why do friends think homebrew is FREE?

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Homercidal said:
I don't know enough people to worry about it, personally.

If I did, I think just letting them know how much it costs would be enough incentive to get them to help a brother out. If not, well, they aren't that great a friend then, huh?

Also, consider that making beer is supposed to be for personal use, and not for selling, so technically...

But honestly, do these people think it's ok to come over and eat a steak out of your fridge whenever they want??
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I wouldn't take anything that is not offered to me. Good point. I tend to bring beer with me when I go to someones house. I don't want to get stuck drinking what they have haha. And certainly people coming to my house, I practically force them to drink my beer. I don't get that much company. Little snotty nosed kids running around here ha.
 
I don't accept money from friends for food or drink at my place. If I knew a fraternity, then that might be different. My friends would bring a dish or drink to share if they came over and were financially able to. If they were not able to, I'd not expect or want them to.

You'll see a variety of opinions on this matter. It's brought up a few times a year I think.
 
There's weasels in every group of friends that think everything is free and rarely bring something to the table when they do arrive.

These are the same people that conveniently get sick when you ask them to help you move, are too busy to drop by and check on your house when you're away and will also borrow tools and either not return them at all or will return them thrashed beyond repair.

You deal with it.

In my bar I had a very ornate decanter than was given to me as a gift. I used to but the cheapest Scotch into it and would often offer it to that specific person as "the good stuff." I told them it was a secret and couldn't let them in on it or that it was something special that was gifted to me that was from a friend traveling in Europe.

Eventually you find ways to have fun with them. Plan a night out with them and a few friends as "pizza and beer" night and conveniently leave out the part where it will come after they move furniture from one buddies place to the next.

One of my closest friends was like this for years. Eventually he figured it out and has turned himself into a fine upstanding person. He once apologized for his weasely ways. It was a nice change. He's alot more fun to be around now.
 
I live in a tight knit neighborhood of "young professionals". Many of my neighbors have also become good friends over the past 5 years since building our home. I have always had an open fridge policy with my friends and family in the past and that has extended to my new home and home brewing hobby. My friends and neighbors are more than welcome to whatever is on tap or in the fridge. I am the only home brewer in the neighborhood and have several different beers on tap at any given time, so my home is quite popular most weekends.

I never look at it from a financial perspective, because I am happy to serve them good beer in return for good times and good company. The way I see it, in the long run it will come back full circle. For instance, one neighbor is an electrical engineer with a background in electrical systems operations...... and I just happen to be starting e-brewing system over the next couple of months, so he knows full well that I will be calling on his expertise for my project. Other neighbors have different specialties that could benefit me in the future, so if I take care of them, they will take care of me.

Do I get a little pi$$ed off when some jacka$$ "friend of a friend" shows up to my house empty handed and starts hitting the taps like he owns the place and chugging my craft brew like it's Bud Light? Sure I do, but there are always going to be a mooch in every crowd. For me, beer is about enjoying something I love with friends and family. Yes, there are always going to be a select few that take advantage of the situation, but that's life and I don't stress out terribly over it.
 
If they are your friends, It shouldn't be a big deal in the grand scheme of things (they presumably offer you things as well to make up for it). Think of it as you enjoying the company of others.

If it is a truly financial issue, I'd recommend (as others have said) to make them bring things. One idea is to make them bring commercial beer ("so you can compare beers"). It is fun, there is more beer available, and they potentially enjoy your beer--but a little less of it at one occasion.

Or just hide the homebrew! :D
 
Whenever I go over someone's house, I bring something whether it's food, homebrew, etc... It just feels like the right thing to do when someone invites you over their house.

Anyways don't serve the good stuff. I usually save that stuff for special occasions or for when I drink with people I like.

Jammil's Blond ale is a perfectly good beer and it's like $10 bucks to make.
 
I have a basket next to the fridge, pay if you'd like. Don't have to but it is appreciated. I brew too much for the lady and me anyways, so there is always a plethra of beer around. I do love to go beer shopping in my closet
 
Fortunately I can honestly say I have never charged anyone for beer, nor have I ever put out a tip jar of any type (though I've considered it and I'll show why).

What I've found normally happens (maybe it just talks to the company) is that when I have a bunch of people over to watch the game or just to hang out for a few drinks is that first off a lot of my beer will disappear and I hear a lot of good comments which is always enjoyable.

In return for this not only do I get the comments which I accept as payment enough, but I frequently experience the disappearing tab phenomenon when I go out with some of those same individuals. A few hours drinking at the bar and my tab seems to be non-existent or surprisingly low. For the others, (why I am considering the tip jar) I will find money around my basement in weird spots like under coasters, in beer coozies, in brewing equipment and once or twice even in empty bottles. Finding the money individuals left behind for me is great, but it would be nice if they just all put it in one spot rather than hid it for me to eventually find, but hey "free" money is always nice.
 
