How Long Are You a Beginner?

[dendron8]

Curious what the consensus here is; I started my first batch last May and have brewed 11 batches now with one all grain (BIAB). I have stopped reading directly from an instruction sheet to brew. I have read a few books and have even won a ribbon at a home brew competition (3rd place, dont get too excited). Having said that, I still consider myself a beginner. I feel like I have only scratched the surface of knowledge in this area.

When did you feel like you were no longer a beginner?

 

[PBRS1844]

Personally, I don't think ill ever get out of being a beginner. I will just gradually become a more and more advanced beginner. You learn something new about this hobby every day so theres no way to master this hobby I don't believe. Sorry, im a teacher.

 

[Norselord]

I restarted 4 years ago.
Brewed about 50+ batches.
I am still a beginner.
I am afraid that if you stop being a beginner, then you stop learning and developing.
I was a beginner at extract for the first 30-something batches.
Now i am a beginner at all-grain.
I was a beginner at bottling for the first 20-something batches.
Now i am a beginner at kegging.

 

[neverfadeaway86]

I am in the same shoes as you, I started Jan 2016 and have brewed 12 Batches, all partial mash except for the first which was a mr beer kit.

My belief on this is that if you are building your own recipe, figuring out your mash temps, bottling or kegging and not getting infections that you are not a beginner anymore, I would call myself an Amateur Brewer rather than a beginner at this point

 

[kristiismean]

You are always a beginner. 3rd year, 50+ batches and over 300 gallons. Still learning and a beginner.

 

[Redlantern]

Until a master brewer tells you are not. No sooner.

 

[GHawk]

Until a master brewer tells you are not. No sooner.

Grasshopper,
When you can take this stone from my hand, it will be time for you to go.

 

[chickypad]

It seems like everyone is equating "beginner" with "still having something to learn" which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. PhD students still have a lot to learn but I wouldn't call them a beginner in their field. Who knows where the cut off is for homebrewing and you'd never get consensus on something like that, but I wouldn't call someone with 50 batches under their belt a beginner. Of course that doesn't mean they necessarily make good beer, only that they have some experience and haven't just started the hobby.

Redlantern's right, probably safer to go with the master sensei thing.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I say you moved on from being a beginner when:

Your beer turns out like it should on a regular basis

You stop worrying about every little thing and still make good beer

When your brew day becomes easy even though your doing the exact same thing you used to sweat over

Theres always things to learn and changing information...that doesn't mean your a beginner

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Don't take this the wrong way or anything but 11 batches in then yes you are correct you have barely scratched the surface. I know that 11 batches might seem like a lot b/c some people only get to do that many in a year b/c of how time consuming a batch can be....however thats not very much beer at all. I have probably......40ish or so batches under my belt and still feel like a complete newbie sometimes.

 

[SirSpectre]

When you feel you have out grown your first equipment, and perhaps when you start obsessing over each aspect of the process. IE mash temps, efficiency, ferm temps, CO2 vols, building your own water, mash PH.

I upgraded from a cooler to a Grainfather and starting controlling everything. I think i upgraded from Beginner to "Hobbyist." Also when you make good beer.

 

[Soulshine2]

one month...

 

[csurowiec]

I think you stop being a beginner when you can achieve batch-to-batch consistency with the same recipe.
On a personal level I no longer considered myself a beginner when I understood enough about ingredients and process to make my own recipes.

 

[Kharnynb]

50 odd batches and 2 years in, I no longer consider myself a beginner, I can make my own recipies, I am able to control mash and fermenting temperatures, and one of these days I will have enough spare cash to seriously get into water chemistry....

 

[brandonnys]

...and one of these days I will have enough spare cash to seriously get into water chemistry....

So, still a beginner, eh?

 

[TorMag]

I think you stop being a beginner when you can achieve batch-to-batch consistency with the same recipe.
On a personal level I no longer considered myself a beginner when I understood enough about ingredients and process to make my own recipes.

Good Lord! Way too many awesome recipes to worry about doing the same recipe over and over again to change what you think your level is or isn't.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Until you are no longer compelled to ask if you are still a beginner.

 

[csurowiec]

Good Lord! Way too many awesome recipes to worry about doing the same recipe over and over again to change what you think your level is or isn't.

I said "can" achieve consistency not necessarily that you should always make the same thing😉. There are currently 4 kegs in my kegerator, one is a beer I repeat often and the other three are my own recipes. Two of those are brand new and one is a tweak of a previous recipe.

