What do we enjoy about brewing - the process, the results or the tinkering?

[ktm250]

Admittedly, I don't post a lot. Additionally, I'm not an every month brewer and my visits to this forum wax and wane in proportion to my brewing regularity.

That being said, I have been brewing for the better part of two decades and started out where many of us have - with some extract, a couple of plastic buckets and some old bottles.

Recently, I have had more time (and a few more buddies get interested in the hobby) to brew and thus have been visiting the forum on a more regular basis, after a lapse of a few years. The "Beer should be simple" thread and the "Are most homebrewers also engineers" thread made me reflect.

One thing I have noticed is a definite trend (since my last regular visits) towards cutting as much time out of the beer making process as possible (almost eliminating it). 1/2 hour boils, full automation, intricate electrical setups, way more BIAB proponents.

So my question of ye, fellow homebrewers - do you enjoy the process of making beer? The smells, time, sights, and experience. Or is it about the pursuit of time? The equipment and making it as sophisticated a possible? Tinkering with electronics? Perfect beer at all costs?

For me it has always been about the process and the experience. I enjoy the time with friends, smelling the malt, mash and wort. Watching the steam wind its pale tendrils into the sky. Watching the way the wort twists and rolls and roils in the kettle. I like the way spending half a day on the process forces me to slow down. My 4 kids are outside with me, coming back to check the process, add hops, etc. I can enjoy a good smoke in my old pipe. My beer is good and, more importantly, others around me enjoy it as we take time out of our busy lives to socialize around a process that is as old as civilization.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Perfect beer at all costs?

This!

 

[ktm250]

This!

An admirable goal.

But, why - at all costs? Is it personal satisfaction? Competition? Goal of opening your own brewery? What makes you tick as a brewer?

I'm looking for some introspection and a grasp on the current zeitgeist of where homebrewing is (at least this forum).

When I only visit the forum and really read posts every couple of years, the shifts in attitudes seem vast. I'm sure it's been incremental for the regulars, but it made me think.

 

[mongoose33]

The process, the results or the tinkering?

Yes!

 

[skw]

I can't enjoy the process. I'm lucky if I can squeeze a quick brew in between work, family and errands. Bottle it after 10pm when everyone else went to bed.

 

[RPh_Guy]

personal satisfaction?

This!

I'm a super taster and I love great beer. I'll make whatever improvement I can that fits my budget.

 

[eric19312]

I haven't been able to drink homebrew since November 26 due to trying out keto diet. In about 2 weeks my first brut IPA will be ready and I hope I like it. Expecting FG in the 0.999 range which would mean zero carbs!

But during this hiatus from drinking homebrew I've brewed (the brut) and I've tinkered and I've continued to participate on HBT. The process generally leads to tinkering. I've been working on getting my MM3 dialed in. Replaced my barley crusher and do like that this new mill never ever jams - the barley crusher needed to be poked with a stick about every 30 seconds or so to keep it going - but I've crushed too coarse once and too fine 4 times since the change and stuck mashes are getting tiresome. My current tinker is a fabric filter for my mash tun which Wilser is making for me and will be here before my next batch. I'm thinking that may help the stuck sparge issue and if nothing else will ease my mash tun clean up. Getting a cool new pulley / hoist to play with too.

Don't get me wrong I do like my homebrew a lot. I simply don't buy commercial beer for consumption at home anymore.

Long story short I agree with the answer being yes I like all three but if I have to rank order I'd go with tinker > process > product.

 

[KIDD69]

I do enjoy the process but even more so I take pride when friends and family enjoy the final product. When someone wants to take home a growler of beer that I created, that kinda makes it all worth it for me. I’m only 3yrs into this and have had a blast experimenting with recipes and tinkering in the brewroom.

 

[brewbama]

For the same reason I like to cook, bake, BBQ, cure meat, revive old machines, etc.; I get personal satisfaction from taking raw ingredients, combining them in such a way (process) that produces a high quality finished product.