For the others, (why I am considering the tip jar) I will find money around my basement in weird spots like under coasters, in beer coozies, in brewing equipment and once or twice even in empty bottles. Finding the money individuals left behind for me is great, but it would be nice if they just all put it in one spot rather than hid it for me to eventually find, but hey "free" money is always nice.
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That is awesome. I'm going to have to try that with my fellow home brewing friends just to mess with them.
 
wildwest450 said:
You're doing it wrong.

I brew more than is humanly possible for 2 people to drink, I love giving it away.



_
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Agreed.

I also get a never ending supply of free bottles and other odds and ends I may mentions would be "nice" to have. I let them know, if bottles show up empty, they'll eventually be refilled.
 
Hatchbrew said:
I have a basket next to the fridge, pay if you'd like. Don't have to but it is appreciated. I brew too much for the lady and me anyways, so there is always a plethra of beer around. I do love to go beer shopping in my closet
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How could you possibly say that you brew too much? Sacriledge.
 
I am the only person out of my group of friends that brews and makes wine, so typically I'll bring whatever brew/wine I currenly have in stock when i visit someone. They usually hit me back though either by buying me micro-brews, or picking up my bar tab; and they always save wine and beer bottles for me, as lack of bottles tends to be my brewing bottleneck (haha pun not intended but I'll take it). I want to get into kegging, but I'm just going to wait until I'm out of my apartment and into a house so I can kegerator/keezer without having to move it.
 
with five full kegs, my wife and i couldn't drink all that. and for a pliny or other highly hopped beer, i want it to be drank fresh and at it's finest. i'm a creature that craves variety, so i rarely drink the same beer two days in a row, which i why i have all the kegs.
no way we could drink it all, plus, if i get tired of the varieties i have, much like my current strawberry blonde, i fill up growlers and give them to friends to drink.
i like the process of brewing, but i need the help drinking those quantities.
 
Frydogbrews - where are you located? I'll help you drink your beer!! Don't worry I'll bring some of mine along too =^)
 
I have a ‘friend’ that wants to be a homebrewer without actually brewing. He comes over and drinks my beer (never pays), though I’ve never charged anyone for my beer. He says, “Hey, I want to make a Kolsch.” And so it goes, he buys the ingredients. I do the recipe, the planning, prep and clean all my equipment and do most of the work brewing and all of the work managing the fermentation and bottling/kegging and he takes his batch at the end of the process and tells people the he made it. After about 12 times of this happening I suggested that he take some of my brewing books to read and/or start taking some notes on the process so he could start doing it himself. He was completely not interested in that idea. Needless to say, we’re not really friends anymore.

I get what everyone is saying about giving homebrew freely. I do 100% of the time myself but there can be a point or situation where you’ve got blatant abuse of your hospitality. With my situation above, I have limited brewing time and when I’ve got a freeloader wanting me to be his personal brewer, keeping me from brewing the things I want to try it gets real frustrating real fast. My problem is I’m too nice and have a hard time saying ‘No’.
 
I have a "Tips for the brewer" mason jar on top of my kegerator. So far it only has foreign currency in it...

I also am about the only one in my household who drinks HB so I welcome the help.
 
I love to brew and i love when friends come over and try what i been brewing they tell me what they think and the pros and cons of my brew. Never ask for money or anything. They always bring something to the mix food or what not but nothing is never needed. I see more people trying my brew's and tell me what they think just helps me in the long run to brew a better beer. All i ask they return the empties.
 
I still think my Beer Roulette is the best idea. Y'all are gonna brew beer anyways, you might as well make the party responsible for finishing off a keg be responsible for replacing the contents.
 
maxam said:
I have a "Tips for the brewer" mason jar on top of my kegerator. So far it only has foreign currency in it...

I also am about the only one in my household who drinks HB so I welcome the help.
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I'd love that. I am a pocket change coin collector. I save anything foreign or old. You would be surprised by what you come across.
 
Bad people: People that show up, drink the homebrews, don't bring any food, don't leave any tips. The Beer Gods will smite them in their own special way.

Good people: People that show up, drink the homebrews, but reciprocate by giving you free drinks at the bar, or they leave money for more ingredients, or they bring you cleaned out and de-labeled bottles, or they offer to come help at brew sessions. The Beer Gods are pleased with both the homebrewer and the recipients.
 
