"Other" benefits to homebrewing

[DrFuggles]

I always wonder what "other" benefits people get from brewing other than the obvious - drinking beer.

For me, it's threefold:

a) Working long hours, but generally having weekends free, I like the fact that I always have a beer-related activitity to look forward to. I generally brew weekends - my weeks fly by generally, so having the Brew/2 week ferment/3 week condition to drink schedule teaches me patience and once I get into a routine, it always gives me something to look forward to. The thought of "YES! The latest beer is ready to drink next Sunday" will always give me a pang of excitement during the week. I confess I've also set up webcams to monitor fermentation while not at home!

b) I like the scientific/learning aspect of the hobby. I was never massively into science, but was was always interested at school. With brewing, you can learn a little to get by or you can dive right into the details depending on your appetite. The limitless boundaries to the learning keep things constantly fresh.

c) I think it's sorta sad that after generations of people making things with their hands, we are rapidly losing this skill as we become a consumer, throwaway society. I like the fact that I can "craft" something which has been done broadly the same way for generations with my bare hands out of a handful of ingredients and produce a tangible item. As an office worker I don't get to do this for my day job so get my kicks this way.

How about you guys?

 

[firerat]

I'm one of those people that cannot have an idle mind. I get myself into trouble that way.

I need to have some sort of hobby to keep me from going nuts.

Why not a hobby that results in my other way of relaxing?

 

[TheHappyHopper]

1 - Meeting new people at club meetings and beer festivals.

2 - As mentioned above, it's something I get to look forward to while I am stuck at work all week.

3 - Your friends appreciate you even more once you become the guy that always has his fridge stocked with plentiful, delicious beer.

4 - Saving money compared to buying commercial beer. This is debatable since I don't consider the time that I spend on the hobby and I am usually investing in new equipment which more than offsets the savings I get from brewing my own.

 

[DrFuggles]

"Saving money compared to buying commercial beer"

Yeah.. I always wondered about this one. I don't think I could hand on heart say I've saved money as I spent a few hundred on kit. I've only been brewing 18 months or so, so I'm guessing it'll be a few more months until I'm back in the black!

Thing is, I've got to control those "ooh wouldn't it be great to go stainless steel" moments... REPEAT plastic is fine.. plastic is fine.. plastic is fine...

 

[DrFuggles]

+1 on this too
"I need to have some sort of hobby to keep me from going nuts. Why not a hobby that results in my other way of relaxing?"

 

[firerat]

4 - Saving money compared to buying commercial beer. This is debatable since I don't consider the time that I spend on the hobby and I am usually investing in new equipment which more than offsets the savings I get from brewing my own.

When I first started brewing I told my wife i can save a lot of money brewing my own.

Now, like 8 years after I started, whenever I come home with some new gadget or gizmo, she always asks me, "So, how much money have we saved."

To me, starting any hobby to save money is like taking up smoking to eat less to be healthy. YMMV.

Sorry OP to veer off topic.

 

[Yooper]

I love formulating recipes and planning new things to add to the brewery. It's a hobby that makes me think.

I make other things for myself, too. I am a soapmaker, gardener, hunter, fisherman(woman), and pretty much live as self-sufficiently as I want to. I can/freeze produce, and eat mostly things we've grown/raised/hunted/traded for like grass fed beef from a friend and a grass fed lamb from a neighbor as well as our garden produce. I even render tallow from deer that I've hunted with my bow for soapmaking.

 

[sboyajian]

Saving money is in the eye of the beholder. Really anything you do at home to save money has some up front costs..

I consider this. My stout is very similar to stouts like Founders Breakfast Stout. Now, not including equipment because I've made so many batches I don't honestly think it would change the overall per batch cost much, I can make my stout for about $38 for 5 gallons. If I went out and bought a sixtel of that stout, it would be about $140. So on one batch alone, I'm saving myself $100. Brew that same batch 3 times and I've paid for most of my equipment already. (well.. if I could stop myself from buying more .. heh)

I think my biggest benefit of brewing is sense of pride of doing something. You always get that big sense of accomplishment when you pour a glass, take a sip and realize you've made something great.

 

[Psylocide]

Finding HBT.

 

[Phunhog]

In California I think the biggest "benefit" is the ability to donate beer to charity events so that they can sell it for their "benefit". It has really energized my brewing since I am not just brewing for myself but rather for others. Last year my beer helped raise over 2k for local charities! It gives me great personal satisfaction that not only did I make some great beer but that I got to share with hundreds of other people while helping non profits. That gives me that "warm and fuzzy" feeling.....

 

[TheHappyHopper]

To me, starting any hobby to save money is like taking up smoking to eat less to be healthy. YMMV.

I somewhat agree - that's why I put the disclaimer up there. And it's not that I started brewing to save money, it's just that it can be a happy side effect. Of course, in reality, it's usually not, since I now drink more beer than I would have before brewing, I give beer away to friends and at homebrew events, and I am constantly looking to upgrade my equipment. If I didn't account for all that, then I would be saving a few dollars with each batch, but certainly not a significant amount - if saving money was really the main objective, then I would just stop drinking beer.

 

[Psylocide]

I'm saving a ton of money... I buy far less craft now unless I "just have to have it" or am doing "R&D."

My HB equipment has paid for itself over and over again but that isn't saying much being a BIABer.

