthy stockpile.
I brew once a month, maybe twice, occasionally 3 times depending on keg space, agenda and finances.
Welcome to the finest resource I've found for brewing and beer related information.

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Thanks, been trying to brew about every two weeks (three at the most (5 gallons)). I haven't run out of mine yet, but I fear that I will unless I start amping it up a little bit. Like I said, usually I supplement with "other" beers, but I'm getting to the point that I really don't want to drink anything but my own. Just wondering if anyone else has this problem? Thanks, again!

 

[1977Brewer]

I have the same problem. Thankfully I can just buy good beer and be perfectly happy.

I'd much rather brew weekly and drink only mine though.

 

[CUrchin]

Small batches. Friends. "Big game" party. Drink more. Cellaring.

 

[beergolf]

Keep brewing and build up a pipeline. Brew easy drinkers, and alternate them with beers that like some age. Eventually you will have a big pipeline that has a very diverse beer selection. I always have about 8-10 different styles in my beer fridge. i may have some easy drinkers like an IPA or two, but then a stout, an ESB, several different Belgians and even a sour or two.

For example when I go to the fridge right now there is a Gose, a sour, two different IPA's, 3different saisons, two different Belgian Dubbels, a Belgian tripel and Belgian BDSA, an ESB and an Amber ale.

I very rarely drink two of the same brews in the same night.

Brew on.

Get a couple of more fermenters and just keep them full.

 

[Braufessor]

Double brew days helps a lot. Once you have all your equipment out..... it really does not take much additional time to brew two beers instead of one.

 

[specharka]

Keep brewing and build up a pipeline. Brew easy drinkers, and alternate them with beers that like some age. Eventually you will have a big pipeline that has a very diverse beer selection. I always have about 8-10 different styles in my beer fridge. i may have some easy drinkers like an IPA or two, but then a stout, an ESB, several different Belgians and even a sour or two.

For example when I go to the fridge right now there is a Gose, a sour, two different IPA's, 3different saisons, two different Belgian Dubbels, a Belgian tripel and Belgian BDSA, an ESB and an Amber ale.

I very rarely drink two of the same brews in the same night.

Brew on.

Get a couple of more fermenters and just keep them full.

This.

It helps having some extra storage space to accommodate a few cases for cellaring. While I like a quaffer or two in my pipeline, I like to experiment frequently, and depending on the clientele there's usually more than a few options at any given time.

I've actually got the opposite issue...I can't consume enough beer to keep up with my brewing habits -- about twice per month. I usually slow down during the summer, though, so my stockpile has to last for a few months.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

Dunno quite what to tell you, mang.

It depends on a lot of factors - how often you brew, the size of your batches, how much a week you drink them, if you're sharing them with a spouse and/or friends, etc.

If your time and money constraints for brewing make it so that you're not able to drink exclusively from your pipeline, either one of those constraints has to give (cost/length of brewday? often inversely proportional), the amount of drinking you and those you supply has to give, or your reliance on your pipeline has to give.

Pretty simple math, really. I could describe my own situation, but it would by definition be different from yours based on one or more factors described above. You just have to find a balance that works for your life.

 

[Stillraining]

I very rarely drink two of the same brews in the same night.

.

Interesting...I'm exactly the opposite..I have never liked switching from one beer to another not even commercial offerings...The first one I open is what I stick with for the night.

 

[hezagenius]

Brew every other day? What size batches?

 

[pdxal]

5 gallons=52 beers.
If you're making and drinking 52 beers every 2-3 weeks you have my respect.
That's also averaging almost 4 beers per day, just of homebrew.
Building up a pipeline, and holding off on drinking so much, will allow you to have beer on hand for yourself or friends/parties.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

5 gallons=52 beers.

I think that's assuming someone's starting with closer to 5.5 gallons in the fermentor and bottling nearly every drop. Do you typically get that sort of efficiency in your batches if you bottle? I'm assuming the thread author does not.

 

[Jaybird]

10-12 gallon batches! Brew every weekend. If you drink more than that..Man, you have to seriously think about detoxing. LOL

DID I SAY THAT OUTLOUD? DETOX...NAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Cheers
Jay

 

[Bosh]

5 gallons=52 beers.
If you're making and drinking 52 beers every 2-3 weeks you have my respect.
That's also averaging almost 4 beers per day, just of homebrew.
Building up a pipeline, and holding off on drinking so much, will allow you to have beer on hand for yourself or friends/parties.

That's stupidly easy to do with barely any drinking if you add in:
-Wife.
-House guests.
-Beers brought along when invited outside.
-Gifts.

Don't drink that much, but am working on getting set up for doing 10 gallon batches as I can't build up a pipeline brewing every 2-3 weeks as it is.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Get at least 3 fermenters going at any given time. This way you can get a pipeline started to the point where you only bottle when you have bottles available. Try to brew every weekend for a month. That way you can have a batch ready every week after the first 3 weeks. Then you can slow down once you have enough in your pipeline.