 

[AkTom]

Mostly the process. From reading recipes, to finally getting ingredients, to finally brewing. I’m 2.5 hours away from my local (or not) home brew store. I usually brew alone, which is fine by me. I don’t mind brewing with a friend, it just doesn’t happen often. I don’t even mind bottling... I do enjoy driothem too. I’d like to go electric, so I get to spend time researching that. It’s all good.
Cheers

 

[6Tap]

Reading Homebrew books, magazines and posts On HBT, Homebrew classes, recipe research and development, going to the local Homebrew shop, milling my grains, the entire brewing process (excluding cleaning up the mess),
Smells, testing, analyzing, tasting and
Discussing beer with others (geeking out), hands on, educating others about beer and the process of brewing,
Being alone during the brew process (natural introvert) and listening to music, learning new processes, giving free Homebrew to my coworkers and friends,
Learning and tasting all of the different types of beers, meeting other homebrewers,
Etc, etc... I love it all!

 

[agrazela]

I like stickin’ it to the revenuers.

 

[applescrap]

I cant wait to answer this but dont have time right now. I will add now though that even though I havent read it, I mostly only read golf literature, the book homebrew allstars is about the 4 or 5 categories we all fit in apparently they found we all fit into those categories. Recipe creation, builds, process, old school masters and another one.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I'm a builder at heart so building the equipment is really rewording but the most important thing about my brewing is when my keg empties in a few days to a week meaning everyone loves it, that's what I strive for more than anything

 

[applescrap]

For the same reason I like to cook, bake, BBQ, cure meat, revive old machines, etc.; I get personal satisfaction from taking raw ingredients, combining them in such a way (process) that produces a high quality finished product.

This is said well. I can relate to this, but to be clear and I always have been, I dont like brewing. At least at this point in my life with kids, maybe in the future. I dont want to anger anyone by this and the op comments about enjoying brewing I enjoy. I just dont personally derive any satisfaction from brewing other than the aspects above, but I like to drink homebrew. I dont like vacuuming or making bread either. But I like clean carpet and fresh bread. Its just another chore to me.

Guess I will expand a little now. Brewing quick is my thing and it always has been. Yeah, I can brew 5g in 2.5 hours and 10g in 3 hours with 45 min mash and boil, with my setup, but its physical. Very physical. I think I would enjoy commercial brewing more. I know commercial brewing is physical too. There is no brew friends and kids. My wife wont let them anywhere near 12g of boiling wort and I cant fault her for that. I get home with the ingredients at 6pm on Wednesday night and by 8:30ish I am done and cleaned up. Then I chill with famly and tv. I got into brewing to save money too and I think I have won at that, even with the equipment upgrade. I am only drinking my beer so thats pretty cool. So I like the results beer, satisfaction of making something, the discussion around it, and saving money.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I would have to say, for me, it's the process. But of that, it's more a sensory thing than a scientific thing, though there was a time I really enjoyed the science behind it, to the extent I "got it." I'm wired for languages, not math or science, though by dint of busting my a$$ I did get well enough along in these, too - just not a natural thing by a league, much as it bums me out sometime when I see the scientists aboard here so easily and fluidly toss their ideas about and know that it's as easy for them as breathing. I pick up what I can and I can honestly say the native curiosity has at least been there from periods to periods.

But it truly comes down to the sensory pleasures - the smell of raw malt starting to convert, and all the other things we all take pleasure in that would be redundant for me to post here. But just as my life as a chef was about the simple things robustly done, and given over to share, so it is here, I think. I enjoy beer but truth be told my body doesn't, any longer. Red wine is the poison of my body's choice, that and good bourbon. I can smell a pint forever, and sip a little, and be happy.

 

[schmurf]

I would like to say yes for all of the process, the results and the tinkering. However in r/l, the process (and I mean the actual brewing day) fails quite often due to tight time schedule, family business etc, and the results aren't always where I want it to be. The one thing that never fails though is the tinkering part; whether it's hardware or recipe searching/building...I always enjoy this part.

 

[Kwitty]

It's a lot like music to me. Do you like the beat, the melody, the rhythm, the feel, the loud, the subtlety, the texture, the complexity, the simplicity? I know it's not a direct correlation but I find most home brewers have their unique reasons for the obsession. None are right or wrong, just different. I'm still finding my way after 5 years. I love how everything is individual and layers together in an end result. I built my electric kettle. I've read books on grain yeast and hops. I've built a fermentation chamber, a wort chiller, and a keg washer. I've tasted grains, hop tea, and many beers to learn flavors. In the end it all litteraly and figuratively boils down to something I've made. At my best I have a tasty beverage. At my worst I've learned something. I win no matter what!