 

[Dfitz]

I think when you give more productive information to a subject than what you take for its use your status as a beginner declines.

 

[catdaddy66]

Having said that, I still consider myself a beginner. I feel like I have only scratched the surface of knowledge in this area.

When did you feel like you were no longer a beginner?

I don't feel like I am a 'beginner' but almost.

I have always taken that approach in whatever activity I pursue. No matter my level of experience I will always seek out more knowledge on the subject at hand.

I think hubris sets in early for a lot of people when they are moderately successful in their pursuits but I am much more realistic. I always want to understand more about martial arts, life sciences, my profession, gardening or brewing beer.

Never let yourself fsll into the trap of thinking "I know enough on...", whatever.


That being said I have around 100 batches (half extract, half all grain) of brewing under my belt over 2 decades.

 

[brewcat]

I'd say you're a beginner until you understand the process and it is consistent. Then you can get the same results from the same recipe.

If you can help a newbie through a brewday then you probably are at least an intermediate brewer.

 

[ChelisHubby]

Jonny Rotten is right. If the beer is consistantly good and your not sweating every time a detail changes in your brew.

 

[mongoose33]

I say you moved on from being a beginner when:

Your beer turns out like it should on a regular basis

You stop worrying about every little thing and still make good beer

When your brew day becomes easy even though your doing the exact same thing you used to sweat over

Theres always things to learn and changing information...that doesn't mean your a beginner

You beat me to it, for the most part.

Started brewing Dec 2016. I now have 30 batches in, 27 of them all-grain. I can brew repeatable beers. I understand that the brewing process is resiliant to small errors. Brew day is much easier.

I'm helping a buddy get started in brewing. He brewed his first "independent" brew Sunday, though I had to go over and help him through much of it. He's asking question after question--and I know the answers! He's the beginner...I don't think I'm in that category any longer.

I have about 14 books on brewing, avidly read and participate in HBT, built a keezer, built a stir-plate, keg my beer, use oxygen in my wort, use a fermentation chamber, do starters, test my PH and can adjust water. I sold my kettle, chiller, and burner to my beginner buddy, and upgraded to a Spike kettle, a Jaded Hydra chiller, and a Hellfire burner. I can brew beer that i believe you'd like to drink, assuming you'd like the styles I brew.

I would say I'm no longer a beginner. I wouldn't say I'm advanced, there's still a lot to learn and until I master Water I won't consider myself anything other than...

...a brewing Journeyman.

**************

But as several have said, just because I'm not a beginner doesn't mean I stopped learning. I follow a mantra of continuous quality improvement, striving to do something better every time I brew.

I've gotten to the point where, when I buy a new book, I'm not learning as much. That's a sign. I'm still learning, trying different processes, and I'll continue to do that. I love drinking my beer, but I love playing with the process and learning more and more about it, just as much.

A brewing Journeyman. That's me.

 

[violinguy]

In my (not necessarily humble) opinion, I'm no longer an expert once I can brew without looking at the directions. I don't mean memorizing hops additions times, I mean making sure equipment and what not is ready to go. The other key to no longer being a beginner is knowing ingredients and how they do what they do. Once you know your basic malts and popular hops and how they make beer taste, you're no longer a beginner.

As for me, I just brewed my first BIAB so I'm back to being a beginner when it comes to brew day procedures. I've still got a long way to go with malts, but I would say I have a basic grasp of the most popular hops and what they do.

 

[apl_seed]

If you feel like you're a beginner, than you're a beginner. If you feel you're an intermediate, than you're an intermediate. If you feel you're a master, than your probably wrong. Just Brew!!!:rockin:

 

[GHawk]

Until you are no longer compelled to ask if you are still a beginner.

+1
Spot On!

 

[dendron8]

great answers.. thanks!

to some - my question was more intended to ask "when did you feel like you were no longer a beginner" - like, give me your "ah ha" moment... not "when can i stop calling myself a beginner". either way, i agree if you think you are a beginner, you probably are. this is applicable in beer, software, marketing, construction, investing, and any other discipline.

now to go learn more about brewing

 

[Redlantern]

In my (not necessarily humble) opinion, I'm no longer an expert once I can brew without looking at the directions.

sorry you lost your expert status

 

[Yooper]

I feel like I'm always a beginner in some ways.

First it was mastering the mash and being consistent. Then it was mastering temperature control and yeast health. Once I felt confident with that, it was mastering mash pH and water chemistry.