Now that I got hooked on mead, I have a double pipeline going. I currently have 8 (5 primary, 3 secondary) fermenters going at any given time. At this time, I have 4 batches ready to bottle (2 Mead, 1 Mango Wine, 1 Saison), and 4 brews almost ready (1 IPA, 1 California Common, 1 Braggot and a Dopple bock Lager).

 

[ChelisHubby]

First try to increase the number of fermenters with tempature control preferably, then brew once a week or twice in one day.The jump to 10 gallon batches sounds easy but I have found it to be somewhat expensive but I am doing all grain if you stay with extract brews you just need a 15 gallon pot to brew in and a siphon or a pump to empty the pot into the fermenters.

 

[joshesmusica]

I used to have this problem due to budgetary constraints. I was a hoarder of my own beer, and when my wife wanted to give some away, I was usually not a happy camper.

The best thing is to brew as often as you possibly can. The next thing that helped me is shortening the turnover rate. If you're bottling, look into investing in a couple of kegs. That will change the "grain" to glass time by about 2 1/2 weeks or so. Then brew some slightly lower abv styles (like 5% instead of 7% and up) that can ferment much quicker and be done more like 9 days instead of 14-21. If you're dry-hopping, start that when you see the fermentation activity start to slow (I also warm the beer up to about 72F at that time as well, in order to encourage the yeast to finish strong). Then, if you're cold crashing, try adding some gelatin (if you're into clear beers), as that will cut into the cold crash time. Pale ales and IPAs are pretty good styles to go for in turnover rate, simply because the amount of hops used will usually cover up slight fermentation flaws, and they're just good styles.

My goal was to have enough beer ready to drink so that I would enjoy giving it away to friends and family. If you can't afford that at this point, you just gotta be patient. Build up your equipment slowly, and eventually you'll get there. Either that or drink less, which is a dumb option.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Small batches. Friends. "Big game" party. Drink more. Cellaring.

I think you inverted his issue.

Simple answer for me: I don't.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I'm dealing with 7 infections in nearly 10 batches (I hate plastic now)

Hard to keep ahead of that.

I drink a lot probably about a beer or two a night and 10 to 20 on weekends. So I need to brew twice a month for me and once a month for my girlfriend as well.

I can't pull that off usually so I'll make a few batches of wine throughout the year and make a good amount of beers that I can't demolish my liver with in a weekend (sour, robust coffee Porter, Dopplebock)

I know that doesn't make logical sense since I can't brew enough for what I consume but somehow having more of a variety helps me drink a little less when I'm out on the benders.

If I'm drinking all centennial blondes on a Friday night I could probably go through 2 gallons. However, if I have a glass of wine, a Dopplebock, a sour, and then a good argument about religion I'm usually pretty "full"

 

[mattdee1]

When you have thirsty friends, a 5gal batch can vanish like a fart in the wind.

I started with 5gal batches and then I finally got around to doing 10gal, which I think I will continue to do from now on. It's so much more of an economical use of limited free time.

Yes, there is the drawback that you're "stuck" with 4+ cases of the same beer, but the fact that I split the batch into 2 fermentors helps mix things up a bit. I brewed a wheat recently and pitched WB-06 in one fermentor and T-58 in the other; the beers were both really good, but very different in look, aroma, and taste. As we speak I've got 10gal of stout fermenting with Notty and Windsor.

 

[LoudHousebrew]

Jumping to ten gallons helps a lot. I think it also just takes some time. The first year or so I was getting low on beer right around bottling time every time, and holidays, super bowls etc would wipe me out. Now I do 10 gallon drinkers and 7 gallon halo beer batches and always have plenty on hand to drink when wanted as well as not being too bummed when I need to dump something that didn't turn out the way o wanted.

 

[Wiscohio_brewer]

Typically, I brew twice a month, all 5 gallon batches, so I have a steady supply of a variety of home brews. I don't really drink too much, maybe 6-10 beers a week, but I bring a case or two over to my buddy's house and his roommates and him drink it in a week. Then I get the bottles back and drop off another case. If I don't need to bottle anything any time soon, I usually drink them myself over a longer period of time.

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Thanks to all, didn't realize I'd get this type of response this quick...great ideas, I will definitely implement some (or all) of them into my system. Thanks, again! BTW drinking less? Probably not an option for me, but thanks for identifying my problem

 

[joshesmusica]

Thanks to all, didn't realize I'd get this type of response this quick...great ideas, I will definitely implement some (or all) of them into my system. Thanks, again! BTW drinking less? Probably not an option for me, but thanks for identifying my problem

You just need to find a good reason that makes you stop drinking so much.