 

[HTH1975]

I love the process and obviously the satisfaction of drinking a great beer that I’ve made myself. The savings over buying bottled beer don’t harm either.

Saving time on brewing isn’t an issue if I’m doing an AG brew - I accept its going to take 6-8 hours. I can relax and enjoy things. I have music playing and a pot of nice coffee, maybe a croissant.

If I really want a fast beer that’s ready in an hour or so, I can brew an extract beer. If I run out of beer and can't fit in a brew day, I will tend to do this.

 

[DU99]

meeting fellow brewers at comp's/LHBS/forums talking about what they have been doing and tasting beer styles i wouldn't have drank if i didn't brew my own

 

[Miraculix]

Everything!

 

[VTX1300]

I enjoy the entire process. Working on recipes to sharing with friends. I don't look to shorten my brew day as that is my "me" time. Time to forget about the stress of the work week and hang out with the dogs.

 

[Nagorg]

It's both the process and the accomplishment of making something delicious in the end from raw ingredients. I cant say I like the "work" involved in the process and I struggle to have time for it but i'm intrigued enough that I cant leave it alone.

I haven't been able to drink homebrew since November 26 due to trying out keto diet.

Good luck to you @eric19312 . I did strict keto for 30 days last year and dropped 20# and I had not a drop of beer along the way. Coming off of keto and resuming my beer consumption it all came back though. I'm calorie counting now and limiting my beer consumption but just not seeing the same results that I did with Keto and no beer. But Keto (and no beer) is pretty extreme and hard to maintain for the long term.

This is another place where I struggle with my hobby. For me, it seems I cant have both good beer on hand and a "more ideal" weight. I truly think the only way I can keep the pounds off is to get out of the hobby. But this is where I have contention from the realization that I actually really like homebrewing overall! (and the great beer too! )

 

[LittleRiver]

...a definite trend... towards cutting as much time out of the beer making process as possible ... do you enjoy the process of making beer? The smells, time, sights, and experience. Or is it about the pursuit of time?...

I would say I enjoy the process.

I enthusiastically look forward to my brew days. I enjoy the smell of grains and hops, I enjoy watching the grain go through the mill, I like to taste the wort, etc. I like to watch the yeast work, so I use clear fermenters and have a fermentation fridge with a glass door so I can watch the action (I have a cover that pulls up to block the light when I'm not snooping).

I also enjoy doing other things, like spending time with family, fly fishing, whitewater canoeing, woodworking, etc. I don't want my brewing process to be unnecessarily time inefficient.

To that end I've made a very conscious decision to keep my brewing rig very simple. I use a single vessel BIAB rig, no recirculation. My only nod to automation is a thermometer with hi/lo temp alarms and a built-in timer.

My normal brew day (total) lasts 3:45. I've recently upgraded to a new burner to cut down on my ramp times, and I'm going to experiment with taking off 15min each from my mash and boil times (which are normally 1hr each). That should get me a 3hr brew day.

On the surface that may sound like I'm chasing the clock, but in reality I'm not. If I can remove steps or shorten times then I consider that an upgrade.

My brew days are very relaxed, much of the time is spent sitting sipping coffee and enjoying the view. I'm not rushing around, nor do I have any desire to.

The equipment and making it as sophisticated a possible? Tinkering with electronics?...

Reading the forums it's obvious that there are a lot of people who enjoy the tinkering/building aspect of home brewing. For some of them it's like they have an automation hobby that also produces beer. I think that's great. If they're having fun they're doing it right.

For me, I have other things in my life where I tinker and build, so I don't need brewing to scratch that itch. For me home brewing is about making a recipe, enjoying the process of brewing it, enjoying the result and sharing it with friends.

 

[bobeer]

I'm a process guy. I love waking up on brew day and saying, "It's brew day!" I have a 100% manual 3 vessel all grain setup and I couldn't be happier. My time is tight since I have 2 and a 4 year old, we bought a house in June, and my wife runs a financial business from home but I still take the time to do everything by hand. I love the simple aspect to a brew day even though it might take a little longer or it might take a little more work to get the same result as someone who has a fully automated system.
I enjoy making beer with friends and family and brewing outside when I can. I have found that a lot of the time I remember the brew day better than I remember what the beer was like. Beer is beer... You can buy it at the store, or make it yourself, but in the end you get beer.