Money in exchange for goods or services is a slippery slope when talking about the beer realm. I would be cautious putting out a tip jar for a number of reasons (the ABC in your state being the obvious one).

Tip jars are intimidating, no matter how understated they are. People often feel obligated to contribute to the tip jar because that's the right thing to do but you will soon find yourself running the risk of losing friends because the don't want to hassle with putting coins or cash in their pocket in anticipation of coming to have some of your beers.

It's the same idea with condoms, yeah they're great and save lives and all but...have you ever tried to spontaneously and spur of the moment initiate intimacy and the condom add positively to that situation or outcome? No, i think not.
 
I'm all about people tasting my beer, and don't really have any issues because a) we don't have many guests, b) very few of my friends like craft beer anyway. The only issues I have ever had were a few people who became too comfortable with my taps. I am a HUGE proponent of asking for things in other people's homes. I do not tolerate ANYONE (even my father got yelled at once) taking it upon themselves to open my taps, fridge, cabinets, etc. It's one of my quirks and I'm not ashamed of it. Not a single person has ever been told no who wasn't wasted (my cousin has been cut off before for this reason), but I do require that anyone who wants a beer or a refill ask me first.

I know, its being a little nitpicky, but I'm serious about it. I also don't like random phone calls and hate surprise visitors. I usually make them leave.
 
I feel ya Airborne. At least here in America the usual sentiment is that each person should be afforded a reasonable amount of privacy.

My fiance is the same way about asking for things, surprise visits, and unsolicited calls.
There are few people that i am OK with just grabbing things in my house like they also live there. In fact, if i haven't told you that you can treat my house like your home then i don't respect you or trust you enough to be left alone inside my abode.
 
SPR-GRN said:
I am the only person out of my group of friends that brews and makes wine, so typically I'll bring whatever brew/wine I currenly have in stock when i visit someone. They usually hit me back though either by buying me micro-brews, or picking up my bar tab
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Same boat here, I always tug along home brews for friends to try and enjoy even to the point I brought a full 24pk of my Aprihop clone and "donated" it to the community beer on our last float trip, I also hold no limits on what anyone can grab out of my fridge (I hid the DFH120 clone, can't lie about that one).

Fortunately the buds know nothing in life is free and though I don't ask for a dime, they tend to tag along to the LHBS offering to buy ingredients, bring over craft beer to drink while brewing and end up leaving the remainders, I honestly have a 24pk of mixed Schlafly and Lagunitas in my fridge right now from Saturday, we didn't even brew lol. :mug:
 
Like most here, I love sharing my brews with anyone willing to try. Hell, I pass glasses of beer over the fence to my neighbour when he's out in the yard and now he brings out of town relatives over to try whatever's on tap, which I consider a great compliment:mug:. My house goes through a lot of beer, expecially when the Canucks are doing well as my place has become the gathering spot for games.

I have four taps on my beer fridge and a jar on top that reads 'ingrediant fund'. I find the 'ingrediant fund' works well. People will throw a fiver or some change in when they have it and it lowers my cost of keeping everyone watered.

But the best thing about sharing homebrew is friends helping friends get off Bud Light Lime.
 
What got me is,by the time I got better at brewing,my son quit drinking. Then a week or so ago,my wife got sick. I have no friends,all parents are dead,siblings took the money and scattered to the four winds. I'm old,fat,& tired of all the raging BS. Now she finds every excuse not to have a beer with me. Why do I even freaking bother with damn humans? They take what they need,& don't give me anything if they can bloody help it. You guys got it good.
 
I live in the country so we have almost no vivitors except our neighbors so we alternate drinking my homebrew and their storeboughts. The are starting to homebrew also so we get to share theirs also sometimes. A couple of times a year we'll have a big backyard party and go through 30-40 gallons of my homebrew, but then everybody will bring beer and or food.
 
Oh yeah, and pretty much everyone I meet, I try to get them into homebrewing with the hopes that I'll be able to beer swap with them.
 
SPR-GRN said:
Oh yeah, and pretty much everyone I meet, I try to get them into homebrewing with the hopes that I'll be able to beer swap with them.
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Good thinking.
 
Next weekend I'm teaching a friend how to make kit-wine (wine grape juice comes in a bag) and how to brew beer (partial mash) - get him into it the easier ways and if he wants to go hog wild with it, show him those ways too.
 
I've never asked or expected anyone to kick in a few bucks for store bought brew or homebrew. I'd politely decline cash if you offer. If you come to my house and I offer you a beer, it's on me.

If I go to a social event, I'll try bring a growler, sixer, or bottle of wine. It'd be cool if my friends did the same, but it's a courtesy, not an expectation.
 

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