Are you all alcoholics?

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Do I drink too much probably. I don't take any readings on the beer I brew. I don't brew for the buzz I brew for the taste. I enjoy being able to drink 3 or 4 different styles in 1 evening. I don't drink and drive I like to stay home at night after working all day. So maybe I have a drinking problem. Problem is I like good beer!!!!!!!!!!!!:ban:
 
I am not addicted to drinking beer, but I am certainly addicted to brewing it.

That's a very good point. I find that when I let my brain wander (Which is often) It usually ends up thinking about something to do with brewing. Rarely do I occupy my spare thoughts with visions of drinking beer. Unless, of course I am already drinking one. :mug:
 
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.

I didn't mean the question to be an insult. It was asked in jest, and the interwebs isn't good at transmitting tone. I brew with 2 friends, and two batches a month, split between us, is too much beer for me. I do it because I enjoy the craft, like all of you do as well. And I asked because I really wanted to know, "what do you do with all the beer you brew?"

However, I disagree with your analogies, especially the gun enthusiast.

Again, no offense was intended.
 
I'm currently suppressing all of my mean comments and laughing at the OP. This has been discussed to death and it comes down to the fact that everyone defines it in their own different way and that most people here are safe.

That AA questionnaire? By its definition I'm an alcoholic. As are ALL of my college friends. But then again I'm in my low 20's (as are all of my college friends) and its a stage of life. They're loaded questions. Get over it, move on.

No, I'm not an alcoholic. And **** you very much for asking. I'm going to quote YooperBrew here, because her post was excellent.

Heh. Ok, the thread title came off wrong. What can you do?

I just found a beer that I brewed over a year ago and had forgotten about. I don't know what happened (improperly stored, maybe?), but it was just foam. I opened it up, and the entire bottle emptied itself into foam.

Was good foam though!
 
FWIW, not everyone took it so 'harshly'. Surprised at how defensive some folks got and imo at least one got outta line. Brewing as often as a motivated brewer would like to brew presents a new challenge...what to do with all this beer? Seems innocent enough.
 
If it wasn't for all the research and detail into planning my next brew day, I don't know how I would actually make it through the day at work. One great thing about working in the world of intangibles(internet) is I always look like I'm busy.

"Home brewers are like Catholics, you don't just wake up and be one, you have to practice at it. . . " (flananuts circa 30 seconds ago)
 
FWIW, not everyone took it so 'harshly'. Surprised at how defensive some folks got and imo at least one got outta line. Brewing as often as a motivated brewer would like to brew presents a new challenge...what to do with all this beer? Seems innocent enough.

Exactly! That's what I was trying to convey. I *wish* I could brew more often, but I just don't know what to do with all that sweet sweet liquid! ;)
 
not an alcoholic. Alcoholics drink to get drunk. I drink to enjoy good beer, and rarely drink enough to get drunk.

I share alot with friends/neighbors as well. I may make 5+ gallons a month, but I only drink about 5 pints a week on average.
 
Since I re-started homebrewing last year:
1. Have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
No.

2. Has a friend or a family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?
No.

3. Have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?
No.

4. Do you sometimes take a drink when you first get up in the morning?
No, not even right after I get home from work.
And not once did I drive after drinking. Yet I still brewed 40 batches last year and the pipeline only has a couple of untapped kegs. Addicted to alky...nah. Addicted to brewing...mebbe.:D
 
There appears to be a consensus on this forum against driving drunk.

I'm somehow thinking about a bunch of fluffy kittens, maybe they could even be called P*ssies!



I'm editing this before I even post it on account of the fact that America does not understand satire unless it is duly labelled. ;)
 
Sorry if this has already been posted but based on the research, work, and investment that goes into this hobby......I'm not sure that an alcoholic would care to maintain it as a hobby. Too much work.

That being said, I don't think that the OP was trying to accuse anyone or be insulting/condescending. Context gets lost pretty quickly online and obviously voice expression, if not lost completely, is muddled since we hear it the way we read it.
 
I enjoy giving my beer to other people than drinking it myself. It's actually a good conversation piece because they'll ask lots of questions about it. It's fun to explain the process of making your own beer. It's even cooler when they enjoy it more than most of their store-bought beer.
 
not an alcoholic. Alcoholics drink to get drunk. I drink to enjoy good beer, and rarely drink enough to get drunk.

I share alot with friends/neighbors as well. I may make 5+ gallons a month, but I only drink about 5 pints a week on average.

Yeah, I tend to fall in the same category as you. 5 pints a week and/or a bottle of vino.
 
By some definitions yes..

I can't remember the list but I remember a checklist from way back when.

You may have a drinking problem if any one of the following is true...

  • You drink every day you may have a drinking problem
  • You drink before noon you may have a drinking problem
  • You drink by yourself you may have a drinking problem

Back when I lived in New Orleans things were a bit different

If you drink by yourself, every day before noon, you "may" have a drinking problem.
 
By some definitions yes..

I can't remember the list but I remember a checklist from way back when.

