"Beer Geeks" who don't brew

[TheSmithsEra]

I think it started pretty ridiculous. You should check the funny things people say about beer thread -I swear that 3 full pages were devoted to quitting smoking.

Good times!

ooh man that one started out great though

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,well,I get off a goody now & then. I was just addin' my 2c...really...

 

[ktblunden]

There is more arrogance and condescension in this thread than in all of BA combined. Sadly only about half of it is deliberate trolling.

 

[unionrdr]

There is more arrogance and condescension in this thread than in all of BA combined. Sadly only about half of it is deliberate trolling.

I seriously doubt this. We have some spirited debates with what works for us vs another. some start psuedo troll threads cause they think it's funny. Others really are troll threads. Other times,it's more like "I know this works,why are you telling me it's wrong & doesn't work?!" sorta thing.

 

[LandoLincoln]

LOL!!!! this thread is getting more ridiculous every day. We got people quoting definitions out of a dictionary, quoting the thread starter for relevance and we have people arguing about the right to post on here.

Yes I don't think you should be arguing with brewers about brewing if you're not a brewer, but I only have one bottle of homebrew left!!!!! So who cares!!!

Once you drink that last bottle of homebrew left then YOU ARE NO LONGER A HOMEBREWER. BECAUSE I SAID SO.

 

[LandoLincoln]

But i came in here and was immediately told i wasnt capable of understanding something. That is pretty hostile.

Jokingly told that you weren't capable of understanding something. And that something, apparently, was "humor."

Anyway, i wasnt looking for any conflict but i stand by my point that just having brewed beer doesnt make someone smarter than another who only drinks it.

And it's okay to be wrong about things, even if you don't want to admit that you're wrong. That's what makes our society so great.

Are you catching on to this "humor" thing yet? Let me know.

 

[ktblunden]

I seriously doubt this. We have some spirited debates with what works for us vs another. some start psuedo troll threads cause they think it's funny. Others really are troll threads. Other times,it's more like "I know this works,why are you telling me it's wrong & doesn't work?!" sorta thing.

I'm talking about this specific thread, not the forum in general.

 

[Jon73]

You know, I don't get out a whole bunch, but I've never had anyone get geeky/snobby/elitist over what I am drinking. I've given a buddy of mine some crap because he drinks PBR, but it's all in good fun. I also have a few friends that are beer geeks and don't brew. All I hear from them is "when can I try yours?".

I did know one guy that was a bit of a tool about his own homebrew, but I found him annoying and stopped talking to him. Seems pretty simple.

May as well turn this thread into primary vs. secondary, nobody is going to agree.

 

[TheSmithsEra]

Once you drink that last bottle of homebrew left then YOU ARE NO LONGER A HOMEBREWER. BECAUSE I SAID SO.

what about the beer i have in my fermenters ?

 

[LandoLincoln]

what about the beer i have in my fermenters ?

I'll make an exception. But you just watch yourself.

 

[b-boy]

this.
i enjoy spending the time to actuall brew the beer. it's just like car nerds- you can hand over a chunk of cash and someone will hand you a sweet car... or you can build it yourself. there's a certain satisfaction to the craft that some people just don't care about. they're only concerned with the end product. i consider myself a brewing nerd and a beer nerd. i like the process and the result. beer geeks who don't brew just want to drink different beers

I think the car enthusiast is a really good analogy here. There are people who like to drive cars...and people who like to look at cars...and people who like to work on cars.

They are all still car enthusiasts. They just have a different perspective on the hobby. Nothing wrong with that.

I don't have room for a classic car, but I still consider my self a car enthusiast. I love talking to people who work on their cars. I love going to car shows and looking at cool cars.

Maybe we need different terms:

• Beer Geek = Someone who enjoys, and knows a lot about, beer.
  
• Homebrew Geek = Someone who enjoys, knows a lot about beer, and brews his own.

You can be one or the other - or both.

 

[brewguyver]

[*]Beer Geek = Someone who enjoys, and knows a lot about, beer.

[*]Homebrew Geek = Someone who enjoys, knows a lot about beer, and brews his own.


You can be one or the other - or both.

Don't forget "Guy who inspired BWW commercial." There is also "that guy."

 

[mcspanner]

I enjoyed drinking beers ( decent stuff in real ale cask mark pubs and beer festivals) for nearly twenty years before I had a go at brewing.

2 things stopped me being interested.

1. Personal circumstances. I never had the time/money/space to do it. I am a bit of a back to basics kind of person so (please don't take this the wrong way extract brewers) I didn't see the point of trying it if I wasn't going to do it from scratch in the same way I make cheese, bake breads, cure meats. Whilst I was interested in the process and did loads of brewery tours etc, it took me ages to get to the point where I started getting the kit together and understanding what was involved. Lurking here helped a lot.

