So here we find ourselves again, delving into the countless threads and articles on HomeBrewTalk. We all have our reasons... Some of us are new to brewing and are scrambling to absorb every bit of knowledge possible before we go and start pitching yeast all over the place. Others are our saviors, the champions of the community that show up and encourage, guide us, and in some cases hold our hand through the process as we beg for reassurance.
These guardian angels of the young brewing community often have more impact on our lives than they know; we would all be so lucky to have one grace us with their insight. A few members even end up visiting a common thread multiple times a day to simply post pictures of their most recent pour and chat about their day. One of the forum moderators @passedpawn, probably said it best in his thread Why I Like Home Brew Town,"A cross section of Home Brew Town is just like any other city. You've got the people you trust, and those you're not sure of. Noobs moving in, senior citizens that don't come out much anymore. There's a couple of nutjobs that spout complete nonsense all day on the corner, but they are mostly harmless and add a bit of color to my Home Brew Town (I try to ignore them, but sometimes they are funny, sometimes just odd)".
Maybe you are in a situation more similar to the one I am in on a daily basis: Sitting under blinding fluorescent lights, having multiple drawings and word documents open in the background while browsing HomeBrewTalk threads you frequent. Now, in no way do I promote slacking off at work but one can only stare at CAD for so long and HBT is my oasis. Everyone with an office job deserves a break from the computer every so often just as much as every draftsman deserves to go harass the machine shop from time to time. Whenever I need a break or finish a drawing, I like to visit my friends on HBT and pick their brains about my most recent brewing adventure or just live vicariously through them as they talk about what they are drinking now. If you fit in this white-collar group, you may have heard of me... for I have the fastest Alt + Tab this side of Lake Erie. That being said, maybe I can help you better utilize your experience and time on HomeBrewTalk.
Alt+Tab
This is one of the simplest ways to manage your tasks while working. It will allow you to flip between HBT, email, word documents, drawings and any other programs you may have open. It can be a get out of jail free card for when your boss walks in or even if you are actually just working, it can be a valuable tool. Use it. Clicking is so 2014.
HomeBrewTalk Mobile Forum
If you have a smart phone, get this app! If you have a flip phone, donate it and get a smart phone. How else are you going to post a picture of the most perfect pour of your homebrew that your friends on HBT helped you make? Many potentially catastrophic events have been averted due to the fact that I had quick access to this forum. If you have ever started your brew day and suddenly found yourself standing outside in the snow wearing shorts and a hoody, holding a mash paddle, but cannot remember why you are staring at a boiling pot of water... make your best fear-face, take a selfie and post it to your thread using the HBT mobile forum.
Brew Your Own Adventure
Whether you're new to the hobby or making cider for the first time, the best thing I have found to do is create a thread dedicated to your new adventure. Of course, after you have taken a little bit of time to read up on other peoples experience with similar undertakings. When I first started the hobby on a whim five years ago with my friend, we bought a basic set of equipment and a few extract kits before we broke off and got our own equipment. After a few years of brewing and being happy with my accomplishments, I made the jump to all-grain and produced a batch of gushers. Sadly, I was so devastated by each successive bottle I opened that I eventually packed up my equipment and gave up for a year. When I came back however, I discovered HBT and started a thread dedicated to helping myself salvage the hobby. It was immediately flooded with help and criticism alike but at each point in the process that I had struggled with, my concerns were swiftly addressed and I was reassured that in the end, I would have a wonderful beer. It just so happens, I ended up bottling a beautiful pale ale based on a recipe I found on HBT. The people involved not only aided in salvaging a hobby, but helped ignite a passion for brewing and resurgence of creativity that I had not seen in myself for a long time. Start your own adventure and take the HBT community with you.