I played a little semi-pro football in Ensenada, Mexico in a league that played against American and Mexican teams. Now, almost two years later, and since I've started homebrewing, I've found a team here. Needless to say, I'm not in shape at all like I was when I was living in Mexico. In order to get there, I've had to cut back to drinking 1-2 times a week. Now my hoppy witbier that is supposed to be pretty cloudy according to style is starting to clear up. Holding it up to the computer screen I can now read the text. Not good at all. I need to get in shape quickly so I can avoid this type of problem!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1454547919.960323.jpg

 

[Konadog]

The first year, I brewed 5 gallon batches, 5 or 6 times. The second year I tried to brew once a month and got 10 batches in. This year I'm trying to brew every 3 weeks, once I can pull that off, I'll switch to 10 gallon batches. We tend to drink a lot more once the weather warms up.

 

[DarkStarNJ]

Jumped to 10+ Gal batches. this helped tremendously. Obviously that's lot of the same beer. Better like it

 

[m00ps]

It probably not what most people do, but I brew for the sake of brewing. Regardless of how much I have stockpiled. I will go up to total strangers and offer them beer for feedback, but also just to get rid of it. For me, the issue isnt having enough beer, its keeping up with my addiction to brewing. If I was limited to brewing every other week, it would drive me nuts. I get anxiety if I feel like my pipeline of a certain style is diminishing

I really only need 2 6packs or so of each one I make. I just want to see how good of a beer I made, then its on to the next one to try and top it. I feel guilty for drinking too much of my own, cause thats just one more person that might not get to try it. Having a bunch of beer friends that come over for 6packs helps get rid of it.

Im probably like 60/40 commercial to my own stuff. Helps keep perspective on how mine stacks up. I will get pissed now though if I pay over $10 for a bomber of something that I dont think is even close to something random in my fridge. I also thrive on variety. One of the starters in the photo is a wild culture from a rosemary bush that @beergolf was nice enough to share. Im pretty excited to see how the batch I pitched it into turns out

 

[dpatrickv]

I only tend to drink a couple nights a week but tend to have over 10 kegs of beer at any one time...so it looks like I have the opposite problem you do lol

 

[davidst]

It probably not what most people do, but I brew for the sake of brewing. Regardless of how much I have stockpiled.

My wife is already pissed at the fact that I have 8 milk crates worth of bottles aging, she'd probably leave me if I had that type of stock pile. Although I must say I'm jealous.

 

[brrman]

Damn, my wife would never leave me if I had that stockpile.
She loves my homebrew. Thats part of the reason even though I brew twice a month (10gal batches) I can barely keep up with consumption. We can polish off a corny in 8-10 days just between the two of us.

 

[Wash1]

Damn, my wife would never leave me if I had that stockpile.
She loves my homebrew. Thats part of the reason even though I brew twice a month (10gal batches) I can barely keep up with consumption. We can polish off a corny in 8-10 days just between the two of us.

Lucky! SWMBO hates the taste of beer, though she does tolerate my brewing. She's a pharmacist though, and is fascinated by the chemistry involved!

 

[m00ps]

My wife is already pissed at the fact that I have 8 milk crates worth of bottles aging, she'd probably leave me if I had that type of stock pile. Although I must say I'm jealous.

I dont think SWMBO could leave me cause of beer. Id just remind her "we" would be a thing if not for my homebrewing. I only met her cause I was the random weirdo giving out beer at a local arts festival. Stopped by her radio station booth and she wanted an interview

 

[Rhetorik]

m00ps, your beer collection just further compounds how badly I need a house.

 

[m00ps]

m00ps, your beer collection just further compounds how badly I need a house.

Me too. I have a 1BR condo

 

[GnenieGone]

Hello everyone, I am an extract brewer, and I am just wondering how do all of you keep up with what you drink?..I traditionally drink way too much beer, but that's what I do. In the past, I have stuck with the commercial light beers, but now, I'd much rather drink my own brand. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat? If I could brew about every other day, I think that I'd be ok, but maybe I just have a problem that can't be solved on this forum, (not sure)! Anyway, just trying to get a "feel" for what everybody else is doing. Thanks, John.

A combination of Beersmith2 to keep track of recipes, an open-office excel sheet to keep track of when I brewed them, and untappd app (set up with my own homebrewery/beers) to keep track of what/when I drank HB or retail and critiques of them.

 

[GnenieGone]

...does tolerate my brewing. She's a pharmacist...

If she just tolerates football, you are the luckiest man alive in the universe. :rockin:

 

[PlexVector]

To get better rates on my health insurance next year I have to reach certain health goals by September, so my new motto is Brew more--Drink less!

That @moops do have some great brew! (I should have some to send you soon...)

 

[GnenieGone]

You just need to find a good reason that makes you stop drinking so much.
View attachment 335116

Cirrhosis of the liver is a good stopping point. Killed my uncle.