Making a memory with a kid, family member, or just by yourself, will last longer than any batch of brew, a new gadget, or the hops you grew yourself. That's what it's about!

 

[Jtk78]

The process, the results or the tinkering?

Yes!

Mongoose gave my short answer, but I'll expand a bit.

I enjoy researching styles and recipes to come up with. I don't think I've ever copied one recipe verbatim, but taken bits and pieces from many to create my own.

I love the tinkering end of things. Improving, modifying or building something to improve the process (make it easier or faster) or to improve the product is one way I stay interested in homebrewing even when I can't brew (for instance I've only brewed twice in the past 4 months, which is low for me).

Brew day is my time. I brew when the family is doing other things. I can be in my zone with my music and concentrate on numbers and timing and enjoy the beautiful aroma. I love when it goes smoothly, but accept the challenge of something going wrong and having to quickly think on my feet. That said, I brew two batches at once and usually different beers. If I can shave some minutes off the brew day, I'm open to considering it.

I absolutely love the end result. There is nothing like pulling that (diy) tap handle and having a glass of beer I really enjoy and knowing I made it from scratch. It's very rewarding to share the beer and have multiple people, from casual beer fans to fellow homebrewers to brewers at small craft breweries truly enjoy your product. When a group of wine drinking women emptied a keg of my beer in about an hour, I was glowing. To me, the big difference between homebrewing beer and cooking is the duration of enjoyment. Typically a meal is cooked and enjoyed in one day. I can enjoy and share my beer over a lot longer timeframe, so those moments of satisfaction are spread out and repeated.

Opening my own brewery? I've given it some thought, discussed it with the wife, and done some research regarding start-up and operating costs. We're not ready to make that jump right now, and it's most likely a pipe dream that will not come to fruition. Still fun to dream though.

 

[eric19312]

Good luck to you @eric19312 . I did strict keto for 30 days last year and dropped 20# and I had not a drop of beer along the way. Coming off of keto and resuming my beer consumption it all came back though. I'm calorie counting now and limiting my beer consumption but just not seeing the same results that I did with Keto and no beer. But Keto (and no beer) is pretty extreme and hard to maintain for the long term.

This is another place where I struggle with my hobby. For me, it seems I cant have both good beer on hand and a "more ideal" weight. I truly think the only way I can keep the pounds off is to get out of the hobby. But this is where I have contention from the realization that I actually really like homebrewing overall! (and the great beer too! )

Thanks for the encouragement and the warning. I'm down 25 pounds in 44 days and feeling good. I've been allowing myself about 3 beers a week from local brewery - he has a schwarzbier on tap now with a really low final gravity that I calculate to about 14 grams of carbs to the pint. It is half my carbs for the day so have to be careful. I think part of what appeals to me about the diet is also what appeals to me about brewing....tinkering and the process. Weighing my foods, recording my inputs and outputs. Figuring out new combinations to get the macros right. If I can just get this brut IPA to work...

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

This!

I'm with him, it's about making the best beer(s) in the world

the time savings is so I can make more

 

[Dgallo]

What drive me as a brewer is my competitive nature. I’m the kind of person that believes “you play to win the game.” This is actually what makes brewing fun for me. I try to dial in styles perfectly; flavor profile, mouthfeel, head retention, carbonation, drinkability, ext.... genuinely trying to produce a beer that exemplifies the style. I call it chasing the unicorn. The hope is that I’ll mount that thing a ride majestically lol

 

[Soulshine2]

Admittedly, I don't post a lot. Additionally, I'm not an every month brewer and my visits to this forum wax and wane in proportion to my brewing regularity.

That being said, I have been brewing for the better part of two decades and started out where many of us have - with some extract, a couple of plastic buckets and some old bottles.

Recently, I have had more time (and a few more buddies get interested in the hobby) to brew and thus have been visiting the forum on a more regular basis, after a lapse of a few years. The "Beer should be simple" thread and the "Are most homebrewers also engineers" thread made me reflect.