Newest Threads
Maybe you aren't sure where to start when you first show up to the site. Take a look over to the right side of your screen and behold, the Newest Threads column. This will update each time you refresh your page, allowing you to quickly browse some of the most recent threads people are participating in. Quite often someone will have already started a thread that covers a lot of ground and has many people chiming in with their insight and own personal experiences. Keep an eye on this, there are a lot of random opportunities to accidentally learn something, even if it involves surviving the inevitable zombie apocalypse. After all, one can never be too prepared.
Stop In, Say Hello
The most valuable thing you can do with your time on HBT (in my opinion, of course) is to get involved. If you see a new member struggling, asking a question that has been asked a thousand times and nobody has answered him, say hello. Assure them it will be okay, to relax, refer them to an appropriate source or take them under your wing. It may seem trivial to you, but you never know when you just may make someone's horrible day immensely better.
Find a group of common interest and jump in head first. The collection of people in the HBT community is widespread across all walks of life and professions. We can all learn from each other whether it be about brewing, what kind of glass to drink your IPA from or the best places to visit when you are travel to someone's hometown.
Generosity
It is quite possible you have found one of the most generous and giving assortments of random people on the entire internet and last I checked, the internet is pretty big. Can you even imagine how monstrous the spider is that made the world wide web? These are the things of which my nightmares are made but, I digress... Spend any amount of time digging around here and you will surely bear witness to unbelievable random acts of kindness from sponsor and site giveaways, to unexpected gifts and private messages from passerby's who wanted to comfort you after your drunken mumblings about your bad day. If you can swing it, you could even consider donating a modest offering and become a forum supporter. Sure it will allow you forum supporter benefits, but have you even seen the giveaways? A homebrewer can dream right?
Maybe there is no best way to utilize HomeBrewTalk, only little ways you can help make it work in a way that suits you the best. Similar to a tool in any trade, the best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with how to use it and use it often. It has become routine for me: check my email, open up a few drawings, open up HBT, grab a coffee and settle in for the work day. I hope, just as I do when I try to help out a new brewer, that something I have written has helped you in some way... even if it was just to give you a break from work. Next time you find yourself looking for an answer to your brewing woes, reach out to everyone here at HomeBrewTalk. If you are just bored and want to annoy someone, send me a message... I will direct you to the member most deserving of your attention.
Cheers from your friend in Buffalo!
These guardian angels of the young brewing community often have more impact on our lives than they know; we would all be so lucky to have one grace us with their insight. A few members even end up visiting a common thread multiple times a day to simply post pictures of their most recent pour and chat about their day. One of the forum moderators @passedpawn, probably said it best in his thread Why I Like Home Brew Town,"A cross section of Home Brew Town is just like any other city. You've got the people you trust, and those you're not sure of. Noobs moving in, senior citizens that don't come out much anymore. There's a couple of nutjobs that spout complete nonsense all day on the corner, but they are mostly harmless and add a bit of color to my Home Brew Town (I try to ignore them, but sometimes they are funny, sometimes just odd)".
Maybe you are in a situation more similar to the one I am in on a daily basis: Sitting under blinding fluorescent lights, having multiple drawings and word documents open in the background while browsing HomeBrewTalk threads you frequent. Now, in no way do I promote slacking off at work but one can only stare at CAD for so long and HBT is my oasis. Everyone with an office job deserves a break from the computer every so often just as much as every draftsman deserves to go harass the machine shop from time to time. Whenever I need a break or finish a drawing, I like to visit my friends on HBT and pick their brains about my most recent brewing adventure or just live vicariously through them as they talk about what they are drinking now. If you fit in this white-collar group, you may have heard of me... for I have the fastest Alt + Tab this side of Lake Erie. That being said, maybe I can help you better utilize your experience and time on HomeBrewTalk.
Alt+Tab
This is one of the simplest ways to manage your tasks while working. It will allow you to flip between HBT, email, word documents, drawings and any other programs you may have open. It can be a get out of jail free card for when your boss walks in or even if you are actually just working, it can be a valuable tool. Use it. Clicking is so 2014.
