And some folks on here are shocked to find out that the craft beer industry can be just as "nasty" and cut throat as the "evil empire" that is BMC.
This is why I have no desire to "Go Pro". Brewing is no longer fun. It is a business.
THIS!!! + 1,000
I ruined a vocation (ministry) by "going pro"...I can relate.
Let me see, If I want to brew beer,
1) I can brew what I want, when I want to, and with what ingredients I want to.
2) I can go off script (off recipe) and toss in whatever crap I want to without worrying about sales figures and marketing plans.
3) I can sleep in, get started around 10 am, have the football game on and get totally pi$$ed if I want, and if I forget a hop addition I haven't cost the company several million dollars.
4) I don't have to start at the crack of dawn, wear waders and much out several thousand pounds of stinky grain from yesterdays brew session before I can get started dumping in several thousand pounds of more grain into the tun.
5) I can hang out with a bunch of friends all day in the beautiful outdoors standing around our turkey fryers breathing fresh air instead of being stuck in a hot factory all day (Because a commercial brewery is STILL just a glorified factory.)
6)I don't have to deal with supervisors, pencil necked geeks in accounting, marketing wonks, and anyone else that might annoy me.
7) I get to say proudly that my HOBBY is HOMEBREWING, instead of saying "I work in a brewery, but my hobby/passion is.......(Something other than brewing...)