One thing I have noticed is a definite trend (since my last regular visits) towards cutting as much time out of the beer making process as possible (almost eliminating it). 1/2 hour boils, full automation, intricate electrical setups, way more BIAB proponents.

So my question of ye, fellow homebrewers - do you enjoy the process of making beer? The smells, time, sights, and experience. Or is it about the pursuit of time? The equipment and making it as sophisticated a possible? Tinkering with electronics? Perfect beer at all costs?

For me it has always been about the process and the experience. I enjoy the time with friends, smelling the malt, mash and wort. Watching the steam wind its pale tendrils into the sky. Watching the way the wort twists and rolls and roils in the kettle. I like the way spending half a day on the process forces me to slow down. My 4 kids are outside with me, coming back to check the process, add hops, etc. I can enjoy a good smoke in my old pipe. My beer is good and, more importantly, others around me enjoy it as we take time out of our busy lives to socialize around a process that is as old as civilization.

Very good piece .
I have always had "odd" hobbies .I'm a hands-on type of guy(carpenter/millwright - 26 yrs. ). I like to plan and create things, putz and tinker,definitely. I've worked with wood since I was 5 and could hold a hammer and use a handsaw. I build things, fix things. Wonder and figure out how to improve something, yet keep it simple. I used to do taxidermy. I like to work leather. I like cigars (and a good relaxing pipe as you do, BTW- Lane Q-1 is probably my favorite in a meerschaum lined Full bent Italian made Briar) so I grew my own tobacco and learned how to prepare it and roll my own cigars and... make pipe tobacco. I like whiskey and learned how to make that too, got a 5 gallon copper "hammerclaw" still and made 5 or 6 runs with that.
I agree with you , its a way to spend my time not to be in front of the tv,such a waste of time and money.
Its a way of slowing down to enjoy life. The smells of the mash and hops . Watching the boil. Watching the yeast work its magic. The anticipation of a good beer in however many weeks. Is it the best beer in the world? Probably not, but I like what I make.
My wife always says a salad or sandwich tastes better when someone else makes it for you. I got her to try beer ( rum was her drink)when we got together and she has evolved her taste from a really light simple beer to actually liking a good flavorful porter in a relatively short time. I made a Hef for her on my first AG, its her favorite beer I've made.
Sharing the results with family and friends. Good times.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I'm not a tinkerer. My background isn't in messing around with mechanical things at all, and while I am sure as I continue to brew I will grow more comfortable with this aspect of brewing I am more interested in the process that creates a result I enjoy. Brewing is therapeutic to me, knowing that every other week or so I will get to have a nice relaxing (maybe) day making a beer is comforting to me. This is why I wouldn't want to cloud that with too much by focusing on minutia and fussing over every detail. Looking for a solid recipe, trying new processes and seeing how they affect the outcome is what I enjoy.

Simplicity balanced with complexity, refinement balanced with instinctual, this is how I like my beers and how I like to brew them.

 

[NewJersey]

process>tinker>result
Years ago I didn't care about time, but having two young kids forced my hand in pursuing shortest brewdays.

 

[bracconiere]

I've been brewing every week for 14 years. and my one goal that whole time was to achieve a .99 twelve pack! i can happily say as of new years 2016, i achieved it with a 92 cent 8% twelver! all it took was a scare from ABInBev, and malting my own!

edit: and now i've got to do the only work, deculming... brew day today!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm some of all of it. I've always been a cook. I like to create food, enjoy it myself and, more importantly, share it with friends and family. I have a reputation for outstanding BBQ, I win about 90% of the work cooking competitions, and my hardcore beer nerd friends (they travel on beercations, spend hours waiting in line for limited releases, host shares with high end beer from all over the country, etc.) all think I should open a brewery. I love that I can make things that people love. I read and try to learn constantly to improve the quality of what I make, which takes me to point two.

I'm a learner. I love learning new things and tackle new hobbies voraciously. I got into sailing in the 80's and by the end of the decade I was part of a national championship sailing duo.

