Are you all alcoholics?

[brelic]

Just out of curiosity, I've noticed that many of those who have signatures seem to list A LOT of beer in process and bottled/kegged.

My question is how the heck do you drink that much beer? I've read about people brewing every week. That just seems like a lot of beer to consume!!

That being said,

 

[Conodor]

I share more than I enjoy myself. I enjoy sharing it and helping others realize there's more than budwiser out there.

 

[Ragutis]

Not me....alcoholics go to meetings.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Give a LOT away to family/friends/neighbors.

And drink a lot, that too.

 

[sp1365]

I only do 2.5-3 gallons at a time which ends up being roughly only a case bottled. I also share some it.

 

[phasedweasel]

You don't have to drink a lot to keep a lot of varieties on hand. In fact, it's easy to keep more kinds of beer around if you are not an alcoholic.

 

[Conodor]

You don't have to drink a lot to keep a lot of varieties on hand. In fact, it's easy to keep more kinds of beer around if you are not an alcoholic.

You hit the head on the nail with this one... If someone has a large variety they CAN'T be an alcholic... Its the guy who brews with no beer in the house to worry about.haha

 

[brelic]

Good to hear that most people are balanced

I do share a lot as well, but for the most part most are not 'adventurous' when it comes to beer. They want the generic store bought lagers, and think that's what beer is supposed to taste like.

I'm slowly converting them!

 

[mew]

Alcoholism is defined by the consequences. If there are severe repercussions from your beer drinking, yet you still do it, you are an alcoholic. This could be anything from not showing up to work frequently due to hangovers, to spending all your money on beer, to getting fat or destroying your liver. In other words, you need to have your priorities straight. That said, if you (and friends/family) can stay happy and healthy drinking a sixer of lagunitas IPA for breakfast every morning, you are not an alcoholic. I guess my point is that you can't easily tell whether someone is an alcoholic or not just by looking at their beer consumption.

 

[PseudoChef]

I am in high gear competition brewing right now - hence brewing every week. My roommates and friends will drink about 3/4 of it. We have football parties most every week.

 

[Erythro73]

I think most of the people here aren't alcoholics. But somes are in denial. I remember having read someone who drank his 5 gallons of beer in a week before it was even ready (by his words). 5 gallons is an enormous amount of beer for a week, and drinking it before it's even ready prove that this guy has a problem with alcohol...

 

[DKershner]

I think it's the guy who posts recipes using only 2-row and table sugar to make 13% ABV, 10 IBU beer with champagne yeast that we should be worried about.

So far I haven't seen any.

 

[kegtapper]

I have yet to brew my own yet, waiting till I move to Vegas next month. But a batch a week isnt really that much brew. I figure thats what I will need to keep up with my current consumption level. A keg of Yuengling Lager will last me about a month.

 

[petep1980]

A year into this hobby you definately have to watch. Brew up a couple batches and low and behold you're sitting at home with 150-200 bottles of your own stuff. You don't even need to go anywhere to pick it up. And it's good!!!

 

[glockentalk]

Maybe homebrewing is a good way to help alcoholics. Learning to do some work, taking pride, craftsmanship: these could help the alcoholic change his thinking about alcohol without removing it from his life.

 

[waldoar15]

I've only brewed one batch in the last month. OTOH, sometimes I have quite a bit in the pipeline. Depends on the weather more than anything. I don't like brewing in the bitter cold, or fermenting in the heat of the summer.

 

[Edcculus]

Like I've said before, homebrewing is way too much work for an alcoholic.

 

[glockentalk]

Like I've said before, homebrewing is way too much work for an alcoholic.

Yeah, that's the quotation I was looking for.

 

[archiefl98]

I think it's the guy who posts recipes using only 2-row and table sugar to make 13% ABV, 10 IBU beer with champagne yeast that we should be worried about.

So far I haven't seen any.

Where did you get my recipe?

 

[mmb]

Alcoholics? No. And the question is very insulting. If someone says they have a 1000 bottle wine cellar, does that make you think alcoholic? It makes Joe Public usually think "rich wine snob."

Beer Snobs, that's entirely possible. Besides, an alcoholic wouldn't be able to keep bottles of barleywine around for vertical tastings over the years.

 

[Guntr]

I am starting a batch a week at the moment trying to build up my pipeline. Once I have some variety and a few keg's worth stockpiled I'll probably cut back to one or two batches a month. I also know I will be sharing a lot and want to make sure my supply can handle a few get togethers and still keep me supplied.

 

[DilvishTheDamned]

Alcoholism is defined by the consequences. If there are severe repercussions from your beer drinking, yet you still do it, you are an alcoholic. This could be anything from not showing up to work frequently due to hangovers, to spending all your money on beer, to getting fat or destroying your liver. In other words, you need to have your priorities straight. That said, if you (and friends/family) can stay happy and healthy drinking a sixer of lagunitas IPA for breakfast every morning, you are not an alcoholic. I guess my point is that you can't easily tell whether someone is an alcoholic or not just by looking at their beer consumption.

I'm not sure that I entirely agree with this. Alcohol creates physical dependence with high levels of consumption. Somebody who has a consistently high level of consumption might be dependent, but hasn't yet suffered the consequences. Thus when it comes to a decision between alcohol and doing the "right thing" (whatever it might be in that situation), the choice is much much harder than if they were not physically dependent. However when this occurs varies widely, is dependent on a number of factors, including age, sex, body type, genes, etc. OTOH, in theory somebody who WAS dependent, but really bloody minded might be able to stop after having become dependent, it's just unlikely.

To me it seems like it's driving around without your seat belt buckled. You might not have had an accident yet, but that doesn't mean you're safe. Waiting until you hit something and go flying through your car window is not the time to think about putting on your seat belt.

 

[joety]

Personally I'm preparing for my annual January beer tasting party where we'll kill off 7-10 of the kegs listed below. That said, I hope to have them refilled by spring.

 

[luvhopps]

Only on weekends.

 

[springer]

I also have a full stocked bar with 3 or 4 kinds of Vodka,bourbon,Irish whiskey and lots of others . So whats that mean?

 

[Yooper]

Asking craft brewers who are proud of their craft if they are all alcoholics is a slap in the face.

That would be like me going on a gun enthuisiast forum and ask them if they were all killers. Or stopping in on an RV forum and ask if they were all trailer trash. How about on a cooking forum? Shoud we think they are all fatties?

Making good wine and craft beers is a great hobby, just like flying model airplanes is a cool hobby, or like scuba diving is a fun hobby. It's an insult to insinuate that people who enjoy brewing and making good beers are alcoholics.

 

[Proetus]

I can't be an alcoholic, i stop drinking every night!

 

[Conodor]

actually consuming 5 gallons of beer isn't that much and I bet more people who aren't alcoholics drink 5 gallons in a week. Maybe not every week. But its like like its hard to drink 5 gallons.

That's 7 beers a day. yes that's a lot if you did it every day/week. Hell under the legal limit you could work 8 hours a day and go home drink 1 beer an hour and still technically not be drunk. And get 8 hours of sleep.

Soo with that being said you could work sleep and drink 5 gallons a week and never be drunk the entire week.hhaa. Don't sound fun but it is possible.

 

[scone]

actually consuming 5 gallons of beer isn't that much

Spoken like a true alcoholic.

 

[mmb]

I also have a full stocked bar with 3 or 4 kinds of Vodka,bourbon,Irish whiskey and lots of others . So whats that mean?

Mean's you can't make up your mind...