Been brewing for 19 years???

[RichBrewer]

I was posting in another thread about immersion chillers and did the math. I built my chiller in 1996 and I started brewing in 1995! I keep re-calculating the math but I keep getting the same result. I figured that I must be adding in an extra decade or something.
I just can't get over how fast time flies and how it flies MUCH faster the older I get.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

no joke! I been at it for 15 years and it sure don't seem like it!

 

[masteraviator]

SWMBO got me started with a Mr. Beer kit while stationed in Germany in 1997. Crap. That's 17 years ago.

But, truth be told, that Mr. Beer kit only made a couple of batches in the 4 years until we left Germany. Too much good beer there. Really started brewing in 2001 when I got to Alabama.

 

[TobyG]

I was posting in another thread about immersion chillers and did the math. I built my chiller in 1996 and I started brewing in 1995! I keep re-calculating the math but I keep getting the same result. I figured that I must be adding in an extra decade or something.
I just can't get over how fast time flies and how it flies MUCH faster the older I get.

Yeah, I'm in exactly the same boat. I've been brewing almost as long as a few of the guys in my club have been alive.

 

[Homercidal]

I remember brewing my first batch as a young adult (maybe too young...) back in 1990 or 1991. A friend's stepdad always had carboys of wine in the kitchen and I was terribly interested in the science, but didn't like wine. He asked me about beer and then gave me the bench capper I still own. I bought a Mount Mellick Light Lager kit and a carboy and made some beer.

It was an on again off again process for some years as I only brewed when the mood struck me, but as I started to get a taste for craft beer the urge hit and I picked it back up more or less permanently.

So technically been brewing for almost 25 years.

 

[Braufessor]

Same here..... I can't even remember exactly when I started. I know it was not 1993 or 1994.....I know it was well before 1997..... So, sometime in 95/96 range. So, 18-19 years or so maybe. The most amazing thing is how much more information is available and the quality of that information. Products, ingredients.... it is all so accessible and so good. Great time to be a homebrewer.

 

[Yooper]

Time does fly!

I bought a "Beer Machine 2000" in, er, 2000. It doesn't seem all that long ago, but my kids were in middle school, and now I am a grandmother of two grandsons and semi/mostly retired. This is my fourth winter in South Texas.

Time marches on.

 

[RichBrewer]

Same here..... I can't even remember exactly when I started. I know it was not 1993 or 1994.....I know it was well before 1997..... So, sometime in 95/96 range. So, 18-19 years or so maybe. The most amazing thing is how much more information is available and the quality of that information. Products, ingredients.... it is all so accessible and so good. Great time to be a homebrewer.

You are correct! Even during my recent hiatus of about five years procedures have changed and equipment has improved. I think HBT is a big part of that with so many homebrewers able to interact and share experience.

 

[RichBrewer]

Time does fly!

I bought a "Beer Machine 2000" in, er, 2000. It doesn't seem all that long ago, but my kids were in middle school, and now I am a grandmother of two grandsons and semi/mostly retired. This is my fourth winter in South Texas.

Time marches on.

So... do you think your equipment has improved since 2000?

 

[Yooper]

So... do you think your equipment has improved since 2000?

Hmmmm, let me see.

2000- "the Beer Machine"
2014- all electric 1/2 barrel indoor HERMS rig with two pumps.

Ok, yes. I think the equipment may be improved.

The beer is much better, though!

 

[RichBrewer]

Hmmmm, let me see.

2000- "the Beer Machine"
2014- all electric 1/2 barrel indoor HERMS rig with two pumps.

Ok, yes. I think the equipment may be improved.

The beer is much better, though!

Well, I guess you have upgraded your equipment somewhat. Your capacity has increased slightly as well.

 

[steveoatley]

My wife bought me the beginner kit, X-mas 2002

http://www.homebrewing.org/Beginning-Homebrew-Kit_p_352.html

Brewed my first batch in Jan 2003, an Irish Red Extract Kit.

I still make a 'version' of the recipe, it's fermenting in my laundry room now.

11 years and still going..... just not as strong

2007 brewed 14 batches, then my son was born
2013 brewed 5 batches, hopeing he will become a good brewing assitant soon.

Trying to build an Electric Basement brewery, just can't find the time to do it
and still have not won the lottery to allow me to spare no expence !

S
Brew on !

 

[bajaedition]

what gets me is I started brewing in the early 80s
at that time we had so little support and we bought supplies mail order from about 3 different suppliers nationwide.

I have actually seen the all grain brewing develop from a very primitive state, at first we all mainly brewed from pre hopped extract kits. And I have seen an amazing explosion in the amount of supplies and equipment available.
But the most amazing thing I have noticed, that with all the information and knowledge we have at out fingertips, that most brewers are still using basic techniques based on knowledge we had back then.