2. The few experiences i had of homebrew were diacetyl laden bottles of butter beer and I always had a feeling that if this was what people keen on the hobby produced, as a novice mine would be only good for putting in slug traps in the veg garden. Think the BWW bratwurst beer with a Brussels sprout after taste. That's what I thought I'd end up with.

Did this stop me enjoying drinking as many varieties of beer as I could get my hands on or learning to appreciate the complexities of a good oatmeal stout? No.

I don't think I enjoy beer more now than I ever did. I might understand HOW breweries produce their products a bit better, but I could quite happily have continued drinking great beer without ever brewing.

 

[AgentHubcap]

Am I the only one that didn't enjoy beer that much before they started brewing?

I liked beer, but I was definitely NOT a beer geek. I got my brew kit from my wife for Christmas, and I always wanted to brew, but I'm not sure why.

 

[kchomebrew]

Even more weird are those who brew but don't drink... And I have to agree with the_trout that buying good craft beer would be so much easier. Not sure about the "cheaper" part though once the equipment has amortized.

EDIT: I actually never appreciated beer as much as I do now that I brew myself. Now I pay much more attention to what style of beer I buy, how the flavor is, the aroma etc. Homebrewing has made me much pickier!

No. Actually the weirdest are those who don't drink and don't brew.

 

[kaconga]

Am I the only one that didn't enjoy beer that much before they started brewing?

I liked beer, but I was definitely NOT a beer geek. I got my brew kit from my wife for Christmas, and I always wanted to brew, but I'm not sure why.

I too started my love affair with beer because of homebrewing. I always liked beer before but brewing my own made it an obsession.

As for beer geeks who don't brew... I respect them but understand they are usually very limited. They might be able to identify an off flavor but not say what it is. An experienced homebrewer can pin point exactly where I got off track and give better advice for the next one. I also think the average beer geek doesn't regard BMC as the marvel that homebrewers do. We understand that it is HARD to make consistent beer. Even if it seems consistently lackluster. Given the choice I would prefer a fellow brewer taste my beer over even the most knowledgeable beer geek that doesn't brew.

 

[Inkguy]

I guess I have never met any beer geeks, at least the annoying ones. My son likes to 'watch beer' - an old Beer Hunter series. That guy was a beer geek, but at least he went to the places and talked to the brewers. The ones now seem to drone on and on about over-priced microbrews; American interpretations of older styles. Personally, I think most of it is mediocre and over-priced - $16 for a 22oz barleywine?? WTF?!
But at least it's taking over store real estate. My local grocery is about 80% non-Miller/Coors/Bud, so that's something. But I still find myself buying the same 4 or 5 things I bought 15 years ago when I started brewing - Guinness, SNPA, Anchor Steam.
Maybe I'm just old and cheap, but making my own is the only way i get beer that I like, and even then I sometimes throw together a batch that sucks, but I am too dense to just remake the batches that I like.
I have been reading about the history of brewing in England, so now I think I want to make English beer again, except for a citrus bomb here and there to get my APA fix in.
Just my $0.02

 

[brewguyver]

As for beer geeks who don't brew... I respect them but understand they are usually very limited. They might be able to identify an off flavor but not say what it is.

If you ever find one that does understand all the off flavors, then you've probably found the geekiest of the beer geeks. Someone who's done all the flavor wheels and sought out bad beers just for the sake of knowledge, and not to improve brewing ... that's one hell of a geek.

 

[NickTheGreat]

No. Actually the weirdest are those who don't drink and don't brew.

I know a fellow who doesn't drink beer, but brews. Talk about being a giving person!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

So - beer geek = good. Beer snob = bad.

I've heard this one: "A beer geek cares what HE drinks. A beer snob cares what YOU drink."

To paraphrase for this site:

A homebrew snob doesn't think you can possibly appreciate his creation if you don't also brew. A homebrew geek just hopes you'll like it.

 

[brewguyver]

I know a fellow who doesn't drink beer, but brews. Talk about being a giving person!

Unfortunately this is me - I drink about 20% and give away 80% since I'm on the road all the time. Batches smaller than 5 gallons annoy me, so I always have extra.

I've heard this one: "A beer geek cares what HE drinks. A beer snob cares what YOU drink."

To paraphrase for this site:

A homebrew snob doesn't think you can possibly appreciate his creation if you don't also brew. A homebrew geek just hopes you'll like it.

Nice work - totally agree!

 

[m3n00b]

Before brewing I thought I was a beer geek. After tasting a truly fresh IPA made by me I realized I knew nothing.