You may have a drinking problem if any one of the following is true...
  • You drink every day you may have a drinking problem
  • You drink before noon you may have a drinking problem
  • You drink by yourself you may have a drinking problem
Back when I lived in New Orleans things were a bit different

If you drink by yourself, every day before noon, you "may" have a drinking problem.


These are rules laid down by farmers, foundry workers, railroad workers....Anyone that is human. We all give ourselves excuses, passes and the rest.

Alcoholism is not defined by measures, it is defined by the individual. It is a personal thing.
 
I slowed down my drinking a bit lately. Not that I drank as much as some of these alkies. For whatever reason I just don't have the desire for it at this time. Yeah, I'll have a glass nearly every evening.

I'm in the same boat as Brelic: I can make much more than I ca drink. I'm the only one in the house who drinks beer, and the few friends I have that drink beer are fairly far away. I give a bit away here and there, but most people curious to try it don't like beer that isn't very nearly colorless and tasteless.

As I exit, I would like to point out the simple fact that some of us on here do post as if we are alcoholics. Usually in jest, of course, but to the newbies, it might come across as if we REALLY enjoy drinking tons of beer. It's a bit harder to see that we not only appreciate it for it's taste and other properties, but for the opportunity to design the recipe, use the equipment, learn more about it, and everything about it, not just the drinking part.
 
These are rules laid down by farmers, foundry workers, railroad workers....Anyone that is human. We all give ourselves excuses, passes and the rest.

Alcoholism is not defined by measures, it is defined by the individual. It is a personal thing.

Well said. My first wife rarely drank, but when she did, look out. Her mother was an alchy and I suspected her dad was as well. I think some people are just predisposed to chemical dependency.
 
LOL, this is the stuff I was talking about..

Kegged: Furious IPA, Wee Heavy, African Amber, Oaked Bourbon Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Arrogant Bastard, Jaggery Belgian Triple, Jaggery IPA, Scottish Goose Ale, Dead Guy, BeeCave Haus Pale, Heart of Darkness Schwarzbier, Irish Red, Nut Brown Ale, BLC

How many kegs do you have??? Wow, that's a lot of suds! What size kegs are they? And where do you store them?

I wouldn't know what to do with it all. I guess I could throw one kick-a$$ party!
 
I don't drink to get drunk, I drink because I love beer. I'm lucky if I have a single beer once a week. If I'm feeling bold I'll have 3 beers max. The only time I get drunk is when I hang out with my buddy who's Irish, but that's once in a great. We're both enablers apparently. :cross:

I already know that I'm brewing more than I can handle drink-wise, but I have a bunch of Irish friends who love to drink, so it's not a problem. :mug:

If you're an adult, I'm pretty sure you know what's right from wrong, especially when it comes to your own personal well being.
 
Odd about the whole drinking alone thing. I'm usually the first one home at night, and I like to have a glass/pint before dinner. I've always seen it as harmless. Myself and my brother-in-law call them our "evening" beers, since he does the same thing.
 
Odd about the whole drinking alone thing. I'm usually the first one home at night, and I like to have a glass/pint before dinner. I've always seen it as harmless. Myself and my brother-in-law call them our "evening" beers, since he does the same thing.

Yep my wife doesn't drink, and my boy's a little young (9) so when I have a beer I'm "drinking alone". Also when they usually go to bed earlier than I do on the weekends and I'll stay up have a few drinks and watch SNL or stand up or whatever and just relax. For some reason I just fail to see how this is an alcoholism indicator? Maybe my "drinking alone" isn't what they mean when they say "do you drink alone" but seriously how else can it be taken?

Now if I were going to the basement theater and watching Pink Floyd's The Wall and getting hammered then pissing myself and falling asleep in my chair I might think there's a problem to solve somewhere :D
 
I declare without shame that when I have new beers on tap (i only have a two tag kegerator), I will definitely have anywhere from 3 to 6 pints depending on what their OG's are. Now once the honeymoon is over with what's on tap, the missus and I may switch over to a bottle of red or white from the cellar. And if i'm feeling a bit lethargic from my meal, 3 fingers of McCallan 12yr does the trick.

Wanna label me an alchy, go for it. I prefer functional :) :mug:

Sobriety is for people who can't handle their liquor!
 
Now if I were going to the basement theater and watching Pink Floyd's The Wall and getting hammered then pissing myself and falling asleep in my chair I might think there's a problem to solve somewhere :D

Honestly, though, is there any other way to watch The Wall?
 
LOL, this is the stuff I was talking about..



How many kegs do you have??? Wow, that's a lot of suds! What size kegs are they? And where do you store them?

I wouldn't know what to do with it all. I guess I could throw one kick-a$$ party!

I have 16 kegs. 15 are filled with beer; one with BLC to clean the lines between kegs. As I mentioned earlier, I am having a kick ass party at the end of the month. Last years was such a hit that I've had people at work come up and ask to be invited.
 
yes, we are all alcoholics. just like everyone who loves jesus christ is a christian. can you love jesus too much? maybe, if you are standing on the street corner screaming at people to repent and worship him. maybe you are only an alcoholic if you stand in your driveway and scream at the passing cars to stop and drink a homebrew with you.

or, maybe you just like to brew.

nope. alcoholics for sure.
 
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