It seems that brew stores still push neanderthal style basic kits to get guys started and sell them more equipment and supplies. And even with the books written about brewing, the general knowledge base is pretty small.
I think this is not to scare guys off, But as has been said in this thread, the equipment we can get or build is pretty awesome. Bot if we were to look at a average discussion on any week we will see long threads where guys actually argue over proper ways to ferment, weather to rack into a secondary, what we should even call a secondary, and proper time and temperature to do such at.

With all the advances, with all the knowledge, with all we have developed, we still as a whole are pretty primitive and only a small percentage of the hobbyist evolve to the upper degree of the hobby.

I do love to watch the amount of passion of a newer brewer. As they learn and move up. It is fun to watch someone discover the hobby and move up in their skills. And everyone hits the level they want to get to it seems, whether that is a extract brewer, a one step all grainer of to have a mini brewery set up full time with all the bells and whistles.

I think the next atep we need to make is to have a data base about the chemistry of what is going on and how different techniques are effecting what goes on in beer so each can decide what techniques they want to use during what brew they do. In a forum situation to much info is passed along because one person has the tenacity to post more post and outlast posters.
I do no want to put down forums, it just seems that as far as a system to deliver information, they are flawed. People post whatever they want and do not have to back it up with research.

I hope out next evolution in this hobby is such a database. A place where the BS is left behind. I think such a place would help the hobby move up as much as forums have popularized it.

sorry for the rant, just looking back over the years I have been doing this

 

[Braufessor]

what gets me is I started brewing in the early 80s
at that time we had so little support and we bought supplies mail order from about 3 different suppliers nationwide.

I have actually seen the all grain brewing develop from a very primitive state, at first we all mainly brewed from pre hopped extract kits. And I have seen an amazing explosion in the amount of supplies and equipment available.
But the most amazing thing I have noticed, that with all the information and knowledge we have at out fingertips, that most brewers are still using basic techniques based on knowledge we had back then.

It seems that brew stores still push neanderthal style basic kits to get guys started and sell them more equipment and supplies. And even with the books written about brewing, the general knowledge base is pretty small.
I think this is not to scare guys off, But as has been said in this thread, the equipment we can get or build is pretty awesome. Bot if we were to look at a average discussion on any week we will see long threads where guys actually argue over proper ways to ferment, weather to rack into a secondary, what we should even call a secondary, and proper time and temperature to do such at.

With all the advances, with all the knowledge, with all we have developed, we still as a whole are pretty primitive and only a small percentage of the hobbyist evolve to the upper degree of the hobby.

I do love to watch the amount of passion of a newer brewer. As they learn and move up. It is fun to watch someone discover the hobby and move up in their skills. And everyone hits the level they want to get to it seems, whether that is a extract brewer, a one step all grainer of to have a mini brewery set up full time with all the bells and whistles.

I think the next atep we need to make is to have a data base about the chemistry of what is going on and how different techniques are effecting what goes on in beer so each can decide what techniques they want to use during what brew they do. In a forum situation to much info is passed along because one person has the tenacity to post more post and outlast posters.
I do no want to put down forums, it just seems that as far as a system to deliver information, they are flawed. People post whatever they want and do not have to back it up with research.

I hope out next evolution in this hobby is such a database. A place where the BS is left behind. I think such a place would help the hobby move up as much as forums have popularized it.

sorry for the rant, just looking back over the years I have been doing this

I think you are correct in much of your assessment. As much as everything has changed, I think a lot of the introductory stuff has stayed the same, and can actually hinder brewers getting started by getting them off on the wrong foot. Essentially, it is like a lot of the "kits" don't want to bother rewriting the directions they wrote 20 years ago. To a degree - I understand that. You don't want to overwhelm a new brewer with ever tiny detail. But, some details matter.

One of the simplest things that could be done is to quit leading beginners to believe that 70-75 degrees, ambient room temperature is "just fine" for fermenting. It isn't. When kits have instructions that make it sound ok to get the beer temp. down to that range, and everything is good - it is a disservice. It is not too overwhelming or complicated to change directions in a way that says - For best results, chill to low-mid 60's and keep BEER temperature in the mid 60's throughout fermentation. Even throw in a diagram of how to use evaporation to knock a few degrees off your fermenter.

Pushing products like "one step" as cleaners and sanitizers, or using bleach and rinsing, little things like that - there are just better methods now, that are simple, clear, tried and true, and are not more difficult for a beginner to understand. The importance of a yeast starter, or use some of the (much better than we had 20 years ago) dry yeast until you are comfortable doing a starter....

As much as brewing has changed for the better in the last 20 years, it is amazing that starter kits, recipe kit instructions, and the like has remained exactly the same.