Then it's a new system to learn, maybe. I changed from a 10 gallon cooler as a MLT in my HERMS to a keg with a tippy dump and that changed my efficiency and my lautering style.

Once I nailed all that, I worked on changing up some recipes to enjoy newer styles, like the NE IPA fad.

I've been at this a long time, and feel comfortable with the knowledge I have gained, but I still go to some of the seminars at the national Homebrew Con and feel like I'm just beginning to touch the surface. It's always great to hear a seminar reviewing the debranching of amylopectins in the mash to remind you how much you don't know!

 

[Jaxmickey]

I think for me it was two things:
1. I was able to confidently able to explain and teach someone else the brew day process/equipment/ingredients and be able to answer every question with confidence. He even got the bug!
2. When SWMBO came out to the garage on a brew day and hung out a bit and then said "looks like your really comfortable brewing now"

I will say that there is still an abundant amount of knowledge I still have to learn as opposed to what I know, but I admit I don't believe myself to be a beginner anymore.

 

[griffi]

My son gave me a hat, after one year of home brewing, which reads "master brewer." He liked my beer and it was a nice gesture. I'm embarrassed to wear it out but sometimes do. I've been brewing (quite a lot) on my back porch for two years now. I've paid close attention to detail, done some reading, but haven't been to a brewing school. I joined a club and I've entered contests. I've won 3 ribbons with three very different styles. After my second contest recently I realized I am not a rank beginner. Some people really enjoy my beer. But, this is a hobby for me and I'm an intermediate home brewer. I'm satisfied with that.

 

[violinguy]

sorry you lost your expert status

Oops. Meant beginner.

 

[dwhite60]

I learn something from every batch. In some ways I'll always be a beginner.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[bert_wall]

Maybe when you are aged and find yourself sitting on your patio, drinking a homebrew, and discussing how you got your start. One of your grandchildren may be asking or maybe someone in the industry. As you take a swig of your 1,000+ or whatever batch and realize...this could have used a bit more Pils.

Ha, I'd like to think that there is an end to this...a climatic result, but I think as long as new "beginners" get involved and keep pushing the envelope that even a wizened brewer will have more to learn. In all honesty, that is how I like it. There isn't really a wrong way...might just be a wee bit different.

 

[Chesterbelloc]

In the trades the first thousand hours or so, you're trying attain the title of apprentice. After that you're a journeyman. Rarely do you encounter a true master.

I'd say if someone fulfills a certain curriculum, and has met the standards for 2,000 hours then he is a qualified apprentice brewer.

I'd like to see someone establish a standard for homebrewery -- as a reliable guide for new brewers to work through.

In my trade I am glad that we had defined benchmarks before moving on to the next -- but not everyone gets the opportunity to learn alongside a master tradesman with 50 odd years under his belt.

 

[RevKev]

As part of the Cicerone organization for beer professionals and a Ph.D candidate in bioanalytical chemistry, being trained and certified is definitely the way to advance yourself and the culture you are involved in. My graduate career is going to be about 4 years long. Every day I do research, experiment and plan what I gain is knowledge. And when you can prove an above average knowledge and that you can use that knowledge that is the point in my books when you are no longer a beginner.

I support the tradesmen approach but I think it is unrealistic in homebrewing, having hours be a relative measure of experience (I know there is more to it but for means of discussion), is well, a bad measure. Person A can spend years and not be able to reproduce beers and not be able to explain why and how certain aspects of their beer come into fruition. When person B can go above and beyond any explanation in books and be at the highest level, in the same or lesser amount of time. Time does not mean the same amount of absorbed knowledge.

The "in's and out's" and base of every aspect like many others have pointed out is one important detail in advancing yourself. Teaching is the other. When you can find yourself explaining difficult concepts in an easy and understandable way to people who have less knowledge than you brings you to the point you are advanced.

Well that's my two cents, I have been drinking and don't want to proofread this.

 

[GPP33]

You're a beginner until you understand how your equipment works, what each step does and how to carry it out. For most people this is probably 2-3 batches unless they are really dense. After that you're going to enter what will be for many an eternal intermediate stage. The tougher question is when do you move from intermediate to advanced?

Maybe consistently repeating good beer = intermediate while consistently repeating great beer = advanced? No subjectivity there......

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

You can think of yourself as a beginner, and others can think of you as having experience... You can have a good amount of knowledge, and still have more to learn. What are the benefits of labels anyway?

 

[hio3791]

Only a beginner would ask such a question.