HomeBrewTalk Mobile Forum
If you have a smart phone, get this app! If you have a flip phone, donate it and get a smart phone. How else are you going to post a picture of the most perfect pour of your homebrew that your friends on HBT helped you make? Many potentially catastrophic events have been averted due to the fact that I had quick access to this forum. If you have ever started your brew day and suddenly found yourself standing outside in the snow wearing shorts and a hoody, holding a mash paddle, but cannot remember why you are staring at a boiling pot of water... make your best fear-face, take a selfie and post it to your thread using the HBT mobile forum.
Brew Your Own Adventure
Whether you're new to the hobby or making cider for the first time, the best thing I have found to do is create a thread dedicated to your new adventure. Of course, after you have taken a little bit of time to read up on other peoples experience with similar undertakings. When I first started the hobby on a whim five years ago with my friend, we bought a basic set of equipment and a few extract kits before we broke off and got our own equipment. After a few years of brewing and being happy with my accomplishments, I made the jump to all-grain and produced a batch of gushers. Sadly, I was so devastated by each successive bottle I opened that I eventually packed up my equipment and gave up for a year. When I came back however, I discovered HBT and started a thread dedicated to helping myself salvage the hobby. It was immediately flooded with help and criticism alike but at each point in the process that I had struggled with, my concerns were swiftly addressed and I was reassured that in the end, I would have a wonderful beer. It just so happens, I ended up bottling a beautiful pale ale based on a recipe I found on HBT. The people involved not only aided in salvaging a hobby, but helped ignite a passion for brewing and resurgence of creativity that I had not seen in myself for a long time. Start your own adventure and take the HBT community with you.
Newest Threads
Maybe you aren't sure where to start when you first show up to the site. Take a look over to the right side of your screen and behold, the Newest Threads column. This will update each time you refresh your page, allowing you to quickly browse some of the most recent threads people are participating in. Quite often someone will have already started a thread that covers a lot of ground and has many people chiming in with their insight and own personal experiences. Keep an eye on this, there are a lot of random opportunities to accidentally learn something, even if it involves surviving the inevitable zombie apocalypse. After all, one can never be too prepared.
Stop In, Say Hello
The most valuable thing you can do with your time on HBT (in my opinion, of course) is to get involved. If you see a new member struggling, asking a question that has been asked a thousand times and nobody has answered him, say hello. Assure them it will be okay, to relax, refer them to an appropriate source or take them under your wing. It may seem trivial to you, but you never know when you just may make someone's horrible day immensely better.
Find a group of common interest and jump in head first. The collection of people in the HBT community is widespread across all walks of life and professions. We can all learn from each other whether it be about brewing, what kind of glass to drink your IPA from or the best places to visit when you are travel to someone's hometown.
Generosity
It is quite possible you have found one of the most generous and giving assortments of random people on the entire internet and last I checked, the internet is pretty big. Can you even imagine how monstrous the spider is that made the world wide web? These are the things of which my nightmares are made but, I digress... Spend any amount of time digging around here and you will surely bear witness to unbelievable random acts of kindness from sponsor and site giveaways, to unexpected gifts and private messages from passerby's who wanted to comfort you after your drunken mumblings about your bad day. If you can swing it, you could even consider donating a modest offering and become a forum supporter. Sure it will allow you forum supporter benefits, but have you even seen the giveaways? A homebrewer can dream right?
Maybe there is no best way to utilize HomeBrewTalk, only little ways you can help make it work in a way that suits you the best. Similar to a tool in any trade, the best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with how to use it and use it often. It has become routine for me: check my email, open up a few drawings, open up HBT, grab a coffee and settle in for the work day. I hope, just as I do when I try to help out a new brewer, that something I have written has helped you in some way... even if it was just to give you a break from work. Next time you find yourself looking for an answer to your brewing woes, reach out to everyone here at HomeBrewTalk. If you are just bored and want to annoy someone, send me a message... I will direct you to the member most deserving of your attention.
Cheers from your friend in Buffalo!