 

[bajaedition]

I think you are correct in much of your assessment. As much as everything has changed, I think a lot of the introductory stuff has stayed the same, and can actually hinder brewers getting started by getting them off on the wrong foot. Essentially, it is like a lot of the "kits" don't want to bother rewriting the directions they wrote 20 years ago. To a degree - I understand that. You don't want to overwhelm a new brewer with ever tiny detail. But, some details matter.

One of the simplest things that could be done is to quit leading beginners to believe that 70-75 degrees, ambient room temperature is "just fine" for fermenting. It isn't. When kits have instructions that make it sound ok to get the beer temp. down to that range, and everything is good - it is a disservice. It is not too overwhelming or complicated to change directions in a way that says - For best results, chill to low-mid 60's and keep BEER temperature in the mid 60's throughout fermentation. Even throw in a diagram of how to use evaporation to knock a few degrees off your fermenter.

Pushing products like "one step" as cleaners and sanitizers, or using bleach and rinsing, little things like that - there are just better methods now, that are simple, clear, tried and true, and are not more difficult for a beginner to understand. The importance of a yeast starter, or use some of the (much better than we had 20 years ago) dry yeast until you are comfortable doing a starter....

As much as brewing has changed for the better in the last 20 years, it is amazing that starter kits, recipe kit instructions, and the like has remained exactly the same.

good points.

I think why the beginner kits are so bad is they want you to think the hobby is cheap, after all would a lot of guys try if they knew that soon they would have a grand invested in it?

The answers are complicated because of the bottom line is back pocket economics

 

[dan81]

Hope you guys won't mind if a newbie jumps in here...I started brewing in December. Like bajaedition points out, I was given the impression that making beer was an inexpensive hobby, and more importantly that it was fairly easy. Don't get me wrong, it seems one can make beer with a swamp cooler and low tech gear, but let's be honest most brewers use loads of gear that help to improve the quality of their beer. At least that's the impression I've come to in a short amount of time.

Northern Brewer claims to guys like me that if you can make pasta you can make beer. That's an overly simplified sales pitch to be sure. Almost daily NB sends me an email trying to sell me another product. It's to the point of being gross, but that's capitalism and I just need to opt out asap.

On a more positive note, I'm not sorry I got into this hobby. It's rewarding and mostly enjoyable - cleanup is a chore! If I'd known in advance I would quickly be a thousand dollars into it in two months I probably wouldn't have started, but I'm gladiI did now.
I have read hundreds of threads on HBT and it's been super helpful, so many thanks to all who add their knowledge.

 

[Yooper]

Hope you guys won't mind if a newbie jumps in here...I started brewing in December. Like bajaedition points out, I was given the impression that making beer was an inexpensive hobby, and more importantly that it was fairly easy. Don't get me wrong, it seems one can make beer with a swamp cooler and low tech gear, but let's be honest most brewers use loads of gear that help to improve the quality of their beer. At least that's the impression I've come to in a short amount of time.

Northern Brewer claims to guys like me that if you can make pasta you can make beer. That's an overly simplified sales pitch to be sure. Almost daily NB sends me an email trying to sell me another product. It's to the point of being gross, but that's capitalism and I just need to opt out asap.

On a more positive note, I'm not sorry I got into this hobby. It's rewarding and mostly enjoyable - cleanup is a chore! If I'd known in advance I would quickly be a thousand dollars into it in two months I probably wouldn't have started, but I'm gladiI did now.
I have read hundreds of threads on HBT and it's been super helpful, so many thanks to all who add their knowledge.

Your viewpoint is a great insight- thanks for jumping in.

I had the opposite impression- that beer was too difficult to do at home and that while I made pretty good wine that beer was over my head. It turns out that it was easier than I thought to make beer.

However, making great beer was harder than I ever imagined! Oh, you can make great beer with a bucket, don't get me wrong. But for me, it took many tries of "pretty good" beer to get me to where I really was happy with the beer I was making.

In some ways, I'm glad that there are impressions out there that this is fairly easy. Like cooking, if someone can follow good directions, they can brew fairly decent beer. It helps the hobby grow, that's for sure. The funny thing is that if I knew how simple the brewing process was, I would have started it many years sooner.

(It's simple, but not necessarily "easy").

 

[passedpawn]

I got started around 2000 like a bunch of you. Making extract and no-boils were insanely easy. If it wasn't for the no boil, I might not have started. That beer was very mediocre, but the novelty of making your own beer made it worthwhile. I took a shot at all grain. Total disaster. TOTAL. HBT didn't exist then.

Jump ahead 7 or 8 years and I found a lot more internet resources and I made the jump to all grain. It's been a great ride since then.