Apartment Brewing and Nosey People

[Pick]

Making some beef stew. Have not added all the ingredients yet.

 

[IrregularPulse]

If the folks in your apartments are old enough you'll probably get plenty of "back in my day" brewing and bathtub gin stories and probably make a few friends.

+1. My 80+ year old neighbor stops over at least once each brew day to talk about the same stories from when he used to make wine.

 

[ColonelForbin]

most people know i am brewing beer, but i think some people may be a little confused because i am out front weighing hops in a bag on a digital scale next to my vacuum sealer.

 

[rico567]

I moved to the country in the first place for this very reason.....and long before I started brewing. Rabbits, raccoons, and the occasional possum are the best neighbors.



'L'enfer, c'est les autres.' - Jean-Paul Sartre

("Hell is other people.")

 

[AwesomeSquad]

Do it outside and when people come up to ask what you are doing just pour the boiling water on them.

Also, have an extra pot boiling to dump on people.

 

[Homercidal]

Just do it outside. Then come and tell us your funny stories!

(Or get a heat stick...)


(But if you get a heat stick, make sure your stove can handle the weight of a full boil...)


(If your stove can't handle the weight of a full boil, make sure to tell the funny story...)

 

[sagnew440]

If anyone complains or gets judgmental, tell them George Washington brewed beer at home and that you're sorry that they don't love this country as much as you do.

Thats awesome

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

My holy roller in-laws tend to give my wife crap about my brewing, but know better than to say boo to me. They know I will eat them alive for the attempt.

Practice your evil face in the mirror. When they come up to quiz you or give you crap, give them "the look".

 

[bigliver]

My neighbors up the hill started taking photos of me brewing beer. So, I started posing for them. Some pretty sassy poses too ...

 

[Mermaid]

I guess you have 3 options.

1. print up a note that says "Dear Neighbor, Please do not be alarmed by my outdoor activities, I am merely brewing my own beer. I assure you that I am taking safety precautions and there is nothing to worry about. Thank you (your name)"

2. Ignore them and go about your business, smile politely when they stare at you (wave back with a "good morning/good afternoon"). The elderly ones like the words "ma'am" or "sir".

3. Brew smaller batches indoors.

I live in an old 2-flat with a wooden porch that's barely safe for our propane grill let alone a turkey fryer, so I'm not quite ready to try outdoor brewing but I can appreciate the nosy neighbor thing. In my neighborhood all the houses are more or less right next to each other so my neighbors get to see my boyfriend in his drunken car tinkering, my dog's insane squirrel frenzy, and my gardening in pajama pants.

I like the nod-and-smile approach, personally.

 

[fusa]

2. Ignore them and go about your business, smile politely when they stare at you (wave back with a "good morning/good afternoon"). The elderly ones like the words "ma'am" or "sir".

This has worked the best for me so far. I haven't brewed any beer in my place yet, but have been upgrading my brewing equipment. Most just look and smile back. Once the apartment maintenance worker stopped when I was cutting the top off a keg. He wanted to know if I was trying to get the last drop of beer out.

 

[JonK331]

most people know i am brewing beer, but i think some people may be a little confused because i am out front weighing hops in a bag on a digital scale next to my vacuum sealer.

Might want to do that inside.

 

[tunoffun]

Is this a legal issue? Or a moral one?

If the latter, I personally wouldn't give a second thought to the issue. No matter what you do someone's going to not approve. That makes it easy to weed out the people who aren't friend material. If they don't approve... tough *****.

ETA: If they call the cops because they think you're weighing out grass, all the better. The looks on their faces when the police show up, ask a few questions, smile, and then shake your hand minutes later before leaving should be priceless.

 

[dogma9]

anybody ever had the cops called on ya?

 

[Shooter]

anybody ever had the cops called on ya?

Do you mean for brewing?

 

[dogma9]

Do you mean for brewing?

lol, yip

 

[Shooter]

don't forget the 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4.... total geeks don't even know

...or that stupid 100 sided die they offered for those who were too dense to figure out how to roll d10 as percentile dice.