But there's more. I'm an engineer, woodworker, DIY guy who fixes my own appliances and such. I don't like work that adds nothing to the result. In other words, I'll go to the nth degree to get a better result, but all things being equal, I'd prefer to make it easier. For example: I currently have to store all my equipment in the south end of my basement, but brew in the garage in the north end of the house. I have to go halfway south across the house, down stairs back to the north, then double back to the south end in the basement, then back north to the spot under the stairs to get and return the equipment. I also have my fermentation chamber in the south end of the basement. I drop 30-60 minutes each brewday hauling crap around. That's extra work that adds nothing to the product and I want it gone. I also have to go in and out of the garage a billion times to get to the sink when cleaning. Wasted effort, huge PITA.

Also, living in Iowa, brewing in the garage during the winter sucks...big time. I want to brew in an environment that's as nice as the one I cook in.

I love milling, mashing, sparging, boiling, measuring, recording, etc. I love the sights and smells. I love the art and science of making recipes and following them. I don't care if my brew day is 6 hours, as long as it's actually brewing....not hauling, washing, setting up and tearing down. So, I'm trying to streamline my process to minimize the things I don't like and retain the things I do like.

To that end, I'm planning an electric brewery in a dedicated space with facilities to store, brew, ferment, package and clean all in the same general area. That minimizes the crap and should make for an enjoyable brew day.

Also, I mostly brew alone because I generally prefer it. I always feel like I have to entertain people when they hang out while I'm brewing and I inevitably make mistakes because I get distracted. I would love...LOVE....LOVE to have an actual brewing partner. Someone who knows the rig, knows the process, understands the recipe and can help without being told what to do. I've had a couple friends who dabbled in brewing, but quickly decided it wasn't their thing. I've tried to get my wife involved (she loves my NEIPAs), but she's not really interested.

So, that's why I brew, and that's why I'm also a person trying to streamline my day.

 

[brewcat]

The girls...

 

[Dgallo]

The girls...

Lol

 

[bracconiere]

The girls...

and here i thought they went for the angry tweakers! lol

 

[Velnerj]

I live in a country where they produce the best beer in the world: pilsner urquell. I understand that's my opinion... But to me there's pilsner urquell and everything else is just a derivative. Not only that but comparatively speaking the beer here is quite cheap even in pubs (less than $2/ 0.5L).

I really can't produce a beer that'll be better or much cheaper but I still love it.

I love learning things about beer making whether it be hops, yeast water etc. I read books, blogs, forums and listen to podcasts almost daily.

I'm not much of a tinkerer though some of my equipment is DIY but that's usually only for financial reasons.

The time part though makes this hobby difficult. I've only managed to brew once every 2 months. I work a lot, got a wife and a young daughter -any free time is a premium and to get 6 hours strung together usually takes a miracle.

However if brewing only took 30 minutes I'm not sure I would enjoy it as much.

Since I started, more or less on my own, brewing has always been a really enjoyable challenge. It's the rigorous work, the painstaking planning, the meticulous attention to detail that makes the pint at the end of the rainbow all worth it.

I used to play video games when I was a kid and I often view life through the lens of a video game. If the game was too easy and I could finish it rather quickly I didn't particularly enjoy or like that game, likewise if the game was too confusing and difficult with no success I'd get frustrated and stop playing. But brewing seems to be the right balance of difficulty and success. I'm usually quite happy with the end result but there's always something to do better or differently next time. This is probably what keeps drawing me back.

 

[balrog]

It's my hobby. Learn to do it repeatedly well, or make it better easier, tinkering with the scientific along the way to appease my dataphile personality. Some people enjoy the results and some don't. Doesn't bother me, other than knowing they're wrong and troglodytes.

Also this really struck a nerve, except my basement storage is just about under the garage while the basement steps are at the far side of the house. I feel your pain. Good for the FitBit though...

I currently have to store all my equipment in the south end of my basement, but brew in the garage in the north end of the house. I have to go halfway south across the house, down stairs back to the north, then double back to the south end in the basement, then back north to the spot under the stairs to get and return the equipment. I also have my fermentation chamber in the south end of the basement. I drop 30-60 minutes each brewday hauling crap around. That's extra work that adds nothing to the product and I want it gone. I also have to go in and out of the garage a billion times to get to the sink when cleaning. Wasted effort, huge PITA.

 

[bkz]

I find that I enjoy talking about brewing nearly as much as I enjoy the process. I actively browse a ton of different sites and groups just so I have constant fresh content to take in and respond to. It's an obsession.