I can buy four sixers/decent 4 packs for around $50 w/tax, or brew up 5.5 gals with up to 6 oz of hops for ~$40.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, after taking notes in a one-subject notebook, then in BS2, I've gathered enough to write books about my HB experiences. I'm just taking a break from the second book now. So that's one "other thing". Then getting into historic beers lost in the sands of time, taking up more time researching what they looked, smelled & tasted like. Then coming up with a recipe. I found it necessary early on to switch to pb/pm biab to accomplish these goals. But to me, that's the cool part...bringing back a great beer that got swept aside by the next big thing. Beers that we can once again enjoy & ponder over a pint.
Then there's the point at which you have a good process, plenty of equipment to brew a batch of beer without buying more than the ingredients. Bling is nice, but I'm realistic about the gimmie gimmies. I'm anxiously awaiting this weekend when I can finally sample my take on kottbusser. All the while pondering the mumme gruit beer that goes back to at least 1390. You just never know where this hobby will lead you!?...

 

[Mexibilly]

1. My local selection is very limited. I can brew great beer to always have on hand.
2. I've learned and experienced so much.
3. My network of fellow brewers with whom I trade questions, answers and of course beers is always growing.
4. My wife is more than willing to allow me the time as long as I keep a homebrew or 2 on hand brewed specifically for her

 

[JonM]

We can make and enjoy styles that are virtually nonexistent (kotbusser, dampfbier), not commercially popular and not on the shelves (eg, Dusseldorf altbier, patersbier) or styles that are best fresh, but old and tired by the time they get to us in the US (Hefeweizen, English IPA/ESB, etc)

 

[unionrdr]

My feelings as well. That's the fun part to me.

 

[Brew_G]

I completely agree with a) and b) in the OP.

I'm fascinated by the scientific side of brewing, and have always been a bit of a geek when it comes to science (even if it's not my educational background). When I first harvested yeast from a six-pack of Two Hearted, I felt like I'd just won the local middle school science fair. Then turning that into a pitchable starter that made a tasty brown ale, it was like acing high school chemistry!

I'm also a gardener and fisherman, as well as an avid cook, so I love creating a product out of a number of ingredients, while also providing for others.

Homebrewing scratches the above itches in a big way. I only just brewed my seventh beer yesterday, but I have the bug big time!

 

[PC509]

I don't think I'm saving much money, but I'm a DIY'er. I also like beer. Good beer. I enjoy getting my growlers filled at the local tap house, but I love making my own. It's a hobby that you can feel a lot of pride in, and you get to taste all that hard work. Crack open a cold one and take a sip. When it's your beer that you made, it brings a smile.

I love being more self sufficient, too. Garden, canning, hunting/fishing, now homebrewing.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I'm with most of yall on here. I like being self sufficient, hate paying someone to do something I can do for myself

 

[JonM]

And it's fun to de-mystify a process. Look through the "Funny Things You've Overheard About Beer" thread, and it's pretty clear that beer is a gigantic mystery to lots of people. Heck, it was to me 5 or so years ago.

 

[GrizzAndFish]

You all bring up good points, but you're missing one of the most important "other" benefits:
Homebrewers will be indispensable in the post-apocalyptic era. Unfortunately for me, the all-grain brewers who have delved into malting their own grains will have a great advantage over extract brewers like myself.

 

[unionrdr]

The biggest problem would be obtaining ingredients.

 

[Sailingeric]

My other benefits... saving money on beer. I have a couple brewcraft buckets and reuse my 22 oz beer bottles and having a good brew shop up the streets lets me get what I need and not have to pay for shipping, I don't have a desire to get the fancy stainless steel conical fermenters. And with a brew shop up the street I can be creative and see what happens when I try out different hops, grain, and yeast combinations.

 

[firerat]

The biggest problem would be obtaining ingredients.

Wine and cider makers would have it easier I'd suspect.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah, I was gonna bring up my winemaking days, but didn't?

 

[nzeman20]

I love that my house is now the place to be; whether that is for man night or Bible study, people want to hang out and sample the latest brew. I also enjoy sitting outside and looking at my yard and the park behind our house. I do not get to do this often other than brew day. When I'm waiting to add the next hop edition, nothing beats having a homebrew in your hand and silently enjoying the view on a beautiful Colorado blue day.

 

[DrFuggles]

I don't think there are many of the above comments I don't agree with.. The whole self sufficiency thing is a pipe dream for me living in UK suburbia. Still..I can have a brew and dream!

 

[DrFuggles]

I love that my house is now the place to be; whether that is for man night or Bible study, people want to hang out and sample the latest brew. I also enjoy sitting outside and looking at my yard and the park behind our house. I do not get to do this often other than brew day. When I'm waiting to add the next hop edition, nothing beats having a homebrew in your hand and silently enjoying the view on a beautiful Colorado blue day.

I don't know what it is about brewing and nature that go so well together.. Am all electric so it's not a case of take the burner outside or die.. Interesting.

 

[MattyIce]

For me, this is WAAAAAY cheaper than guns and 4x4.

My stout is very similar to stouts like Founders Breakfast Stout.

Care to share the recipe? Here or in PM?

 

[unionrdr]

That's one thing I miss about Harmony Township, PA. The Allegheny National Game Preserve was off the back-side of our property line back in the woods. All manner of game & huge deer herds. Bear & cougar too.

 

[BreezyBrew]

You get to hear people say "I'd pay you for a keg of this" on a weekly basis

 

[fj605]

Like MattyIce said, "it's waaaaaay cheaper than guns..."

 

[LoudHousebrew]

I love the possibilities. Beer can be anything from a after yard work refresher to a study in flavor combinations. I look at food differently, as i now think of what would pair with it, or can the spent grain or the beer can be used directly in the cooking process. I have slowly been building a cellar much like a wine cellar which allows me to match the perfect beer to my meal. This also applies to recipe formulation as well.
On the science side, working on and perfecting new processes is a big draw. meeting new people, and having a full beer fridge are great too.

 

[masskrug]

1. Cheaper
2. Tastier
3. Fun